1889.03.08 English

    THE ROYAL 

 INSTITUTE FOR

 THE DEAF-MUTE 

  COPENHAGEN

  March 8, 1889[1]

 

 

    Dear Professor Steenstrup[2]

 

My dear wife and all of us here would like to convey our warmest birthday congratulations. We hope you may continue yet for many more years to keep the clear intellect and sharpness of mind which so evidently characterize your latest works; and would that your health may facilitate your great spiritual task as much as possible.  Thank you so very much for the works you sent me; I am anxiously looking forward to getting the fascicle about the temporal relationship between kitchen middens[3] and  mausolea of the Stone Age. There is such a refreshing distinctness and accuracy in both works, coupled with a solid and comprehensive substantiation of unbiased and realistic investigations and research results, that one has to appreciate how very justified are the demands about “sound judgment” and “level-headed progress” to contemporary scientists – often far too quick and far too rashly reaching their conclusions.   In particular the Germans are running riot. This year I have read a good deal by the philosopher Dr Schneider, very highly esteemed during the last few years. He philosophizes about the hypothesis of evolution[4] (of course). I am at a loss to comprehend that his entire construction – so much mocking all kind of “sound judgement” as well as “level-headedness” – hasn’t yet collapsed under peals of laugther. The Germans do manage to swallow some huge camels[5]

 

Warmest regards to you and your loved ones from all of us                                               Yours most respectfully

 

                        R. Malling-Hansen

 

 

[1] CB: Italics indicate that this is a handwritten letter. The letterhead was pre-printed.

[2] JMC: The letter was for Japetus Steenstrup (1813-1897), famous and internationally recognized naturalist. He was also related to RMH in the sense that he was an uncle of RMH’s second wife. In the initial address, RMH uses Steenstrup’s other important title “etatsraad”, a now obsolete title that can be roughly translated as “Councillor of State”.

[3] JMC: Among archeologists, the Danish word for kitchen midden is also known and used: “Køkkenmødding” (19th century spelling: “Kjøkkenmødding”). In fact it was Japetus Steenstrup who invented this word, and the term has entered the Portuguese language in its original form, without being translated, being spelled “kjoekken-moedding”)

[4] CB: Presumably the theories of Charles Darwin

[5] JMC: The expression stems from a biblical quotation: “strain at a gnat and swallow a camel”