"Small Schreiner expected by Will & Fan, many London friends" Read the full letter
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/1- pages 39-41 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: January 1889 ; Before End: March 1889 |
Address From | Mentone, France |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 156; Rive 1987: 153 |
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 Micofilm Collections. The year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand; Schreiner was resident in Mentone from December 1888 to the end of March 1889.
|
1Mentone
2
3I am very glad to hear about Greenwood.
4
5I shall never be of much use to your paper, but you & it will be
6followed with my loving sympathy in your growth.
7
8I am returning to Africa in August, And may then send you a series of
9letters on the Cape politics & affairs ?given as they appear to a
10Colonist after ?about 8 years absence.
11
12I will perhaps re-visit the Diamond Fields, & go on to the Gold Fields
13& further north yet, ^if I can manage it.^
14
15I had a terrible illness about two years ago, low fever, & very nearly
16died. I shall not fuly pull together till I get back to my own
17countrie. One sees “God” on those great plaines & one’s soul rests
18completely in him.
19
20You underline the word un-married with regard to yourself, implying
21that to be married has greatly strengthened & helped you. I do not
22doubt it. I believe in marriage. The man who has a wife & children
23always to turn to must be much stronger to fight the outer world. It
24is the perfect the natural condition. But it is for those who are
25called.
26
27Some years ago I couldn't see a little tiny babe without an
28inclination to burst out hysterically crying, & to see a happy husband
29& wife with their children seemed to wake in me the same unaccountable
30feeliting feeling. Now: I must I have entirely conquered it. I
31know my work & have accepted my little part in life. Of course all
32this is private. The real thing I am going to the Cape for is to see
33my brother's two small babyes & play with them.
34
35Olive Schreiner
36
2
3I am very glad to hear about Greenwood.
4
5I shall never be of much use to your paper, but you & it will be
6followed with my loving sympathy in your growth.
7
8I am returning to Africa in August, And may then send you a series of
9letters on the Cape politics & affairs ?given as they appear to a
10Colonist after ?about 8 years absence.
11
12I will perhaps re-visit the Diamond Fields, & go on to the Gold Fields
13& further north yet, ^if I can manage it.^
14
15I had a terrible illness about two years ago, low fever, & very nearly
16died. I shall not fuly pull together till I get back to my own
17countrie. One sees “God” on those great plaines & one’s soul rests
18completely in him.
19
20You underline the word un-married with regard to yourself, implying
21that to be married has greatly strengthened & helped you. I do not
22doubt it. I believe in marriage. The man who has a wife & children
23always to turn to must be much stronger to fight the outer world. It
24is the perfect the natural condition. But it is for those who are
25called.
26
27Some years ago I couldn't see a little tiny babe without an
28inclination to burst out hysterically crying, & to see a happy husband
29& wife with their children seemed to wake in me the same unaccountable
30feeliting feeling. Now: I must I have entirely conquered it. I
31know my work & have accepted my little part in life. Of course all
32this is private. The real thing I am going to the Cape for is to see
33my brother's two small babyes & play with them.
34
35Olive Schreiner
36
Notation
The ‘series of letters on the Cape politics & affairs given as they appear to a Colonist’ refers to what eventuated as Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor ways. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract is incorrect in a range of ways.
The ‘series of letters on the Cape politics & affairs given as they appear to a Colonist’ refers to what eventuated as Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor ways. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract is incorrect in a range of ways.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/73 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 1 July 1896 |
Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 286-7 |
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.
|
1
The Homestead
2 July 1st 1896
3
4 Dear Mr Smuts
5
6 Thankyou heartily for the letter I got just now. I respond sincerely
7to its sympathetic attitude. With regard to the native the four later
8articles of the series will explain it as they all deal more or less
9with it. All I would ask now, is, why you should think it a necessary
10corollary that, if the dark & light races do not cross in blood there
11must of necessity be hatred & bitterness between them? I hold (of
12course I may be mistaken) that so unlike are the black dark & white
13races in this country, that were they equals in education & in social
14rights, & were they absolutely mingled together politically, in the
15matter of marriage the white would still prefer the white & the black
16the black, & fusion would go on very slowly. It is exactly because of
17the terrible chasm which in the minds of many men divides them from
18the dark races that the mixture of bloods in its least desirable form
19goes on. It was not when the native races were free & richly endowed
20with social and political rights, that the great fusion took place, &
21I believe that exactly in proportion as we raise & educate the native
22races ^& endow them with social and political rights^ such fusion will
23become rare. Where it does occur, it will be as the result of a vast
24affection and sympathy, & will so lose its worst features. llllll
25
26 No, my papers are not the result of marrying a political husband!
27These articles were all written exactly as they now stand four years
28before I met him for the first time!!!
29
30 He sends friendly greetings to you. He went to hear your lecture, &
31his remark when he came back, was; (I unfortunately unable to go!) –
32"He is very earnest & sincere, but he doesn’t know Rhodes!" I will
33also allow that when the first news of the raid reached us, one of his
34first remarks was, -"What will Smuts say now!!!" To me, the forefront
35of all Mr Rhodes’s offences, has been his attitude towards the Dutch
36who loved & trusted him. Many men are devoted to the winning of money
37& fame for themselves; but few have deliberately stabbed to the heart
38a whole people who trusted in, & followed them. The position of the
39Dutchmen who have changed their attitude towards Mr Rhodes during the
40last few months is a matter for anything but ridicule to me. It is a
41matter of profound shame that the action of an Englishman should have
42made it necessary for them so to change.
43
44 Both my husband & myself will be delighted to see you if ever you
45should visit Kimberley; let us know if ever you come up, please.
46
47 Yours very sincerely
48 Olive Schreiner
49
50
51
2 July 1st 1896
3
4 Dear Mr Smuts
5
6 Thankyou heartily for the letter I got just now. I respond sincerely
7to its sympathetic attitude. With regard to the native the four later
8articles of the series will explain it as they all deal more or less
9with it. All I would ask now, is, why you should think it a necessary
10corollary that, if the dark & light races do not cross in blood there
11must of necessity be hatred & bitterness between them? I hold (of
12course I may be mistaken) that so unlike are the black dark & white
13races in this country, that were they equals in education & in social
14rights, & were they absolutely mingled together politically, in the
15matter of marriage the white would still prefer the white & the black
16the black, & fusion would go on very slowly. It is exactly because of
17the terrible chasm which in the minds of many men divides them from
18the dark races that the mixture of bloods in its least desirable form
19goes on. It was not when the native races were free & richly endowed
20with social and political rights, that the great fusion took place, &
21I believe that exactly in proportion as we raise & educate the native
22races ^& endow them with social and political rights^ such fusion will
23become rare. Where it does occur, it will be as the result of a vast
24affection and sympathy, & will so lose its worst features. llllll
25
26 No, my papers are not the result of marrying a political husband!
27These articles were all written exactly as they now stand four years
28before I met him for the first time!!!
29
30 He sends friendly greetings to you. He went to hear your lecture, &
31his remark when he came back, was; (I unfortunately unable to go!) –
32"He is very earnest & sincere, but he doesn’t know Rhodes!" I will
33also allow that when the first news of the raid reached us, one of his
34first remarks was, -"What will Smuts say now!!!" To me, the forefront
35of all Mr Rhodes’s offences, has been his attitude towards the Dutch
36who loved & trusted him. Many men are devoted to the winning of money
37& fame for themselves; but few have deliberately stabbed to the heart
38a whole people who trusted in, & followed them. The position of the
39Dutchmen who have changed their attitude towards Mr Rhodes during the
40last few months is a matter for anything but ridicule to me. It is a
41matter of profound shame that the action of an Englishman should have
42made it necessary for them so to change.
43
44 Both my husband & myself will be delighted to see you if ever you
45should visit Kimberley; let us know if ever you come up, please.
46
47 Yours very sincerely
48 Olive Schreiner
49
50
51
Notation
The articles Schreiner refers to are those originally published pseudonymously from 1891 on as by 'A Returned South African', intended for publication in book form as 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'. However, although prepared for publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War prevented this. They and some related essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. Smuts's lecture was on behalf of his then employer De Beers and given in response to Schreiner's The Political Situation, read by Cronwright-Schreiner in Kimberley Town Hall in August 1895. His lecture was reported verbatim in the Diamond Fields Advertiser on 30 October 1895 and is reprinted in (eds) W.K. Hancock and Jean van der Poel (1966) Selections From the Smuts Papers vol 1 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.80-100. Rive's (1987) version of Schreiner's letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
The articles Schreiner refers to are those originally published pseudonymously from 1891 on as by 'A Returned South African', intended for publication in book form as 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'. However, although prepared for publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War prevented this. They and some related essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. Smuts's lecture was on behalf of his then employer De Beers and given in response to Schreiner's The Political Situation, read by Cronwright-Schreiner in Kimberley Town Hall in August 1895. His lecture was reported verbatim in the Diamond Fields Advertiser on 30 October 1895 and is reprinted in (eds) W.K. Hancock and Jean van der Poel (1966) Selections From the Smuts Papers vol 1 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.80-100. Rive's (1987) version of Schreiner's letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/74 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 8 August 1896 |
Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 288 |
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. Schreiner was resident in Kimberley from early August 1894 to November 1898, with visits, sometimes extended, elsewhere over this period.
|
1
Aug 8 / 96
2
3 Dear Mr Smuts
4
5 I have been in bed almost the whole month or would long ago have
6written to thank you for your kind letter. I’m glad you liked my
7husbands speech I didn’t like your leader in the Telegraph at all as
8you will have expected: but I like an open enemy (politically) as you
9have always been, & it will give me great pleasure if ever I have the
10chance of meeting you. ^(We can have a political fight!)^ I will
11
12 I am just starting off for the sea air at the Kowie, which I hope will
13pull me together & fit me for work.
14
15 Yours very sincerely
16 Olive Schreiner
17
18 I thought it was perfectly right for you as my political opponent to
19turn my article about as you did; but not quite right ^generous^ of the
20Editor to give it you to write on after what had passed between us. I
21hope you didn’t mistake the distinction!
22
23 ^I still regard the Telegraph as the best paper in South Africa &
24should do anything I could to aid its circulation. I don’t think one
25should ever allow any personal pains to touch ones impersonal
26judgement.^
27
28
29
2
3 Dear Mr Smuts
4
5 I have been in bed almost the whole month or would long ago have
6written to thank you for your kind letter. I’m glad you liked my
7husbands speech I didn’t like your leader in the Telegraph at all as
8you will have expected: but I like an open enemy (politically) as you
9have always been, & it will give me great pleasure if ever I have the
10chance of meeting you. ^(We can have a political fight!)^ I will
11
12 I am just starting off for the sea air at the Kowie, which I hope will
13pull me together & fit me for work.
14
15 Yours very sincerely
16 Olive Schreiner
17
18 I thought it was perfectly right for you as my political opponent to
19turn my article about as you did; but not quite right ^generous^ of the
20Editor to give it you to write on after what had passed between us. I
21hope you didn’t mistake the distinction!
22
23 ^I still regard the Telegraph as the best paper in South Africa &
24should do anything I could to aid its circulation. I don’t think one
25should ever allow any personal pains to touch ones impersonal
26judgement.^
27
28
29
Notation
The leaders in the South African Telegraph at this time are unsigned. However, the leader in its Thursday 2 July (p.4) issue is headed 'THE HALF-CASTE PROBLEM' and says about the third instalment of Schreiner's 'Stray Thoughts on South Arica' being reprinted from the Fortnightly Review in the same issue that '... her voice, if not the wisest that speaks to South Africa today, is certainly the most gifted. ...'. It goes on to comment on the newspaper's earlier reprint of a related instalment providing a 'remarkable delineation of Boer character'. While it disagrees with what she says about the Boers and some of her argument, it twists what she actually wrote in the essay by adding 'we yet endorse most fully and unreservedly her severe judgement on the half-caste, and look upon the intermixture of black and white in South Africa as in every way the darkest spot of our civilization...'. Schreiner's actual argument was the very different one that people of 'mixed race' were shunned by both whites and Africans and were consequently 'de-culturated', adding that this might change over time. As Schreiner elsewhere criticises Smuts for twisting her words, this is certainly the leader she is referring to.
The article being referred to is one of those originally published pseudonymously from 1891 on as by 'A Returned South African', intended for publication in book form as 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'. However, although prepared for publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this. They and some related essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in various respects incorrect.
The leaders in the South African Telegraph at this time are unsigned. However, the leader in its Thursday 2 July (p.4) issue is headed 'THE HALF-CASTE PROBLEM' and says about the third instalment of Schreiner's 'Stray Thoughts on South Arica' being reprinted from the Fortnightly Review in the same issue that '... her voice, if not the wisest that speaks to South Africa today, is certainly the most gifted. ...'. It goes on to comment on the newspaper's earlier reprint of a related instalment providing a 'remarkable delineation of Boer character'. While it disagrees with what she says about the Boers and some of her argument, it twists what she actually wrote in the essay by adding 'we yet endorse most fully and unreservedly her severe judgement on the half-caste, and look upon the intermixture of black and white in South Africa as in every way the darkest spot of our civilization...'. Schreiner's actual argument was the very different one that people of 'mixed race' were shunned by both whites and Africans and were consequently 'de-culturated', adding that this might change over time. As Schreiner elsewhere criticises Smuts for twisting her words, this is certainly the leader she is referring to.
The article being referred to is one of those originally published pseudonymously from 1891 on as by 'A Returned South African', intended for publication in book form as 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'. However, although prepared for publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this. They and some related essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in various respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/75 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 23 January 1899 |
Address From | 2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 344-5 |
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 date of this letter has been written on in an unknown hand.
|
1
Primrose Terrace
2 Berea
3 Johannesburg
4
5 Dear Mr Smuts
6
7 Some time ago my husband told me that Mr Rous had mentioned to him
8that you regretted he had entered the a lawyer’s office here as you
9would have liked to see him in the public service, & if he were
10willing would be glad if he would now enter it.
11
12 I may tell you that I had one of the bitterest struggles within myself
13that I have ever had before I could feel that it could be right that
14my husband should enter the Transvaal service, whatever use I believed
15he might be of to South Africa by doing so. Of all the lies Rhodes &
16his followers have spread about me none has cut me so deeply as the
17lie circulated in England that I had received £4,000 from the
18Transvaal Government for writing Peter Halket. It cut straight at the
19use & value of what I have written & of what I may yet write. Further
20the idea that an artist should for money set pen to paper & prostitute
21their intuitions by writing to order at all, is an accusation in my
22eyes, far worse even than murder. It is a moral & spiritual murder on
23one’s own soul which one would commit. I knew if my husband accepted
24your offer though at the greatest sacrifice to himself (& thought I
25should never have touched one farthing of his salary as I support
26myself by my own work) that yet, the Rhodes party would have made it
27an excuse for repeating their unholy lie & injuring the usefulness of
28what I may write in the future, yet further. It was only after a very
29stiff struggle with myself that I came to the conclusion, that if my
30husband felt he could be of any use in the anti-capitalist fight here,
31nothing ought to stand in his way.
32
33 Yesterday my husband showed me a letter he had received from you in
34which you spoke of the wish of the Transvaal Government to help us! My
35idea has always been to help the Transvaal, & not that it should help
36me! I feel that in the history of the world no nobler or more gallant
37fight has been fought than that of this little Republic with the
38powers which seek on every side to engulf it. But the freedom &
39independence of the Transvaal has for me a much more serious meaning.
40I look upon the Free State & the Transvaal as the two last little
41sluice-gates we have left keeping out the flood of Capitalism which
42would otherwise sweep in & overwhelm South Africa. The little fight of
43Doornkop is to me the most memorable, not only in the history of South
44Africa, but of this century: there for the first time in the history
45of the world, troops armed, fed, paid, & led (or rather misled!) by
46the capitalist horde, met the simple citizens of a state & were
47defeated. The average Boer fighting at Doornkop no doubt only thought
48he was fighting for his little state, just at the Dutch of Holland
49when in the 16th century they fought Philip, no doubt believed they
50were fighting merely to free their country from a tyrant, & had no
51idea they were leading in humanity’s great fight for freedom of
52thought and enlightenment! God’s soldiers sometimes fight on larger
53battlefields than they dream of. To me the Transvaal is now engaged in
54leading in a very small way in that vast battle which will during the
55twentieth century be fought out - probably most bitterly &
56successfully in America & Germany - between engorged capitalists & the
57citizens of different races.
58
59 It is this that makes our little struggle here something almost sacred,
60 & of world-wide importance. Doornkop was a stab in the vitals of the
61international capitalist horde, from Roths-child & Rosebery to Rhodes
62& Harris. No doubt for the present they may beat us; but there are
63more Doornkops coming in other lands, & another fifty years will see
64the battle won. Feeling as I do on this matter you will understand how
65intense is my desire to see this independence & complete autonomy of
66the Transvaal; (the day when federation maybe is desirable may come,
67but I hope it is yet far distant) - & who glad I should be to assist
68the Transvaal government in the fight; but under no circumstances & no
69condition could I ever consent to accept the least consideration from
70it. The only thing the Transvaal Government could do for me, would be
71to enfranchise all the wives & daughters of the Burgers, & who
72constitute the real back-bone of the country. But that they are not
73likely to do!
74
75 Please give my kind regards to your wife whom I should very much like
76to meet. I am sure I should sympathize with her from what I have heard
77of her. I am sorry my health does not allow of my going over to
78Pretoria.
