"We thought Milner was our new George Grey" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Schreiner-Hemming Family BC 1080 A1.7/32 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 16 January 1898 |
| Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Henrietta (‘Ettie’) Schreiner m. Stakesby Lewis (1891) |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please 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.
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1
The Homestead
2 Jan 16 / 98
3
4 My darling
5
6 It was such a joy to see you though just for a minute, but you looked
7so utterly tired & worn out. Perhaps the change may do you both good,
8but I cannot help feeling very anxious perhaps unreasonably so. It is
9just the fever season, & so many, so many, of of my friends have gone
10up there already to die. The last was a ^physically^ splendid young
11fellow from England, he stayed some time with us here, & left in such
12high spirits & delight, something told me as I watched him walk away
13from the back door he was going to his death & six weeks after he was
14lying in his grave at Bulawayo from fever & dysentery. Do take care to
15boil all water you take. Especially for people who don’t take tea &
16coffee this is all-important. If the Newberrys are suffering from
17malarial fever the fever, as they call it up there the sooner you get
18them down to the Colony the better. Its their one chance of getting f
19well.
20
21 You might bring them to the hospital here & then stay with us for a
22little time!! Do try & break the journey here as you come down.
23
24 unreadable I fear you had an awful time in the train last night if the
25carriage leaked at all for here it poured all night.
26
27 I was going to drive in early this morning to wire but Cron said that
28Stakesby said the last thing that her he was going to wire from one of
29the stations.
30
31 I thought none of the stations took passengers wires on Sunday, but
32Cron says they do & its no use my going in. I do hope you will get a
33comfortable room & have a real good sleep tonight.
34
35 The Lucases big house is to let, or for sale at only £550! I do wish
36you could buy it & come & live up here; I’m sure it would be better
37for your health & Stakesby’s
38
39 Good bye my own darling, I don’t know why I feel so sad about you.
40Perhaps it was seeing you go off in that heavy rain, perhaps the many
41sad partings I have had with people who went up there. Take care of
42both of yourselves, & please ask Stakesby to send me just a post card
43every few days.
44
45 Cron sends much love to you both.
46
47 Your little sis
48 Olive
49
50
2 Jan 16 / 98
3
4 My darling
5
6 It was such a joy to see you though just for a minute, but you looked
7so utterly tired & worn out. Perhaps the change may do you both good,
8but I cannot help feeling very anxious perhaps unreasonably so. It is
9just the fever season, & so many, so many, of of my friends have gone
10up there already to die. The last was a ^physically^ splendid young
11fellow from England, he stayed some time with us here, & left in such
12high spirits & delight, something told me as I watched him walk away
13from the back door he was going to his death & six weeks after he was
14lying in his grave at Bulawayo from fever & dysentery. Do take care to
15boil all water you take. Especially for people who don’t take tea &
16coffee this is all-important. If the Newberrys are suffering from
17malarial fever the fever, as they call it up there the sooner you get
18them down to the Colony the better. Its their one chance of getting f
19well.
20
21 You might bring them to the hospital here & then stay with us for a
22little time!! Do try & break the journey here as you come down.
23
24 unreadable I fear you had an awful time in the train last night if the
25carriage leaked at all for here it poured all night.
26
27 I was going to drive in early this morning to wire but Cron said that
28Stakesby said the last thing that her he was going to wire from one of
29the stations.
30
31 I thought none of the stations took passengers wires on Sunday, but
32Cron says they do & its no use my going in. I do hope you will get a
33comfortable room & have a real good sleep tonight.
34
35 The Lucases big house is to let, or for sale at only £550! I do wish
36you could buy it & come & live up here; I’m sure it would be better
37for your health & Stakesby’s
38
39 Good bye my own darling, I don’t know why I feel so sad about you.
40Perhaps it was seeing you go off in that heavy rain, perhaps the many
41sad partings I have had with people who went up there. Take care of
42both of yourselves, & please ask Stakesby to send me just a post card
43every few days.
44
45 Cron sends much love to you both.
46
47 Your little sis
48 Olive
49
50