"First real letter to Ellis, Spencer's First Principles" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/68 |
| Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 31 October 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.
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1
Hanover
2 Oct 31st 1904
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 We will both accept your kind invitation & come up to the funeral if
7you are quite sure you can make room for us. I don’t know why I have
8such a curious wish to be there; it’s long since I wanted anything
9so much. I know what crowds there will be in the trains & how now more
10dead than alive one will get there, & yet I mean to come; I really
11don’t know why! because absolutely one will see nothing but a big
12big crowd swarming about every where, & I have seen so many. It’s an
13idea I suppose. We have had a little nice rain here; not enough to
14make anything green yet, but enough to lay the dust & put a little
15hope into many of our poor farmer’s hearts. I am so glad your mother
16will be there: I have wanted to meet her, but it seems I shall never
17get as far as Stellenbosch. Will Ella be there too? I hope so. This is
18just a line to tell you
19
20^that if you are quite sure you can have us we are coming. Yours with a
21kiss for little Sannie ^
22 Olive
23
24
2 Oct 31st 1904
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 We will both accept your kind invitation & come up to the funeral if
7you are quite sure you can make room for us. I don’t know why I have
8such a curious wish to be there; it’s long since I wanted anything
9so much. I know what crowds there will be in the trains & how now more
10dead than alive one will get there, & yet I mean to come; I really
11don’t know why! because absolutely one will see nothing but a big
12big crowd swarming about every where, & I have seen so many. It’s an
13idea I suppose. We have had a little nice rain here; not enough to
14make anything green yet, but enough to lay the dust & put a little
15hope into many of our poor farmer’s hearts. I am so glad your mother
16will be there: I have wanted to meet her, but it seems I shall never
17get as far as Stellenbosch. Will Ella be there too? I hope so. This is
18just a line to tell you
19
20^that if you are quite sure you can have us we are coming. Yours with a
21kiss for little Sannie ^
22 Olive
23
24