79
80 Yours faithfully
81 Olive Schreiner
82
83
84
2 Berea
3 Johannesburg
4
5 Dear Mr Smuts
6
7 Some time ago my husband told me that Mr Rous had mentioned to him
8that you regretted he had entered the a lawyer’s office here as you
9would have liked to see him in the public service, & if he were
10willing would be glad if he would now enter it.
11
12 I may tell you that I had one of the bitterest struggles within myself
13that I have ever had before I could feel that it could be right that
14my husband should enter the Transvaal service, whatever use I believed
15he might be of to South Africa by doing so. Of all the lies Rhodes &
16his followers have spread about me none has cut me so deeply as the
17lie circulated in England that I had received £4,000 from the
18Transvaal Government for writing Peter Halket. It cut straight at the
19use & value of what I have written & of what I may yet write. Further
20the idea that an artist should for money set pen to paper & prostitute
21their intuitions by writing to order at all, is an accusation in my
22eyes, far worse even than murder. It is a moral & spiritual murder on
23one’s own soul which one would commit. I knew if my husband accepted
24your offer though at the greatest sacrifice to himself (& thought I
25should never have touched one farthing of his salary as I support
26myself by my own work) that yet, the Rhodes party would have made it
27an excuse for repeating their unholy lie & injuring the usefulness of
28what I may write in the future, yet further. It was only after a very
29stiff struggle with myself that I came to the conclusion, that if my
30husband felt he could be of any use in the anti-capitalist fight here,
31nothing ought to stand in his way.
32
33 Yesterday my husband showed me a letter he had received from you in
34which you spoke of the wish of the Transvaal Government to help us! My
35idea has always been to help the Transvaal, & not that it should help
36me! I feel that in the history of the world no nobler or more gallant
37fight has been fought than that of this little Republic with the
38powers which seek on every side to engulf it. But the freedom &
39independence of the Transvaal has for me a much more serious meaning.
40I look upon the Free State & the Transvaal as the two last little
41sluice-gates we have left keeping out the flood of Capitalism which
42would otherwise sweep in & overwhelm South Africa. The little fight of
43Doornkop is to me the most memorable, not only in the history of South
44Africa, but of this century: there for the first time in the history
45of the world, troops armed, fed, paid, & led (or rather misled!) by
46the capitalist horde, met the simple citizens of a state & were
47defeated. The average Boer fighting at Doornkop no doubt only thought
48he was fighting for his little state, just at the Dutch of Holland
49when in the 16th century they fought Philip, no doubt believed they
50were fighting merely to free their country from a tyrant, & had no
51idea they were leading in humanity’s great fight for freedom of
52thought and enlightenment! God’s soldiers sometimes fight on larger
53battlefields than they dream of. To me the Transvaal is now engaged in
54leading in a very small way in that vast battle which will during the
55twentieth century be fought out - probably most bitterly &
56successfully in America & Germany - between engorged capitalists & the
57citizens of different races.
58
59 It is this that makes our little struggle here something almost sacred,
60 & of world-wide importance. Doornkop was a stab in the vitals of the
61international capitalist horde, from Roths-child & Rosebery to Rhodes
62& Harris. No doubt for the present they may beat us; but there are
63more Doornkops coming in other lands, & another fifty years will see
64the battle won. Feeling as I do on this matter you will understand how
65intense is my desire to see this independence & complete autonomy of
66the Transvaal; (the day when federation maybe is desirable may come,
67but I hope it is yet far distant) - & who glad I should be to assist
68the Transvaal government in the fight; but under no circumstances & no
69condition could I ever consent to accept the least consideration from
70it. The only thing the Transvaal Government could do for me, would be
71to enfranchise all the wives & daughters of the Burgers, & who
72constitute the real back-bone of the country. But that they are not
73likely to do!
74
75 Please give my kind regards to your wife whom I should very much like
76to meet. I am sure I should sympathize with her from what I have heard
77of her. I am sorry my health does not allow of my going over to
78Pretoria.
79
80 Yours faithfully
81 Olive Schreiner
82
83
84
Notation
Schreiner is referring to her allegorical novella Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in various respects incorrect.
Schreiner is referring to her allegorical novella Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in various respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/76 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Friday 19 May 1899 |
Address From | 2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 353 |
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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899.
|
1
Friday
2
3 Dear Mr Smuts
4
5 I don’t think I shall be able to go to Bloemfontein as I’m too
6busy writing. I am writing an article on the situation which I hope
7will may open the eyes of the English public to the true condition of
8affairs a little. I will be able to say in it all I would have said to
9Milner if I had met him personally, & will send him a copy. If it is
10too long for the ^news^ papers here, I shall have to print it in
11pamphlet form, but I hope it will appear in the paper on Monday.
12
13 Yours sincerely
14 Olive Schreiner.
15
16
17
2
3 Dear Mr Smuts
4
5 I don’t think I shall be able to go to Bloemfontein as I’m too
6busy writing. I am writing an article on the situation which I hope
7will may open the eyes of the English public to the true condition of
8affairs a little. I will be able to say in it all I would have said to
9Milner if I had met him personally, & will send him a copy. If it is
10too long for the ^news^ papers here, I shall have to print it in
11pamphlet form, but I hope it will appear in the paper on Monday.
12
13 Yours sincerely
14 Olive Schreiner.
15
16
17
Notation
The 'article on the situation' referred to is Schreiner's An English South African's View of the Situation, originally published in the South African News over three successive days; see 'Words in Season. An English South African's View of the Situation' South African News 1 June 1899 (p.8), 2 June 1899 (p.8) and 3 June 1899 (also p.8). It was also reprinted in a number of other newspapers. It then was published as a pamphlet, then as a book. A second edition of the book was ready but withdrawn from publication by Schreiner when the South African War started in October 1899, so as not to profit from this. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
The 'article on the situation' referred to is Schreiner's An English South African's View of the Situation, originally published in the South African News over three successive days; see 'Words in Season. An English South African's View of the Situation' South African News 1 June 1899 (p.8), 2 June 1899 (p.8) and 3 June 1899 (also p.8). It was also reprinted in a number of other newspapers. It then was published as a pamphlet, then as a book. A second edition of the book was ready but withdrawn from publication by Schreiner when the South African War started in October 1899, so as not to profit from this. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/77 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Tuesday 29 May 1899 |
Address From | 2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 353-4 |
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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899.
|
1
Tuesday
2
3 Dear Mrs Smuts
4
5 Thank you so much for your letter. Mr Esselen has asked us to come
6over & stay with them from Saturday to Monday Morning, but if I
7can’t sleep at Mr Esselens owing to the house being too low can we
8come up & sleep with at your house? ^I don’t know where his house is,
9& it may be in the damp part of the town.^ We will come over some other
10week to stay with you.
11
12 I am anxious for tomorrow’s news that I shall find it difficult to
13sleep tonight. The plotters here are in great hope that war will come.
14
15 Give little Goosie a kiss from me. I hope he is quite well again.
16
17 Yours lovingly.
18 Olive Schreiner
19
20
21
2
3 Dear Mrs Smuts
4
5 Thank you so much for your letter. Mr Esselen has asked us to come
6over & stay with them from Saturday to Monday Morning, but if I
7can’t sleep at Mr Esselens owing to the house being too low can we
8come up & sleep with at your house? ^I don’t know where his house is,
9& it may be in the damp part of the town.^ We will come over some other
10week to stay with you.
11
12 I am anxious for tomorrow’s news that I shall find it difficult to
13sleep tonight. The plotters here are in great hope that war will come.
14
15 Give little Goosie a kiss from me. I hope he is quite well again.
16
17 Yours lovingly.
18 Olive Schreiner
19
20
21
Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter has been misdated, omits part of the letter, and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version of this letter has been misdated, omits part of the letter, and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/78 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | June 1899 |
Address From | 2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 352-3 |
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 Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899.
|
1
Strictly Private
2
3 Dear Mr Smuts,
4
5 1) Do you think there would be any use in my going to see Sir Alfred
6Milner? I have letters of introduction to him, & many of my dearest
7friends in England are his. & In a letter of his, which I saw
8the other day he said that one of the things he had most looked
9forward to in coming to South Africa was seeing me, &c. If I could
10have an hours conversation alone with him I feel there are one or two
11points I might make clear to him. I should especially dwell on the
12nature of the resistance England has to expect if she tries to crush
13South Africa. I could also explain to him that the mass of
14Johannesburgers are increasingly against war. There are many English
15men here who five years ago would have fought the Transvaal Government
16who would now like to shoot the Leaguers for making trouble. Even in
17the last six months the tone here has changed very much. If I do go of
18course if I do go to Bloemfontein to meet him, I shall be most careful,
19 not to mention to anyone that I am going there with the intention of
20meeting him, as those about him would prevent my doing so. If you
21think there might be use in my trying to see him at Bloemfontein,
22could you give me a free railway pass for the journey? If you think
23there would be no advantage in my going let me know.
24
25 2) If the anniversary of Gladstone’s birthday or death day is near,
26would it not be well for the president to grant any concessions he has
27to make on that day, connecting them with Gladstones memory, sending
28home wires to Mrs Gladstone & the family, & if possible, making the
29day a public holiday in Pretoria & Johannesburg? This would be felt
30very deeply by the Liberal party at home, which is not dead though out
31of power for the moment. What we have to convince England of is that
32we are not to be coerced, but that we are not unmindful of any
33sympathy & justice which she has shown or can show us. I do not know
34whether this idea is work-able: the effect would be exceedingly good
35if it were. We cannot win the capitalists to our side; we can win the
36mass the thinking English people in England & Johannesburg.
37
38 3) Doubtless you know that the Leaguers boast that they have bought
39traitors in the Johannesburg fort, who will betray it to them in time
40of war. If war should break out would it not be well at the last
41moment to send new men there who cannot have been bribed. There were
42twelve apostles; but one sold his master for thirty pieces of silver.
43
44 Don’t trouble to answer this unless you think there would be any use
45in my going to Bloemfontein to see Milner. I know how busy you are.
46
47 Yours sincerely
48 Olive Schreiner
49
50 ^Of course you know Mul Myburg and the Leaguers here are most anxious
51the franchise should not be granted.^
52
53
54
2
3 Dear Mr Smuts,
4
5 1) Do you think there would be any use in my going to see Sir Alfred
6Milner? I have letters of introduction to him, & many of my dearest
7friends in England are his. & In a letter of his, which I saw
8the other day he said that one of the things he had most looked
9forward to in coming to South Africa was seeing me, &c. If I could
10have an hours conversation alone with him I feel there are one or two
11points I might make clear to him. I should especially dwell on the
12nature of the resistance England has to expect if she tries to crush
13South Africa. I could also explain to him that the mass of
14Johannesburgers are increasingly against war. There are many English
15men here who five years ago would have fought the Transvaal Government
16who would now like to shoot the Leaguers for making trouble. Even in
17the last six months the tone here has changed very much. If I do go of
18course if I do go to Bloemfontein to meet him, I shall be most careful,
19 not to mention to anyone that I am going there with the intention of
20meeting him, as those about him would prevent my doing so. If you
21think there might be use in my trying to see him at Bloemfontein,
22could you give me a free railway pass for the journey? If you think
23there would be no advantage in my going let me know.
24
25 2) If the anniversary of Gladstone’s birthday or death day is near,
26would it not be well for the president to grant any concessions he has
27to make on that day, connecting them with Gladstones memory, sending
28home wires to Mrs Gladstone & the family, & if possible, making the
29day a public holiday in Pretoria & Johannesburg? This would be felt
30very deeply by the Liberal party at home, which is not dead though out
31of power for the moment. What we have to convince England of is that
32we are not to be coerced, but that we are not unmindful of any
33sympathy & justice which she has shown or can show us. I do not know
34whether this idea is work-able: the effect would be exceedingly good
35if it were. We cannot win the capitalists to our side; we can win the
36mass the thinking English people in England & Johannesburg.
37
38 3) Doubtless you know that the Leaguers boast that they have bought
39traitors in the Johannesburg fort, who will betray it to them in time
40of war. If war should break out would it not be well at the last
41moment to send new men there who cannot have been bribed. There were
42twelve apostles; but one sold his master for thirty pieces of silver.
43
44 Don’t trouble to answer this unless you think there would be any use
45in my going to Bloemfontein to see Milner. I know how busy you are.
46
47 Yours sincerely
48 Olive Schreiner
49
50 ^Of course you know Mul Myburg and the Leaguers here are most anxious
51the franchise should not be granted.^
52
53
54
Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter has been misdated and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version of this letter has been misdated and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/79 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 1899 |
Address From | Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 350-1 |
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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
Box 406
2 Johannesburg
3
4 Dear Mr Smuts
5
6 It was a great pleasure to me to meet your wife. My heart has seldom
7gone out so to any woman at first meeting her. I am coming over to
8Pretoria on Friday next with an American friend Mrs Chapin. We shall
9be at the hotel. Would you & Mrs Smuts be able to come & have lunch
10with us at mid-day? I have asked the Reitzes. If you can come would
11you name the time that would be most convenient for you & Mr Reitz. I
12know you are too busy to spare much time, & Mrs Chapin is very anxious
13to meet you. She leaves for England in a few days. She is a great
14friend of ha the Governors & in constant correspondence with
15him; she also knows the Chamberlains with whom she will probably stay
16on her return to England; ^as she did before she came out here,^ yet she
17is an American & I believe her sympathies are largely with us. I tell
18you all this because anything said will go straight to Chamberlain -
19Mr Bene Milner; & it might be well to impress her with the fact
20that while we don’t want to fight if Chamberlain is determined to
21drive us to war, it will not be the walk over the field that they
22dream of! A well-known man ^from Cape Town^ with whom I dined the other
23evening scouted the idea that 9,000 (nine thousand) English troops
24could not walk over the Transvaal and Free State! And I think it is
25the widely spread idea that if the war does come it will be a
26comparatively light matter, which makes many so eager for it.
27
28 I know that Mrs Chapin has been asked to investigate matters while
29here & report to Chamberlain & Milner, so it is not unimportant she
30should be rightly impressed.
31
32 Yours sincerely
33 Olive Schreiner
34
35 If you should be coming to Johannesburg I shall be very glad to see
36you, at any time. There is much I should like to discuss with you.
37Please give the enclosed note to Mr Reitz, & explain why I want him &
38you to meet Mrs Chapin.
39
40
41
2 Johannesburg
3
4 Dear Mr Smuts
5
6 It was a great pleasure to me to meet your wife. My heart has seldom
7gone out so to any woman at first meeting her. I am coming over to
8Pretoria on Friday next with an American friend Mrs Chapin. We shall
9be at the hotel. Would you & Mrs Smuts be able to come & have lunch
10with us at mid-day? I have asked the Reitzes. If you can come would
11you name the time that would be most convenient for you & Mr Reitz. I
12know you are too busy to spare much time, & Mrs Chapin is very anxious
13to meet you. She leaves for England in a few days. She is a great
14friend of ha the Governors & in constant correspondence with
15him; she also knows the Chamberlains with whom she will probably stay
16on her return to England; ^as she did before she came out here,^ yet she
17is an American & I believe her sympathies are largely with us. I tell
18you all this because anything said will go straight to Chamberlain -
19Mr Bene Milner; & it might be well to impress her with the fact
20that while we don’t want to fight if Chamberlain is determined to
21drive us to war, it will not be the walk over the field that they
22dream of! A well-known man ^from Cape Town^ with whom I dined the other
23evening scouted the idea that 9,000 (nine thousand) English troops
24could not walk over the Transvaal and Free State! And I think it is
25the widely spread idea that if the war does come it will be a
26comparatively light matter, which makes many so eager for it.
27
28 I know that Mrs Chapin has been asked to investigate matters while
29here & report to Chamberlain & Milner, so it is not unimportant she
30should be rightly impressed.
31
32 Yours sincerely
33 Olive Schreiner
34
35 If you should be coming to Johannesburg I shall be very glad to see
36you, at any time. There is much I should like to discuss with you.
37Please give the enclosed note to Mr Reitz, & explain why I want him &
38you to meet Mrs Chapin.
39
40
41
Notation
The enclosed note is no longer attached. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in various respects incorrect.
The enclosed note is no longer attached. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in various respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/80 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | June 1899 |
Address From | Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 363 |
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.
|
1
Box 406
2 Johannesburg
3
4 Dear Mrs Smuts
5
6 Thank you very much for your letter, & the book. I began reading it
7last night when I went to bed & finished it before morning.
8
9 What I feel most is a great sympathy with the writer’s view of life
10& love. I suppose she it is by a woman. I am keeping it a couple of
11days longer for my husband to read.
12
13 If we should be able to come over to Pretoria, my husband & I, next
14Saturday afternoon to stay with you till Monday afternoon would it be
15quite convenient? If it would, I’ll wire on Friday afternoon if we
16are able to come. My heart has been troubling me a bit since I came
17back, & I’m not sure I shall be able to come. But it would be a
18great pleasure to spend a day with you & little Baas Koosie, a baby is
19a great joy to me. My little girl died when she was two days old.
