"Desire for self-expression not sermonising, writing desecrated by showing to others" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/85 |
| Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 8 August 1899 |
| Address From | 2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 372 |
| 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. Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899.
|
1Aug 8th 1899
2
3 Dear Mrs Smuts
4
5 I am sending you the book I mentioned by my friend Ed Carpenter that I
6am so fond of. I fancy you will like it. I have been ill ever since I
7came back from Pretoria that day, never able to lie down at night with
8asthma, or I would have come over to Pretoria.
9
10 I am feeling so anxious & almost hopeless about public matter. We are
11like sheep surrounded by Chamberlain, Rhodes, Uitlander wolves; but
12sheep can sometimes give a good kick when they are fighting for their
13lives.
14
15 Much love to you & the little son.
16
17 Yours ever
18 Olive Schreiner
19
20
21
2
3 Dear Mrs Smuts
4
5 I am sending you the book I mentioned by my friend Ed Carpenter that I
6am so fond of. I fancy you will like it. I have been ill ever since I
7came back from Pretoria that day, never able to lie down at night with
8asthma, or I would have come over to Pretoria.
9
10 I am feeling so anxious & almost hopeless about public matter. We are
11like sheep surrounded by Chamberlain, Rhodes, Uitlander wolves; but
12sheep can sometimes give a good kick when they are fighting for their
13lives.
14
15 Much love to you & the little son.
16
17 Yours ever
18 Olive Schreiner
19
20
21
Notation
The book by Carpenter that Schreiner refers to is either: Edward Carpenter (1885) Towards Democracy Manchester: John Heywood; or, Edward Carpenter (1887) England’s Ideal, and other papers on social subjects London: Swann Sonnenschein & Co. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
The book by Carpenter that Schreiner refers to is either: Edward Carpenter (1885) Towards Democracy Manchester: John Heywood; or, Edward Carpenter (1887) England’s Ideal, and other papers on social subjects London: Swann Sonnenschein & Co. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.