"Sorrowful heart about the Transvaal" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold3/1914/68 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Monday 28 September 1914 |
| Address From | 30 St Mary Abbotts Terrace, Kensington, London |
| Address To | |
| Who To | William Philip ('Will') Schreiner |
| 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in St Mary Abbotts Terrace for some weeks during August and September 1914.
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1Monday evening
2
3My dear love of an old Brother
4
5I have just returned from Hythe where I have been since Saturday. I
6have found a nice little sitting room & bedroom facing the sea & have
7come back to pack my things tomorrow & go down on Wednesday morning
8leaving Kensington for good. It was delightful down there; the first
9glimpse of happiness I have had since the sad day when I returned to
10England from the Continent. My My address will be c/o Mrs Philip, Bay
11View, West Parade, Hythe, Kent. I find Shorncliff where Oliver you say
12is to go is at Hythe, just on the hill above. They are billeting many
13of the officers & men in Hythe It’s a most lovely peaceful little
14place, the old village & old church & old cannal (made as a defense
15against the French!) & still called the military canal. There are
16boats on it in which one can row, & two golf courses There is a fine
17hotel here on the ^one^ golf links. Perhaps you & Ursie might like to
18come down some day. If you thought the Hotel too expensive in present
19times I could get you nice rooms very cheap facing the sea. There are
20heaps of motor omnibuses, & one can make lovely excursions to
21Canterbury & other places for next to nothing, & run up to Folkstone
22for 4d in ^lovely^ motor cars that go every 10 minutes. I like it better
23than any sea side place I’ve seen in England. I don’t know how my
24heathers will stand the sea air in the winter but I cant just stand
25this another day. I am going to dine with the Pethick Lawrences
26tomorrow & early Wednesday morning I’m off.
27
28Please send Ol the enclosed (you can read it) as I don’t know just
29how to address him.
30
31Tuesday
32
33I do understand your position dear, & am quite able to sympathize with
34it, though I feel protest to be more necessary than you do. I’m too
35knocked up to write to Boy Oliver. I was lying awake in the night
36planning sleeping drawers for soldiers who have to lie on the ground
37with padden sides so that they lie soft on the hip & don’t take cold
38
39Olive
40
2
3My dear love of an old Brother
4
5I have just returned from Hythe where I have been since Saturday. I
6have found a nice little sitting room & bedroom facing the sea & have
7come back to pack my things tomorrow & go down on Wednesday morning
8leaving Kensington for good. It was delightful down there; the first
9glimpse of happiness I have had since the sad day when I returned to
10England from the Continent. My My address will be c/o Mrs Philip, Bay
11View, West Parade, Hythe, Kent. I find Shorncliff where Oliver you say
12is to go is at Hythe, just on the hill above. They are billeting many
13of the officers & men in Hythe It’s a most lovely peaceful little
14place, the old village & old church & old cannal (made as a defense
15against the French!) & still called the military canal. There are
16boats on it in which one can row, & two golf courses There is a fine
17hotel here on the ^one^ golf links. Perhaps you & Ursie might like to
18come down some day. If you thought the Hotel too expensive in present
19times I could get you nice rooms very cheap facing the sea. There are
20heaps of motor omnibuses, & one can make lovely excursions to
21Canterbury & other places for next to nothing, & run up to Folkstone
22for 4d in ^lovely^ motor cars that go every 10 minutes. I like it better
23than any sea side place I’ve seen in England. I don’t know how my
24heathers will stand the sea air in the winter but I cant just stand
25this another day. I am going to dine with the Pethick Lawrences
26tomorrow & early Wednesday morning I’m off.
27
28Please send Ol the enclosed (you can read it) as I don’t know just
29how to address him.
30
31Tuesday
32
33I do understand your position dear, & am quite able to sympathize with
34it, though I feel protest to be more necessary than you do. I’m too
35knocked up to write to Boy Oliver. I was lying awake in the night
36planning sleeping drawers for soldiers who have to lie on the ground
37with padden sides so that they lie soft on the hip & don’t take cold
38
39Olive
40