20
21 I think we shall not go to the Free State. My husband would have all
22the mechanical editing of the paper, proof correcting &c to do, & he
23feels he could not do justice to paper with so little time for leaders
24&c: the salary is only £400 so he could not afford to pay £250 out
25of it for an assistant. If they are willing to give him he will go but
26not otherwise. It is just to help the South African cause that he wants
27to go! Here he can do nothing, as by the terms of his agreement as an
28articled clerk he must take no part in politics. I would rather stay
29here, but he chaffs so much against his inactivity here that if it can
30be arranged we shall go. We shall know by the end of the week. Don’t
31mention the possibility of our going to anyone, as my husband fears
32the men with whom he is will make a difficulty about letting him go if
33they know the purpose for which he is leaving. They are "Reformers".
34
35 Please give the enclosed to your husband.
36
37 One reason why I should like to stay in Johannesburg is that then I
38shall see more of you.
39
40 Yours most sincerely
41 Olive Schreiner
42
43 ^Mrs Smuts^
44
45
46
2 Johannesburg
3
4 Dear Mrs Smuts
5
6 Thank you very much for your letter, & the book. I began reading it
7last night when I went to bed & finished it before morning.
8
9 What I feel most is a great sympathy with the writer’s view of life
10& love. I suppose she it is by a woman. I am keeping it a couple of
11days longer for my husband to read.
12
13 If we should be able to come over to Pretoria, my husband & I, next
14Saturday afternoon to stay with you till Monday afternoon would it be
15quite convenient? If it would, I’ll wire on Friday afternoon if we
16are able to come. My heart has been troubling me a bit since I came
17back, & I’m not sure I shall be able to come. But it would be a
18great pleasure to spend a day with you & little Baas Koosie, a baby is
19a great joy to me. My little girl died when she was two days old.
20
21 I think we shall not go to the Free State. My husband would have all
22the mechanical editing of the paper, proof correcting &c to do, & he
23feels he could not do justice to paper with so little time for leaders
24&c: the salary is only £400 so he could not afford to pay £250 out
25of it for an assistant. If they are willing to give him he will go but
26not otherwise. It is just to help the South African cause that he wants
27to go! Here he can do nothing, as by the terms of his agreement as an
28articled clerk he must take no part in politics. I would rather stay
29here, but he chaffs so much against his inactivity here that if it can
30be arranged we shall go. We shall know by the end of the week. Don’t
31mention the possibility of our going to anyone, as my husband fears
32the men with whom he is will make a difficulty about letting him go if
33they know the purpose for which he is leaving. They are "Reformers".
34
35 Please give the enclosed to your husband.
36
37 One reason why I should like to stay in Johannesburg is that then I
38shall see more of you.
39
40 Yours most sincerely
41 Olive Schreiner
42
43 ^Mrs Smuts^
44
45
46
Notation
The book Schreiner received from Isie Smuts has not been established. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
The book Schreiner received from Isie Smuts has not been established. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/81 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Monday 7 June 1899 |
Address From | Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 358 |
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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
Box 406
2 Johannesburg
3 Monday
4
5 Dear Mr Smuts,
6
7 I am coming to Pretoria for the day on Friday bringing over two
8cousins of my husband’s Mr who have come up from the Colony on a
9visit to the Transvaal. They are two of the wealthiest & most
10important men in the Hope Town district, having much influence with
11the farmers as well as town’s folk, & I want them to see things in a
12true light while they are up here, as every little tells.
13
14 They are strongly on "our side" & are very anxious to meet the
15President even if it be merely to shake hands. Do you think it could
16be managed? I have written to Mrs Reitz asking her, ^to try & arrange it,^
17but it has just struck me she may be from home, & perhaps, if she is,
18or can’t arrange it, you might be good enough to do so. I know how
19very busy you must be now with Raad sitting, & shall not wonder if you
20can’t. I shall come over by the ^train which arrives in Pretoria at^
2111.36, & leave again the same evening.
22
23 If I could have a few minutes talk with you I would be glad, as I
24would like to know your opinion of a plan I have for forming an
25"Uitlander’s Peace Association" in Johannesburg in opposition to the
26League. The mass of Johannesburg do not want to fight: & it is only
27necessary to organize this public feeling in some way to make it
28effective.
29
30 Yours sincerely
31 Olive Schreiner
32
33 My husband is unable to come over, I am coming alone.
34
35
36
2 Johannesburg
3 Monday
4
5 Dear Mr Smuts,
6
7 I am coming to Pretoria for the day on Friday bringing over two
8cousins of my husband’s Mr who have come up from the Colony on a
9visit to the Transvaal. They are two of the wealthiest & most
10important men in the Hope Town district, having much influence with
11the farmers as well as town’s folk, & I want them to see things in a
12true light while they are up here, as every little tells.
13
14 They are strongly on "our side" & are very anxious to meet the
15President even if it be merely to shake hands. Do you think it could
16be managed? I have written to Mrs Reitz asking her, ^to try & arrange it,^
17but it has just struck me she may be from home, & perhaps, if she is,
18or can’t arrange it, you might be good enough to do so. I know how
19very busy you must be now with Raad sitting, & shall not wonder if you
20can’t. I shall come over by the ^train which arrives in Pretoria at^
2111.36, & leave again the same evening.
22
23 If I could have a few minutes talk with you I would be glad, as I
24would like to know your opinion of a plan I have for forming an
25"Uitlander’s Peace Association" in Johannesburg in opposition to the
26League. The mass of Johannesburg do not want to fight: & it is only
27necessary to organize this public feeling in some way to make it
28effective.
29
30 Yours sincerely
31 Olive Schreiner
32
33 My husband is unable to come over, I am coming alone.
34
35
36
Notation
Schreiner was going to Paarde Kraal in connection with a peace congress meeting. She sent written addresses to some of the Volkskongresses and peace congresses and spoke at others, as follows: Graaff-Reinet Volkskongres, April 1900 (spoke); Cape Town women's meeting, June 1900 (spoke); Somerset East peace congress, October 1900 (a letter of address); Paarl, November 1900 peace congress (a letter of address); Worcester Volkskongres, December 1900 (spoke). Rive's (1987) version of this letter has been misdated and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Schreiner was going to Paarde Kraal in connection with a peace congress meeting. She sent written addresses to some of the Volkskongresses and peace congresses and spoke at others, as follows: Graaff-Reinet Volkskongres, April 1900 (spoke); Cape Town women's meeting, June 1900 (spoke); Somerset East peace congress, October 1900 (a letter of address); Paarl, November 1900 peace congress (a letter of address); Worcester Volkskongres, December 1900 (spoke). Rive's (1987) version of this letter has been misdated and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/82 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 13 June 1899 |
Address From | Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 362 |
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.
|
1
2 Primrose Terrace
2 Box 406
3 Johannesburg
4 June 13th 1899.
5
6 Dear Mr Smuts
7
8 I am going to Paarde Kraal on Saturday as I want to write an account
9of the meeting. My husband can’t go with me. Is any friend of yours
10going from Johannesburg whe with whom I could perhaps go, as
11there will I expect be a large crowd & I may not be able to get near
12the speakers ^if I am alone.^ If it had been unreadable enough I think it
13suitable I shall send the account to one of the English papers.
14
15 I wish I could have had a longer talk with you. I am feeling a little
16hopeless about Milner; but things may be better than one thinks. I
17think Vessels’s speech paper read at the meeting the other night did
18much harm here. I can’t understand a South African taking such a
19stand, one can forgive anything to a man who has been only a few
20months in the country.
21
22 Love to your wife & boy
23
24 Yours ever
25 Olive Schreiner
26
27
28
2 Box 406
3 Johannesburg
4 June 13th 1899.
5
6 Dear Mr Smuts
7
8 I am going to Paarde Kraal on Saturday as I want to write an account
9of the meeting. My husband can’t go with me. Is any friend of yours
10going from Johannesburg whe with whom I could perhaps go, as
11there will I expect be a large crowd & I may not be able to get near
12the speakers ^if I am alone.^ If it had been unreadable enough I think it
13suitable I shall send the account to one of the English papers.
14
15 I wish I could have had a longer talk with you. I am feeling a little
16hopeless about Milner; but things may be better than one thinks. I
17think Vessels’s speech paper read at the meeting the other night did
18much harm here. I can’t understand a South African taking such a
19stand, one can forgive anything to a man who has been only a few
20months in the country.
21
22 Love to your wife & boy
23
24 Yours ever
25 Olive Schreiner
26
27
28
Notation
Schreiner was going to Paarde Kraal in connection with a peace congress meeting. She sent written addresses to some of the Volkskongresses and peace congresses and spoke at others, as follows: Graaff-Reinet Volkskongres, April 1900 (spoke); Cape Town women's meeting, June 1900 (spoke); Somerset East peace congress, October 1900 (a letter of address); Paarl, November 1900 peace congress (a letter of address); Worcester Volkskongres, December 1900 (spoke). Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Schreiner was going to Paarde Kraal in connection with a peace congress meeting. She sent written addresses to some of the Volkskongresses and peace congresses and spoke at others, as follows: Graaff-Reinet Volkskongres, April 1900 (spoke); Cape Town women's meeting, June 1900 (spoke); Somerset East peace congress, October 1900 (a letter of address); Paarl, November 1900 peace congress (a letter of address); Worcester Volkskongres, December 1900 (spoke). Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/83 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Tuesday 28 June 1899 |
Address From | 2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 364-5 |
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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899.
|
1
Tuesday
2
3 Dear Mrs Smuts
4
5 Many thanks for your letter. I am coming over to Pretoria on Thursd
6Friday with two dear friends Miss Greene & Miss Molteno (sister of the
7two Bond members at the Cape). They are both intensely on our side.
8Miss Greene is an English woman who has been only 12 years at the Cape,
9 but I think she feels more the injustice & evil of Englands conduct
10towards the Transvaal than any of us! She is quite ready to fight for
11the Transvaal!! They have come up just to see how things are going.
12They are such sweet simple women I’m sure you will love them. Can we
13all three come & have dinner with you on Friday. Don’t mind saying
14if it will put you out, but they want so much to meet you & your
15husband. We shall come by the train which reaches Pretoria at ^12.40^ &
16shall come up to your house soon after. If we have They I hope
17are such dear simple souls, who hate dress & fashion as much as you or
18I do. I know you will love them.
19
20 I’m so glad the little son is better. I was so afraid he was going
21to be ill when we were there.
22
23 I am not at all restful about public matters; we may give, & give,
24till we have nothing left to give, & then have to fight in the end! As
25long as we have this accursed gold they will never leave us in peace;
26but time is with us, & every six months or year we can stave off war,
27makes our position stronger.
28
29 Yours ever lovingly
30 Olive Schreiner
31
32
33
2
3 Dear Mrs Smuts
4
5 Many thanks for your letter. I am coming over to Pretoria on Thursd
6Friday with two dear friends Miss Greene & Miss Molteno (sister of the
7two Bond members at the Cape). They are both intensely on our side.
8Miss Greene is an English woman who has been only 12 years at the Cape,
9 but I think she feels more the injustice & evil of Englands conduct
10towards the Transvaal than any of us! She is quite ready to fight for
11the Transvaal!! They have come up just to see how things are going.
12They are such sweet simple women I’m sure you will love them. Can we
13all three come & have dinner with you on Friday. Don’t mind saying
14if it will put you out, but they want so much to meet you & your
15husband. We shall come by the train which reaches Pretoria at ^12.40^ &
16shall come up to your house soon after. If we have They I hope
17are such dear simple souls, who hate dress & fashion as much as you or
18I do. I know you will love them.
19
20 I’m so glad the little son is better. I was so afraid he was going
21to be ill when we were there.
22
23 I am not at all restful about public matters; we may give, & give,
24till we have nothing left to give, & then have to fight in the end! As
25long as we have this accursed gold they will never leave us in peace;
26but time is with us, & every six months or year we can stave off war,
27makes our position stronger.
28
29 Yours ever lovingly
30 Olive Schreiner
31
32
33
Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter has been misdated, omits part of the letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version of this letter has been misdated, omits part of the letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/84 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 7 July 1899 |
Address From | 2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 367-8 |
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. Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899.
|
1July 7th 1899
2
3Dear Mrs Smuts,
4
5I’ve been meaning to write ever since we were at Pretoria, but Miss
6Greene was very ill when we came back (she only got out of bed to go
7over) & my dear friends only left the day before yesterday. They so
8much enjoyed their day in Pretoria: but Johannesburg they hated as I
9think any true-hearted English person must. Here you see the English
10race at its worst. That is what saddens one so who knows the other
11noble & generous side of the English spirit.
12
13 I saw Onze Jan when he passed through, & was much grieved to see how
14ill & old he was looking.
15
16 I hope our little Coosie is still looking so bonny. Thank Ella for her
17letter which I was glad to get to-day. I don’t know when I shall be
18able to come over to Pretoria again as I must settle down to my
19writing.
20
21 Yours ever lovingly
22 Olive Schreiner
23
24 ^Did Mr Esselen get his books?^
25
26
27
2
3Dear Mrs Smuts,
4
5I’ve been meaning to write ever since we were at Pretoria, but Miss
6Greene was very ill when we came back (she only got out of bed to go
7over) & my dear friends only left the day before yesterday. They so
8much enjoyed their day in Pretoria: but Johannesburg they hated as I
9think any true-hearted English person must. Here you see the English
10race at its worst. That is what saddens one so who knows the other
11noble & generous side of the English spirit.
12
13 I saw Onze Jan when he passed through, & was much grieved to see how
14ill & old he was looking.
15
16 I hope our little Coosie is still looking so bonny. Thank Ella for her
17letter which I was glad to get to-day. I don’t know when I shall be
18able to come over to Pretoria again as I must settle down to my
19writing.
20
21 Yours ever lovingly
22 Olive Schreiner
23
24 ^Did Mr Esselen get his books?^
25
26
27
Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter omits part of the letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version of this letter omits part of the letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/85 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 8 August 1899 |
Address From | 2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 372 |
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. Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899.
|
1Aug 8th 1899
2
3 Dear Mrs Smuts
4
5 I am sending you the book I mentioned by my friend Ed Carpenter that I
6am so fond of. I fancy you will like it. I have been ill ever since I
7came back from Pretoria that day, never able to lie down at night with
8asthma, or I would have come over to Pretoria.
9
10 I am feeling so anxious & almost hopeless about public matter. We are
11like sheep surrounded by Chamberlain, Rhodes, Uitlander wolves; but
12sheep can sometimes give a good kick when they are fighting for their
13lives.
14
15 Much love to you & the little son.
16
17 Yours ever
18 Olive Schreiner
19
20
21
2
3 Dear Mrs Smuts
4
5 I am sending you the book I mentioned by my friend Ed Carpenter that I
6am so fond of. I fancy you will like it. I have been ill ever since I
7came back from Pretoria that day, never able to lie down at night with
8asthma, or I would have come over to Pretoria.
9
10 I am feeling so anxious & almost hopeless about public matter. We are
11like sheep surrounded by Chamberlain, Rhodes, Uitlander wolves; but
12sheep can sometimes give a good kick when they are fighting for their
13lives.
14
15 Much love to you & the little son.
16
17 Yours ever
18 Olive Schreiner
19
20
21
Notation
The book by Carpenter that Schreiner refers to is either: Edward Carpenter (1885) Towards Democracy Manchester: John Heywood; or, Edward Carpenter (1887) England’s Ideal, and other papers on social subjects London: Swann Sonnenschein & Co. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
The book by Carpenter that Schreiner refers to is either: Edward Carpenter (1885) Towards Democracy Manchester: John Heywood; or, Edward Carpenter (1887) England’s Ideal, and other papers on social subjects London: Swann Sonnenschein & Co. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/86 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 18 August 1899 |
Address From | 2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 373-4 |
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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899.
|
1
Dear Mrs Smuts
2
3 I was so sorry I couldn’t come to see you, as ^I wanted,^ but I was
4ill the day I was in Pretoria. I think I shall try going for a week to
5Bloemfontein next week, as ^the Doctor says I must go.^ I don’t think
6there can be war now; Chamberlain cannot be so absolutely mad. The
7mass of the English people are certainly strongly against it, but they
8don’t make themselves felt as they should. I have got scores of
9letters like the enclosed from every part of England & Ireland. But
10somehow I have a feeling that whether we fight or don’t things will
11come right: only we mustn’t give up too much: there are worse things
12than fighting even.
13
14 Much love to you.
15
16 Olive Schreiner
17
18 ^This is a letter from my dear friend Miss Greene who came over with me.
19 There are many English people who feel as strongly as she does, ^^but
20the scoundrels are in power! It is hard not to wish Chamberlain would die.^^
21She was so delighted with the portrait of old President Kruger & his wife.^
22
2
3 I was so sorry I couldn’t come to see you, as ^I wanted,^ but I was
4ill the day I was in Pretoria. I think I shall try going for a week to
5Bloemfontein next week, as ^the Doctor says I must go.^ I don’t think
6there can be war now; Chamberlain cannot be so absolutely mad. The
7mass of the English people are certainly strongly against it, but they
8don’t make themselves felt as they should. I have got scores of
9letters like the enclosed from every part of England & Ireland. But
10somehow I have a feeling that whether we fight or don’t things will
11come right: only we mustn’t give up too much: there are worse things
12than fighting even.
13
14 Much love to you.
15
16 Olive Schreiner
17
18 ^This is a letter from my dear friend Miss Greene who came over with me.
