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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold4/1901/6
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date29 January 1901
Address FromHanover, Northern Cape
Address To
Who ToAlice Greene
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 name of the addressee is indicated by salutation and content.
1 Hanover
2 Jan 29 / 01
3
4 Dear Friend
5
6 I think it will be nice in your little house. I cook for myself on a
7little parafine stove.
8
9 I am in a way better, but my heart is troubling me much with a
10continual feeling of faintness. But I can lie down at night, which is
11a great comfort. I wonder what is going to happen. Yo We hear not a
12word of news here of any kind. Some way or other things must be
13settled during the coming year. I always thought the war could not
14last less than two years before it began: but now it often seems to me
15it will be three at least. I hope you will find Caledon do you much
16good. Now I am here in this nice little house I sometimes almost wish
17you & Miss Molteno were here. But I had such a curious feeling that
18you ought not to come up.
19
20 If I had some one to speak to sometimes the strain would not be so
21great. I can’t believe I shall ever see a friend’s face again.
22When I see groups of people sitting at their doors together I feel as
23if I could run away crying. And I don’t see how my life is ever to
24be much less lonely in Africa, because the places I can live in are
25those in which apart from health anyone else would ever care to live
26in. But when the war is over I’ll see you all again for a few days
27at least.
28
29 Good bye.
30
31 My dear love to you both. Try please to find out when you are at
32Caledon what the rainfall is, & whether it suits any asthmatic people.
33But I fear I shall never live anywhere under well 4000 feet & breathe
34again. It would be so nice to see you all.
35
36 Olive
37
38 Your last letter to me & Miss Molteno were both dated the 23rd Have
39either of you written since?
40