Museet

Året er 1890

Så sit vi her då, vi to gamle. Eg heiter Johan og kona mi Kjellaug.Me er husmenn og arbeider på garden til storbonden for hus og mat.Dagane kan verta lange med mykje tungarbeid, omkring 14 timars arbeids dag.Det er verst for kona mi Kjellaug som er gamal og skral av helse.Alt hadde gått om me ikkje hadde fått denne store sorga som me knapt kan bere.For omlag eit år sidan tok son vår seg over til Amerika, ilag med mange andre husmenn. Der var det godt om arbeid og eventyrlandet lokka.Før han la i veg hadde me faått ei vakker og god svi! gerdotter, Solveig. Ho venta barn og ville reise over seinare. Alle vindar vende seg mot oss. Sorga var uovervinneleg den dagen me fekk bod om at Ola var død. Han vart drepen under tømmerhogst i Alaskas skogar.Frå den dagen gjekk det nedover med Solveig. Ho falma vekk og sorga vart for tung å bere.Då veslejenta vart fødd, døydde mora.Eg foldar mine store, gamle arbeids hender, medan tårene renn og hjarte blør ser eg på desse to.Mi gamle, utslitne kone og det vesle barnet.Men eit lite håp blir kveikt når eg ser på den vakre veslejenta som skal døypast søndag. Ho skal heite Synneva.
Gud hjelper oss alle.

The year is 1890
And here we sit two old ones; My name is Johan, and this is my wife, Kjellaug. We are poor and we both work on the farm for the large farmer, where we get a place to stay and food as payment. The days can get very long with a lot of hard work, about 14 hour workday. It’s worst for my wife, Kjellaug which is old and doesn’t have such good health. Everything had worked if it wasn’t for this big sorrow that we can hardly bear. For about one year ago our son went over to America, together with many other poor ones. It was plenty of work and the land of adventure tempted. Before he left, we had been given a beautiful and good daughter in law, Solveig. She expected a baby and wanted to leave later on, to America! Every wind turned against us. The sorrow was invincible the day we received the message, that Ola, our son was dead. He had died under woodcutting in the woods of Alaska. From this day it went only one way with Solveig, down. She started to fade slowly away and the sorrow became too heavy to bear. When the baby girl was born, her mother died. I clasp my big, old working hands, while the tears keep running down my face and my heart is bleeding. I look at those two, my old worn out wife and the little child. But a small hope is born when I look at our little baby girl that is going to be baptized this Sunday. Her name will be Synneva
God helps us all.

Synnevas gåve
Takk for at du har gjesta vårt hus i dag.Takk for at du opnar ditt hjarte og di hand,med ei lita gåve til Synneva.Må sola altid skine på din veg,du gode menneske.

Synneva`s present
Thank you for visiting our home today. Thank you for opening your heart and your hand, with a little present for Synneva. May the sun always shine your way, you kindhearted human.