Om genstanden
Copenhage 23 December 1872
My dear little friend!
For more than seven weeks I have been ill and I am not yet quite restituted. i have met with the greatest sympathy from the royal family as well from the pooresh situated. Our won kindhearted and good Crown Prince who is a brother of the amiable Prince of Wales has paid me a visit. But though I have had a great deal of sympathy, the advances in my health are only slo. Reading fatigues me, writing is not permitted to me. One of my friends, to whom i dictate these words, puts them into writing.
I was so glad to receive the letter of my dear little friend, now I have and keeps the “green-stone, a perserver against perils on the sea, but the dearest to me remains the dear, blessed letter, telling me of the home of little Mary and of the visit of Stanly in Hamilton. It was a natural and sound hearts idea to buy the locket with the likeness of Pappa, Mary, her brothers and sisters, to present the lockes to Stanely, who certainly has understood the childs-gifts to him. But that my own dear little friend also has a touching thought for the distress of the inundated in Denamrk, my native country, that she sends to them half of Mary’s gifts, has joyfully and deeply touched me. Receive my thanks, dear blessed child. May thy father soon kiss thy little red mouth! The half sovereigh is instantly forwarded to the “inandation-Comitee. My accounts of this gift has touched all my friends, it has been referred in most of the papers of the country in a very nice manner, so that Mary / will find taht she as well as her father has plenty of friends in the countries of the North, when she as I hope, will visit the same with her pappa. I send in crossband the first paper that mentioned little Marys gifts there. i also send in cross-band a good? likeness of mine, I think they will arrive at the same time as this letter, thus brings the heartiest christmas compliments and good wishes to the new-year for Mary and all her dears in the beautiful country of Livingstone, Burne and Walter Scott. Favour me soon again with a letter.
With a warm and full heart I sign
Hans Christian Andersen
to Mary Livingstone
Trykt på dansk: E. Bredsdorff, H.C. Andersen og England, s. 404
