"Religion, unity of all things, words very poor things" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box7/Fold2/Aug-Dec1919/9 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Wednesday October 1919 |
| Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Betty Molteno |
| 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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand, while an October date can be surmised from content. Schreiner was resident at Porchester Place from early April 1917 until August 1920, when she left Britain for South Africa.
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1Wednesday
2
3My darling Betty
4
5Thank you for your wire I got your letter too. I have written to Ettie
6Sayer but I don’t suppose she will reply – so I’ll go tomorrow &
7just sit there till she does see me. Send me the man’s address which
8she gave you. Helens account is splendid, so clear & exact – I will
9send it to him as soon as I have his address so that he can read it
10over carefully before I see him - & then when I see him I will find
11out just what he thinks he can do.
12
13The enclosed letter was send on from No 8 where it had been opened. I
14am so thank-ful the pain is less. I am sure there must be things may
15relieve the pain.
16
17It is pouring with rain here & foggy too I have seen no one & have no
18news to give.
19
20On Saturday at 3 o clock the dear ?Rasts are going to send a taxi for
21me as its Mr ?Rasts birthday, & I’m to go & have supper with them &
22meet Scott Duckers: the CO who was a leading London lawyer & so long
23in prison.
24
25Selfishly I can’t help wishing Alice was at Harston. Then I might go
26up just for the day & see her & return by the night train.
27
28I am so glad you had Florence with you for the journey. Theres
29something very attractive about her too to me. But all the Greens are
30so charming. From what Alice used to tell me the father must have been
31a man with much individuality.
32
33I could not lie down last night, so I sat up in the arm chair & read
34the whole of Galsworthies last novel. I don’t like it. I can’t
35bear his view of sex.
36
37^Good bye dear one^
38Olive
39
2
3My darling Betty
4
5Thank you for your wire I got your letter too. I have written to Ettie
6Sayer but I don’t suppose she will reply – so I’ll go tomorrow &
7just sit there till she does see me. Send me the man’s address which
8she gave you. Helens account is splendid, so clear & exact – I will
9send it to him as soon as I have his address so that he can read it
10over carefully before I see him - & then when I see him I will find
11out just what he thinks he can do.
12
13The enclosed letter was send on from No 8 where it had been opened. I
14am so thank-ful the pain is less. I am sure there must be things may
15relieve the pain.
16
17It is pouring with rain here & foggy too I have seen no one & have no
18news to give.
19
20On Saturday at 3 o clock the dear ?Rasts are going to send a taxi for
21me as its Mr ?Rasts birthday, & I’m to go & have supper with them &
22meet Scott Duckers: the CO who was a leading London lawyer & so long
23in prison.
24
25Selfishly I can’t help wishing Alice was at Harston. Then I might go
26up just for the day & see her & return by the night train.
27
28I am so glad you had Florence with you for the journey. Theres
29something very attractive about her too to me. But all the Greens are
30so charming. From what Alice used to tell me the father must have been
31a man with much individuality.
32
33I could not lie down last night, so I sat up in the arm chair & read
34the whole of Galsworthies last novel. I don’t like it. I can’t
35bear his view of sex.
36
37^Good bye dear one^
38Olive
39
Notation
Galsworthy was prolific and published a number of things at this time, but the book referred to is perhaps John Galsworthy (1919) Saint’s Progress London: William Heinemann, or else his play (1919) The Eldest Son London: Duckworth & Co.
Galsworthy was prolific and published a number of things at this time, but the book referred to is perhaps John Galsworthy (1919) Saint’s Progress London: William Heinemann, or else his play (1919) The Eldest Son London: Duckworth & Co.