"Everything so dark & mysterious, going to be a great European war" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | HRC/UNCAT/OS-107 |
| Archive | Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Friday 30 July 1886 |
| Address From | The Convent, Harrow, London |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Draznin 1992: 420-1 |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, the University of Texas at Austin, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscript Collections. This letter has been dated by reference to information written onto it by Ellis.
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1The Convent
2Harrow-on-the-Hill
3Friday night
4
5Henry, somehow we didn’t seem to come close today. I felt so sore
6when I looked at your beautiful eyes. I am going to work. Good night,
7my comrade We will go a long walk to Pinner through the quiet fields.
8
9Your, Olive, is very true at heart to you. unreadable o^O^ld Donkin said
10as you were walking away, “I wish Ellis cared to see more of me, I
11feel somehow drawn to him – but I suppose he wouldn’t.”
12
13unreadable Please write to me when you are lonely & sad If I don’t
14answer your letters in detail, it’s because I feel so hopeless of
15saying anything that would comfort or gladden you; & yet I long to so.
16The thought of your sad lonely heart wrings me with pain, & I am so
17absolutely
18
19^helpless to do anything unless I could remake myself.^
20
21Your Olive
22
2Harrow-on-the-Hill
3Friday night
4
5Henry, somehow we didn’t seem to come close today. I felt so sore
6when I looked at your beautiful eyes. I am going to work. Good night,
7my comrade We will go a long walk to Pinner through the quiet fields.
8
9Your, Olive, is very true at heart to you. unreadable o^O^ld Donkin said
10as you were walking away, “I wish Ellis cared to see more of me, I
11feel somehow drawn to him – but I suppose he wouldn’t.”
12
13unreadable Please write to me when you are lonely & sad If I don’t
14answer your letters in detail, it’s because I feel so hopeless of
15saying anything that would comfort or gladden you; & yet I long to so.
16The thought of your sad lonely heart wrings me with pain, & I am so
17absolutely
18
19^helpless to do anything unless I could remake myself.^
20
21Your Olive
22
Notation
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription.
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription.