"Colossal evil threatening South Africa, Boer society hidebound" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box6/Fold2/1916/20 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Tuesday 4 April 1916 |
| Address From | Alexi, 31 The Park, Hampstead, 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.
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1Alexi
2The Park
3Hampstead
4Tuesday
5
6Dear OM,
7
8I’m so glad you’re in the country. I knew you were very unfit,
9quite apart from the foot: completely congested up. But I didn’t
10like to write to know how you were lest you should think I was fussing
11about nothing. I always know when people are ill. I hope you get some
12golf; & that Fan enjoys her rest after all her endless packing. I have
13an idea Crowboroughs rather a nice place. I had a remarkable dream
14tonight one of the half dozen most vivid in my life. I was in a dense
15wet tropical forest with water dripping from the slimmy leaves,
16suddenly in in the fine damp mizzle I came to an opening in the forest;
17 & there before me stood Jan Smuts a grey misty figure with a palid
18dead white face; he turned his head on a side as if he was afraid to
19look at me, & I rushed out & caught hold ^of^ his arm, & began to speak,
20& then I woke. There was nothing in the dream but its intense
21vividness made it almost a nightmare.
22
23I’m sorry our boy Bill’s going - but what must be must.
24
25I hope you’ve good news of Plum. Good bye. I’m so glad you are
26down there. Do make a plan for you & Fan to get away sometime for
27week-ends. I hope you’ll get a place some where more in fresh air
28for the summer, where you can have some golf, or a boat on the River &
29do some rowing.
30
31Your old sister
32OS
33
34Don’t trouble to answer dear. Dot said she would write & tell me how
35she found you.
36OS
37
2The Park
3Hampstead
4Tuesday
5
6Dear OM,
7
8I’m so glad you’re in the country. I knew you were very unfit,
9quite apart from the foot: completely congested up. But I didn’t
10like to write to know how you were lest you should think I was fussing
11about nothing. I always know when people are ill. I hope you get some
12golf; & that Fan enjoys her rest after all her endless packing. I have
13an idea Crowboroughs rather a nice place. I had a remarkable dream
14tonight one of the half dozen most vivid in my life. I was in a dense
15wet tropical forest with water dripping from the slimmy leaves,
16suddenly in in the fine damp mizzle I came to an opening in the forest;
17 & there before me stood Jan Smuts a grey misty figure with a palid
18dead white face; he turned his head on a side as if he was afraid to
19look at me, & I rushed out & caught hold ^of^ his arm, & began to speak,
20& then I woke. There was nothing in the dream but its intense
21vividness made it almost a nightmare.
22
23I’m sorry our boy Bill’s going - but what must be must.
24
25I hope you’ve good news of Plum. Good bye. I’m so glad you are
26down there. Do make a plan for you & Fan to get away sometime for
27week-ends. I hope you’ll get a place some where more in fresh air
28for the summer, where you can have some golf, or a boat on the River &
29do some rowing.
30
31Your old sister
32OS
33
34Don’t trouble to answer dear. Dot said she would write & tell me how
35she found you.
36OS
37