"Kran Kuil, writing papers, war" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | HRC/CAT/OS/5b-ii |
| Archive | Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Monday 24 April 1916 |
| Address From | Alexi, 31 The Park, Hampstead, London |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Draznin 1992: 509 |
| 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. Dating this letter has followed Draznin (1992), who has done so by reference to a version in the Lafitte Letters typescript in the British Library.
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1Alexi
231 The Park
3Hampstead
4Monday
5
6Dear old Havelock
7
8I went yesterday to see Edith.
9
10Oh Havelock, it was terrible. I was quite unprepared for it. It was
11one of the most awful experiences in my life. Ed Carpenter came &
12three o’clock & then I soon left. Dear, I wrote you a long letter of
13five sheets ^last night^ but I tore it up again. But I’d like to see
14you for half an hour. I could meet you any afternoon at 4.30 at Lyons
15coffee if you would write in time.
16
17Oh Havelock as I looked at her & heard her raving, I thought
18“another wreck of Hintonism.” Surely that one man’s poor feeble
19disordered brain, ^& his sexual passions.^ has been has been a curse & a
20blight to his fellows beyond human words. Yet one can feel but pity of
21him, because he was mad from the time he began to deal with sex.
22
23Good bye, dear.
24Olive
25
26I am going to lunch with Lady Low today, & shall hear what she feels
27about Edith.
28
231 The Park
3Hampstead
4Monday
5
6Dear old Havelock
7
8I went yesterday to see Edith.
9
10Oh Havelock, it was terrible. I was quite unprepared for it. It was
11one of the most awful experiences in my life. Ed Carpenter came &
12three o’clock & then I soon left. Dear, I wrote you a long letter of
13five sheets ^last night^ but I tore it up again. But I’d like to see
14you for half an hour. I could meet you any afternoon at 4.30 at Lyons
15coffee if you would write in time.
16
17Oh Havelock as I looked at her & heard her raving, I thought
18“another wreck of Hintonism.” Surely that one man’s poor feeble
19disordered brain, ^& his sexual passions.^ has been has been a curse & a
20blight to his fellows beyond human words. Yet one can feel but pity of
21him, because he was mad from the time he began to deal with sex.
22
23Good bye, dear.
24Olive
25
26I am going to lunch with Lady Low today, & shall hear what she feels
27about Edith.
28
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.