"Going to Europe to try treatments, borrowing money from Will Schreiner, payment in copyright; writing plans" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Wessels A.96.13-16 (A7434) |
| Archive | Free State Archives Repository, Bloemfontein |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 13 September 1900 |
| Address From | Lyndall, Newlands, Cape Town, Western Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | P.P. Wessels |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the Free State Archives Repository for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of their collections.
|
1Private
2
3Address, Olive Schreiner
4c/o Hon W P Schreiner
5Lyndall
6Newlands
7Cape Town
8South Africa
9
10Sep 13 / 00
11
12Dear Sir,
13
14I have been unable to answer your letter sooner because I have been
15ill. Had I had the means & the health I should long ago have been in
16America trying to explain the true position of the Republics to the
17American people. But I have not the coming over paying my own
18expenses, & under no other condition would I consent to come. My
19health also is now in such an in a condition that I might not be able
20to do much when I got there.
21
22I have written some articles on the Boer. I have sent them home to my
23friends Dr John Brown of Burnley ^Lancashire^ in England. If he cannot
24make suitable arrangements for their publication in Englan America &
25should write to ask your advice perhaps you might be able to help him
26– in publishing them in America I think they might be wise useful in
27throwing light on the true nature of the much misunderstood Boer. I
28always believe still that right will in the end prevail & the
29republics regain their freedom.
30
31^This letter is strictly private^
32
33^I am, dear ^^Sir^^, with sincere sympathy^
34Yours faithfully
35Olive Schreiner
36
2
3Address, Olive Schreiner
4c/o Hon W P Schreiner
5Lyndall
6Newlands
7Cape Town
8South Africa
9
10Sep 13 / 00
11
12Dear Sir,
13
14I have been unable to answer your letter sooner because I have been
15ill. Had I had the means & the health I should long ago have been in
16America trying to explain the true position of the Republics to the
17American people. But I have not the coming over paying my own
18expenses, & under no other condition would I consent to come. My
19health also is now in such an in a condition that I might not be able
20to do much when I got there.
21
22I have written some articles on the Boer. I have sent them home to my
23friends Dr John Brown of Burnley ^Lancashire^ in England. If he cannot
24make suitable arrangements for their publication in Englan America &
25should write to ask your advice perhaps you might be able to help him
26– in publishing them in America I think they might be wise useful in
27throwing light on the true nature of the much misunderstood Boer. I
28always believe still that right will in the end prevail & the
29republics regain their freedom.
30
31^This letter is strictly private^
32
33^I am, dear ^^Sir^^, with sincere sympathy^
34Yours faithfully
35Olive Schreiner
36
Notation
The name of the addressee is provided by another letter archived in the same collection, written by Cronwright-Schreiner to P.P. Wessels, as follows:
Private
c/o Mrs SCCronwright
Mowbray
Cape Colony
22. Aug. 00
Dear Mr. Wessels,
Your note to my wife & myself came yesterday (dated 19. July.) We are anxious to assist in any way towards relieving the distress caused by this war. We have done our best, she here & I in England, & are still doing what we can.
When in England, Montagu White wanted us to go to America, but I refused because I do not wish to be financially assisted by the Republics. But I am willing to go to America if it can be managed ^otherwise^. I cannot go as I should like to, - that is because I cannot afford the expense. But if, while over there, I can by my own exertions fin earn sufficient money, I will go. The only plan that occurs to me is to give a series of public lectures, & I think the best way would be if some man of standing & repute & financially sound to pay me a sum to deliver the lectures. He would in such a case (if money can be made this way) reap financial benefit himself, but it would save me no end of bother, & I should be in a position to help towards relieving the distress caused by the war. You will know, or can easily hear, of a man who takes such matters in hand. Get a good one, see him, and ask him to make me an offer for the a Lecturing Tour. If the offer is good enough my wife might come across with me. It will have to be a good offer, or I cannot go across. It is no use undertaking such a journey unless the result is substantial.
Give such a man my address, & then I can deal with him direct.
Yours very truly,
SCCronwrightSchreiner
The name of the addressee is provided by another letter archived in the same collection, written by Cronwright-Schreiner to P.P. Wessels, as follows:
Private
c/o Mrs SCCronwright
Mowbray
Cape Colony
22. Aug. 00
Dear Mr. Wessels,
Your note to my wife & myself came yesterday (dated 19. July.) We are anxious to assist in any way towards relieving the distress caused by this war. We have done our best, she here & I in England, & are still doing what we can.
When in England, Montagu White wanted us to go to America, but I refused because I do not wish to be financially assisted by the Republics. But I am willing to go to America if it can be managed ^otherwise^. I cannot go as I should like to, - that is because I cannot afford the expense. But if, while over there, I can by my own exertions fin earn sufficient money, I will go. The only plan that occurs to me is to give a series of public lectures, & I think the best way would be if some man of standing & repute & financially sound to pay me a sum to deliver the lectures. He would in such a case (if money can be made this way) reap financial benefit himself, but it would save me no end of bother, & I should be in a position to help towards relieving the distress caused by the war. You will know, or can easily hear, of a man who takes such matters in hand. Get a good one, see him, and ask him to make me an offer for the a Lecturing Tour. If the offer is good enough my wife might come across with me. It will have to be a good offer, or I cannot go across. It is no use undertaking such a journey unless the result is substantial.
Give such a man my address, & then I can deal with him direct.
Yours very truly,
SCCronwrightSchreiner