"Dream for federation of South Africa, one day we shall need love & devotion of black & coloured man" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Smuts A1/202/99 |
| Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 23 April 1917 |
| Address From | c/o Standard Bank, 10 Clements Lane, Lombard Street, London |
| Address To | Irene, Pretoria, Transvaal |
| Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the National Archives Repository, Pretoria, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Special Collections. The address this letter was sent to is provided by an attached envelope.
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1
address
2 c/o Standard Bank
3 10 Clements Lane
4 Lombard St
5 London W
6 April 23rd 1917
7
8 Dear Isie
9
10 How I wish you had come out with your husband, but I know that was
11impossible but how nice it would have been to see you
12
13 Did you ever get the post card I sent you when I heard Louie was born?
14I nearly always write post cards now as they seem to go better than
15letters I have seen Jan since. The first time I saw him I thought him
16looking ill & a little changed, but when I saw him yesterday he was
17looking splendid & quite his old self. He was going to Cambridge &
18kindly motored me to my friends Miss Alice Greenes, who is living
19there with her sister, & he brought me back to London in the afternoon,
20 so I had the chance of a little talk with him. It must be so hard for
21you & the children to have him so much away; but how all families are
22broken up now. My favourite nephew & godson Oliver is on his way to
23India: he was wounded at the Somme & his elbow blown away, but has
24gone out again. Lyndall & Ursula are both nursing at a Hospital in
25France & we have not seen them for a long time. Both have been ill but
26are well & at work again. Do write to me & tell me all about yourself
27& the children. Neef We are having very hard time here as far as
28foot goes food goes. Everything is so dear & difficult to get
29
30 Jan says the children are doing so well at school. How is your dear
31mother? Give her my love when you write or see her. Good bye, dear
32Isie. Love to you all. I wonder if little John Jan still looks so
33sweet.
34
35 Olive
36
37
38
2 c/o Standard Bank
3 10 Clements Lane
4 Lombard St
5 London W
6 April 23rd 1917
7
8 Dear Isie
9
10 How I wish you had come out with your husband, but I know that was
11impossible but how nice it would have been to see you
12
13 Did you ever get the post card I sent you when I heard Louie was born?
14I nearly always write post cards now as they seem to go better than
15letters I have seen Jan since. The first time I saw him I thought him
16looking ill & a little changed, but when I saw him yesterday he was
17looking splendid & quite his old self. He was going to Cambridge &
18kindly motored me to my friends Miss Alice Greenes, who is living
19there with her sister, & he brought me back to London in the afternoon,
20 so I had the chance of a little talk with him. It must be so hard for
21you & the children to have him so much away; but how all families are
22broken up now. My favourite nephew & godson Oliver is on his way to
23India: he was wounded at the Somme & his elbow blown away, but has
24gone out again. Lyndall & Ursula are both nursing at a Hospital in
25France & we have not seen them for a long time. Both have been ill but
26are well & at work again. Do write to me & tell me all about yourself
27& the children. Neef We are having very hard time here as far as
28foot goes food goes. Everything is so dear & difficult to get
29
30 Jan says the children are doing so well at school. How is your dear
31mother? Give her my love when you write or see her. Good bye, dear
32Isie. Love to you all. I wonder if little John Jan still looks so
33sweet.
34
35 Olive
36
37
38