Dato: 21. januar 1873
Fra: H.C. Andersen   Til: Horace E. Scudder
Sprog: dansk, engelsk.

Kjøbenhavn den 21. Januar 1873

Kjære fortræffelige Ven! I næsten tre Maaneder har jeg været syg, meget syg, det jeg tidligere aldrig kjendte. Endnu har jeg ikke ret Stemning eller Kræfter til at skrive Breve, men det er saa uendeligt længe siden jeg skrev Dem til at det ret ligger mig paa Hjertet at sende Dem et Par Ord. Maaskee veed De at jeg har været meget lidende, Aviserne, selv i Udlandet, særligt tydske og engelske, veed jeg, har omtalt det, dog nu er jeg i Bedring, men har Besværlighed ved at stige op ad Trapper, hvorfor alle mine Udflugter endnu kun indskrænke sig til Kjøretoure paa en Timestid; Veiret er imidlertid mildt, vi have dagligt i denne Vinter hele 5 til 6 Graders Varme; Lægerne ville at jeg skal til et Bad saa snart Aarstiden tillader det. Under min Sygdom har jeg modtaget store Beviser paa hvor mange og trofaste Venner jeg har, jeg er blevet pleiet og passet, Folk af alle Klasser have dagligt spurgt til mit Befindende; den kongelige Familie har særligt viist mig stor Naade og Deeltagelse; fra Kongen og Enkedronningen har jevnligt været Bud, hendes Majestæt Dronningen har hædret mig med en deeltagende Skrivelse og vor høist elskværdige Kronprinds har besøgt mig i mit Hjem, dette Sindelag og al den Deeltagelse hos alle Samfundsklasser har ret fyldt mig med Glæde og Taknemlighed. De sidste skrevne Eventyr og Historier jeg tidligt sendte Dem i Manuskript, og som jeg sagde vilde udkomme her hjemme til Julen, ere modtagne med særdeles Erkjendelse, ja hele Oplaget (5000 Exemplarer, noget særdeles i vort lille Land), hører jeg er udsolgt. Ogsaa dette har opfyldt mig med Glæde, saa at, som De seer, jeg, selv under min Sygdom, er en "Lykke Peer". Nu hører jeg vel snart om den amerikanske Udgave, ligesom jeg ogsaa erholder nogle Exemplarer af den nye Udgave af mit Livs Eventyr. Min hjerteligste Tak for det gamle Aar og de bedste Ønsker for Dem og Deres i det nye Aar! Bring den samme Udtalelse til mine ærede Forlæggere! Jeg antager at Hr Hurd er vendt hjem igjen til Amerika, da jeg ikke har seet ham eller hørt fra ham i Europa! Hils min Landsmand Lange og Longfellow.

Hjerteligt H. C. ANDERSEN

Hvor har jeg dog i min Sygdom tænkt paa Døden! mange Aar endnu, har jeg ikke at leve!

Copenhagen, January 21,1873.

Dear and excellent friend:

For nearly three months I have been ill, very ill, something I have never known before. As yet, I am not in the mood, nor do I have the strength, to write letters, but it is so infinitely long ago since I wrote you that I feel that I simply must send a few words. Perhaps you know that I have been seriously ailing. The papers, even the foreign papers, especially the German and the English, I know, have mentioned it. But now I am improving, although I have difficulty in climbing stairs, so that all my outings consist as yet in nothing beyond drives of an hour at a time. The weather meantime is mild. This winter we have had all of five or six degrees of heat daily. The doctors advis e me to go to the baths somewhere as soon as the season permits.

During my illness I have had abundant proofs of the number and faithfulness of my friends; I have been nursed and looked out for; people of all clas ses have made daily inquiries as to my condition. The royal family has especially been most gracious and sympathetic. Messengers have come regularly from the King and the Queen Mother. Her majesty the Queen has honored me with a sympathetic letter, and our most lovable Crown Prince has visited me in my home. The friendly attitude and the sympathy from all clas ses of society has filled my cup to overHowing with happiness and gratitude.

The last fairy tales and stories that I wrote and sent you some time ago in manuscript, and that I said would be published here by Christmas, have had a particularly good reception. I hear that the entire edition (5000 copies, quite unusual in our little country) has been sold. This has also given me great joy, so you see that even during my illness I am a "Lucky Peer." I suppose I shall soon hear of the American edition, as I shall also hope to have some copies of the new edition of The Story of My Life.

My most hearty thanks for the Old Year, and the best wishes to you and yours for the New Year.

Bring the same expression [of sentiment] to my honored publishers! I presume that Mr. Hurd has returned home again to America, as I have not seen him or heard from him in Europe! Greet my countryman, Lange,1l6 and Longfellow.

Sincerely,

H. C. ANDERSEN

How much, indeed, have I thought of death in the course of my illness. I cannot have many years left to live!

Tekst fra: The Andersen-Scudder Letters. Hans Christian Andersen's Correspondence with Horace Elisha Scudder.