"I know by experience I can make a woman perfectly happy" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceHRC/OliveSchreinerLetters/OS-JohnHodgson/67
ArchiveHarry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateMonday August 1918
Address From9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London
Address To
Who ToJohn Hodgson
Other Versions
PermissionsPlease 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 is dated by reference to when John Hodgson and Joan Wickham were married, in August 1918. Schreiner was resident at Porchester Place from early April 1917 until August 1920, when she left Britain for South Africa.
1Monday
2
3My dear John
4
5Thank you so much for your letter. I would love so to come to the
6wedding, but it hardly seems right to spend money just on happiness,
7at this time. Its very sweet of you to say you’d stand my fair - but
8I couldn’t have that. If I did come by which train should I come; &
9at which station stop?
10
11Thanks for the charming little snap of Joan. Its so like her. Oh I do
12hope you will be very happy.
13
14You & Joan if ever you come to London must go & see Orpens pictures
15– that wonderful portrait of a woman which is one of the most
16wonderful pictures I have ever seen. I seem always to see that face
17with all the anguish & intensity of human life in it.
18
19I should so like to meet your father & mother & sister It’s a great
20temptation, I’ll ask the doctor about that ?band. I thought she’d
21sent it long ago. I know you & Joan wouldn’t mind a bit how I was
22dressed, but I’m afraid I shall be rather a shabby old maddening
23guest if I did come.
24
25Your small Aunt Olive
26
27^This Thursday the 20th isn’t it?^
28
29I am going tomorrow to the Christening of the first little baby of two
30friends of mine who have been married just a little more than a year.
31Such a lovely child. I find now my only pleasure is sharing the life
32of the dear younger world that is growing up. May they have better
33times than we have had, though life has been very beautiful to me till
34the last four years. You haven’t told me where you are going to live.
35
36I’ve just been reading a book called “Greater Italy,” which you
37would find most interesting but I suppose you’ve not much time for
38reading now.
39
Notation
The book referred to is: William Kay Wallace (1917) Greater Italy New York: Scribner's Sons.