New Year’s Day 1930

Dear Mrs. Nora!

Your letter came today, and it is the first letter I received in the year of our Lord 1930. I read it, and then I used the backside of your envelope to arrange (outline) a speech that I held in the afternoon before the Tourist Club of Biloxi. There must have been luck in it- I mean the letter, because the audience thanked me with a standing ovation. 

Regarding speeches: it was beautifully said by your friends who heard me that evening at the Hirsch Center. The truth is that evening I spoke quite poorly. It was the worst speech I held on the whole trip, I know that very well myself. If only they had heard me the next afternoon, because I did well then. 

Now then: here is the swear to a sincerely good New Year!

Your letter made me agitated. I do not like this amalgamation of Malmen-Spohn, I mean, her I could never like. Spohn, on the other hand, I cannot believe anything evil about. He has always spoken about you in the highest tones. He has always praised you. I want to begin the new year by thinking well of my companions. Presumably there are nothing other than good intentions behind the plan, given it looks genuine to invite a person on vacation in the middle of the year, and that for a while nothing has been said about it before. It can then be of consideration to your health. If your health is somewhat normal, I will say no thank you, and thanks for the good offer! Therefore I wanted to turn around and say: I will gladly take that vacation next year. 

My most sincere and most upright advice is that you take counsel with the president. He has many faults, but he can also see the human in a situation as clearly as any person I have known. If you can speak fully with him; I don’t think he will violate your confidence. If I was less worried for you, I would not give this advice so earnestly.

Now, I have not read Hans Frost. We have the apartment full of books; little gets read; I am too lethargic even to read. I have gotten a foot on Preface to Morals (it is in the library at St. Olaf) and it is quite good- in the same respect. You should read it.

I have bronchitis still, but I am much better. The cough has given up; the fever has left my body; now it’s just the fatigue that remains. 

This Tourist Club that I have spoken to today, is an unusual organization. Old men and even older ladies. Tonight they were going to have a dance, and tomorrow night a card party. Can you beat it? I saw nobody I was dying to dance with; therefore I said no thank you to the invitation. But I will send the wife next time! And then I wanted to go and see what it’s like.

Yes, there are a lot of strange things to see here. I had one advantage from going there today then: I met many people from the West, some from Osakis, some up from Fergus Falls, and a few from Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Most of them were from Illinois, then. Sickly people, the majority of them.

It would be more than lovely of you if you would hold me informed about what you decide to do next semester. And here is another thing you must do: Send me the bill for what you have paid Miss Røisum for the grouping. That bill is mine, and not yours. Should you decide to leaving St. Olaf next semester, I know you will need the money. Besides, it doesn’t have anything to do with the bill.

I have read all the reminiscences of The Messenger. If I’m not mistaken, the next half a year up there will be an uneasy year. I think I can notice it. I hope that I am incorrect.

Have you gotten to talk to Olani Helgen? He is a gifted boy, but a big imbecile. I wonder how he took the reprimand the president gave him? And how is Bjørk doing? – –

No, I do not yearn back for the leadership and hubbub up there; I am actually sincerely happy to be free of it; but I cannot stop thinking about many things. 

Since yours was the first letter I got this year, this is the first I have written. You may therefore mark it! If you write again, I will answer at once!

The rest of the page I will leave to my wife. 

Your old friend and fellow servant

O.E. Rølvaag

There is space enough left only to wish you a Happy New Year- which I do with all my heart, and hope it may bring you all that you wish, in health, joy and hopes realized- what more can I wish you?

Some day I shall write more. 

Very sincerely,

Jennie Rølvaag