Olive Schreiner Letters Online

Letter Reference	Olive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold3/1900/50
Archive	University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary Type	Letter
Letter Date	24 September 1900
Address From	Hanover, Northern Cape
Address To	Rozelen, Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape
Who To	Betty Molteno
Other Versions

The manuscript of this letter by Olive Schreiner belongs to the Archive referenced above; its ownership of the original should be acknowledged by referencing the letter as indicated: Copyright transcription: © Olive Schreiner Letters Project. This transcription can be freely used as long as copyright is acknowledged and it is referenced using the following citation: ‘Olive Schreiner to Betty Molteno, 24 September 1900, UCT Manuscripts & Archives, Olive Schreiner Letters Project transcription’. Please also supply letter line numbers for specific quotations.

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 name of the addressee and the address this letter was sent to are provided by an attached envelope. The name of the addressee is also indicated by content.

1:  Hanover
2:  Sep 24 / 00
3: 
4:  I am so glad Miss Greene is a little better. I am sure she ought to
5:  get away to Caledon for a time. Does she take enough food.
6: 
7:  Cron left Cape Town last night, taking his mother as far as de Aar on
8:  her way to Hope Town where she is going to visit her daughter, & will
9:  come on here tomorrow.
10: 
11:  The people here are very nice & kind. A nice old man called Mr De
12:  Villiers died here this afternoon & I am going to the funeral; & after
13:  that to a very sweet woman Mrs Du Toits who is lying very ill.
14: 
15:  The people all seem so friendly & kind, except of course the jingoes
16:  who never call on me or notice me except by staring. It’s better
17:  than Beaufort because there are not so many. The old man who is to be
18:  buried this evening is a free-thinker. There are a good many among the
19:  farmers in this district. Burgers used to be the minister here. Do go
20:  to Caledon they say its so splendid for asthma ^rheumatism^ We are for
21:  the present going to go on boarding with this lady, because we can’t
22:  get any other place, there are no boarding houses here or places to
23:  stop at except the Hotel.
24: 
25:  Good bye. Isn’t it strange there is absolutely no news of De Wet.
26:  Did you see Merriman’s remark about Rhodes?
27:  Olive
28: 
29:  Cron has done a lot of writing lately, he has earnt more than I have,
30:  he got £20 for that article of his on the North British He is going
31:  back to his work at Johannesburg as soon as he can get through. I am
32:  sure that will not be for some weeks yet. Perhaps months!
33: 
34:  No I don’t need any money. I’ve got plenty to go along with in a
35:  cheap place like this. I am only sorry I’ve not yet given you the
36:  dar £200 because I’m sure my darling friend you must be in need of
37:  it. I could easily get that sum for my little house in Kimberley, I am
38:  only not selling it now because my nephew says I shall get more for it
39:  when things are settled.
40: 
41:  Any how its a comfort to me to know you can’t lose it even if I die
42:  tomorrow. It’s the most strange thing, I cannot write or think. My
43:  brain absolutely refuses; perhaps it will come right in time, & after
44:  all I have only been able to lie down for one week, so I must not be
45:  impatient. But you know how distressing it is to try & work & you
46:  can’t.
47: 
48:  My body seems rested, but not my mind. I fancy it is ^in^ a greater
49:  state of suspense than one knows of, about the war. All Mr Fred
50:  Centlivres relations are up here his mother & sisters. Charming ^people.
51:  His mother’s a picture of an old lady.^
52: 

Notation
Cronwright-Schreiner's article on the 'North British' cannot be established.