Olive Schreiner Letters Online

Letter Reference	G.W. Cross MS 14, 462/15
Archive	Cory Library, Rhodes University, Grahamstown
Epistolary Type	Letter
Letter Date	21 April 1898
Address From	The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape
Address To
Who To	G.W. Cross
Other Versions	Rive 1987: 328-9

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 G.W. Cross, 21 April 1898, Cory Library, Olive Schreiner Letters Project transcription’. Please also supply letter line numbers for specific quotations.

Legend
The Project is grateful to the Cory Library for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of their collections.

1:  The Homestead
2:  Saturday night
3: 
4:  Dear Friend
5: 
6:  Thankyou for your letter. I have of late a curious increasing clinging
7:  to all my friends, & human affection, the mere expression of it, even
8:  when I know it exists, seems so much more dear to me than it used it.
9:  I used to think I only wanted to give, I feel now I need more to
10:  receive.
11: 
12:  April 21st 1898
13: 
14:  This letter was begun the day I got yours just as I was leaving for
15:  Johannesburg. I did not find time to finish it. We returned to
16:  Kimberley this morning after a fortnight's stay with the dear Lloyds.
17:  We both feel much the richer for our visit. Not only did we get to
18:  know Mr Lloyd much better than ever before; but we got to know & love
19:  his dear sweet little wife, with her big wonderful eyes. I have never
20:  enjoyed a visit so much I think. All the world seems warmer when one
21:  is near Mr Lloyd.
22: 
23:  You wouldn't say I didn't value your letters if you know I had read
24:  your last letter over three times. I don't know whether it is because
25:  I am not physically so strong as I used to be that I cling so to my
26:  fellows. Have you read a very beautiful & touching story in the
27:  Century magazine called Madam Butterfly? Its one of the most powerful
28:  little stories I've read for a long long time. Read it & tell me if
29:  you don't agree with me. Have you also read a very interesting article
30:  in Temple Bar for March called on Toussant L'Ouverture? If I had time
31:  I should like to write an article on him for some Colonial paper. So
32:  few Colonials know that there has been at least one great man of
33:  genius who was a pure-blooded negro.
34: 
35:  Cron sends his warmest greetings to you.
36: 
37:  Yours with love to your wife as well as yourself.
38:  Olive Schreiner
39: 
40: 

Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter omits part of it and is also in a number of respects incorrect. The story of Madame Butterfly by John Luther Long appeared in The Century in January 1898 pp.374-98; in his version, Butterfly failed to kill herself, was rescued by her maid and they and Butterfly's son left Tokio before Pinkerton and his wife arrived to collect the child. The article on Toussaint L'Ouverture is: I.A. Taylor (1898) "Toussaint L'Ouverture: A Study in Black and White" Temple Bar April 1898, pp.404-15.