19 There are many English people who feel as strongly as she does, ^^but
20the scoundrels are in power! It is hard not to wish Chamberlain would die.^^
21She was so delighted with the portrait of old President Kruger & his wife.^
22
Notation
Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899. Schreiner’s final insertion is written on an enclosed letter dated 1 August 1899 from Alice Greene, who writes that:
'I am writing in pencil because I am sitting in the shade on the lawn. It is so fiercely hot that I could bear the house no longer. It is still hotter out here, but at any rate it is out, & therefore more endurable. Yesterday I received the beautiful photograph from you of the old President & his wife. I almost cried for joy – it seems to me so very beautiful. I like it better even than yours, because there there were the weak & evil faces cringing behind, & here there is nothing but a noble strength & calm. I do not know when I have been more touched & stirred than by those two old figures. It makes me cry now to think of them, & to think of all the wild beasts howling & slinking round them. I do not know how to thank you enough for the photograph. I ought to have written to you before this but public affairs seem to me so bad & sad that I am getting quite bad & sad too, & then it is not fair to write to you away in that wicked city. Chamberlain makes one feel perfectly murderous. I never knew an Englishman could be so contemptibly ungenerous & unfair. To turn upon the Transvaal now after all they have conceded seems so horribly mean that I wonder the whole world does not cry shame upon the English government. Instead of that the colonies offer to send help. I sometimes wonder if the world is mad or if I am mad. At any rate England does not seem the same England I used to know, & one’s whole being seems turned topsy turvy. I wish you could send a grain of comfort. But I know that is impossible now you live in Johannesburg…'.
Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899. Schreiner’s final insertion is written on an enclosed letter dated 1 August 1899 from Alice Greene, who writes that:
'I am writing in pencil because I am sitting in the shade on the lawn. It is so fiercely hot that I could bear the house no longer. It is still hotter out here, but at any rate it is out, & therefore more endurable. Yesterday I received the beautiful photograph from you of the old President & his wife. I almost cried for joy – it seems to me so very beautiful. I like it better even than yours, because there there were the weak & evil faces cringing behind, & here there is nothing but a noble strength & calm. I do not know when I have been more touched & stirred than by those two old figures. It makes me cry now to think of them, & to think of all the wild beasts howling & slinking round them. I do not know how to thank you enough for the photograph. I ought to have written to you before this but public affairs seem to me so bad & sad that I am getting quite bad & sad too, & then it is not fair to write to you away in that wicked city. Chamberlain makes one feel perfectly murderous. I never knew an Englishman could be so contemptibly ungenerous & unfair. To turn upon the Transvaal now after all they have conceded seems so horribly mean that I wonder the whole world does not cry shame upon the English government. Instead of that the colonies offer to send help. I sometimes wonder if the world is mad or if I am mad. At any rate England does not seem the same England I used to know, & one’s whole being seems turned topsy turvy. I wish you could send a grain of comfort. But I know that is impossible now you live in Johannesburg…'.
Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/87 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 22 August 1899 |
Address From | 2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal |
Address To | |
Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 374-5 |
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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899.
|
1
Dear Mrs Smuts
2
3 Thank you for your kind letter: if it were possible I much should like
4to come to Pretoria. Thank you so much but the doctor will not allow
5me to go over even for a day. He says it was the last day I spent
6there made me so bad.
7
8 I shall perhaps leave this week on a few ^two^ weeks visit to my
9husbands cousin farm in the Colony. but I am so afraid of war breaking
10out while I am gone. I have such a strange feeling that I want to be
11here in time of war that there is something I could do if I get better.
12 But if war does come I don’t see how it can be for another 2 months.
13 They cannot fight till they have the troops from India here, unless
14they have a larger body in the country than they pretend.
15
16 A great friend of ours from England Mr John Hobson arrived here
17yesterday. He is going late to Pretoria. He is strongly on our side, a
18man as true & honest as steel. He is going to Pretoria later. He has
19come out to study the South African question & write on it. Would it
20be possible instead of having me for you to invite him to spend a few
21days with you? He is a very simple dear old fellow, would give you no
22trouble; & I want him really to get to see & know our people in
23Pretoria which he won’t do if he goes to an hotel. He is one of the
24most brilliant writers in England, was at one time the Editor of the
25Progressive Review. He can & will do our cause great service.
26
27 Good bye. My love to you all, & thank you for your loving wish to have
28me. I am so ill now I should only be a trouble to everyone if I could
29come.
30
31 Olive Schreiner
32
33
34
2
3 Thank you for your kind letter: if it were possible I much should like
4to come to Pretoria. Thank you so much but the doctor will not allow
5me to go over even for a day. He says it was the last day I spent
6there made me so bad.
7
8 I shall perhaps leave this week on a few ^two^ weeks visit to my
9husbands cousin farm in the Colony. but I am so afraid of war breaking
10out while I am gone. I have such a strange feeling that I want to be
11here in time of war that there is something I could do if I get better.
12 But if war does come I don’t see how it can be for another 2 months.
13 They cannot fight till they have the troops from India here, unless
14they have a larger body in the country than they pretend.
15
16 A great friend of ours from England Mr John Hobson arrived here
17yesterday. He is going late to Pretoria. He is strongly on our side, a
18man as true & honest as steel. He is going to Pretoria later. He has
19come out to study the South African question & write on it. Would it
20be possible instead of having me for you to invite him to spend a few
21days with you? He is a very simple dear old fellow, would give you no
22trouble; & I want him really to get to see & know our people in
23Pretoria which he won’t do if he goes to an hotel. He is one of the
24most brilliant writers in England, was at one time the Editor of the
25Progressive Review. He can & will do our cause great service.
26
27 Good bye. My love to you all, & thank you for your loving wish to have
28me. I am so ill now I should only be a trouble to everyone if I could
29come.
30
31 Olive Schreiner
32
33
34
Notation
From his study of the South African question referred to here, Hobson published: John A. Hobson (1900) War In South Africa London: James Nisbet; John A. Hobson (1902) Imperialism: A Study London: Allen and Unwin. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
From his study of the South African question referred to here, Hobson published: John A. Hobson (1900) War In South Africa London: James Nisbet; John A. Hobson (1902) Imperialism: A Study London: Allen and Unwin. Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/88 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | September 1899 |
Address From | Karree Kloof, Krankuil, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 379 |
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 stayed on the Karee Kloof farm near Krankuil from late August to mid November 1899.
|
1
My dear friend
2
3 I am sending back the book it was in the desk in my husbands study, he
4thought I had sent it, & I thought he had. I send you with it a little
5book which I love very much called "Englands Ideal by my dear friend
6Edward Carpenter. I think you will like it; let me know what you think
7of it when you have read it. You must try for baby’s sake not to
8feel the hard times through which we are passing, as your good health
9means his.
10
11 What is your little sisters name. I want to write it in a book I want
12to send her.
13
14 Yours ever
15 Olive Schreiner
16
17 Tell your husband I will show him the answers I get from John Morley
18&c today, when they come. They may be interesting: but it may be all
19over with us one way or another before they come.
20
21
22
2
3 I am sending back the book it was in the desk in my husbands study, he
4thought I had sent it, & I thought he had. I send you with it a little
5book which I love very much called "Englands Ideal by my dear friend
6Edward Carpenter. I think you will like it; let me know what you think
7of it when you have read it. You must try for baby’s sake not to
8feel the hard times through which we are passing, as your good health
9means his.
10
11 What is your little sisters name. I want to write it in a book I want
12to send her.
13
14 Yours ever
15 Olive Schreiner
16
17 Tell your husband I will show him the answers I get from John Morley
18&c today, when they come. They may be interesting: but it may be all
19over with us one way or another before they come.
20
21
22
Notation
The book Schreiner sent back to Isie Smuts has not been established; Carpenter's book is: Edward Carpenter (1887) England’s Ideal, and other papers on social subjects London: Swann Sonnenschein & Co. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
The book Schreiner sent back to Isie Smuts has not been established; Carpenter's book is: Edward Carpenter (1887) England’s Ideal, and other papers on social subjects London: Swann Sonnenschein & Co. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/89 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 24 September 1899 |
Address From | Karree Kloof, Krankuil, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 380-1 |
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.
|
1Sep 24 / 99
2Private
3
4Dear Mr Smuts
5
6 I have had a cable from the New York Journal asking me take the post
7of war correspondent to that paper, ^in case of war.^ It is one of the
8most powerful in America & if possible we ought to have someone with
9our Burgers in case of war who will report our view side fairly. I
10shall take the it ^offer^ if I am at all physically able. Will you wire
11me a reply telling me, in the first place, whether the Transvaal
12authorities will give me facilities ^for gaining information, &^ for
13going with the men ^Burgers to the front:^ &, secondly, where in case wh
14war is proclaimed you think I had better go at first, to Bloemfontein
15to Pretoria or to the Natal frontier? If you wire "yes" to the first
16question; & give the name of a place as answer to the second I shall
17know what you mean. I shall receive £110 a month which will pay my
18travelling expenses, but it would greatly add to my usefulness if I
19could receive advice as to where I could be most useful. All I fear is
20that if I am in the Transvaal the other war correspondents who are
21with the English troops will send off news long before unreadable I
22can, ^as our Transvaal wires are sure to be cut,^ poisoning the public
23mind. Please advise me by letter, as well as wire, & tell me where I
24can be most useful. I am so sorry to hear you have been unfit. I hope
25you are up again in strength.
26
27 I sent an article on the "Boer" to a New York paper two weeks ago at
28the request of the editor; but I fear it is too late for any writing
29to be of use now. Any information you may give me will be kept
30strictly private of course, not even to be mentioned to my brother or
31friends in Cape Town. I am better but one would give much for a little
32more physical strength at this time.
33
34 Olive Schreiner
35
36 Please address the wire
37 Olive Schreiner
38 Strydenburg that will be enough & the letter to
39 Karree Kloof via Kran Kuil.
40
41 Please show my letter to Reitz & Grobler, & would you or Reitz please
42send me a letter stating who I & my husband are; that if travelling
43through the Free State in time of war, the Burgers we may come across
44will know who we are & what our object is, & ^please^ sign it legibly.
45They might in some out-of-the-way place mistake us for "Roi-neks"! &
46stop us.
47
48
49
2Private
3
4Dear Mr Smuts
5
6 I have had a cable from the New York Journal asking me take the post
7of war correspondent to that paper, ^in case of war.^ It is one of the
8most powerful in America & if possible we ought to have someone with
9our Burgers in case of war who will report our view side fairly. I
10shall take the it ^offer^ if I am at all physically able. Will you wire
11me a reply telling me, in the first place, whether the Transvaal
12authorities will give me facilities ^for gaining information, &^ for
13going with the men ^Burgers to the front:^ &, secondly, where in case wh
14war is proclaimed you think I had better go at first, to Bloemfontein
15to Pretoria or to the Natal frontier? If you wire "yes" to the first
16question; & give the name of a place as answer to the second I shall
17know what you mean. I shall receive £110 a month which will pay my
18travelling expenses, but it would greatly add to my usefulness if I
19could receive advice as to where I could be most useful. All I fear is
20that if I am in the Transvaal the other war correspondents who are
21with the English troops will send off news long before unreadable I
22can, ^as our Transvaal wires are sure to be cut,^ poisoning the public
23mind. Please advise me by letter, as well as wire, & tell me where I
24can be most useful. I am so sorry to hear you have been unfit. I hope
25you are up again in strength.
26
27 I sent an article on the "Boer" to a New York paper two weeks ago at
28the request of the editor; but I fear it is too late for any writing
29to be of use now. Any information you may give me will be kept
30strictly private of course, not even to be mentioned to my brother or
31friends in Cape Town. I am better but one would give much for a little
32more physical strength at this time.
33
34 Olive Schreiner
35
36 Please address the wire
37 Olive Schreiner
38 Strydenburg that will be enough & the letter to
39 Karree Kloof via Kran Kuil.
40
41 Please show my letter to Reitz & Grobler, & would you or Reitz please
42send me a letter stating who I & my husband are; that if travelling
43through the Free State in time of war, the Burgers we may come across
44will know who we are & what our object is, & ^please^ sign it legibly.
45They might in some out-of-the-way place mistake us for "Roi-neks"! &
46stop us.
47
48
49
Notation
The article referred is probably 'The Boer', one of her 'Returned South African' essays. Schreiner published these essays in various journals between 1891 and 1900. A set of them was to have been published as 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'; however, although prepared for publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War prevented this. They and some other essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
The article referred is probably 'The Boer', one of her 'Returned South African' essays. Schreiner published these essays in various journals between 1891 and 1900. A set of them was to have been published as 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'; however, although prepared for publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War prevented this. They and some other essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/186/90 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 24 September 1899 |
Address From | Karree Kloof, Krankuil, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Isie Smuts nee Krige |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 380 |
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.
|
1O Karree Kloof
2Via Kran Kuil
3Sep 24 / 99
4
5Dear Mrs Smuts
6
7 You are often in my thoughts at this time. If war breaks out perhaps I
8may see you soon.
9
10 I am much better though not yet quite strong after the miscarriage I
11had the last week at Pr Johannesburg. I knew I should never go my time
12in all that sorrow & darkness.
13
14 Give my love to Mrs Roos.
15
16 You see the better half of the English nation is moving for us now,
17but I fear me it is too late.
18
19 Love to you & your little sister & Koosie.
20
21 Olive Schreiner
22
23
24
2Via Kran Kuil
3Sep 24 / 99
4
5Dear Mrs Smuts
6
7 You are often in my thoughts at this time. If war breaks out perhaps I
8may see you soon.
9
10 I am much better though not yet quite strong after the miscarriage I
11had the last week at Pr Johannesburg. I knew I should never go my time
12in all that sorrow & darkness.
13
14 Give my love to Mrs Roos.
15
16 You see the better half of the English nation is moving for us now,
17but I fear me it is too late.
18
19 Love to you & your little sister & Koosie.
20
21 Olive Schreiner
22
23
24
Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/78A |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | July 1901 |
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.
|
1
Hanover C.C.
2
3 Dear Isie Smuts
4
5 It was indeed a joy to me to receive your letter. My thoughts have
6always been with you & yours, especially when I heard the news of your
7sweet little Koosie’s death. I am thankful to know you have got Ella
8with you. Give our warm greetings to your husband if write to him.
9Your good news with regard to this is very comforting. Is your Brother
10quite well? The one I met at your house.
11
12 Yes, dear friend, how well I realize your feelings with regard to the
13three little ones who have been taken from you. I always feel that if
14my little girl had lived I could have borne all. For the six months
15while my husband was in England I was alone on a farm in the Victoria
16district. When he came out he returned we came up here & were here for
17a few weeks & then he went down ^to Cape Town^ & could not get a pass
18from the military to return, so I was here quite alone again for thre
19six months. Then I became so ill that with my heart that the doctor
20here got a pass from the Commandant who kindly allowed my husband to
21come up to me & we have been together again for some weeks. He will
22soon have to go down again to try & earn something, & I will have to
23stay here as I cannot go to the coast on account of the asthma & my
24heart.
25
26 You know that the Uitlanders burnt everything we possessed before they
27left Johannesburg in October 1899, & it is almost impossible for my
28husband to get any work now, & I cannot write any more. I wrote
29several long things & sent them to England, but the publishers would
30not take them as they are boycotting me.
31
32 Please write to me soon & tell me how it goes with you all. You
33don’t know how often I am thinking of you all.
34
35 Yours lovingly
36 Olive Schreiner
37
38
39
2
3 Dear Isie Smuts
4
5 It was indeed a joy to me to receive your letter. My thoughts have
6always been with you & yours, especially when I heard the news of your
7sweet little Koosie’s death. I am thankful to know you have got Ella
8with you. Give our warm greetings to your husband if write to him.
9Your good news with regard to this is very comforting. Is your Brother
10quite well? The one I met at your house.
11
12 Yes, dear friend, how well I realize your feelings with regard to the
13three little ones who have been taken from you. I always feel that if
14my little girl had lived I could have borne all. For the six months
15while my husband was in England I was alone on a farm in the Victoria
16district. When he came out he returned we came up here & were here for
17a few weeks & then he went down ^to Cape Town^ & could not get a pass
18from the military to return, so I was here quite alone again for thre
19six months. Then I became so ill that with my heart that the doctor
20here got a pass from the Commandant who kindly allowed my husband to
21come up to me & we have been together again for some weeks. He will
22soon have to go down again to try & earn something, & I will have to
23stay here as I cannot go to the coast on account of the asthma & my
24heart.
25
26 You know that the Uitlanders burnt everything we possessed before they
27left Johannesburg in October 1899, & it is almost impossible for my
28husband to get any work now, & I cannot write any more. I wrote
29several long things & sent them to England, but the publishers would
30not take them as they are boycotting me.
31
32 Please write to me soon & tell me how it goes with you all. You
33don’t know how often I am thinking of you all.
34
35 Yours lovingly
36 Olive Schreiner
37
38
39
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/78B |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 1 September 1901 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Sep 1st 1901
3
4 Dear Isie Smuts
5
6 Thank you with all my heart for both your letters. I did not answer
7your first because I was too ill. I am much better now. Thank your
8sister & father-in-law deeply for their kind wish that I should go &
9stay with them on their farm; but I could not get a pass now for
10Malmesbury district, & it is too near the sea eaven there for me
11to live. I have to stop up in these high dry parts. My chest is much
12worse than it use to be when I lived at Johannesburg, & I always
13spitting blood.
14
15 As to money matters, I have at just had an old article of mine on the
16Woman question accepted by a womans paper in America, for which I am
17promised £100, so we shall be able to manage well till the war is
18over & my darling husband can find work again. Thank you from my heart
19for your loving wish to help us.
