"Affection, farm for sale, go mad here" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Karl Pearson 840/4/3/117-121 |
| Archive | University College London Library, Special Collections, UCL, London |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Friday 30 October 1886 |
| Address From | 9 Blandford Square, Paddington, London |
| Address To | 2 Harcourt Buildings, Temple, London |
| Who To | Karl Pearson |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to University College London (UCL) and its Library Services for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Special Collections. The date of this letter has been derived from the postmark on an attached envelope, while the name of the addressee and the address it was sent to are on its front. Schreiner was resident in Blandford Square from early October to late December 1886, when she left England for Europe.
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1
Friday night
2
3 I have just received the enclosed from Chapman ^to whom I’ve not
4written.^ I suppose he has heard I am going to a Lawyer & is afraid
5they will look at his books. Could you tell me if it is a fair offer.
6You I don’t know any one whom I could ask. There are so many word
7writers belong to your club, if it would not give you very much
8trouble to ask one of them without mentioning my name, it would be a
9great favour. I know Chap. has sold thousands of copies with out
10paying me, but the mental trouble of fighting it out would be very
11great to me. I have just returned from the city (11pm) where I have
12been to see Mrs Weldon who is lying a alone & ill in a miserable
13little public house near the Old Baley.
14
15 Hintonianism falls like a blight on every thing it touches, because it
16is false to the profoundest laws of human nature, ^& because its first
17principle is not remorseless truth.^
18
19 Please tell me whether you know a man called Gery who belongs to the
20Saville Club, & if he’s a good lawyer. You see I am troubling you
21now: but don’t reply if you are busy. Do you think I really ought to
22fight it out with C? If I can the £60 I can go to Africa or Italy or
23any where. I shall feel so immensely rich.
24
25 //I have had my Friday afternoon this was the most painful one I ever
26had. It’s so glorious that I shan’t have any more philistines for
27a week.
28
29 Yours
30 O.S.
31
32 I am feeling so hopeless about women. If you know any more women like
33Mrs Wilson please send me to them. There is such an absence of all
34that is mean & petty & false in her.
35
36 Do you know a woman I’ve got an odd kind of fancy for though I know
37she’s not at all intellectual – it’s Mrs Parker!!
38
39^I want to write you a long truthful letter about the club some day
40telling you just what I think & feel about it. ^
41
42 I send a little allegory. It was written off in a few minutes because
43my brother wanted something to fill his mag. You can laugh at this if
44you like – but you mustn’t laugh at the serious ones! The italics
45& other changes are the editors idea of improvement!
46
47
48
2
3 I have just received the enclosed from Chapman ^to whom I’ve not
4written.^ I suppose he has heard I am going to a Lawyer & is afraid
5they will look at his books. Could you tell me if it is a fair offer.
6You I don’t know any one whom I could ask. There are so many word
7writers belong to your club, if it would not give you very much
8trouble to ask one of them without mentioning my name, it would be a
9great favour. I know Chap. has sold thousands of copies with out
10paying me, but the mental trouble of fighting it out would be very
11great to me. I have just returned from the city (11pm) where I have
12been to see Mrs Weldon who is lying a alone & ill in a miserable
13little public house near the Old Baley.
14
15 Hintonianism falls like a blight on every thing it touches, because it
16is false to the profoundest laws of human nature, ^& because its first
17principle is not remorseless truth.^
18
19 Please tell me whether you know a man called Gery who belongs to the
20Saville Club, & if he’s a good lawyer. You see I am troubling you
21now: but don’t reply if you are busy. Do you think I really ought to
22fight it out with C? If I can the £60 I can go to Africa or Italy or
23any where. I shall feel so immensely rich.
24
25 //I have had my Friday afternoon this was the most painful one I ever
26had. It’s so glorious that I shan’t have any more philistines for
27a week.
28
29 Yours
30 O.S.
31
32 I am feeling so hopeless about women. If you know any more women like
33Mrs Wilson please send me to them. There is such an absence of all
34that is mean & petty & false in her.
35
36 Do you know a woman I’ve got an odd kind of fancy for though I know
37she’s not at all intellectual – it’s Mrs Parker!!
38
39^I want to write you a long truthful letter about the club some day
40telling you just what I think & feel about it. ^
41
42 I send a little allegory. It was written off in a few minutes because
43my brother wanted something to fill his mag. You can laugh at this if
44you like – but you mustn’t laugh at the serious ones! The italics
45& other changes are the editors idea of improvement!
46
47
48
Notation
The 'little allegory' referred to is one of those originally published in the New College Magazine. Chapman's 'offer' concerns a possible new edition of The African Farm by Chapman & Hall.
The 'little allegory' referred to is one of those originally published in the New College Magazine. Chapman's 'offer' concerns a possible new edition of The African Farm by Chapman & Hall.