"Will Schreiner's death, first time in 50 years not writing to him on his birthday" Read the full letter
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/70 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: November 1904 ; Before End: December 1904 |
Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
Other Versions | |
Permissions | Please 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. The month and year have been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in Hanover from September 1900 to October 1907, after 1902 with visits, sometimes fairly lengthy, elsewhere.
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1
Dear Isie
2
3 I have decided to leave this by the mail train that passes here on
4Tuesday ^the 13th^ & gets to Pretoria on Wednesday midday. I must go by
5the mail as the others will be too crowded. My husband says he is
6afraid his business will keep him here. I hope very much he will be
7able to.
8
9 Have you seen that disgraceful notice of Kruger in the Fortnightly for
10Aug by Professor Dicey, - Rhodes’ great friend? Well, - the great
11man lives, & the small man dies! Time puts all things right.
12
13 I do hope that little Sannie is quite well again. Perhaps it was only
14the smell of the new paint: I got very feverish & had a sore throat a
15couple of months ago, & the doctor said it was only the smell of this
16room which we’d just had repainted.
17
18 My little story "Elandslaagte" is done; but the boy is so slow
19typewriting it. If he’s got it finished I’ll bring it up to
20Pretoria to show you.
21
22 Its beautifully cool here now, we had sharp frosts two weeks ago that
23killed nearly all the fruit & vegetables here, & we’ve got locusts &
24the drought goes on. It is a hard time for our poor farmers. Several
25have turned insolvent; & many would go if any one pressed, but
26fortunately so far people are waiting, & not pressing more than they
27can help. It will be so nice to see you all. I am so glad your mother
28will be there. Perhaps I shall have to stay till Monday, as people
29seem to think all the trains will be full on Saturday & Sunday.
30
31 Much love.
32 Olive Schreiner
33
34
35
2
3 I have decided to leave this by the mail train that passes here on
4Tuesday ^the 13th^ & gets to Pretoria on Wednesday midday. I must go by
5the mail as the others will be too crowded. My husband says he is
6afraid his business will keep him here. I hope very much he will be
7able to.
8
9 Have you seen that disgraceful notice of Kruger in the Fortnightly for
10Aug by Professor Dicey, - Rhodes’ great friend? Well, - the great
11man lives, & the small man dies! Time puts all things right.
12
13 I do hope that little Sannie is quite well again. Perhaps it was only
14the smell of the new paint: I got very feverish & had a sore throat a
15couple of months ago, & the doctor said it was only the smell of this
16room which we’d just had repainted.
17
18 My little story "Elandslaagte" is done; but the boy is so slow
19typewriting it. If he’s got it finished I’ll bring it up to
20Pretoria to show you.
21
22 Its beautifully cool here now, we had sharp frosts two weeks ago that
23killed nearly all the fruit & vegetables here, & we’ve got locusts &
24the drought goes on. It is a hard time for our poor farmers. Several
25have turned insolvent; & many would go if any one pressed, but
26fortunately so far people are waiting, & not pressing more than they
27can help. It will be so nice to see you all. I am so glad your mother
28will be there. Perhaps I shall have to stay till Monday, as people
29seem to think all the trains will be full on Saturday & Sunday.
30
31 Much love.
32 Olive Schreiner
33
34
35
Notation
The 'disgraceful notice of Kruger' by Dicey in the Fortnightly Review cannot be traced, as nothing by Dicey in any way connected was published during 1904; thus while there was an April 1904 article on Jameson as the new Prime Minister of the Cape, this nowhere even mentions Kruger. Schreiner's 'Elandslaagte' became '1899' and was published posthumously in Stories, Dreams and Allegories.
The 'disgraceful notice of Kruger' by Dicey in the Fortnightly Review cannot be traced, as nothing by Dicey in any way connected was published during 1904; thus while there was an April 1904 article on Jameson as the new Prime Minister of the Cape, this nowhere even mentions Kruger. Schreiner's 'Elandslaagte' became '1899' and was published posthumously in Stories, Dreams and Allegories.