20
21 Please send me the large photographs you mentioned. They will come
22quite safely: the military authorities only object to letters which
23refer in any way to politics or public matters. Thank you much for the
24two little photographs you sent me. Your little son had beautiful
25large eyes just like yours. If you should be writing to your husband
26tell him I send him a heavy handshake across the distance. I am so
27glad Ella is with you to comfort & help you. I have a little dog all
28the seven months I was here alone, she comforted & helped me more than
29most people could believe a dog would. My darling husband has now ^been^
30down in Cape Town, but the military authorities have kindly given him
31a pass to return to me: he is ^to be^ here tomorrow morning; I feel as
32if I couldn’t sleep tonight waiting for tomorrow morning to come.
33
34 I hope I shall see you again someday my dear brave friend. You & yours
35are always in my thoughts
36
37 Yours ever as of old & unchanged
38 Olive Schreiner
39
2 Sep 1st 1901
3
4 Dear Isie Smuts
5
6 Thank you with all my heart for both your letters. I did not answer
7your first because I was too ill. I am much better now. Thank your
8sister & father-in-law deeply for their kind wish that I should go &
9stay with them on their farm; but I could not get a pass now for
10Malmesbury district, & it is too near the sea eaven there for me
11to live. I have to stop up in these high dry parts. My chest is much
12worse than it use to be when I lived at Johannesburg, & I always
13spitting blood.
14
15 As to money matters, I have at just had an old article of mine on the
16Woman question accepted by a womans paper in America, for which I am
17promised £100, so we shall be able to manage well till the war is
18over & my darling husband can find work again. Thank you from my heart
19for your loving wish to help us.
20
21 Please send me the large photographs you mentioned. They will come
22quite safely: the military authorities only object to letters which
23refer in any way to politics or public matters. Thank you much for the
24two little photographs you sent me. Your little son had beautiful
25large eyes just like yours. If you should be writing to your husband
26tell him I send him a heavy handshake across the distance. I am so
27glad Ella is with you to comfort & help you. I have a little dog all
28the seven months I was here alone, she comforted & helped me more than
29most people could believe a dog would. My darling husband has now ^been^
30down in Cape Town, but the military authorities have kindly given him
31a pass to return to me: he is ^to be^ here tomorrow morning; I feel as
32if I couldn’t sleep tonight waiting for tomorrow morning to come.
33
34 I hope I shall see you again someday my dear brave friend. You & yours
35are always in my thoughts
36
37 Yours ever as of old & unchanged
38 Olive Schreiner
39
Notation
The 'old article of mine' appeared as Schreiner's two-part essay on 'Woman': "The Woman Question I" The Cosmopolitan vol 28, no 1, November 1899, pp.45-54; and "The Woman Question II" The Cosmopolitan vol 28, no 2, December 1899, pp.182-192. These eventually became Woman and Labour.
The 'old article of mine' appeared as Schreiner's two-part essay on 'Woman': "The Woman Question I" The Cosmopolitan vol 28, no 1, November 1899, pp.45-54; and "The Woman Question II" The Cosmopolitan vol 28, no 2, December 1899, pp.182-192. These eventually became Woman and Labour.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/79 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 7 December 1901 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Dec 7th 1901
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so glad to get your short letters yesterday the Photograph’s
7of your darling Baby & of Ella & yourself reached me at last. They
8seem from the post marks to have miscarried & gone to a place called
9New Hanover in Natal. Perhaps that is why I have never got your long
10letters. Address Cape Colony very clearly when you write; & please
11write soon & tell me just how it goes with you all. I am glad the boys
12are well. My love to you all. I value the photographs very much.
13Baby’s is beautiful. But yours made me very sad you have got so thin
14& sad-looking. I think we shall many of us hardly know each other if
15ever we meet again. We are still at Hanover, & all things are going on
16in the old way with us. There is no fresh news. Give my love to Ella &
17please write soon if only a few lines
18
19 Yours ever Olive
20
21
2 Dec 7th 1901
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so glad to get your short letters yesterday the Photograph’s
7of your darling Baby & of Ella & yourself reached me at last. They
8seem from the post marks to have miscarried & gone to a place called
9New Hanover in Natal. Perhaps that is why I have never got your long
10letters. Address Cape Colony very clearly when you write; & please
11write soon & tell me just how it goes with you all. I am glad the boys
12are well. My love to you all. I value the photographs very much.
13Baby’s is beautiful. But yours made me very sad you have got so thin
14& sad-looking. I think we shall many of us hardly know each other if
15ever we meet again. We are still at Hanover, & all things are going on
16in the old way with us. There is no fresh news. Give my love to Ella &
17please write soon if only a few lines
18
19 Yours ever Olive
20
21
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/80 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 24 January 1902 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Jan 24 / 02
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 The little shawl for the head will do just as well in fact I only
7didn’t want a very bright colour. Thank you so much dear I shall
8value it so. Crochet is just as nice as knitting to me.
9
10 Do write again soon & let me know how you are. It is such joy to me to
11see your handwriting.
12
13 I am so glad Ella is able to get on well with her studies.
14
15 A friend of mine here is very poor & is expecting a little Baby & if
16when you have time some day you would make a tiny little thing, a pair
17of socks or something of that kind for me to give her I know she would
18prize it greatly as having been made by you. She is a woman you would
19love if you knew her. I am going out tomorrow to buy some little bits
20of stuff for dresses for it. // Cron & I are both well, but my heart
21has been bad again the last two weeks.
22
23 Good bye. I was so thankful to hear you were all well. Love to Ella.
24 Olive
25
26
2 Jan 24 / 02
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 The little shawl for the head will do just as well in fact I only
7didn’t want a very bright colour. Thank you so much dear I shall
8value it so. Crochet is just as nice as knitting to me.
9
10 Do write again soon & let me know how you are. It is such joy to me to
11see your handwriting.
12
13 I am so glad Ella is able to get on well with her studies.
14
15 A friend of mine here is very poor & is expecting a little Baby & if
16when you have time some day you would make a tiny little thing, a pair
17of socks or something of that kind for me to give her I know she would
18prize it greatly as having been made by you. She is a woman you would
19love if you knew her. I am going out tomorrow to buy some little bits
20of stuff for dresses for it. // Cron & I are both well, but my heart
21has been bad again the last two weeks.
22
23 Good bye. I was so thankful to hear you were all well. Love to Ella.
24 Olive
25
26
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/81 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 20 March 1902 |
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.
|
1
Dear Isie
2
3 I was so glad, so very glad to get your letter this morning. I am
4writing at once I got all the parcels, the Tam-o-shanter, shawl &
5Babys things. I wrote at once to thank for them, though no letter came
6with any of the parcels I of course knew they were from you. You
7can’t think of what use the shawl & Tam-o-shanter are to me: every
8evening about 8 my husband & I go to the fountain to fetch water, he
9carries the water & I go with him & I always wear your things.
10
11 I am sorry to hear Ella has left you, & yet so glad she will see all
12the family. I do hope to hear you have been allowed to come to the
13colony soon, but I fear there is as little hope of my seeing you here
14as in Natal. It seems almost impossible to realize that if we live the
15day must come when we shall all meet in joy & peace. The friend of
16mine for whom you made the Baby things has a lovely strong little son.
17She begs me to ask you whether she can not give your names & your
18husbands as God parents to the child, Cron & I are going to be, & asks
19what your full names are if you are willing.
20
21 I am so glad the ^two^ children are well. How you must long to see them
22all dear. My heart has been very bad again lately; my feet &
23hands are much swollen & it is difficult for me to walk, more than
24just getting through my house work. When the war is over & I can
25travel about & get change of air & rest perhaps I shall get better. I
26want so to live on a few years now. Please write to me soon. I am so
27thankful to think you have kind friends in Natal & so are not utterly
28alone.
29
30 Good bye dear.
31
32 Yours, very lovingly
33 Olive Schreiner
34
35
2
3 I was so glad, so very glad to get your letter this morning. I am
4writing at once I got all the parcels, the Tam-o-shanter, shawl &
5Babys things. I wrote at once to thank for them, though no letter came
6with any of the parcels I of course knew they were from you. You
7can’t think of what use the shawl & Tam-o-shanter are to me: every
8evening about 8 my husband & I go to the fountain to fetch water, he
9carries the water & I go with him & I always wear your things.
10
11 I am sorry to hear Ella has left you, & yet so glad she will see all
12the family. I do hope to hear you have been allowed to come to the
13colony soon, but I fear there is as little hope of my seeing you here
14as in Natal. It seems almost impossible to realize that if we live the
15day must come when we shall all meet in joy & peace. The friend of
16mine for whom you made the Baby things has a lovely strong little son.
17She begs me to ask you whether she can not give your names & your
18husbands as God parents to the child, Cron & I are going to be, & asks
19what your full names are if you are willing.
20
21 I am so glad the ^two^ children are well. How you must long to see them
22all dear. My heart has been very bad again lately; my feet &
23hands are much swollen & it is difficult for me to walk, more than
24just getting through my house work. When the war is over & I can
25travel about & get change of air & rest perhaps I shall get better. I
26want so to live on a few years now. Please write to me soon. I am so
27thankful to think you have kind friends in Natal & so are not utterly
28alone.
29
30 Good bye dear.
31
32 Yours, very lovingly
33 Olive Schreiner
34
35
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/82 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 4 June 1902 |
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.
|
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
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
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/83 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 4 June 1902 |
Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Jun 4 / 02
3
4 Dear Friend
5
6 I hear you are about in this part of the world & I am longing to see
7you once more. I heard from Isie yesterday & I know it would be a joy
8to her if I could tell her I had seen you & you were looking strong &
9well.
10
11 I am sending this line to Major White at the station & asking him very
12kindly to forward it to you if he knows where you are. I would come to
13the station or anywhere where I was allowed just to shake hands with
14you: but if you could come here for a day ^at our house^ it would be a
15great joy.
16
17 Yours Your little son will be with you no more when you & Isie form
18your home again: but it be such joy to me to know you are together
19again.
20
21 My husband joins me in warmest & most heartfelt greetings
22
23 Yours ever
24 Olive Schreiner
25
26
27
2 Jun 4 / 02
3
4 Dear Friend
5
6 I hear you are about in this part of the world & I am longing to see
7you once more. I heard from Isie yesterday & I know it would be a joy
8to her if I could tell her I had seen you & you were looking strong &
9well.
10
11 I am sending this line to Major White at the station & asking him very
12kindly to forward it to you if he knows where you are. I would come to
13the station or anywhere where I was allowed just to shake hands with
14you: but if you could come here for a day ^at our house^ it would be a
15great joy.
16
17 Yours Your little son will be with you no more when you & Isie form
18your home again: but it be such joy to me to know you are together
19again.
20
21 My husband joins me in warmest & most heartfelt greetings
22
23 Yours ever
24 Olive Schreiner
25
26
27
Notation
Written on this letter in an unknown hand is: "Forwarded Hanover Road 6.6.02 GD White: Major: 3rd unreadable Guards Commandant", and attached to the letter is a memorandum from Major White to the Chief Censor asking for Schreiner's letter to be sent on to General Smuts.
Written on this letter in an unknown hand is: "Forwarded Hanover Road 6.6.02 GD White: Major: 3rd unreadable Guards Commandant", and attached to the letter is a memorandum from Major White to the Chief Censor asking for Schreiner's letter to be sent on to General Smuts.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/84 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 15 June 1902 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 June 15 / 02
3
4 Dearest Isie
5
6 How my heart aches to think that just now when you ought to be so well
7to go through all that has to be gone through & to go to meet your
8husband you should be ill. Please write & tell me how you are getting
9on if but a post card.
10
11 I wrote to our English officer at Hanover Rd & ask him if he would
12give me permission to go there or anywhere where your husband was just
13to see him for a few moments. He wrote & told my your husband had just
14left this part to go on to Cape Town & perhaps from there to Port
15Noloth, to get the commandos to surrender, so I could not see him, but
16he said he would send on the little note I wrote to him.
17
18 I don’t feel as if I ever wished to see Johannesburg or even dear
19old Pretoria again. But perhaps you will be moving down to the colony
20some time & then I shall see you, as you must pass at Hanover Rd & I
21know you will stop here & see us. Good bye dear my heart & my thoughts
22are with you. I am so thankful that your husband & brother are still
23alive.
24
25 Olive
26
27 I think I told you my husband is trying to get some work here as a
28general agent. Next month we shall move into a little cottage of our
29own. Its rather a tumble down place, but it will be so nice to have
30more than one room. We can’t get any servants here as the natives
31Boycott us, we have even to fetch the wall water & scrub floors
32ourselves so I can’t do any writing. I am sorry because there is so
33much I want to write & life is so short it will be over so soon. If
34only one could write one would feel there was still some reason for
35ones going on living.
36
37
2 June 15 / 02
3
4 Dearest Isie
5
6 How my heart aches to think that just now when you ought to be so well
7to go through all that has to be gone through & to go to meet your
8husband you should be ill. Please write & tell me how you are getting
9on if but a post card.
10
11 I wrote to our English officer at Hanover Rd & ask him if he would
12give me permission to go there or anywhere where your husband was just
13to see him for a few moments. He wrote & told my your husband had just
14left this part to go on to Cape Town & perhaps from there to Port
15Noloth, to get the commandos to surrender, so I could not see him, but
16he said he would send on the little note I wrote to him.
17
18 I don’t feel as if I ever wished to see Johannesburg or even dear
19old Pretoria again. But perhaps you will be moving down to the colony
20some time & then I shall see you, as you must pass at Hanover Rd & I
21know you will stop here & see us. Good bye dear my heart & my thoughts
22are with you. I am so thankful that your husband & brother are still
23alive.
24
25 Olive
26
27 I think I told you my husband is trying to get some work here as a
28general agent. Next month we shall move into a little cottage of our
29own. Its rather a tumble down place, but it will be so nice to have
30more than one room. We can’t get any servants here as the natives
31Boycott us, we have even to fetch the wall water & scrub floors
32ourselves so I can’t do any writing. I am sorry because there is so
33much I want to write & life is so short it will be over so soon. If
34only one could write one would feel there was still some reason for
35ones going on living.
36
37
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/85 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 17 June 1902 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 June 17 / 02
3
4 Dear Isie,
5
6 I find I shall have to go to Johannesburg to see if I cannot find any
7traces of the things which were looted from my house, & also to look
8through the charred remains which my brother-in-law had removed to see
9if there are not bits of my MS &c. When will you be back in Pretoria.
10I would like if possible to put off my going for a few days till you
11were back so that I might spend a couple of days with you. Please
12write & tell me when you will be there. I long to see you. Please let
13me know how you are getting on after the operation.
14
15 Yours lovingly
16 Olive
17
18 I have written to General Lyttleton himself, so I think I shall be
19sure to get a pass.
20
2 June 17 / 02
3
4 Dear Isie,
5
6 I find I shall have to go to Johannesburg to see if I cannot find any
7traces of the things which were looted from my house, & also to look
8through the charred remains which my brother-in-law had removed to see
9if there are not bits of my MS &c. When will you be back in Pretoria.
10I would like if possible to put off my going for a few days till you
11were back so that I might spend a couple of days with you. Please
12write & tell me when you will be there. I long to see you. Please let
13me know how you are getting on after the operation.
14
15 Yours lovingly
16 Olive
17
18 I have written to General Lyttleton himself, so I think I shall be
19sure to get a pass.
20
Notation
The 'bits of MS' refers to the manuscript, left in Johannesburg when Schreiner went to Karree Kloof in late August 1899, which was destroyed when her house was badly damaged by marauding troops during the South African War; parts of it were published in the US in 1899 in two articles on 'The woman question', and these eventually became Woman and Labour.
The 'bits of MS' refers to the manuscript, left in Johannesburg when Schreiner went to Karree Kloof in late August 1899, which was destroyed when her house was badly damaged by marauding troops during the South African War; parts of it were published in the US in 1899 in two articles on 'The woman question', and these eventually became Woman and Labour.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/86 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 11 July 1902 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 July 11 / 02
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I like to think that by this time you have seen your husband: but am
7so sorry to know from your letter that you must still be weak &
8suffering, if the doctors will not allow you to go home yet. But you
9must not hurry. A little haste after an operation may make all the
10difference between health & invalidism for life. Please tell your
11husband how very very glad I was to get his letter, -- but talking
12would have been so much better. Letters are poor things when the heart
13is full. I hear Commandant Malan is coming into Hanover next week, & I
14hope I shall see him.
15
16 I shall not be able to come up to Johannesburg now will next month, as
17my chest has been a bit bad & I must wait till the weather is warmer,
18I don’t think I shall be able to stay longer than one day in
19Johannesburg & one day in Pretoria; but I do hope you will be there by
20that time, even if I see you for only a couple of hours.
21
22 We are moving into our own little cottage next week I hope, which will
23seem grand after living in one room for nearly two years. There is
24much, much in my heart to say but it must wait.
25
26 I have written ^out^ two little kind of dream allegory sort of stories,
27one called "My Dreams", which I wrote in Cape Town at the end of
28October 19 1899. which I think you will like. I suppose myself to be
29in bed, & to have three dreams following each other like a succession
30of pictures, & another called the "Angel of Freedom" which I wrote on
31a kopje here about three ^six^ months ago. I have also three stories
32written in my head but not set on paper yet though I can repeat them.
