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Letter ReferenceHRC/OliveSchreinerUncatLetters/OS-TFisherUnwin/17
ArchiveHarry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date26 June 1892
Address FromMatjesfontein, Western Cape
Address To
Who ToT. Fisher Unwin
Other Versions
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.
1Matjesfontein
2June 26 / 92.
3
4Dear Mr Unwin
5
6I should have written sooner but did ^have^ been ill.
7
8No, I will not prosecute that woman though of course it is an
9infringement of my copyright. If I acted against the publisher it
10might yet get her into trouble & that I would not do if the sum
11possibly to be gained were fifty times as large as it is. The
12Publisher knew he was doing wrong, but she evidently did not.
13
14I got the 2/6 copy of my Dreams. I may say that I was somewhat
15surprised to receive it, with-out having been communicated with as to
16it’s coming out, but you no doubt wrote to Mr Ellis about it in
17which case it is quite all right. I especially did not wish the price
18reduced now as I am bring out books shortly which would greatly have
19increased the sale of the 6/- Edition. So little did I expect it to be
20reduced that I have within the last three months expended several
21pounds in buying copies at 6/- to give to my friends, thinking it
22would be taking an unfair advantage of of you if I asked for any more
23copies.
24
25Would you be so kind as to draw up for me on one sheet of paper, &
26send me by next post if quite convenient to your self, a statement of
27the exact number of Dreams you published since first undertaking them,
28& of the sums paid me at different times.
29
30My reason for asking this is that I wish to to put all my business
31affairs entirely in the hands of one person who says he must act have
32this in each case if he is to act for me. I shall give him all my
33books in future, but shall direct him always to put your name early in
34the list of publis-hers to be gone to.
35
36Yours faithfully,
37Olive Schreiner
38
39PS. I am sending this through my friend Mrs Ellis, wh upon whose
40valuable time & generous assistance I fear I have already made too
41large demands.
42
Notation
The comments about possible prosecution refer to the parody of Schreiner's 'dreams' style. See "God's Light On the Mountain" Pall Mall Gazette 6 February 1891 p.3, with the added comment that "If not by Miss Schreiner, it is certainly a very happy attempt in the same style.".