"Why not happy, arming native, politics" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | HRC/CAT/OS/4b-vi |
| Archive | Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 19 February 1894 |
| Address From | Middelburg, Eastern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 213-4; Rive 1987: 231; Draznin 1992: 476 |
| 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.
|
1Middelburg
2Feb 2^1^9 / 94
3
4My Havelock I am to be married on Saturday morning. This is Monday
5afternoon. Old Theo is kindly coming up all the thousand miles from
6Cape Town to be with me. We shall just walk into the magistrates
7office & sign our names. I shall just wear my old grey dress that I
8wear every day. I am better much better in health.
9
10Destroy or keep Cron’s letters, don’t trouble to return them. Some
11day you & Edith must come out & see us. I send you a likeness Cron
12took here of me in the “velt” among the bushes the other day. He
13sticks to it, it’s the best that ever was taken!
14
15Havelock dear, I love you so.
16
17Give my love to your little wife.
18
19My doctors say there’s no reason I shouldn’t have a child now. The
20wob womb is quite in its right place. It was doubled back on itself
21you know
22
23Your little child,
24Olive
25
26Send back the photo, or keep it safe, as I didn’t ask Cron if I
27could have it, & he may want ^it.^ Address just –
28Olive Schreiner
29P.O. Halesowen
30Cape Colony
31South Africa
32If you ever write to Cron address Cronwright Schreiner
33
34OS
35
2Feb 2^1^9 / 94
3
4My Havelock I am to be married on Saturday morning. This is Monday
5afternoon. Old Theo is kindly coming up all the thousand miles from
6Cape Town to be with me. We shall just walk into the magistrates
7office & sign our names. I shall just wear my old grey dress that I
8wear every day. I am better much better in health.
9
10Destroy or keep Cron’s letters, don’t trouble to return them. Some
11day you & Edith must come out & see us. I send you a likeness Cron
12took here of me in the “velt” among the bushes the other day. He
13sticks to it, it’s the best that ever was taken!
14
15Havelock dear, I love you so.
16
17Give my love to your little wife.
18
19My doctors say there’s no reason I shouldn’t have a child now. The
20wob womb is quite in its right place. It was doubled back on itself
21you know
22
23Your little child,
24Olive
25
26Send back the photo, or keep it safe, as I didn’t ask Cron if I
27could have it, & he may want ^it.^ Address just –
28Olive Schreiner
29P.O. Halesowen
30Cape Colony
31South Africa
32If you ever write to Cron address Cronwright Schreiner
33
34OS
35
Notation
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription. Rive's (1987) version is in a number of respects incorrect. 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. Rive's (1987) version is in a number of respects incorrect. Cronwright-Schreiner's (1924) extract is incorrect in various ways.