33The one is called "The last of the Vander Spuys unreadable of ^of the Van der Spuys."^ & the
34mottor is "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened unless
35it die." The scene of that, is in the North Transvaal, about two years
36ago. The second is called "Where is the lad?" & the scene is laid in
37the Priska district, about a year & a half ago. The third is called
38unreadable "Gerbrech, or the Queen’s cannister." The cannister, is
39one of those little, common tin ^tea^ cannisters, with Queen
40Victoria’s picture on ^it^ which little Boer girls used often to prize
41so on out of the way farms. Imagine the scene to be somewhere in the
42Colesberg district, about a year ago.
43
44 The last is called "An African Woman" & is the story of a young girl &
45her lover & why she renounces him. Some day when I’ve a servant & a
46little time I’ll write them out, & later yet publish them together
47as a book.
48
49 I do hope dear that you will soon be able to write to me that you are
50going home.
51
52 Give both Cron’s warmest greetings ^& mine, to your husband. I think
53you will get stronger quickly after you have seen him.
54
55 Olive^
56
2 July 11 / 02
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I like to think that by this time you have seen your husband: but am
7so sorry to know from your letter that you must still be weak &
8suffering, if the doctors will not allow you to go home yet. But you
9must not hurry. A little haste after an operation may make all the
10difference between health & invalidism for life. Please tell your
11husband how very very glad I was to get his letter, -- but talking
12would have been so much better. Letters are poor things when the heart
13is full. I hear Commandant Malan is coming into Hanover next week, & I
14hope I shall see him.
15
16 I shall not be able to come up to Johannesburg now will next month, as
17my chest has been a bit bad & I must wait till the weather is warmer,
18I don’t think I shall be able to stay longer than one day in
19Johannesburg & one day in Pretoria; but I do hope you will be there by
20that time, even if I see you for only a couple of hours.
21
22 We are moving into our own little cottage next week I hope, which will
23seem grand after living in one room for nearly two years. There is
24much, much in my heart to say but it must wait.
25
26 I have written ^out^ two little kind of dream allegory sort of stories,
27one called "My Dreams", which I wrote in Cape Town at the end of
28October 19 1899. which I think you will like. I suppose myself to be
29in bed, & to have three dreams following each other like a succession
30of pictures, & another called the "Angel of Freedom" which I wrote on
31a kopje here about three ^six^ months ago. I have also three stories
32written in my head but not set on paper yet though I can repeat them.
33The one is called "The last of the Vander Spuys unreadable of ^of the Van der Spuys."^ & the
34mottor is "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened unless
35it die." The scene of that, is in the North Transvaal, about two years
36ago. The second is called "Where is the lad?" & the scene is laid in
37the Priska district, about a year & a half ago. The third is called
38unreadable "Gerbrech, or the Queen’s cannister." The cannister, is
39one of those little, common tin ^tea^ cannisters, with Queen
40Victoria’s picture on ^it^ which little Boer girls used often to prize
41so on out of the way farms. Imagine the scene to be somewhere in the
42Colesberg district, about a year ago.
43
44 The last is called "An African Woman" & is the story of a young girl &
45her lover & why she renounces him. Some day when I’ve a servant & a
46little time I’ll write them out, & later yet publish them together
47as a book.
48
49 I do hope dear that you will soon be able to write to me that you are
50going home.
51
52 Give both Cron’s warmest greetings ^& mine, to your husband. I think
53you will get stronger quickly after you have seen him.
54
55 Olive^
56
Notation
The 'written out' and the 'not set on paper' allegories which Schreiner refers to are as follows: 'My Dreams' seems not now to exist; the 'Angel of Freedom' morphed into 'Seeds-a-growing'; and 'The last of the Van der Spuys', 'Where is the lad?' and 'the Queen's cannister' seem to have been incorporated into what became '1899'. They were published posthumously in Stories, Dreams and Allegories.
The 'written out' and the 'not set on paper' allegories which Schreiner refers to are as follows: 'My Dreams' seems not now to exist; the 'Angel of Freedom' morphed into 'Seeds-a-growing'; and 'The last of the Van der Spuys', 'Where is the lad?' and 'the Queen's cannister' seem to have been incorporated into what became '1899'. They were published posthumously in Stories, Dreams and Allegories.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/87 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 15 July 1902 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 July 15 / 02
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I fancy by this time your husband may have been & have had to go to
7Pretoria again to his work. You did not say whether he would be able
8to stay with you till you were able to move.
9
10 I think I shall be leaving this for Johannesburg about the 15th of Aug.
11 that is a month from today. The doctor thinks it is too cold for me
12to stand the journey now: so you will be sure to be home by the time I
13come. My husband is very busy; ^he is managing the case of^ one of the
14young men of our district who is to be tried for murder in connection
15with the taking of a train near to this a year & a half ago. He was
16one of the rebels who surrendered with Fouches in Cradock the other
17day. He is in prison here. unreadable Three Hanover men were executed
18with regard to the taking of the same train. My husband gett
19gets a good deal of legal work here, but ^many^ people are so poor that
20for much they can’t pay anything: but he likes helping them. We have
21not got into our little cottage yet. Some day if you are going to Cape
22Town to visit your mother you must unreadable stop at Hanover on the
23way. Try & find time just to send me a card to let me know if you are
24getting stronger. Did you get the note I sent you a couple of days ago
25telling you that I had heard from your husband.
26
27 Yours ever,
28 Olive
29
30
2 July 15 / 02
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I fancy by this time your husband may have been & have had to go to
7Pretoria again to his work. You did not say whether he would be able
8to stay with you till you were able to move.
9
10 I think I shall be leaving this for Johannesburg about the 15th of Aug.
11 that is a month from today. The doctor thinks it is too cold for me
12to stand the journey now: so you will be sure to be home by the time I
13come. My husband is very busy; ^he is managing the case of^ one of the
14young men of our district who is to be tried for murder in connection
15with the taking of a train near to this a year & a half ago. He was
16one of the rebels who surrendered with Fouches in Cradock the other
17day. He is in prison here. unreadable Three Hanover men were executed
18with regard to the taking of the same train. My husband gett
19gets a good deal of legal work here, but ^many^ people are so poor that
20for much they can’t pay anything: but he likes helping them. We have
21not got into our little cottage yet. Some day if you are going to Cape
22Town to visit your mother you must unreadable stop at Hanover on the
23way. Try & find time just to send me a card to let me know if you are
24getting stronger. Did you get the note I sent you a couple of days ago
25telling you that I had heard from your husband.
26
27 Yours ever,
28 Olive
29
30
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/88 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 30 July 1902 |
Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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 name of the addressee is indicated by salutation and content. Schreiner was resident in Hanover from September 1900 to October 1907, after 1902 with visits, sometimes fairly lengthy, elsewhere.
|
1
July 30 / 02
2
3 Dear Friend
4
5 I hope I shall be able to leave this about the 16th for Johannesburg,
6but have not been able to hear of any place I can get a bed in. Do you
7perhaps know the address of any Africander boarding house where I
8might get a bed for a couple of nights? If so please write at once &
9give me the address. If I could only get a bed I could go out for my
10food.
11
12 Thankyou for your letter I will answer it in person. Will you be in
13Pretoria if I came over for a day about the 2 19th or 20th?
14
15 I have had two letters from Isie this week. It is a bitter
16disappointment to me that I can’t see her. If it were possible I
17should like to go to Maritzburg to see her. I think only a woman can
18understand what the disappointment must have been to her of being so
19ill when you returned. We have General Olivier here just now, & we had
20Malan here last week as a witness in the case of a ^Hanover^ rebel who
21is being tried for his life & whose case Cron is defending: but he was
22here as a prisoner under guard, & is now in prison at Nauwpoort
23awaiting his trial. He ^(Commandant Malan)^ strikes me as a most
24remarkable man; not cultured, but one of the most strongly marked
25individualities I ever met. It seems strange that he should be in
26prison & Olivier walking about here, free, & they are both Transvaal
27Commanders! – but there are some things "that no feller can
28understand" as Lord Dundreary would say; in fact, a good many just now.
29
30 When I write to you may I address your letters General Smuts, or must
31it be Advocate? I would write you a long letter but that I hope to see
32you so soon & writing is a poor matter.
33
34 Give my love to Isie when you write. I have spent many anxious hours
35thinking of you during the past.
36
37 Olive Schreiner
38
2
3 Dear Friend
4
5 I hope I shall be able to leave this about the 16th for Johannesburg,
6but have not been able to hear of any place I can get a bed in. Do you
7perhaps know the address of any Africander boarding house where I
8might get a bed for a couple of nights? If so please write at once &
9give me the address. If I could only get a bed I could go out for my
10food.
11
12 Thankyou for your letter I will answer it in person. Will you be in
13Pretoria if I came over for a day about the 2 19th or 20th?
14
15 I have had two letters from Isie this week. It is a bitter
16disappointment to me that I can’t see her. If it were possible I
17should like to go to Maritzburg to see her. I think only a woman can
18understand what the disappointment must have been to her of being so
19ill when you returned. We have General Olivier here just now, & we had
20Malan here last week as a witness in the case of a ^Hanover^ rebel who
21is being tried for his life & whose case Cron is defending: but he was
22here as a prisoner under guard, & is now in prison at Nauwpoort
23awaiting his trial. He ^(Commandant Malan)^ strikes me as a most
24remarkable man; not cultured, but one of the most strongly marked
25individualities I ever met. It seems strange that he should be in
26prison & Olivier walking about here, free, & they are both Transvaal
27Commanders! – but there are some things "that no feller can
28understand" as Lord Dundreary would say; in fact, a good many just now.
29
30 When I write to you may I address your letters General Smuts, or must
31it be Advocate? I would write you a long letter but that I hope to see
32you so soon & writing is a poor matter.
33
34 Give my love to Isie when you write. I have spent many anxious hours
35thinking of you during the past.
36
37 Olive Schreiner
38
Notation
Soon after this letter was written, Smuts sent a telegram to Olive Schreiner, which received an immediate reply from Cronwright-Schreiner writing on her bahalf:
Hanover, C. C.
9. Aug. 02
My dear Smuts,
Your very kind wire to my wife came this morning. I at once replied 'Malan is said to be out on parole now. Writing'. The facts are as follows. Among the surrendered rebels was a man of this district names P. A. Pienaar, who was at once arrested on a charge of Train-wrecking & murder, for being concerned in the ?Taribosch incident in Feb. 1901. (You will remember that, under the same charge, 3 Hanover men were found guily guilty by a military court at De Aar, & shoot there in and shot there in March 1901, while two of their companions were sentenced to 5 years hard labour. S. The chief witness in securing these sentences was one of the companions named Jan V. d. Berg, who turned King's evidence.) It was on the account of Jan v. d. Berg, the supported by that of two Tothies, that Pienaar was arrested. I know quite well that the above 5 men were innocent & that v. d. Berg had perjured himself throughout. Pienaar's preliminary was held here & I defended him. Among my witnesses was General Malan who was then at NaauwPoort. I had him summoned. In my correspondence with the Military authorities at N. Poort, he was referred to as the 'prisoner Malan' by them, and I was informed that he was in the Military Prison. He came here, in perfect health, & was found under military unreadable, & was handed over here to the civil authorities, & only by a lucky accident unreadable imprisonment in the local goal, where private persons had prepared a room for him. He was kept guarded in a private house & marched up & down to the court room, & people were allowed to see him, each for 15 minutes time limit, on a written permit. With his help (he swore, as did one of the Tothies - a crown witness) that v. d. berg perjured hims that v. d. Berg was never with the commando, & I found through other witnesses that ^where^, v. d. Berg was that night. Malan (who by the way is a very remarkable man) was then taken away again & lodged in the military prison at N'Poort. Soon afterwards, General Oliver came here on a visit, & he heard from me and others how Malan was being treated. Next day he called at my office & instructed me to write a letter, which he signed, to unreadable unreadable. A few days thereafter we heard that Malan had been allowed to go out on parole to Cradock. I hope this is true, though why parole should be ?commanded I don't know. I think the matter is worth inquiring into. These are all facts.
Please write to me immediately on receiving this, or rather, please wire and write at once that I may know you have received this and that it has not been stopped by the military.
I hope we shall meet again some day - when, I can't say. Ever yours, my dear Smuts,
S C CronwrightSchreiner
Soon after this letter was written, Smuts sent a telegram to Olive Schreiner, which received an immediate reply from Cronwright-Schreiner writing on her bahalf:
Hanover, C. C.
9. Aug. 02
My dear Smuts,
Your very kind wire to my wife came this morning. I at once replied 'Malan is said to be out on parole now. Writing'. The facts are as follows. Among the surrendered rebels was a man of this district names P. A. Pienaar, who was at once arrested on a charge of Train-wrecking & murder, for being concerned in the ?Taribosch incident in Feb. 1901. (You will remember that, under the same charge, 3 Hanover men were found guily guilty by a military court at De Aar, & shoot there in and shot there in March 1901, while two of their companions were sentenced to 5 years hard labour. S. The chief witness in securing these sentences was one of the companions named Jan V. d. Berg, who turned King's evidence.) It was on the account of Jan v. d. Berg, the supported by that of two Tothies, that Pienaar was arrested. I know quite well that the above 5 men were innocent & that v. d. Berg had perjured himself throughout. Pienaar's preliminary was held here & I defended him. Among my witnesses was General Malan who was then at NaauwPoort. I had him summoned. In my correspondence with the Military authorities at N. Poort, he was referred to as the 'prisoner Malan' by them, and I was informed that he was in the Military Prison. He came here, in perfect health, & was found under military unreadable, & was handed over here to the civil authorities, & only by a lucky accident unreadable imprisonment in the local goal, where private persons had prepared a room for him. He was kept guarded in a private house & marched up & down to the court room, & people were allowed to see him, each for 15 minutes time limit, on a written permit. With his help (he swore, as did one of the Tothies - a crown witness) that v. d. berg perjured hims that v. d. Berg was never with the commando, & I found through other witnesses that ^where^, v. d. Berg was that night. Malan (who by the way is a very remarkable man) was then taken away again & lodged in the military prison at N'Poort. Soon afterwards, General Oliver came here on a visit, & he heard from me and others how Malan was being treated. Next day he called at my office & instructed me to write a letter, which he signed, to unreadable unreadable. A few days thereafter we heard that Malan had been allowed to go out on parole to Cradock. I hope this is true, though why parole should be ?commanded I don't know. I think the matter is worth inquiring into. These are all facts.
Please write to me immediately on receiving this, or rather, please wire and write at once that I may know you have received this and that it has not been stopped by the military.
I hope we shall meet again some day - when, I can't say. Ever yours, my dear Smuts,
S C CronwrightSchreiner
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/89 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | August 1902 |
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. The end of the letter appears to be missing.
|
1
Dear Isie
2
3 I was so glad to get the joyful news you were better & going to your
4home.
5
6 I meant to leave for Johannesburg on the 15th (next of this month, but
7I have got my chest bad since I moved into our little cottage which
8doesn’t suit me as we get no sun in the bed room, & its damp. I must
9put off going till I’m better. I’m going to sleep in the dining
10room & hope I shall be able to leave about the 20th. I got your
11husbands kind wire saying the Rev Meiring would receive me as a guest.
12Thank him very much: it will be so nice to be there, an not at a jingo
13boarding house. I will wire to him when I am leaving. What a terrible
14thing a body is when it drags one down so. Its months now since I put
15pen to paper except to write a few notes, & to take those notes in
16court.
17
18 Cron wrote answering your husbands questions as to Commandant Malan.
19We hear he is out on bail in Cradock now. When he was here I was only
20allowed to see him for 15 minutes, & with soldiers at the window, many
21people could not even get a pass to see him for a minute. I hope you
22will soon get quite strong now you are at home. I don’t fancy I
23shall be able to stay more than one day at Pretoria, & we have so much
24to talk about. I will come straight to ^you if you will have me. Please
25thank Mr & Mrs Meiring very much for asking me.^ [page/s missing]
26
27
28
2
3 I was so glad to get the joyful news you were better & going to your
4home.
5
6 I meant to leave for Johannesburg on the 15th (next of this month, but
7I have got my chest bad since I moved into our little cottage which
8doesn’t suit me as we get no sun in the bed room, & its damp. I must
9put off going till I’m better. I’m going to sleep in the dining
10room & hope I shall be able to leave about the 20th. I got your
11husbands kind wire saying the Rev Meiring would receive me as a guest.
12Thank him very much: it will be so nice to be there, an not at a jingo
13boarding house. I will wire to him when I am leaving. What a terrible
14thing a body is when it drags one down so. Its months now since I put
15pen to paper except to write a few notes, & to take those notes in
16court.
17
18 Cron wrote answering your husbands questions as to Commandant Malan.
19We hear he is out on bail in Cradock now. When he was here I was only
20allowed to see him for 15 minutes, & with soldiers at the window, many
21people could not even get a pass to see him for a minute. I hope you
22will soon get quite strong now you are at home. I don’t fancy I
23shall be able to stay more than one day at Pretoria, & we have so much
24to talk about. I will come straight to ^you if you will have me. Please
25thank Mr & Mrs Meiring very much for asking me.^ [page/s missing]
26
27
28
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/90 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 16 August 1902 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Aug 16 1902
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I hope to leave this on the 21st for Johannesburg.
