Dato: 15. januar 1874
Fra: Horace E. Scudder   Til: H.C. Andersen
Sprog: engelsk.

Riverside, Cambridge, Mass. 15 January 1874

My dear and H onoured Friend

I am sorry to begin my letter with an apology for my long delay in acknowledging your kind and interesting letter, which especially gladdened me by telling me of your recovery of health, but I am bound to confess that my letters have suffered much of late owing to new cares and burdens suddenly brought upon me by the undertaking in which Hurd and Haughton have embarked of the publicatian of a monthly magazine and a weekly journal. The Atlantic Monthly is the foremost literary magazine of America and has just been bought by our house who will hereafter publish it. I hope that with this new and valuable means of reaching the public, we may now be permitted again to publish your writings. Are we to see nothing from you this winter? I saw reference in the papers to a comedy just written by you. I should like much to see it, even if it be more for the stage than for literature, which it need not be. But have not your recent travels also given you new material for same of your characteristic sketches.

Why, when Andersen goes about with his faculty of seeing things that no one else sees, should he not tell them, as no one else tells them? I sent you the Atlantic Monthly for January and you will receive each month the magazine. I trust you will find its visits welcome. I sent you also a few days ago by mail a little book which has a history. It is entitled "Hans Andersen’s Good Wishes for Children, interpreted by A. A. B. and S. G. P." These two young ladies, Misses Bigelow and Putnam123 of Boston, wished to contribute something in aid of the Children’s Hospital, a very worthy and humane institution in Boston. Accordingly, Miss Bigelow translated several of your stories anew from the German version and Miss Putnam drew on stone the accompanying illustrations. We printed the book for them and I begged them to let me send you a copy with their autographs. I am sure you will be interested in this little labor of love and it would give me very great pleasure if I might be the means of securing for them one of your valued letters with photographs. Is this asking too much? Do not give yourself trouble about this, for they were very diffident about sending you their work; they are not professional author and artist, but ladies in refined society.

Let me tell you a little piece of news which concerns me very nearly, and I hope will not be without interest to my illustrious friend in Denmark. In October last, just before that beautiful autumn month died away, I married, and now my wife and I are living here in Cambridge, a happy life in a little set of rooms with our books and pictures and casts about us. Mr. Longfe1low is almost our next neighbor and did us the honor to call on us with his daughter a short time since. We speak of you when we meet, but have almost given up the hope of seeing you in our homes here.

I shall write you again in a few days when our semiannual accounts are made out. Till then believe me, dear friend, with my wife' s salutations-would that we could have you at our table! Ever gratefully and sincerely yours,

HORACE E. SCUDDER

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