"Jane Addams & Aletta Jacobs" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Karl Pearson 840/4/5/6-7 |
| Archive | University College London Library, Special Collections, UCL, London |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 24 May 1890 |
| Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Karl Pearson and Maria Sharpe |
| Other Versions | Rive 1897: 173 |
| 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.
|
1
Matjesfontein
2 South Africa
3 May 24 / 90
4
5 My dear Karl Pearson
6
7 Now you are married I can write to you. I have not been able to before
8because I was afraid you might not understand me. You have never
9understood me, Karl, my dear brother, never!
10
11 I am so glad this happiness has come to you. It has been what you have
12long needed. I was walking this evening across the velt, under such ^a^
13beautiful sunset sky as you have never seen, & the thought came to me,
14"Why should I not write to them & tell them that I sympathize with
15them in their joy?" - I only heard of it today. I am so glad for you
16both.
17
18 Please don’t answer this, it is only a little word of that
19affectionate sympathy that one human being has a right to express to
20others.
21
22 Yours faithfully
23 Olive Schreiner
24
25 Matjesfontein
26
27 My dear Miss Sharpe,
28
29 I have just heard that you are, or will very soon, be married. Please
30accept my heartfelt congratulations. Among the many ^hearts^ that are
31congratulating you & loving you, I think none feels more tenderly to
32you than mine.
33
34 I know that when I ask you not to, you will not answer this note. You
35see when people write to me they always curl me up, & its so beautiful
36to be loving you & Karl Pearson together & feeling to you – as I do
37now. Only if ever you had a little child I should like to know it.
38
39 Yours faithfully,
40 Olive Schreiner
41
42
43
2 South Africa
3 May 24 / 90
4
5 My dear Karl Pearson
6
7 Now you are married I can write to you. I have not been able to before
8because I was afraid you might not understand me. You have never
9understood me, Karl, my dear brother, never!
10
11 I am so glad this happiness has come to you. It has been what you have
12long needed. I was walking this evening across the velt, under such ^a^
13beautiful sunset sky as you have never seen, & the thought came to me,
14"Why should I not write to them & tell them that I sympathize with
15them in their joy?" - I only heard of it today. I am so glad for you
16both.
17
18 Please don’t answer this, it is only a little word of that
19affectionate sympathy that one human being has a right to express to
20others.
21
22 Yours faithfully
23 Olive Schreiner
24
25 Matjesfontein
26
27 My dear Miss Sharpe,
28
29 I have just heard that you are, or will very soon, be married. Please
30accept my heartfelt congratulations. Among the many ^hearts^ that are
31congratulating you & loving you, I think none feels more tenderly to
32you than mine.
33
34 I know that when I ask you not to, you will not answer this note. You
35see when people write to me they always curl me up, & its so beautiful
36to be loving you & Karl Pearson together & feeling to you – as I do
37now. Only if ever you had a little child I should like to know it.
38
39 Yours faithfully,
40 Olive Schreiner
41
42
43
Notation
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.