"Your astonishing letter, family duties, will never mention Katie's name as long as I live" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner: Mary Sauer MSC 26/2.11.111
ArchiveNational Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date28 September 1897
Address FromHopetown, Northern Cape
Address To
Who ToMary Sauer nee Cloete
Other VersionsRive 1987: 314
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to the National Library of South Africa (NLSA), Cape Town, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Special Collections.
1 Hope Town
2 Sep 28 / 97
3
4 My sweet old Mary,
5
6 I have only just received from London the letter you wrote me ^when I was^
7there. I wish it had been possible for us to come & stay with you a
8little when we were in Town but being as ill as I was it would only
9have been giving you aditional work & no pleasure. I wish so much I
10could be near you when the little one comes. Oh Mary my darling, you
11must try & feel glad about it; the child may be the joy of all your
12life in future years, & I fancy you will feel more able to enjoy it as
13a little baby because you are older now than when the others were born.
14 I find that the maternal, the protective side of my nature is the one
15that always keeps growing whatever doesn't & I fancy it is so with
16most women. My mother found her first children such a toil & the last
17three were her idols.
18
19 We are staying here with my sister-in-law Mr (Cron's sister) Mrs Willy
20Wright, for a till I am able to go on to Kimberley but I think we
21shall go on to Wednesday next.
22
23 You didn't seem strong, dear, to me, or rather you seemed tired. I am
24so glad you will have dear Mrs Innes next you. Give her my love. I
25hope she finds her maids a great comfort to you. The German girl
26seemed such a lovable creature. I shall be so glad to be in my little
27cottage in Kimberley red sand & all, though every one here & in Cape
28Town has been so very good & kind to me. I hope Dorothy & Magda will
29take very much to the little "Peter" when he comes. It has such a
30splendid softening influence on girls to have little brother's or
31sisters they are fond of Give my love to nurse. Tell her I am only not
32anxious about you because I know that you will have her love & care.
33
34 Yours ever & ever
35 Olive
36
37 I do hope the paper Mr Sauer spoke of will shortly come to its birth
38soon. It's what we are in need of more than anything else just now.
39
40 OS
41
42 ^Write me a line as soon as you are able^
43
Notation
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.