"That I may finish that book, 'From Man to Man', being of some use, tragedy & bitterness of woman's fate" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceHRC/CAT/OS/2b-viii
ArchiveHarry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateWednesday 15 October 1884
Address From144 Marina, St Leonards, East Sussex
Address To24 Thornsett Road, South Penge Park, London
Who ToHavelock Ellis
Other VersionsCronwright-Schreiner 1924: 41; Draznin 1992: 158-9
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, the University of Texas at Austin, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscript Collections. This letter has been dated by reference to an associated envelope and its postmark, which also provides the address it was sent to. Schreiner was resident in St Leonards from mid October to the end of November 1884.
1Wednesday Night
2
3Yes, I want to write to our Louie too, but I am so stupid I can’t
4even write to you. Not a nice letter.
5
6Yes, I want to join the “New Life”, I but I hope they don’t mean
7if we form a community that ye we are all to live together. It isn’t
8living together but working together in heart that helps people. ^(I
9mean large bodies of people)^
10
11The first little bit of Mama’s letter is about you; the rest isn’t
12interesting The other letter is from my old friend I’ve told you so
13much about. Fancy the two little fellows going off to catch Bonaparte;
14the one is about six & the other four.
15
16I am so glad about “Ghosts”. When will he take it.
17
18Send me some ^books^ about the woman question, & post social questions,
19ethics, ^from the London Library, & some novels, Mehalah &c.^ I must
20have something that will make me forget. I have Tear up my last letter
21to you tear up everything in which I ever have mentioned the subject
22that lies close to me
23
24I am up today all day.
25
26I am so glad you are well & that I don’t make your heart ache, Henry.
27 It comforts me so to think that. I am looking forward to getting the
28Review
29
30^I feel in such a dream as if I were dead & only seem to be living.^
31
32^Don’t trouble about the “London” if you are busy. In a day or
33two will do. I hope you got the money right this evening. Isn’t it
34splendid to get £6 for one article^
35
36Olive
37
Notation
Ellis's article for which he received ?6 cannot be traced. The reference to Ghosts is: Henrik Ibsen (1881) Ghosts (trans. Henrietta Frances Lord) London: Griffith, Farran & Co. The book referred to is: Sabine Baring-Gould (1880) Mehalah: A Story of the Salt Marshes London: Smith, Elder & Co. Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription. Cronwright-Schreiner's (1924) extract is incorrect in various ways.