Bakkehussamlingen

Rom the 24 of Nov.1869.

Dearest Mother!

Of course as you recieve now a letter from Rome, expect you long discriptions of its buty and a great deal of news about all what is passing here. But then you mistake, indead. I should wish nothing more, than to be able to write much to you dear mother, now so quite alone, fare from all your dear ones, but I have no time at all to do so, and you must therefor be contended recieving these few lines written in a hurry. Only you shall hear how your two long boys do, and see that I not at all forget you, whom I like so very much. Thorald is charmed over Rom, where he is going, what he is seeing, what he is eating, all says he, is the best in the world. He has got a pfortepiano in his room, for 10 Lire the month, and plays rather dilligent during the day, just now 9 oclock and a half in the evening, sits he before it and plays a peace of Mozart, we have since last I wrote you, not ben much out, because the the weather has not been fine at all, and I could not help working. Too Thorald was somewhat // tired from the voyage, and resolved too to rest a little in studding his musik, He has commenced the first days to play on Mr Povlsens Pianos, which he was allowed, but we percieved well that it disturbed them somewhat, and farther he could not come in the house until 11 oclok, as you know that the Italians are very lazy, and sleep long the morning. So we have both worked at home, and I am going fast on with my pictures; I have a little difficulty in bringing such a large picture in harmonie, yet I think and hope to succide well. I percieve with pleasure, how much I have learned since last year on this time, and too am I able to do more with little than formerly. We have a week ago visited Miss Helbig, who send you many greets, she was very kind against us, plaid some beautifull things for us, spoke much about about musik with Thorald, gave him some nodes (Noder), and asked us to call upon her when it pleases us, many greets from Mr Helbig, they long very much to see you again in januar. And then last Saturday were we paiing a visit to Miss Brewster, who was the old, dear, kind lady as formerly, her little dog has become a big, long haired curious animal, which not let her stay tranquil for an onl // ly moment. Of course she could not help speaking about you the whole time, and about her great long for a letter, she has sayd she, during your absence, now 10 month, not recieved more than 2 letters from you, and she is so fond of them, of course I assured her, that you had written more than those, but that some once no doubt had become lost. She told me too, to have read in English newspapers about your voyage to the Orient, and has immideately written it to the American newspapers, she invited Thorald and me, to societys every fryday evening only four persons are coming, and these are selebrated masters of the musik, of course we shall go there with great pleasure. Miss Kushmann has ben near the dead in Edingbourgh, as she was operated on the one breast, but think how terrible, the ill as now gon over on the other. Mr Bennouvill’s vife must now die of the same ill, as it has returned on the same breast were she was operated in 1866. He does not come here this year. but Miss Kushmann will surely come next month and shall I immediately pay her my visit with Thorald. Many greets from the whole family Povlsen; We are quite as children of the house there. Thorald commences allready to speak a little // Italian. If I myself do not visit too much the Englishmen and Americans, must you not wounder at all, Thorald will always go there, but I have now commenced to draw in the evening, on the Accademy Gigi, after Custumes, for which I want much. I have got dear letters from home they all do well; I wrote too weeks ago, in great earnest and low to father, about the life, the world and the art, on which I have recieved too a rather long letter, full of low and faith, in which he speak about his terrible situation as artist, his lost life, yes discrips his whole greef and dispair, tell me not to be artist, to mary a reach lady, and that he had not thought a 16 years boy as I am, to fall in a trap in Schlesien. Oh mother! an exelent trap, a trap which keeps me strong, and from all danger, for which I must thank our dear leading father, Mimi, dear Mimi is the trap, my whole happy and that roccet on which my life and my future is build, she and the whole family send you many 1000 greets. It is no use to speek more with dear father about these things, we must be satisfied when he himself only can find a little rest, if we touch him, think I that we only do bad (worse) badder. You will wounder to read English from me, I correspond always in English with Maria i Ensomhed (as she has wroten on a travvel, in the strangerbook at Schne koppe this summer) and she does so too, and I have [Langs kanten:] inded by this learned very much, of course it is not quite without faulth as I have neither dictionary nor grammar but I think it always to be a god exercise, it goes as easy for me as danish, and I hope that you will understand it. Now good by dear mother i Ensomhed. God bless you and keep his hands over you, and our whole family, recieve with this little violet your faithful son Haralds lowly kisses.