1887.09.18 English
The letter below is a transcription of a transcription, made by Elsebeth Erlangsen in 1990. The original letter was written by RMH in 1887 to his daughter Emma, Mrs Erlangsen’s mother. Emma Malling-Hansen was in England at the time in order to learn English. Later on she took a teaching course and taught Danish, English and History for some 8-9 years at the school of the Misses Branner. She received a very good testimonial when she finished as a teacher in order to marry. Unfortunately Elsebeth Erlangsen didn’t manage to read everything of the handwritten letter, and therefore some of the words are missing. It is no wonder that RMH’s handwriting caused her problems, because it could sometimes be almost illegible to most people.
Copenhagen 18 8/9 87.[1]
Dearest Emma! A letter to my mother, written in English, ending: “ti write to me again. For to day I say forewether” [2] “Truly Yours Emilie....” (I cannot read the entire letter, nor the name)
My dear Emse! [3]
My heartfelt thank you for your letter and birthday congratulations on September 5 as well as your present which was most welcome; I have looked at it again and again, thinking at my dear Emse, roaming in lands where also her heavenly Father is keeping an eye on her and where there are also loving and good people. From dear mother[4] I got a pair of cups with a centimetre scale inside and a milk jug for my own use; from the two eldest duckies[5] I got their portrait (excellent). – and two magnificent asters in a pot, from the three small ones[6] a Japanese tray for the cup and the jug. From dear grandmother[7] ......two lovely pictures to put on the wall. And from brother-in-law PW and Lætitia[8] .... (?) an excellent jug for making mineral water, all those mentioned came for dinner, and in the evening Feilberg [9] and his wife pleased us with a visit; he presented me with an excellent tobacco pipe which I have been using every day since then. [10] What a lovely day!These days we have to miss our dear ‘Anna-mother’ [11]- who is currently in Ringsted in order to help out there. Alas! I know that Zais (?) has already made a comment about the birthday!Next time I shall remember (?) better. (take care!)Warmest greetings to Reverend Nielsen and his wife.Love from your faithful father R. Malling-Hansen The boy in Ringsted will be named ------- Thaning (?) - Hansen[13]
These old letters from grandfather to my mother were written in 1887-1888 and have been transcribed with great difficulties in September 1990, the centenary of grandfather’s death and around his birthday September 5. Many mistakes, it is hard for me to see, even when using a magnifying glass!!
[1] SA: It seems Elisabeth Erlangsen has been uncertain whether the original letter was dated month 8 or 9, but I assume the letter must have been written in September, since it was written after RMH’s birthday which was September 5.
[2] JMC: This must be the writing of somebody who doesn’t know English but is making an attempt to write something in that language! I have left the words as they have been transcribed.
[3] SA: Emse was the name the family used for the third eldest daughter, Emma. Other names used for the daughters were ‘Misse’ (Marie), ‘Jeanne’ (Johanne) and ‘Enga’ (Engelke).
[4] SA: Here RMH is probably referring to his second wife, because his own mother died in 1885.
[5] SA: RMH mostly referred to his daughters as ’the duckies’ (= ’putterne’). The two eldest were Juliane and Engelke. Emma was number three and Zarah number four.
[6] SA: The three youngest daughters were Johanne, Karen and Marie. RMH starts by mentioning what he got from the two eldest and the from the three youngest daughters. Adding together those mentioned we get to only six, Emma included. This is probably because one more of the daughters is not staying at home – either Juliane or Zarah.
[7] SA: In all likelihood this is Anna’s mother, Abelone Antoinette Steenstrup, who survived both her children and lived until 1906.
[8] SA: The brother-in-law and Lætitia are, in all likelihood, Anna’s brother, Peter Wilhelm and his wife Lætita
[9] SA: Feilberg must be one of the two brothers Ludvig or Gustav Feilberg. RMH knew both very well. I guess it was Gustav Feilberg who, among other things, figure in the famous painting of the four friends playing cards, painted that same year by Ludvig Engelstedt – the painting exhibited at the great Art and Industry World Exhibition in Copenhagen in 1888.
[10] SA: According to his son-in-law Fritz August Bech, RMH smoked like a ”steam engine” – especially when he was working intensively on something.
[11] SA: ’Anna-Moer’ = ’Anna-Mother’ was the name RMH’s daugthers used for their stepmother – RMH’s second wife, Anna Steenstrup.
[12] SA: In the provincial town of Ringsted RMH’s younger brother Jørgen lived and worked as an inspector at the school of Ringsted. Throughout all the years he lived with his mother and did not marry until after she died in 1885. His first child was born August 30, and Anna is probably in Ringsted in order to assist during child birth and afterwards.
[13] SA: The boy in Ringsted must be the son of the brother, Jørgen. He was named Johan Andreas Thaning Hansen. He died in 1931 without leaving heirs. Jørgen also adopted the name of Thaning in addition to his own.