Brev til
Mr Svend Oddsen Testdal, Granby P.O., Nicollet Co., Minnesota, U.S. Amerika
Brevet poststempla : Voss 3/3-1879, Voss 4/3-1879, og Christiania 7/3-1879. Påskrive Ikke betalt og signert av H. Helleved, stempla T (tyder at mottakar må betala porto) og stempla U.S.CURRENCY 10.
Rio den 27de Februar 1879
Dyrebare og ofte ihukommende Søster med Familie !
Din ærede af 10de Juni 1876 kom mig ihende efter at have brugt sædvanlig Tid af Budbæreren (Posten). Jeg ser af samme Brev at Du har modtaget mit Brev og at Du beder om Unskyldning for at Du ei før har besvaret samme ; men naar Du gjør dette, saa har jeg vist mere Grund til at gjøre det samme ; efterdi det har blevet opsat gang efter gang ; thi det er forunderligt, naar man ei selv er istand til at føre Pennen ; men skal være nødt til at ty til Andre ; thi ikke altid er man saa fri til at framlegge for dem, hvad der ligger mig paa Hjerte, som jeg derfor gjerne havt Lyst til at meddele Dig ; og af den Grund haaber jeg at Du haver mig undskyldt for min Forsømmelse. Som jeg saa af Eders Skrivelse er det til stor Glæde for dem, at De faa høre fra Hjemmet og jeg kan sige, at det samme er Tilfældet med os i Hjemmet ; thi jeg erindrer med blandede Følelser den Tid, da vi som Småbørn ved vaar kjere hedenfarne Forældres Side havde mangen sand Barneglede i den hjemlige Arne ; men den blev os for trang og vi maatte skilles ; i kummelig men dog kan Hjerterne ligge lige nær til hinanden og tanker lige ømt til hverandres Vel for Tid og Evighed. Det glædede mig at se Deres potræt, for hvilke jeg herved sender Dem min hjerteligste Tak ; men det var ei uden Vedmædige Følelser, at jeg betragtede Dig min elskelige Søster, der bærer Stemplet af den Sygdom, som Du i en Tid har maattet drages med ; det er da mit hjertens Ønske til Gud for Dig, at den herren i sin Visdom snart vil bortkalde Dig, der da maattes findes med Olje i din Lampe og med Livets Brudgom indgaa til den uforkrænkelige Glæde, i det Hjem, hvor Sorg og Sygdom ei findes ; Thi der er et Faderhus med mange Værelser, som aldrig bliver for trangt. Imidlertid saaglæder jeg mig ved at høre, at alle de andre af deres Familie ere ved en god Helbred, hvilket er det bedste timelige Gode. Jeg kan da berette Eder fra os, at vi alle i Hjemmet ere ved god Helbred og, jeg, som sidst da jeg skrev til Eder var syg, har nu i omtrent et Aar været ganske frisk og er det fremdeles. Ligeledes kan jeg lade Eder vide, at vor Datter Anna, som er fraflyttet til Himle har nu faaet en velskabt Datter, som er ca 1 Aar gammel og de ere alle vel, hvad Sundheden angaar og … finder sig med Familie vel. Jeg ser af det samme Brev, at De og har talt med Lars og at han havde ytret, at han vilde besøge sit nylig forladte Fædreland. Dette var mig meget kjært, om denne Ytring blev til Virkelighed ; thi vi tiltrængte nu høiligen hans Hjæl(p) Saavel som hans Arbeidsstyrke. Det var godt at høre, at De nu har faaet et godt Aar og at ingen Greshopper har ruineret Grøden De hilses da slutteligen saa flittigen fra alle vore Søskende at de lever vel og at Ole var Broder, som Ivar 5 Aar, da Du forlod Norge, i anstundende Aar skal indtræde i den hellige Ægtestand med Pigen Ingebjørg Endresdatter Gjærald.
Hermed være I da allesammen flittigen hilset fra mig din kjære Søster Ingebjørg Knudsdatter Rio med Familie.
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Translaton with dataprogram (not verified) :
Letter to Mr Svend Oddsen Testdal,
Granby P.O., Nicollet Co., Minnesota,
U.S. Amerika
The letter has postmark: Voss 3/3-1879, Voss 4/3-1879, and Christiania 7/3-1879.
Sign Not paid and signed by H. Helleved, stamp plate T (indicates that recipient must pay postage) and stamp U.S. CURRENCY 10.
Rio on February 27, 1879
Precious and often remembered Sister with Family! Your Honor of 10 June 1876 came to me after spending the usual time of the Messenger (Posten). I see of the same letter that you have received my letter and that you apologize for that You have not answered the same ; before, but when you do this, I have shown more Reason to do the same ; since it has been set up time after time ; for it is wonderful when one is not able to lead the pen ; but will have to resort to others ; because one is not always so free to do so present to them what is on my heart, which I would therefore like to have Desire to inform you ; and for that reason I hope you have excused me for my Negligence. As I saw from your letter, it is a great pleasure them, that you get to hear from Home and I can say that the same is the case with us at home ; because I remember with mixed feelings the time when we as toddlers at our dear departed Parents' Side, there was a lot of childish joy in it homely Arne ; but it was too tight for us and we had to part ; in a strange but however, hearts can be just as close to each other and thoughts just as tender to each other's Good for Time and Eternity. It pleased me to see your portrait, for which I I hereby send you my heartiest thanks ; but it was without bold feelings, that I looked at you my lovely sister, who bears the stamp of that disease, with whom You have had to be drawn for a time ; that is then my heart's desire for God for you, that the gentleman in his wisdom will soon call you away, where necessary found with Oil in your Lamp and with the Bridegroom of Life entered into the incorruptible Joy, in that Home, where Sorrow and Sickness are not found ; For there is a Father's house with many rooms, which are never too cramped. However, I am looking forward to it to hear that all the rest of your family are in good health, which is the best temporal Good. I can then tell you from us, that all of us in the Home are in good health and I, who was ill when I last wrote to you, now have About a year was quite healthy and still is. I can also charge You know that our daughter Anna, who has moved to Heaven, has now received one well-built daughter, who is about 1 year old and they are all well, what health concerns and ... finds himself with Family well. I see from the same letter that you have spoke to Lars and that he had expressed that he wanted to visit his recently abandoned Fatherland. This was very dear to me, if this statement became reality ; because we now very much needed his Help(p) as well as his Workforce. It was good to hear that you have now had a good year and that no grasshoppers have ruined it The harvest You are greeted when finally the diligence of all our Siblings saw that they are alive and that Ole was a brother, as Ivar was 5 years old, when you left Norway, in recent years will enter into holy matrimony with the girl Ingebjørg Endresdatter Gjærald.
Herewith, you all diligently greeted
from me, your dear Sister Ingebjørg Knud's daughter Rio with Family.