7
8 I shall stay at Mr. Beyers, & shall write to you or wire when I leave
9for Pretoria. I do hope I shall be able to stay more than one day, but
10can’t reckon on it.
11
12 I hope I shall find you quite strong comparatively, I long to see you so.
13
14 Olive
15
16
2 Aug 16 1902
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I hope to leave this on the 21st for Johannesburg.
7
8 I shall stay at Mr. Beyers, & shall write to you or wire when I leave
9for Pretoria. I do hope I shall be able to stay more than one day, but
10can’t reckon on it.
11
12 I hope I shall find you quite strong comparatively, I long to see you so.
13
14 Olive
15
16
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/91 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Sunday August 1902 |
Address From | Johannesburg, Transvaal |
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. The place this letter was sent from is supplied by content.
|
1
Sunday night
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 It was a bitter disappointment to me not to be able to come over this
6morning I was so knocked up I couldn’t come, & it would have been no
7use if I had so staid in bed till this afternoon. I am going to try &
8get my work, sorting out bits of photographs & books &c alone on
9Tuesday & to come over on Wednesday. I am so sorry to think perhaps
10some of you took all the trouble to come to the station to meet me. I
11am longing so to be with you. Johannesburg is always very sad to me.
12
13 I will wire you my plans & then I will realy come whatever happens. I
14hope you are better.
15
16 Olive
17
18
19
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 It was a bitter disappointment to me not to be able to come over this
6morning I was so knocked up I couldn’t come, & it would have been no
7use if I had so staid in bed till this afternoon. I am going to try &
8get my work, sorting out bits of photographs & books &c alone on
9Tuesday & to come over on Wednesday. I am so sorry to think perhaps
10some of you took all the trouble to come to the station to meet me. I
11am longing so to be with you. Johannesburg is always very sad to me.
12
13 I will wire you my plans & then I will realy come whatever happens. I
14hope you are better.
15
16 Olive
17
18
19
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/92 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 15 September 1902 |
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. Schreiner was resident in Hanover from September 1900 to October 1907, after 1902 with visits, sometimes fairly lengthy, elsewhere.
|
1
Sep 15th 1902
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 I have been in bed ever since I came back; am going out today for the
6first time that is why I haven’t written before. My little visit to
7you seems a beautiful time of rest, the rest of seeing friends.
8
9 I hope you will soon be strong dear. I hope some day you will have
10another little one to comfort your heart, I shall feel almost as glad
11as if it were mine. Good bye. My love to you all.
12
13 Olive
14
15 Why do you always call me Mrs Schreiner then of course I have to call
16you Mrs Smuts. All my friends call me Olive.
17
18 My husband whent left for Cape Town the day before yesterday
19where is going to visit his mother for a few days & attend his
20brother’s wedding. I am so glad he is having a little change from
21the hard work here, in sad little Hanover.
22
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 I have been in bed ever since I came back; am going out today for the
6first time that is why I haven’t written before. My little visit to
7you seems a beautiful time of rest, the rest of seeing friends.
8
9 I hope you will soon be strong dear. I hope some day you will have
10another little one to comfort your heart, I shall feel almost as glad
11as if it were mine. Good bye. My love to you all.
12
13 Olive
14
15 Why do you always call me Mrs Schreiner then of course I have to call
16you Mrs Smuts. All my friends call me Olive.
17
18 My husband whent left for Cape Town the day before yesterday
19where is going to visit his mother for a few days & attend his
20brother’s wedding. I am so glad he is having a little change from
21the hard work here, in sad little Hanover.
22
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/93 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 26 September 1902 |
Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Sep 26th 1902
3
4 Dear Friend
5
6 Will you do me a very great favour.
7
8 Please write & tell me exactly what you payed on my luggage at
9Pretoria station, &, if possible get me a written statement of the
10amount from the clerk. I know how very busy you are & will be glad to
11pay an law attorney in Pretoria for getting it if you are too busy. In
12fact it might be better to employ an ordinary attorney, if Jingo so
13much the better. I
14
15 I want to return you the money of course, but that is not the
16important reason why I want it. When I got to Hanover Rd Station I
17showed it to the ticket to the station master & he said I had been
18charged about 3 th times too much on the luggage. I asked him to
19return me the ticket. He appeared to do so, but I now find that what
20he returned to me was my passenger ticket & not the luggage ticket. It
21was simply part of their whole plan as they charged me £7.10. too much
22on my passenger ticket the last time I traveled to Graaff Reinett. I
23can’t explain to you why I want so much to have it but I will gladly
24pay £10 to the attorney in Pretoria if he can get it for me. He must
25see the station master himself who is a kindly & gentlemanly man, who
26without whose help I should never have got away.
27
28 The subordinates absolutely refused to give me a ticket; they told me
29my pass from General Lyttleton was so much dirty paper, that I would
30never be allowed to go out of the Transvaal with it, & had not the
31station master insisted they would have given me no ticket. Even after
32I was sitting in my carriage just before the train left a filthy
33little fore-man came in & shook his fist at me & jeered at me & told
34me I would never be allowed to leave the Transvaal &c.
35
36Don’t please take any action in the matter as soon as I I am better I
37will see write to General Lyttleton about it. This is not a solitary
38case, or it would not matter it is a system on the railways among the
39subordinate officials. I shall never forget the kindness of the
40station master. If you've any diff Perhaps it would be better
41as keeping you quite out of the matter if you just sent me the name of
42an attorney (not Hudson Findlay, who evidently doesn’t want to have
43anything to do with me) to whom I could write to get me a statement of
44the amount you paid. The station master at Johannesburg when I put the
45bicycles on the train told me there would be no duty on them as they
46came from the Colony.
47
48 The people here are very anxious Cron should stand for Parliament; at
49this this by election. I shrink so from Politics that I shall be sorry
50if he stands, unreadable for my own sake.
51
52 Politicians & priests always fight with "reservations". Cron is so
53straight forward I should be sorry to see him become a real politician:
54 I hope even if he is returned he ^never^ will.
55
56 No I never want to see Pretoria again. I only want to see you people.
57
58 Olive Schreiner
59
60
2 Sep 26th 1902
3
4 Dear Friend
5
6 Will you do me a very great favour.
7
8 Please write & tell me exactly what you payed on my luggage at
9Pretoria station, &, if possible get me a written statement of the
10amount from the clerk. I know how very busy you are & will be glad to
11pay an law attorney in Pretoria for getting it if you are too busy. In
12fact it might be better to employ an ordinary attorney, if Jingo so
13much the better. I
14
15 I want to return you the money of course, but that is not the
16important reason why I want it. When I got to Hanover Rd Station I
17showed it to the ticket to the station master & he said I had been
18charged about 3 th times too much on the luggage. I asked him to
19return me the ticket. He appeared to do so, but I now find that what
20he returned to me was my passenger ticket & not the luggage ticket. It
21was simply part of their whole plan as they charged me £7.10. too much
22on my passenger ticket the last time I traveled to Graaff Reinett. I
23can’t explain to you why I want so much to have it but I will gladly
24pay £10 to the attorney in Pretoria if he can get it for me. He must
25see the station master himself who is a kindly & gentlemanly man, who
26without whose help I should never have got away.
27
28 The subordinates absolutely refused to give me a ticket; they told me
29my pass from General Lyttleton was so much dirty paper, that I would
30never be allowed to go out of the Transvaal with it, & had not the
31station master insisted they would have given me no ticket. Even after
32I was sitting in my carriage just before the train left a filthy
33little fore-man came in & shook his fist at me & jeered at me & told
34me I would never be allowed to leave the Transvaal &c.
35
36Don’t please take any action in the matter as soon as I I am better I
37will see write to General Lyttleton about it. This is not a solitary
38case, or it would not matter it is a system on the railways among the
39subordinate officials. I shall never forget the kindness of the
40station master. If you've any diff Perhaps it would be better
41as keeping you quite out of the matter if you just sent me the name of
42an attorney (not Hudson Findlay, who evidently doesn’t want to have
43anything to do with me) to whom I could write to get me a statement of
44the amount you paid. The station master at Johannesburg when I put the
45bicycles on the train told me there would be no duty on them as they
46came from the Colony.
47
48 The people here are very anxious Cron should stand for Parliament; at
49this this by election. I shrink so from Politics that I shall be sorry
50if he stands, unreadable for my own sake.
51
52 Politicians & priests always fight with "reservations". Cron is so
53straight forward I should be sorry to see him become a real politician:
54 I hope even if he is returned he ^never^ will.
55
56 No I never want to see Pretoria again. I only want to see you people.
57
58 Olive Schreiner
59
60
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/94 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Sunday September 1902 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Sunday night
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I hope you got my last letter all right. I have yours & Daisy’s.
7
8 Cron is still away on his visit to Cape Town but returns tomorrow
9morning. I wish he could have stayed longer but there is too much work
10waiting for him here. He has looked wonderfully tired & aged ever
11since he returned from England. I hardly think you would know him. Boy
12Pienaar is out of prison on £5000 pounds bail!! When he is to be
13tried I don’t yet know. Perhaps Cron will have heard in Cape Town. I
14get long letters from Miss Molteno every week. She is staying at the
15Hotel in London where the Generals stay: the letters are very
16interesting. Have you read a truly fine article in the Speaker for Aug.
17 23rd on "Dignity". You would both enjoy it much. It expresses exactly
18my feeling & I am sure it would yours. I put all my little war
19treasures in my work box. Some one tells me that some of the dear old
20prisoners at St Helena have made me a very pretty broach, but I
21haven’t got it yet.
22
23 I have a very good little Bushman boy now, who washes all my pots &
24cleans the floors &c. It seems like heaven to have him: I could get
25time for writing now; but somehow it’s curious, nothing seems to me
26to matter any more. Every thing. I don’t mean that intellectually I
27have lost my hope in the future either for humanity or for our own
28land. But for the first time in my life nothing seems to matter to me,
29& one can’t write while one feels like that.
30
31 I enclose a cheque for your husband for the money he paid out for my
32goods at the station. Some day I’ll tell you what a time I had with
33those clerks. How they bullied & unsettled me. If it hadn’t been for
34the dear old station master I don’t know what I should have done.
35They over charged for the luggage too, more than twice too much, but I
36shall get a refund from the traffic manager in Cape Town. The spite of
37these unclean little officials is something wonderful. I did not do
38anything about their conduct at the station, because I was so anxious
39he should know nothing of it & not be mixed up with them in any way. I
40am dreading being exposed to the railway again next month when I have
41to go to Cape Town for two days to see my dear old Mother, who is
42growing very weak & old. I shall not stay in Town more than two days,
43but shall be staying with Anna Purcell, so shall be sure to see Malan
44who lives next door. It will be refreshing to see them all. Hearty
45greetings to your Husband & Daisy.
46
47 Olive Schreiner
48
49 ^P.S. I quite forgot to tell you when I was up that my friend Mrs
50Viljoen for whose baby you sent the things called her baby Jan
51Dela-ray De Wet, after your husband Delaray & De Wet. He is my God son
52& a lovely little fellow. He is always still wearing the little things
53you sent.^
54
55
56
2 Sunday night
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I hope you got my last letter all right. I have yours & Daisy’s.
7
8 Cron is still away on his visit to Cape Town but returns tomorrow
9morning. I wish he could have stayed longer but there is too much work
10waiting for him here. He has looked wonderfully tired & aged ever
11since he returned from England. I hardly think you would know him. Boy
12Pienaar is out of prison on £5000 pounds bail!! When he is to be
13tried I don’t yet know. Perhaps Cron will have heard in Cape Town. I
14get long letters from Miss Molteno every week. She is staying at the
15Hotel in London where the Generals stay: the letters are very
16interesting. Have you read a truly fine article in the Speaker for Aug.
17 23rd on "Dignity". You would both enjoy it much. It expresses exactly
18my feeling & I am sure it would yours. I put all my little war
19treasures in my work box. Some one tells me that some of the dear old
20prisoners at St Helena have made me a very pretty broach, but I
21haven’t got it yet.
22
23 I have a very good little Bushman boy now, who washes all my pots &
24cleans the floors &c. It seems like heaven to have him: I could get
25time for writing now; but somehow it’s curious, nothing seems to me
26to matter any more. Every thing. I don’t mean that intellectually I
27have lost my hope in the future either for humanity or for our own
28land. But for the first time in my life nothing seems to matter to me,
29& one can’t write while one feels like that.
30
31 I enclose a cheque for your husband for the money he paid out for my
32goods at the station. Some day I’ll tell you what a time I had with
33those clerks. How they bullied & unsettled me. If it hadn’t been for
34the dear old station master I don’t know what I should have done.
35They over charged for the luggage too, more than twice too much, but I
36shall get a refund from the traffic manager in Cape Town. The spite of
37these unclean little officials is something wonderful. I did not do
38anything about their conduct at the station, because I was so anxious
39he should know nothing of it & not be mixed up with them in any way. I
40am dreading being exposed to the railway again next month when I have
41to go to Cape Town for two days to see my dear old Mother, who is
42growing very weak & old. I shall not stay in Town more than two days,
43but shall be staying with Anna Purcell, so shall be sure to see Malan
44who lives next door. It will be refreshing to see them all. Hearty
45greetings to your Husband & Daisy.
46
47 Olive Schreiner
48
49 ^P.S. I quite forgot to tell you when I was up that my friend Mrs
50Viljoen for whose baby you sent the things called her baby Jan
51Dela-ray De Wet, after your husband Delaray & De Wet. He is my God son
52& a lovely little fellow. He is always still wearing the little things
53you sent.^
54
55
56
Notation
The 'fine article' on dignity referred to was unsigned and is: "On Dignity" The Speaker Saturday 23 August 1902, pp.544-5. It concerns the visit of the Boer Generals to Britain and Chamberlain's inhospitable treatment of them, the intrusive behaviour of journalists, the General's good conduct and similar topics likely to have appealed to Schreiner.
The 'fine article' on dignity referred to was unsigned and is: "On Dignity" The Speaker Saturday 23 August 1902, pp.544-5. It concerns the visit of the Boer Generals to Britain and Chamberlain's inhospitable treatment of them, the intrusive behaviour of journalists, the General's good conduct and similar topics likely to have appealed to Schreiner.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/95 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Monday November 1902 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Monday.
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so glad to get your letter this morning. No my heart is not at
7rest about Boy Pienaar. He is still out on bail for £4.000 awaiting
8his trial. Van der Berg has not been tried yet, & the two Nieuwhouts
9are still serving their hard labour term at Kimberley. I am going down
10to Cape Town by the mail train next Tuesday & shall see General
11?Settle about them, & the governor, & if they are not released at once
12I shall write to the English papers. It is all very well for us to sit
13here happy & contented, but what of two perfectly innocent men who are
14doing hard labour, to whom every day seems a week!
15
16 Did your husband get the cheque for £2 17s which I sent him in a
17separate envelope from my letter? I think Cron is safe to be returned
18to Parliament by this division, as the Africander Party have chosen
19him, & it does not seem likely the Jingoes will put up any man at all.
20
21 I wish Daisy had been leaving a little sooner then we might have
22traveled down together from Hanover Rd. No I never, never want to see
23Pretoria again it’s a hateful place! You & your husband must come
24here & see us. The friends here would be just delighted to see you.
25It’s so nice & cool here in summer too: it would do you good. Are
26you feeling better, & getting a little fatter.
27
28 Good bye, dear.
29 Love to you all
30
31 Olive
32
33
34
2 Monday.
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so glad to get your letter this morning. No my heart is not at
7rest about Boy Pienaar. He is still out on bail for £4.000 awaiting
8his trial. Van der Berg has not been tried yet, & the two Nieuwhouts
9are still serving their hard labour term at Kimberley. I am going down
10to Cape Town by the mail train next Tuesday & shall see General
11?Settle about them, & the governor, & if they are not released at once
12I shall write to the English papers. It is all very well for us to sit
13here happy & contented, but what of two perfectly innocent men who are
14doing hard labour, to whom every day seems a week!
15
16 Did your husband get the cheque for £2 17s which I sent him in a
17separate envelope from my letter? I think Cron is safe to be returned
18to Parliament by this division, as the Africander Party have chosen
19him, & it does not seem likely the Jingoes will put up any man at all.
20
21 I wish Daisy had been leaving a little sooner then we might have
22traveled down together from Hanover Rd. No I never, never want to see
23Pretoria again it’s a hateful place! You & your husband must come
24here & see us. The friends here would be just delighted to see you.
25It’s so nice & cool here in summer too: it would do you good. Are
26you feeling better, & getting a little fatter.
27
28 Good bye, dear.
29 Love to you all
30
31 Olive
32
33
34
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/96 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 28 November 1902 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 November 28 / 02
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so glad to hear from you. I should like to be one of the
7visitors to the trees, & the tree owners! But I don’t want ever to
8see the Transvaal again!
9
10 Have you seen Hobson’s new book on "Imperialism" It is first class &
11you would much enjoy it.
12
13 I think Cron is quite sure to be returned, but we shall not know the
14results till tomorrow or Monday.
15
16 I had a very delightful little time in Cape Town. It seems like a
17beautiful dream. I saw one of your Uncles there, one I met one evening
18in your dining room. I hope he is quite well. Tell your husbands
19sister I hope I shall meet her some day.
