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| Letter Reference | Lytton 01229/1 |
| Archive | Lytton Family Papers, Knebworth |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 13 February 1893 |
| Address From | Middelburg, Eastern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Constance Lytton |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 219 |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the Knebworth House Archive (www.knebworthhouse.com) for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter to Lady Constance Lytton, which is part of the Knebworth collections.
|
1Middelburg
2Feb 13 / 93
3
4Dear Lady Constance,
5
6I was so glad to hear you had such a good voyage home with “plenty of
7room” on the ship. It must have been beautiful to get back.
8
9I’ve been travelling ever since you left. I’m quite strong now, almost,
10 & I want to be quite fit when I get home, so I’m going to travel a
11bit more.
12
13I wrote you a very foolish letter; but you know sometimes one is so
14tired one doesn’t know what to do I had got to the end of all hope &
15faith in our South African politi-cal world, & as that is the world in
16which I have through my sympathies been living for the last three
17years it seemed to crush me. Now I have got past that point: I
18recognize facts - & don’t care. That is recognize it is the
19?inevitable.
20
21Low as the atmosphere of political life is & must be everywhere where
22representative institutions exist, I think it is lower at the Cape
23than elsewhere.
24
25I have found one very splendid & able young man in the Eastern
26Province; who when he enters political life may “stand” but the
27probability is he will fall.
28
29I shall I think be sailing on the 28th of April. I dont know what my
30address will be in London but I shall have time to send it you before
31I come. It will be quite beautiful to see you again there. I can’t
32realize it.
33
34Yours always
35Olive Schreiner
36
37I’m sending this to Adela because I don’t know your address
38
39^Still address Matjesfontein^
40
2Feb 13 / 93
3
4Dear Lady Constance,
5
6I was so glad to hear you had such a good voyage home with “plenty of
7room” on the ship. It must have been beautiful to get back.
8
9I’ve been travelling ever since you left. I’m quite strong now, almost,
10 & I want to be quite fit when I get home, so I’m going to travel a
11bit more.
12
13I wrote you a very foolish letter; but you know sometimes one is so
14tired one doesn’t know what to do I had got to the end of all hope &
15faith in our South African politi-cal world, & as that is the world in
16which I have through my sympathies been living for the last three
17years it seemed to crush me. Now I have got past that point: I
18recognize facts - & don’t care. That is recognize it is the
19?inevitable.
20
21Low as the atmosphere of political life is & must be everywhere where
22representative institutions exist, I think it is lower at the Cape
23than elsewhere.
24
25I have found one very splendid & able young man in the Eastern
26Province; who when he enters political life may “stand” but the
27probability is he will fall.
28
29I shall I think be sailing on the 28th of April. I dont know what my
30address will be in London but I shall have time to send it you before
31I come. It will be quite beautiful to see you again there. I can’t
32realize it.
33
34Yours always
35Olive Schreiner
36
37I’m sending this to Adela because I don’t know your address
38
39^Still address Matjesfontein^
40
Notation
Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor ways.
Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor ways.