"Neta crushed under the wheels, the best friend I ever had" Read the full letter

Molly Earle Collection, UCT Manuscripts & Archives



A. CLASSIFYING INFORMATION

Letter date        [after January 1912 - before March 1912 ]
Address From  [na]
Address To      []
Who to             [Unknown]



B. EDITED COLLECTION

Editor               [Stanley and Salter 2014: 297]



C. ARCHIVE COLLECTION REFERENCE

Archive name         [University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town]
Archive Ref 1         [Molly Earle Collection, Earle/1]



[LEGEND: There are difficulties in pinning down when Schreiner wrote the comments on the document below, a leaflet, as well as who they were addressed to. Dating has been done by reference to when the political differences referred to, regarding the basis of women’s enfranchisement, surfaced within the Cape WEL. There were various occasions when disagreements about the basis of the franchise became at issue, and Schreiner appears to have stopped being a Vice-President of the Cape WEL by mid to late 1909, although retaining close links with many WEL women and continuing her own suffrage activities. However, as other early 1912 letters convey, matters took a new turn at that point and in March 1912 Schreiner attended a meeting at her niece Lyndall's request and finally resigned from the WEL.]

^It was not a personal matter than made me leave the society^

^The women of the Cape Colony all women of the Cape Colony^

These were the terms on which I joined & no one had the right without letting me know, or giving me a hint so that I might either ^either come down &^ fight the matter or resign.

[NOTATION: The inserted words are written on the printed front page of a Women's Enfranchisement League Cape Colony leaflet, while the final paragraph is on its (otherwise blank) reverse. A version of the leaflet with its full printed text also appears as Olive Schreiner: Ruth Alexander MSC 26/2.1.29 (http://www.oliveschreiner.org/vre?view=collections&colid=65&letterid=28), taken from a photocopy in this NLSA collection. However, the Earle collection leaflet is the original and includes the additional paragraph.]






A. CLASSIFYING INFORMATION

Letter date        [9 January 1901]
Address From  [Hanover, Northern Cape]
Address To      []
Who to             [Mary Brown nee Solomon]



B. EDITED COLLECTION

Editor               []



C. ARCHIVE COLLECTION REFERENCE

Archive name         [University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town]
Archive Ref 1         [Molly Earle Collection, Earle/2]



Hanover
Jan 8^9^/00^1^ 

Dear Mrs Brown

Cron has just sent me up from Cape Town your letters & Miss Davis’s. It would be be hard to tell you how this thought of us has touched me. It is not only because it expresses sympathy to us personally, but because it means sympathy with South Africa.

The Martial Law has been pro-claimed here for two weeks. No one is allowed to leave the place or enter it. So it may be long till Cron & I meet again, & perhaps this letter may not reach you.

The papers say there have been some fights within twenty or thirty miles of this, & we have heard the cannon firing but we in the village know little of what comes   goes on out side. The English troops keep watch on the kopjies & in the village all night. Whether they expect an attack I cannot say.

I enclose you the page of sign-atures you asked for. It’s so sweet to me to think that dear old Herbert Spencer who has meant so much to me since I was a young girl, should have contributed to that money. I am sure if the dear friends who contributed knew how in my loneliness here there love & sympathy has touched me & comforted me they ^would be glad^.
 
[NOTATION: The end of this letter appears to be missing, and the 'page of signatures' is no longer attached.]