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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold4/1911/16
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date3 May 1911
Address FromDe Aar, Northern Cape
Address ToKenilworth House, Kenilworth, Cape Town, Western Cape
Who ToCaroline Murray nee Molteno
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. The address this letter was sent to is provided by an attached envelope.
1 de Aar
2 May 3rd 1911
3
4 Dear Mrs Murray
5
6 I got a copy of Public Opinion which I think must be from you, so I am
7returning it with thanks.
8
9 I am trying to make arrangements for "Votes for Women" & ^perhaps^ other
10English woman’s literature being sold at the Railway Book Stalls in
11this country, now the Government has them. I wrote to Mr Sauer about
12it, & he wired me he was going into the matter. Could you not arrange
13that some of the colonial literature should be sold there?
14
15 It is just possible I may be coming down for a few days early in June.
16I want so much to see Oliver & Ursula Schreiner before they leave for
17Europe. It will rejoice my heart to see you all again. I hope you will
18be in town if I do come.
19
20 Yours ever
21 Olive Schreiner
22
23 ^I am sending you an article from the Speaker, which please return as
24it doesn’t belong to me. I have been very much touched by the kind
25notices in English papers of the book; & kind expressions of feeling
26of your league in Cape Town.^
27
Notation
Two reviews of Woman and Labour were published in Public Opinion. The first stated that:

"Olive Schreiner has produced a book called 'Women and Labour' (Fisher Unwin, 8s 6d.), which will give a fine lead to the woman's movement, and be the target for much criticism. The book is direct, satirical, and eloquent. It pleads that women should be rescued from being a 'parasite...'" Public Opinion 24 February 1911 p.184.

This rather mealy-mouthed short review was, however, followed by a lengthy review which appeared as the lead article in the next issue. The comment that "Olive Schreiner's brilliant book on 'Woman and Labour'... is destined to run as one of the classics of the woman's movement..." conveys its overall tone, while its evaluation is developed at considerable length; see Public Opinion Friday 3 March 1911, p.197.

The newspaper referred to, Votes For Women, belonged to the Women's Social & Political Union and was edited by Frederick Pethick-Lawrence and Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence.