"Only two questions in South Africa, rank confers duties" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/63 |
| Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 22 February 1904 |
| Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
| Address To | |
| 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. Schreiner was resident in Hanover from September 1900 to October 1907, after 1902 with visits, sometimes fairly lengthy, elsewhere.
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1
Feb 22 / 04
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 I am leaving this on the 1st for Cape Town. Cron is going down to
6parliament & I am going down with him; but shall probably only stay
7for a few days, as I can’t stand the air there.
8
9 Most of our people are very down spirited. I am not more so than I
10have been for the last two years. I have always seen that these things
11& probably many much worse must happen before the day breaks. I cannot
12think how our leaders can have miscalculated so! It has also seemed to
13me they were living in a fools paradise. Of course things will come
14right in the end: the long long end. We are going to have the funeral
15here on the 21st ^of March^ after all. I have had the coffins made. I am
16sorry I shall not be here. I am buying some crape &c for Mrs. Nienaber
17& the children for that day.
18
19 I wish so very very much I could stand the climate at Pretoria & come
20up to stay with you for a little time. I must try to find some farm
21where I can go n. I wish you were in Town now that I could see Sannie.
22Isn’t she like your husbands mother? It seems so from the
23photograph? Every one says she was such an exceptionally sweet woman.
24
25 Good bye. Greetings to you all.
26 Olive
27
28 Tell your husband his little letter to my husband, & what he said
29about the passing of a redistribution bill here, did ?my ?heart good.
30
31 ^If you write while I am in Cape Town address c/o my husband House of
32Parliament, as I don’t yet know where I shall find a boarding house.
33Mrs. Purcell with whom I always stay is away at the sea side.^
34
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 I am leaving this on the 1st for Cape Town. Cron is going down to
6parliament & I am going down with him; but shall probably only stay
7for a few days, as I can’t stand the air there.
8
9 Most of our people are very down spirited. I am not more so than I
10have been for the last two years. I have always seen that these things
11& probably many much worse must happen before the day breaks. I cannot
12think how our leaders can have miscalculated so! It has also seemed to
13me they were living in a fools paradise. Of course things will come
14right in the end: the long long end. We are going to have the funeral
15here on the 21st ^of March^ after all. I have had the coffins made. I am
16sorry I shall not be here. I am buying some crape &c for Mrs. Nienaber
17& the children for that day.
18
19 I wish so very very much I could stand the climate at Pretoria & come
20up to stay with you for a little time. I must try to find some farm
21where I can go n. I wish you were in Town now that I could see Sannie.
22Isn’t she like your husbands mother? It seems so from the
23photograph? Every one says she was such an exceptionally sweet woman.
24
25 Good bye. Greetings to you all.
26 Olive
27
28 Tell your husband his little letter to my husband, & what he said
29about the passing of a redistribution bill here, did ?my ?heart good.
30
31 ^If you write while I am in Cape Town address c/o my husband House of
32Parliament, as I don’t yet know where I shall find a boarding house.
33Mrs. Purcell with whom I always stay is away at the sea side.^
34