1885.12.10 English

COPENHAGEN  DECEMBER 10, 1885

 

 

 

 

MY DEAR  B R O T H E R .

 

 

 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LATEST LETTER AND FOR YOUR COMMENTS REGARDING THE ISSUE OF THE JUBILEE[1].  ADMITTEDLY, THEY ARE SOMEWHAT VAGUE, BUT YET THEY HAVE LED ME TO THE DECISION THAT I FEEL MOST INCLINED TO, THAT IS TO DECLINE THE REQUEST AND EXPLAIN WHY. – THE MOST IMPORTANT PURPOSE OF THIS LETTER IS TO PURSUADE YOU TO PLEASE MY WIFE AND I AND THE WHOLE CABOODLE HERE WITH YOUR VISIT HERE DURING THE ENTIRE CHRISTMAS PERIOD, TO SPEND THE ENTIRE VACATION WITH US. – DO PLEASE ACCEPT. APART FROM A BIT OF A COLD HERE AND THERE EVERYTHING IS WELL WITH US. MY WEIGHINGS AND MEASURINGS[2] HAVE LED, OR RATHER ARE LEADING MORE AND MORE TO THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERIES. – I HAVE NOW FOUND THE CONNECTION TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLUCTUATIONS OF HEAT AND OF GROWTH, RESPECTIVELY, AND IT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST AND MOST FAR-REACHING DISCOVERIES EVER MADE. I AM WORKING IN A EUPHORIA  OF HAPPINESS, I AM WANDERING IN NEW, HITHERTO UNKNOWN AND INDESCRIBABLY BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES. BUT LET ME TELL YOU MORE WHEN WE MEET. ALSO MY MEASUREMENTS OF TREES HAVE, THESE LAST FEW DAYS, LED TO NEW PECULIARITIES THAT STRIKE OUT – CLEARLY AND UNTOUCHABLY – A BODY OF NONSENSE THAT THE GREAT AUTHORITIES IN PLANT PHYSIOLOGY – EX PROFESSO[3] - HAVE BEEN MESSING AROUND WITH. THINGS ARE ALSO INCREASINGLY BETTER WITH THE WRITING BALL. NINE UNITS HAVE BEEN SOLD DURING THE LAST THREE MONTHS, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

 

 

 

                                               WARMEST REGARDS FROM ALL OF US AND FROM

 

 

 

                                                           YOUR DEEPLY DEVOTED BROTHER

 

 

                                                           R. MALLING-HANSEN  (SIGN.)

 

 

[1] CB: I cannot figure out what jubilee he is referring to?

[2] CB: This is a reference to his amazing investigations into ‘Fluctuations in the Growth of Children and the Heat of the Sun’. They created quite a sensation around the world in 1885 – and rightfully so – but after that were forgotten.  One of the most important missions of our RMH Society is to restore this  research to the global fame it once enjoyed.

[3] JMC: Latin = “with the authority of a teacher”