| Letter Reference | Wessels A.96.13-16 (A7434) |
| Archive | Free State Archives Repository, Bloemfontein |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 13 September 1900 |
| Address From | Lyndall, Newlands, Cape Town, Western Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | P.P. Wessels |
| Other Versions | |
The manuscript of this letter by Olive Schreiner belongs to the Archive referenced above; its ownership of the original should be acknowledged by referencing the letter as indicated:
Copyright transcription: © Olive Schreiner Letters Project. This transcription can be freely used as long as copyright is acknowledged and it is referenced using the following citation: ‘Olive Schreiner to P.P. Wessels, 13 September 1900, Free State Archives Repository, Bloemfontein, Olive Schreiner Letters Project transcription’. Please also supply letter line numbers for specific quotations.
Legend
The Project is grateful to the Free State Archives Repository for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of their collections.
1: Private
2:
3: Address, Olive Schreiner
4: c/o Hon W P Schreiner
5: Lyndall
6: Newlands
7: Cape Town
8: South Africa
9:
10: Sep 13 / 00
11:
12: Dear Sir,
13:
14: I have been unable to answer your letter sooner because I have been
15: ill. Had I had the means & the health I should long ago have been in
16: America trying to explain the true position of the Republics to the
17: American people. But I have not the coming over paying my own
18: expenses, & under no other condition would I consent to come. My
19: health also is now in such an in a condition that I might not be able
20: to do much when I got there.
21:
22: I have written some articles on the Boer. I have sent them home to my
23: friends Dr John Brown of Burnley ^Lancashire^ in England. If he cannot
24: make suitable arrangements for their publication in Englan America &
25: should write to ask your advice perhaps you might be able to help him
26: – in publishing them in America I think they might be wise useful in
27: throwing light on the true nature of the much misunderstood Boer. I
28: always believe still that right will in the end prevail & the
29: republics regain their freedom.
30:
31: ^This letter is strictly private^
32:
33: ^I am, dear ^^Sir^^, with sincere sympathy^
34: Yours faithfully
35: Olive Schreiner
36:
Notation
The name of the addressee is provided by another letter archived in the same collection, written by Cronwright-Schreiner to P.P. Wessels, as follows:
Private
c/o Mrs SCCronwright
Mowbray
Cape Colony
22. Aug. 00
Dear Mr. Wessels,
Your note to my wife & myself came yesterday (dated 19. July.) We are anxious to assist in any way towards relieving the distress caused by this war. We have done our best, she here & I in England, & are still doing what we can.
When in England, Montagu White wanted us to go to America, but I refused because I do not wish to be financially assisted by the Republics. But I am willing to go to America if it can be managed ^otherwise^. I cannot go as I should like to,
- that is because I cannot afford the expense. But if, while over there, I can
by my own exertions fin earn sufficient money, I will go. The only plan that occurs to me is to give a series of public lectures, & I think the best way would be if some
man of standing & repute &
financially sound to pay me a sum to deliver the lectures. He would in such a case (if money
can be made this way) reap financial benefit himself, but it would save me no end of bother, & I should be in a position to help towards relieving the distress caused by the war. You will know, or can easily hear, of a man who takes such matters in hand. Get a good one, see him, and ask him to make me an offer for
the a Lecturing Tour. If the offer is good enough my wife might come across with me. It will have to be a good offer, or I cannot go across. It is no use undertaking such a journey unless the result is substantial.
Give such a man my address, & then I can deal with him direct.
Yours very truly,
SCCronwrightSchreiner
