Jan. 16, 1935Dear Miss Turner,
My new Norwegian roommate arrived yesterday - and I have just finished initiating him into the mysteries of the kitchen and the getting of breakfast. Perhaps you will remember him - he spent the year 1931-32 or '32-'33 at Woods Hole. His name is Braarud (though I'm not sure of the spelling!) He is just about my age, speaks excellent English - of course - and seems to have a good sense of humor. He's really a plant physiologist. I introduced him last night to the Housemaid's restaurant to which I am now devoted - not only because of the price - but because of the food for the price.
Thank you so much for the Christmas book. I have not yet read it - but shall in the immediate future. It's [sic] looks very interesting. New books are rather hard to get here - but I fortunately got several for Xmas - and have also found that the Ostergaards have an excellent collection - and keep buying all the new ones.
My Christmas holidays were perfect from beginning to end. The Eve was spent with the Krogh family. On Christmas day - I had a big lunch at noon with the Ostergaards at Langelinie & then in the evening - another turkey dinner with my American friend at the Pension Berg. The nice Petersens invited me to Holbak for any part of the holidays that I could come - but I wasn't able to go - since the day after Xmas I left for Norway with a party of people from here - for a week of skiing in the mountains at a place called Ustaoset - halfway between Oslo & Bergen. I went with Miss Mous & another girl from the laboratory & two friends of Miss Mous' - but we all were with a large party of Danes - mostly young students. There was a great deal of snow and the skiing was grand. Miss Mous had been to the Tyrol once - but said that this place was much better. We were up about three thousand feet but there were many higher mountains all around - up which we climbed and then skiied (?) down. Of course the days were rather too short - but we spent the evenings in reading or playing cards. The whole vacation was an excellent change from microscopic work.
My work is coming along - rather faster now than at the beginning. Just at present I am engaged in writing up the first part of my observations on the frog. I worked on the excised nictitating membrane, the tongue, and the excised & circulating mesentery and the hyaloid membrane, which was a little job to get out - but was quite a beautiful thing to work on when it was successfully removed.
Of late we have been having a few feeble attempts at snowing - but nothing much has
relatedresulted. Last Sunday my young American friend and I rode to Roskilde on our cycles. It was a gorgeous, sunny day when we started - but when we arrived it began to snow. We visited the cathedral and then came home with our cycles on the train.Are you planning to come to the Congress in Russia next summer? I have just received the information about it - the price etc - and it all looks quite intriguing - and I am rather planning on going. There is a possibility that Fru Krogh may go - but the Professor says he hasn't the least bit of interest in going to Russia.
Fru Móller has asked for you several times when I have been there. I met her through a friend of mine - and she has been most kind. She's quite charming, I think, I enjoy going there for tea and a chat very much.
Mrs Owen is now back here in Denmark - but I have not yet had an opportunity to meet her. She was "at home" to the American colony on New Year's Day - but unfortunately I was in Norway at that time. Anna Ostergaard works out her[e], of course, and I'm sure that I will meet her at some time. Next month at the American Woman's Club she will show her Greenland film. Did I write you that I had to make a speech before that organization? I hated to do it - not being anything of a speaker except in science - but it went off all right. I got acquainted with quite a number of people in that way, however.
How go the osmotic pressures? Did you see our paper & the editorial comment in the A.MA? I imagine you are keeping very busy as usual with your graduate student & all your other work & particularly with Charlotte away. By the way, what happened to Margaret Sumwalt this Fall? Did she get a position?
Many thanks - again for the book - & best wishes -
Sincerely,
Madeleine