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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box7/Fold3/Jan-Feb1920/15
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateSaturday 24 January 1920
Address From9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London
Address ToTrevone, Padstow, Cornwall
Who ToBetty 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 date of this letter is derived from the postmark on an attached envelope, which also provides the address it was sent to. The name of the addressee is provided by content. Schreiner was resident at Porchester Place from early April 1917 until August 1920, when she left Britain for South Africa.
1Saturday night
2
3Dear Heart
4
5Some how I feel anxious about you because I didn’t get the little
6card today & I can’t hear till Monday now. You must if you can, send
7me just a line if ever our dear one becomes suddenly worse. I am so
8afraid you will feel you want to save me from anxiety – but you know
9I’m a person who always likes to know things just as they are
10
11I have got a most beautiful photograph of Dot & one of her husband.
12Such a dear friendly loving face, he has They have sold Villa Flandre
13Fan & Wills old home & the idea is to build her a tiny house at
14Plumstead. I wish I had money to hire Mimmie de Villiers little house
15at Plumstead then I would go out to Africa & live there. But I don’t
16suppose its too let, or that I could afford the rent.
17
18I have things enough to furnish a couple of rooms there; its the place
19in Africa where I can breath best. But what is the use of dreaming,
20one must just live from day to day & hour to hour.
21
22How I wish I could just see you all tonight at Trevone – see if our
23darling is resting peacefully, & you sleeping in your room in the
24other house. I hope the new nurse is a comfort. Could Alice eat a
25little biltong if I sent some? Cron has sent me some. You would have
26to grate is very fine, into a fine powder on a grater, & sprinkle it
27on a little thin bread & butter. Its so easy to digest, & takes away
28that awful feeling of weakness & sinking.
29
30Its half past one now, & I must try to lie down. I hope you have good
31news from dear Margaret. She will be glad to have her father there
32
33Good night
34Olive
35