"Lies about Boer generals & about OS, she self-supporting" Read the full letter
Collection Summary | View All |  Arrange By:
< Prev |
Viewing Item
of 43 | Next >
Letter ReferenceFindlay Family A1199/1203
ArchiveWilliam Cullen Library, Historical Papers, University of the Witwatersrand
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date1 March 1874
Address FromHertzog, Eastern Cape
Address To
Who ToCatherine ('Katie') Findlay nee Schreiner
Other VersionsRive 1987: 11-12
PermissionsPlease 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 Hertzog
2 March 1st 1874
3
4 My dearest Katie.
5
6 I have a very bad thumb & can hardly hold my pen but I must try &
7write my dear sister a few lines. I arrived here about ten o'clock
8having been about eight days on the way. I would have enjoyed the
9journey very much had it not been that I lost my portmanteau at Algoa
10Bay with almost every thing I have in the world, letters, likenesses,
11clothes. Of course they were not worth so very much but the poor mans
12all is as much to him as the rich mans.
13
14 Papa & Mamma are not looking very well & they are very hard up - do
15not see meat often for a week & do not have too much bread. They have
16nothing to live on but what you & Theo give them & now food is so dear
17they find it hard to manage. Poor Papa has hardly any clothes but some
18old things of Willie's. Of course I must get something to do at once &
19am writing this afternoon to a lady who I know wants a governess. I
20hope I shall hear by next week's post that she is willing to have me.
21
22 I hope you are all well. Give my love to the dear little people & John
23
& believe me dearest Katie ever to be
24
25 Your most loving little sister
26 Olive Schreiner
27
28 PS Mamma sends much love & many thanks for the money & will write next
28week.
29
30
31
Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.