"Only hope for native after union is politicians falling out over spoils, Jabavu standing firm" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold1/1908/11
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateFriday 6 March 1908
Address FromDe Aar, Northern Cape
Address To
Who ToWilliam Philip ('Will') Schreiner
Other Versions
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to Manuscripts and Archives, University of Cape Town, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscripts and Archives Collections. The year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in De Aar from November 1907 until she left South Africa for Britain and Europe in December 1913, with some fairly lengthy visits elsewhere over this time.
1 Friday the 6th March
2
3 Dear Laddie
4
5 I enclose you a bit of Naude’s to me; destroy.
6
7 I am so distressed about the old throat. Dear, hadn’t you better
8throw up the whole thing & go to Nauheim? The year after-next there
9will be a great break up of parties Perhaps then or the next year
10another election, & a much better opportunity for your entering public
11life if you wish.
12
13 I can’t bear to think of your leaving Africa, I feel as if we should
14never see eachother again, but for you it will be best.
15
16 My heart is worse that it has ever been before. I have unbroken
17attacks of angina. Cron goes electioneering for two weeks next Monday
18the 9th. I go with him as far as Laings Berg, & will then go on to
19Matjesfontein. I think the lower air will give me relief. I shall
20likely get to Matjesfontein about Saturday the 14th. If I get better I
21will return here when Cron returns, if not I must make some other plan.
22 Oh it will be so terrible to leave him here. He is to me what little
23Will is to you. I just want to help him.
24
25 Olive
26
27 Thank you dear for calling on Kier Hardie. He was so disappointed not
28to see you.
29
30 Love to the dear wife & children. If only you lived in a place where I
31could stay I would come & spend a week with you, but I can’t I want
32to see you so again. I doubt very much whether you will get in for
33Queens Town. The S.A. Party is going to sweep the board. Then, with-in
34two years, not only will the S A Party split but there will be a
35strong re-action. The more one studies the party the more one sees it
36cannot last.
37
38 Good luck to you dear. I care much more about your getting in than
39Cron. I’m afraid it’ll be bad for your health if you don’t.
40
41 Your small sister
42 Olive
43
44 Do try & spend a day with me as you go back. I enclose Dots to me &
45one from the Hon Mrs Bertrand Russell, whom I hope so much Dot will
46really get to know.
47
48 Ol.
49
50 I don’t suppose you’ll be awake but am going over to the station
51on the chance
52
53^Thank my dear little sister for her note to me. Every one says poor
54old Sauer is quite breaking down in health. Oh with death so near us &
55this terrible physical agony eating out bodies up why can’t we all
56love each other, & help each other. ^
57
58 Good bye dear Laddie.
59 O.S.
60
61
62
Notation
The enclosed letters are no longer attached.