The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.2004, Síða 33

Vol. 59 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
75
dear friend, when you said goodbye
because he later learned that kissing good-
bye is only a respectable sign of friendship
in Iceland. “But they do not do this in
Ottawa”.
My friend Sigtryggur refuses to discuss
New Iceland or a move neither for nor
against. Otherwise he is in a good state of
mind. None knows what Johann Briem
intends, but the majority of the people at
Icelandic River depend on him. Rebekka
(*::'Gudmundsdottir of Meidavellir near
Gimli, a well known midwife) is tired, but
she will probably stay. Jon doesn't care
what happens.
BUSINESS
The photos are here, and there were
two extra,(*::'one of) of each of you. Those
two I gave to Rebekka (**,) hoping that
you would want her to have them.
Dear friend, I gave the picture which
you gave to me to Gudny Aradottir
because she wanted it so badly. Gudny
deserves it, and besides, I had a picture of
you, one that is truer to your beauty than
this new one, and that picture I shall never
give to anyone.
I keep the stone from your broach. The
collars which you sent to my wife never
came. Never mind. Anna Ovale has not
responded to my letter yet. I hope that I
didn't proceed too fast.
For a long time I didn't remember
writing to Relling, but now I have written
to him and sent him $2.00 for Nordenfa
periodical).
This summer Sigtryggur got a cheque
(from Eyolfur Jonsson or Sigurjon) issued
by Sigmundur Jonsson from Hjardarhagi
made out to you. Eyolfur failed to inform
Sigmundur about this and therefore
Sigmundur - by request from me - sent you
another cheque covering the same pay-
ment.
This is a mess, but I hope that it can be
straightened out.
I kept some $120.00 for you, if I
remember correctly. I, by the way, do not
have too much money, but I can manage.
The business in Gimli is very slow.
“Victoria” (::';:'should be italicized rather
than put in quotation marks. This is the
steamboat owned by Sigtryggur and
Fridjon. It raised a lot of money for us this
summer. By now we have paid approxi-
mately half of its cost. If everything goes
well next summer I hope that we can finish
paying it by the fall.
This fall I sent you the school books. I
hope you received them.
I am hoping to have some time for
reading this winter. I need it. I love getting
the news from Iceland, and I appreciate
what you have written to me.
Why don't we, you and I, take over the
printing shop of New Iceland and publish a
paper when you come back.
I and my wife (**My wife and I) both
send you our best. God bless you.
Your loving brother (::'::'”brother” -
not literally) and friend,
Fridjon
Editor’s note: Lon is the farm just
north of Gimli, now the site of Loni Beach.
Fridjon's wife's parents lived there for a
time before moving to Icelandic River, and
Fridjon's father and his second wife and
daughter evidently occupied Rev. Jon and
Fru Lara's former house.