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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold3/1914/7
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date6 February 1914
Address FromAlassio, Italy
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. There are many missing words in this letter because the paper is frayed and torn at its edges.
1Alassio
2Italy
3Feb 6th 1914
4
5Dear Boy
6
7I much wish to know what you feel about Cape matters.
8
9The paper this morning said you & Merriman were doubtful as to the
10right of the Gov to transport & kidnap the men untried. Bain ^one^ of
11the men is a great scoundrel, almost as bad as Sir David Graff or
12Freemantle or some other men on both sides of the house. It is true
13that the Transvaal government employed him as a spy before the war. He
14& [wordmissing] several [wordmissing] to [wordmissing] & see me in Jo’burg
15but I would have nothing to do with him I knew that he was also taking
16money from the Capitalists as their spy. The curious thing seems to me
17this Czar-like action, over riding all law & order on the part of the
18government, which will in the future form a prec [wordmissing] for the
19actions of any part for the moment in power towards any other party.
20There are two can play at every game!
21
22Smuts with his unending ambition, his absolute indifference as to the
23means by which he gains his end & his indifference to bloodshed forms
24a great danger to South Africa, because of his subtle intellectual
25gifts. “Ah, would he [wordmissing] a thought & mend!” [wordmissing]
26little broader human sympathy & what a fine South African we should
27have in him!
28
29Cron writes me that our big beautiful beloved cat, Boy-Boy died in
30great agony at de Aar. Cron is quite heart broken; the cat loved him
31as I’ve never seen a cat love any one; & I think Cron cared for him
32almost more than for anything in the world.
33
34I want you to do something for me, dear. If ever you hear Cron is ill
35promise me to cable me at once to Oliver’s care. I always let Ol
36know where I am he’ll send it on. I’ll pay for it. I mean ?only
37very seriously ill.
38
39Tho I enclose a bit of Alice Corthorns letter to me about Ol; I know
40it will [wordsmissing] glad your heart as it did mine to know he was
41looking so well. My one fear for him is over strain.
42
43If you write address Poste Restante Florence Italy But don’t write
44it too over- worked.
45
46?Herty ?and
47
48Love to Fan Bill & Dot.
49Your little sister
50Olive
51
52^I shall be [wordmissing] back to Florence in a couple of weeks.^
53