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| Letter Reference | Findlay Family A1199/1189 |
| Archive | William Cullen Library, Historical Papers, University of the Witwatersrand |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 24 May 1873 |
| Address From | De Beers, New Rush, later Kimberley, Northern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Catherine ('Katie') Findlay nee Schreiner |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 11 |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the William Cullen Library, University of Johannesburg, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Historical Papers.
|
1
De Beers New Rush
2 May 24th 1873
3
4 My dearest Katie!
5
6 I was much grieved to hear of heavy trial you have had to pass through,
7 in the loss of your little daughter. It is indeed bitter when death
8takes from us those we love; but, dear sister, we do not know what
9might have been her future had she lived; how many of there are for
10whom it would have been far better had they died as little babies, for
11her there is no more bitterness or grief for ever. I wish dear Katie
12that I could see you, to tell you how much I feel for you, or even
13that I could write you a long letter this post; but I can not as I am
14suffering from a very bad thumb & writing pains me much.
15
16 Give my best love to the children & thank Katie for her letter which I
17will answer as soon as my hand is better when you also must expect a
18long letter. Till then goodbye dear Katie.
19
20 With warm love & sympathy
21 I am
22 Your ever loving sister
23 Olive E. A. Schreiner
24
25 P.S. Many thanks for the likeness - I was very glad of it.
26
27
28
2 May 24th 1873
3
4 My dearest Katie!
5
6 I was much grieved to hear of heavy trial you have had to pass through,
7 in the loss of your little daughter. It is indeed bitter when death
8takes from us those we love; but, dear sister, we do not know what
9might have been her future had she lived; how many of there are for
10whom it would have been far better had they died as little babies, for
11her there is no more bitterness or grief for ever. I wish dear Katie
12that I could see you, to tell you how much I feel for you, or even
13that I could write you a long letter this post; but I can not as I am
14suffering from a very bad thumb & writing pains me much.
15
16 Give my best love to the children & thank Katie for her letter which I
17will answer as soon as my hand is better when you also must expect a
18long letter. Till then goodbye dear Katie.
19
20 With warm love & sympathy
21 I am
22 Your ever loving sister
23 Olive E. A. Schreiner
24
25 P.S. Many thanks for the likeness - I was very glad of it.
26
27
28
Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.