"Emily Hobhouse, Women's International League for Peace & Freedom" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceSmuts A1/187/82
ArchiveNational Archives Repository, Pretoria
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date4 June 1902
Address FromHanover, Northern Cape
Address To
Who ToIsie Smuts nee Krige
Other Versions
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to the National Archives Repository, Pretoria, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Special Collections.
1 Hanover
2 June 4th 1902
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so very very glad to hear from you again. Please write soon &
7tell me how all goes with you & whether there is any chance of your
8seeing your husband soon. Also please send me your mother’s address.
9I want to write to her & ask her to do something unreadable for me.
10
11 On Monday morning the guns fired here & we were told it was because
12the Boers had surrendered, & there was going to be peace. Since that,
13the last three days, I am able to hear nothing. Of course the village
14is full of reports. Some say the Boers have got their independence &
15the Transvaal flag is flying at Pretoria. The jingoes say the Boers
16have been beaten absolutely & had to surrender. One doesn’t know
17what is true, & what is not, & ^believes every one lies.^ One sees no
18^English^ papers so it will probably be months before we know the truth
19here. I heard your husband passed at de Aar close to this yesterday.
20What would I not have given to see him for half an hour. I have not
21seen the face of a friend except my husband’s for so many long
22months, but while I have him I should be so absolutely contented when
23I think of all of you. I was one year & two months without seeing him
24& you have been two years separated from your husband & he was in the
25greatest danger ^all that time.^ I don’t know how you have lived
26through it, dear one. I hope you will be so well when the meeting time
27comes. Let me know that I may share your joy.
28
29 Good bye dear. The world seems rather dark just now. But the sun will
30rise at last. Give my love to Ella.
31
32 I am afraid it will be very long before I can get a pass to go to Cape
33Town, but some day if I go perhaps I shall see her.
34
35 Yours ever Olive
36
37 Give our affectionate remembrances to your husband when you write to
38him.
39
40