"I know by experience I can make a woman perfectly happy" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | HRC/UNCAT/OS-137HRC/OS/FRAG |
| Archive | Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 10 September 1890 |
| Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 197; Draznin 1992: 467-8 |
| 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. Schreiner was resident in Matjesfontein from mid April 1890 to mid March 1891, with occasional short visits elsewhere. The middle of this letter is missing.
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1Sep 10 / 90
2
3My Havelock boy,
4
5You have been so strangely near me the last few days, it’s strange
6that never in my life before have I had the same drawing towards you.
7
8Will you talk with the girls about Mrs. Orpen & her girl boarding with
9you. The very simplest food would do for them I have
10
11 [missing page/s]
12
13would make you hate me. It’s so wicked of me to want you to love me
14at all, when I give you nothing worth the affection you have given me.
15As for Edith Lees every thing Alice has told me of her makes me feel
16she must be exceptionally fine & noble, singularly sincere & straight
17forward I read a very nice article of hers somewhere some time ago.
18Good bye my Havelock boy. Good night perhaps I’ll write more
19tomorrow.
20
2
3My Havelock boy,
4
5You have been so strangely near me the last few days, it’s strange
6that never in my life before have I had the same drawing towards you.
7
8Will you talk with the girls about Mrs. Orpen & her girl boarding with
9you. The very simplest food would do for them I have
10
11 [missing page/s]
12
13would make you hate me. It’s so wicked of me to want you to love me
14at all, when I give you nothing worth the affection you have given me.
15As for Edith Lees every thing Alice has told me of her makes me feel
16she must be exceptionally fine & noble, singularly sincere & straight
17forward I read a very nice article of hers somewhere some time ago.
18Good bye my Havelock boy. Good night perhaps I’ll write more
19tomorrow.
20
Notation
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription. Cronwright-Schreiner?s (1924) extract is incorrect in various ways.
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription. Cronwright-Schreiner?s (1924) extract is incorrect in various ways.