"The baby's holy little life" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold3/1900/38 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Saturday July 1900 |
| Address From | Beaufort West, Western Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Frances (‘Fan’) Schreiner nee Reitz |
| 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. The month and year have been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner stayed in Beaufort West from late June to late July 1900.
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1
Saturday night
2
3 Dear Fan
4
5Thankyou so much. I am still in doubt & uncertainty, & am so glad to
6hear of that room. Miss Molteno wrote me last Tuesday that she thought
7she could get me a room at the "Old Men’s Home", near Mrs Purcells.
8But she has not written again so, she may not have got it. I am
9writing to ask Mrs Purcell to go to the "Old Men’s Home", & see if a
10room is to be got there & if not to take make arrangements about the
11other.
12
13 I should like the room for a week in the first instance as I may get
14ill & have to leave at once, but I have such a longing to see Cron I
15feel I never settle to work or be any good here till I have.
16
17 Oh Fan you don’t know how horrid these jingoes are here. I have only
18got this room for a month, the people have given me their own bed room.
19 The I tried to find another room in case I returned from Cape Town.
20In two places they agreed to let me have rooms, but the moment I said
21my name they said they had no room to let, and at once raised the
22price four pounds at the one. Yesterday I went to a place with Mrs
23Kriel the landlady here; a woman had told her she wanted to let two
24rooms. As soon as we went in she said she didn’t care to let her
25rooms. Mrs Kriel said, "Oh but you told me this morning you said you
26wanted to" She said "Yes but not to that woman, to any one else." Of
27course I went away very sharp. After wards Miss Kriel went over, & she
28said she wouldn’t have me in her house because I was a "Bonds-woman".
29 My position here is rather peculiar. The Dutch don’t want to have
30me or trust me, because they think I am with Will & against them and
31backing up Milner & Chamberlain; & the English in the shops & every
32where simply insult one. It is much much worse here than in Cape Town
33because the place is so small. "Das swaar on en mensch te vies."
34
35 I am rather anxious as to the reception the jingoes may give Cron in
36Cape Town, but they don’t know he’s coming, I hope. I would have
37liked so much to meet him at the docks, but I thought his mother would
38like to have him quietly to herself for a couple of days first. Thank
39you so much
40
41^for the trouble you took.^
42
43Ol
44
45I am rather anxious about Cron & the measles as I don’t know if he's
46ever had them. Have the children all had them.
47
2
3 Dear Fan
4
5Thankyou so much. I am still in doubt & uncertainty, & am so glad to
6hear of that room. Miss Molteno wrote me last Tuesday that she thought
7she could get me a room at the "Old Men’s Home", near Mrs Purcells.
8But she has not written again so, she may not have got it. I am
9writing to ask Mrs Purcell to go to the "Old Men’s Home", & see if a
10room is to be got there & if not to take make arrangements about the
11other.
12
13 I should like the room for a week in the first instance as I may get
14ill & have to leave at once, but I have such a longing to see Cron I
15feel I never settle to work or be any good here till I have.
16
17 Oh Fan you don’t know how horrid these jingoes are here. I have only
18got this room for a month, the people have given me their own bed room.
19 The I tried to find another room in case I returned from Cape Town.
20In two places they agreed to let me have rooms, but the moment I said
21my name they said they had no room to let, and at once raised the
22price four pounds at the one. Yesterday I went to a place with Mrs
23Kriel the landlady here; a woman had told her she wanted to let two
24rooms. As soon as we went in she said she didn’t care to let her
25rooms. Mrs Kriel said, "Oh but you told me this morning you said you
26wanted to" She said "Yes but not to that woman, to any one else." Of
27course I went away very sharp. After wards Miss Kriel went over, & she
28said she wouldn’t have me in her house because I was a "Bonds-woman".
29 My position here is rather peculiar. The Dutch don’t want to have
30me or trust me, because they think I am with Will & against them and
31backing up Milner & Chamberlain; & the English in the shops & every
32where simply insult one. It is much much worse here than in Cape Town
33because the place is so small. "Das swaar on en mensch te vies."
34
35 I am rather anxious as to the reception the jingoes may give Cron in
36Cape Town, but they don’t know he’s coming, I hope. I would have
37liked so much to meet him at the docks, but I thought his mother would
38like to have him quietly to herself for a couple of days first. Thank
39you so much
40
41^for the trouble you took.^
42
43Ol
44
45I am rather anxious about Cron & the measles as I don’t know if he's
46ever had them. Have the children all had them.
47