20
21 When Cron & I were going up to attend a meeting at Colesburg last week
22we met General de Wet in the train, & had ten minutes talk, we were so
23busy talking that we didn’t feel the train moving & had to jump out
24while it was going or we should have gone on to Norvals spo -pont. He
25is an exceedingly strong man, & as straight as strong. He impressed me
26greatly, but one doesn’t love him as one loves Malan. He (Malan)
27will be here again this week to give evidence in the endless case of
28Van der Berg. I went to see the Governor & Sir Gordon Sprig & the
29Attorney General about getting the two Neuwenhouts out of of prison as
30every one knows they are perfectly innocent & were never near the
31train. It was like throwing oneself against a stone wall. I wish I had
32gone to see Lord Milner about them when I was in Pretoria, I believe I
33could have got him to set them free; but I felt so dead when I was
34there. I think my interviews with them have however hastened the trial
35of Van der Berg.
36
37 Miss Greene has been very ill in England. They were to leave on the
3815th ^of November^ for this country again, so must be on the water now.
39
40 My little Bushman boy has gone so I’ve no one to help; if Cron
41werent so sweet & contented with what I give him to eat I shouldn’t
42manage at all.
43
44^Are you getting stronger? Much love to you all. ^
45
46 Olive
47
48 ^I saw Onse Jan when I was in Cape Town, he looks very old & changed, I
49should not have known him. Do you take the South African News. It is
50very interesting just now.^
51
2 November 28 / 02
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so glad to hear from you. I should like to be one of the
7visitors to the trees, & the tree owners! But I don’t want ever to
8see the Transvaal again!
9
10 Have you seen Hobson’s new book on "Imperialism" It is first class &
11you would much enjoy it.
12
13 I think Cron is quite sure to be returned, but we shall not know the
14results till tomorrow or Monday.
15
16 I had a very delightful little time in Cape Town. It seems like a
17beautiful dream. I saw one of your Uncles there, one I met one evening
18in your dining room. I hope he is quite well. Tell your husbands
19sister I hope I shall meet her some day.
20
21 When Cron & I were going up to attend a meeting at Colesburg last week
22we met General de Wet in the train, & had ten minutes talk, we were so
23busy talking that we didn’t feel the train moving & had to jump out
24while it was going or we should have gone on to Norvals spo -pont. He
25is an exceedingly strong man, & as straight as strong. He impressed me
26greatly, but one doesn’t love him as one loves Malan. He (Malan)
27will be here again this week to give evidence in the endless case of
28Van der Berg. I went to see the Governor & Sir Gordon Sprig & the
29Attorney General about getting the two Neuwenhouts out of of prison as
30every one knows they are perfectly innocent & were never near the
31train. It was like throwing oneself against a stone wall. I wish I had
32gone to see Lord Milner about them when I was in Pretoria, I believe I
33could have got him to set them free; but I felt so dead when I was
34there. I think my interviews with them have however hastened the trial
35of Van der Berg.
36
37 Miss Greene has been very ill in England. They were to leave on the
3815th ^of November^ for this country again, so must be on the water now.
39
40 My little Bushman boy has gone so I’ve no one to help; if Cron
41werent so sweet & contented with what I give him to eat I shouldn’t
42manage at all.
43
44^Are you getting stronger? Much love to you all. ^
45
46 Olive
47
48 ^I saw Onse Jan when I was in Cape Town, he looks very old & changed, I
49should not have known him. Do you take the South African News. It is
50very interesting just now.^
51
Notation
The book referred to is: John A. Hobson (1902) Imperialism: A Study London: Allen and Unwin.
The book referred to is: John A. Hobson (1902) Imperialism: A Study London: Allen and Unwin.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/97 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 27 April 1903 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 April 27th 1903
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 How can I thank you enough for your letter & the two wires I got today.
7 I would like more than you can think to be with you in your dear home,
8 which seems like a home to me too. But I can’t stand the climate at
9Pretoria; the last time I was there, I was six weeks in bed when I got
10home, & whenever I’ve gone out from Johannesburg in the winter its
11had the same effect on me. If only you lived in Bloemfontein! I wanted
12to go there but I hear there is not a house or room to be had. I
13don’t know where I shall go. I have spent £4 on advertising already,
14 & have had only one answer from a farm near Beaufort West, so I
15suppose I shall have to go there, though the people are great jingoes.
16If it wasn’t for my husband I should go to Italy & spend the rest of
17my life there; but I should always be fancying he was ill & perhaps
18needing me. I’d have my body brought back to this old country; but
19life is very hard here now, & I can do no more good here. When to keep
20silent is all you can do for your country, you may as well be silent
21in one place as another; & I would copy out & finish off one of my
22novels & so earn money if I were in Italy.
23
24 Thank you so much for your husband’s photo. Many of the folk here
25have been to see it. It’s very good, but a little "kwaai".
26
27 If Mrs de Wet (the General’s wife) is still in Pretoria please give
28my my kind regards. I should like so much to have a photograph of her.
29I hope her daughter’s heart is better. Give my love to Daisy when
30you write please. I hope she is getting all right, & will get quite
31strong. We are I am going down to Grahamstown to Jan Van der Berg’s
32trial on the 11th of May; they will do all they can to get him off &
33prove him not guilty, & so make it appear that our innocent men were
34present when the train was wrecked. If they do I don’t care what
35anyone says or how the politicians may weep, I’ll show the whole
36thing up in the English news papers. I never get any time for writing
37now; when my work’s done I’m just glad to get to the bed & lie
38down. But perhaps I shall be able to write a little during the winter
39if I get a warm place.
40
41 We are having a tiny little cottage build, the whole not much bigger
42than your dining room to move into when the parliament is over. There
43is not even a room to be had here. Miss Molteno & Miss Greene wrote
44this week that they were coming up, but but I had to wire & tell them
45not. I can’t understand what is the matter with country: it seems
46all gone wrong. It will be fifty years before its fit for a decent
47person to live in. We are going to have a public meeting here on the
489th.
49
50 I hope you are keeping strong.
51
52 Affectionate greetings to you all; & deep thanks for your really
53wishing to have me. I could have cried when your wires came today; it
54seemed so nice any one should care to have me.
55 Yours ever
56
57 Olive Schreiner
58
59 Have you read a nice book of poems by Earnest Crosby called Swords &
60Ploughshares, ^there are some good poems on South Africa in the book.^
61
2 April 27th 1903
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 How can I thank you enough for your letter & the two wires I got today.
7 I would like more than you can think to be with you in your dear home,
8 which seems like a home to me too. But I can’t stand the climate at
9Pretoria; the last time I was there, I was six weeks in bed when I got
10home, & whenever I’ve gone out from Johannesburg in the winter its
11had the same effect on me. If only you lived in Bloemfontein! I wanted
12to go there but I hear there is not a house or room to be had. I
13don’t know where I shall go. I have spent £4 on advertising already,
14 & have had only one answer from a farm near Beaufort West, so I
15suppose I shall have to go there, though the people are great jingoes.
16If it wasn’t for my husband I should go to Italy & spend the rest of
17my life there; but I should always be fancying he was ill & perhaps
18needing me. I’d have my body brought back to this old country; but
19life is very hard here now, & I can do no more good here. When to keep
20silent is all you can do for your country, you may as well be silent
21in one place as another; & I would copy out & finish off one of my
22novels & so earn money if I were in Italy.
23
24 Thank you so much for your husband’s photo. Many of the folk here
25have been to see it. It’s very good, but a little "kwaai".
26
27 If Mrs de Wet (the General’s wife) is still in Pretoria please give
28my my kind regards. I should like so much to have a photograph of her.
29I hope her daughter’s heart is better. Give my love to Daisy when
30you write please. I hope she is getting all right, & will get quite
31strong. We are I am going down to Grahamstown to Jan Van der Berg’s
32trial on the 11th of May; they will do all they can to get him off &
33prove him not guilty, & so make it appear that our innocent men were
34present when the train was wrecked. If they do I don’t care what
35anyone says or how the politicians may weep, I’ll show the whole
36thing up in the English news papers. I never get any time for writing
37now; when my work’s done I’m just glad to get to the bed & lie
38down. But perhaps I shall be able to write a little during the winter
39if I get a warm place.
40
41 We are having a tiny little cottage build, the whole not much bigger
42than your dining room to move into when the parliament is over. There
43is not even a room to be had here. Miss Molteno & Miss Greene wrote
44this week that they were coming up, but but I had to wire & tell them
45not. I can’t understand what is the matter with country: it seems
46all gone wrong. It will be fifty years before its fit for a decent
47person to live in. We are going to have a public meeting here on the
489th.
49
50 I hope you are keeping strong.
51
52 Affectionate greetings to you all; & deep thanks for your really
53wishing to have me. I could have cried when your wires came today; it
54seemed so nice any one should care to have me.
55 Yours ever
56
57 Olive Schreiner
58
59 Have you read a nice book of poems by Earnest Crosby called Swords &
60Ploughshares, ^there are some good poems on South Africa in the book.^
61
Notation
The book referred to is: Ernest H. Crosby (1903) Swords and Ploughshares London: Grant Richards.
The book referred to is: Ernest H. Crosby (1903) Swords and Ploughshares London: Grant Richards.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/98 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 22 May 1903 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 May 22 / 03
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you for your letter. I was down in Grahamstown for six days at
7the trial. It was a hideous farce. The war was "cakes & ale" compared
8to the peace.
9
10 Of Don’t you believe a word you see in the papers about it. It’s
11all untrue. Hamlet with Hamlet left out. I’ll tell you about it some
12day. The whole jury was English & Grahamstown jury. There was one
13Dutch man & he was challenged, I believe because your husband had been
14to his farm when he was in the colony; but am not sure of the
15correctness of this statement. Lombard was his name. "The more you
16refuse to pay your debts, the bigger your debts grow."
17
18 My husband was much better the last two days before I left, though too
19ill to go. I found him when I returned very very ill, for four days he
20was unable to move & I had to feed & nurse him like a little baby.
21Today he is much much better able to sit up in bed & help himself. The
22doctor says he must go to Cape Town at once as it is rheumatism so I
23am taking him down on Tuesday, & we shall arrive in Cape Town on
24Wednesday with the mail train. If my husband che remains ill of course
25I shall stay, but as the doctors think he will get quite better as
26soon as he gets to the coast I shall return to Beaufort West. I shall
27board at first with Danie Theron’s sister Mrs Kriel, & then try to
28go out to some farm. I shall go for some time to Commandant Malan’s
29farm to help him with his book. I am going to write a preface for him
30& help him revise it. Then I am going to send it to England to be
31published. What a dear fellow he is! A man with a real touch of genius
32& yet so child like. He & several of his commando whent went with
33me to Grahamstown to give unreadable evidence that the men from de
34Bael never joined the commando & were never with them, but nothing
35helped.
36
37 When you write please still address here as I will have my letters
38sent on to me, till I know for certain where I shall be. Emily
39Hobhouse is here: I had a note from her this morning.
40
41 Yes, it would have been splendid, but if I could have gone to Gen de
42Wet’s unreadable last unreadable but I wouldn’t like to trouble them. If I ever am
43passing there however I should like to go & spend a day at their farm
44to see them all.
45
46 Love to you all
47 Olive
48
49 ^I have to pack up all this my things & be out of this house too by
50Tuesday, & pack my things away in a room as our little cottage is not
51half built yet. I wonder if you can read this I’m writing in such a
52hurry.^
53
54
2 May 22 / 03
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you for your letter. I was down in Grahamstown for six days at
7the trial. It was a hideous farce. The war was "cakes & ale" compared
8to the peace.
9
10 Of Don’t you believe a word you see in the papers about it. It’s
11all untrue. Hamlet with Hamlet left out. I’ll tell you about it some
12day. The whole jury was English & Grahamstown jury. There was one
13Dutch man & he was challenged, I believe because your husband had been
14to his farm when he was in the colony; but am not sure of the
15correctness of this statement. Lombard was his name. "The more you
16refuse to pay your debts, the bigger your debts grow."
17
18 My husband was much better the last two days before I left, though too
19ill to go. I found him when I returned very very ill, for four days he
20was unable to move & I had to feed & nurse him like a little baby.
21Today he is much much better able to sit up in bed & help himself. The
22doctor says he must go to Cape Town at once as it is rheumatism so I
23am taking him down on Tuesday, & we shall arrive in Cape Town on
24Wednesday with the mail train. If my husband che remains ill of course
25I shall stay, but as the doctors think he will get quite better as
26soon as he gets to the coast I shall return to Beaufort West. I shall
27board at first with Danie Theron’s sister Mrs Kriel, & then try to
28go out to some farm. I shall go for some time to Commandant Malan’s
29farm to help him with his book. I am going to write a preface for him
30& help him revise it. Then I am going to send it to England to be
31published. What a dear fellow he is! A man with a real touch of genius
32& yet so child like. He & several of his commando whent went with
33me to Grahamstown to give unreadable evidence that the men from de
34Bael never joined the commando & were never with them, but nothing
35helped.
36
37 When you write please still address here as I will have my letters
38sent on to me, till I know for certain where I shall be. Emily
39Hobhouse is here: I had a note from her this morning.
40
41 Yes, it would have been splendid, but if I could have gone to Gen de
42Wet’s unreadable last unreadable but I wouldn’t like to trouble them. If I ever am
43passing there however I should like to go & spend a day at their farm
44to see them all.
45
46 Love to you all
47 Olive
48
49 ^I have to pack up all this my things & be out of this house too by
50Tuesday, & pack my things away in a room as our little cottage is not
51half built yet. I wonder if you can read this I’m writing in such a
52hurry.^
53
54
Notation
The book Schreiner wanted to help Commandant Malan with was a war memoir, but which in the event was never written.
The book Schreiner wanted to help Commandant Malan with was a war memoir, but which in the event was never written.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/98A |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | June 1903 |
Address From | PO Uitkÿk, Frasersburg Road, Western Cape (now Leeu Gamka, Prince Albert, Western 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.
|
1
Address
2 P.O. Uitkÿk
3 near Frasersburg Rd
4 Cape Colony
5
6 Dear Isie
7
8 I got your letter just before I left Beaufort for General Malan’s
9Grandfather’s farm where I spent two delightful days. It is away
10among the most beautiful mountains. The old Grandfather is 84 & almost
11childish though he must have been a wonderfully fine man in his youth.
12But a most beautiful & interesting young aunt of Malan’s who is a
13widow keeps house for the old man & looks after him. She & Malan & the
14old man forming the family. It is beautiful to see "our" Malan at his
15farm work. Im so glad he’s there & not in a town. I took his aunt
16back ^with^ me to Beaufort for a few days, as she had been there once
17before the war. She has had a hard time doing all the working &
18washing & housecleaning all through the war for the old man & all
19Malans little brother’s & sisters who were with her all through the
20war. I wish you would see her. She is such a beautiful strong woman, I
21mean strong in heart as well as in body. One doesn’t wonder at Malan
22being what he is when he has such female relations.
23
24 Miss Emily Hobhouse spent two days with me in Beaufort. You will see
25her in Pretoria soon. She gave me £10 ^of the money she has brought out^
26to buy a washing machine for the wife of one of our men who was shot
27in Hanover & who has to make her living by washing. I am very glad
28about it.
29
30 Now I have come out to a farm called Uitkÿk belonging to a Mr Le Roux
31where they take boarders. If I don’t get asthma here I shall stay
32here for a couple of months & try to do a little writing. It is a nice
33place with a beautiful view of the mountains, now all covered with
34snow.
35
36 My Husband writes me that he is much better. But he looks terribly ill
37& aged.
38
39 My dear friends Miss Molteno & Miss Greene are spending a few days
40with me here: it is so delightful to have them. I shall miss them much
41when they go. I have got mY three meerkats & my little dog with me.
42
43
44^I wish I could see you; there is so much I should like to say, & to
45hear. Writing is no good. Much love to you all. ^
46
47 Olive Schreiner
48
49
50
2 P.O. Uitkÿk
3 near Frasersburg Rd
4 Cape Colony
5
6 Dear Isie
7
8 I got your letter just before I left Beaufort for General Malan’s
9Grandfather’s farm where I spent two delightful days. It is away
10among the most beautiful mountains. The old Grandfather is 84 & almost
11childish though he must have been a wonderfully fine man in his youth.
12But a most beautiful & interesting young aunt of Malan’s who is a
13widow keeps house for the old man & looks after him. She & Malan & the
14old man forming the family. It is beautiful to see "our" Malan at his
15farm work. Im so glad he’s there & not in a town. I took his aunt
16back ^with^ me to Beaufort for a few days, as she had been there once
17before the war. She has had a hard time doing all the working &
18washing & housecleaning all through the war for the old man & all
19Malans little brother’s & sisters who were with her all through the
20war. I wish you would see her. She is such a beautiful strong woman, I
21mean strong in heart as well as in body. One doesn’t wonder at Malan
22being what he is when he has such female relations.
23
24 Miss Emily Hobhouse spent two days with me in Beaufort. You will see
25her in Pretoria soon. She gave me £10 ^of the money she has brought out^
26to buy a washing machine for the wife of one of our men who was shot
27in Hanover & who has to make her living by washing. I am very glad
28about it.
29
30 Now I have come out to a farm called Uitkÿk belonging to a Mr Le Roux
31where they take boarders. If I don’t get asthma here I shall stay
32here for a couple of months & try to do a little writing. It is a nice
33place with a beautiful view of the mountains, now all covered with
34snow.
35
36 My Husband writes me that he is much better. But he looks terribly ill
37& aged.
38
39 My dear friends Miss Molteno & Miss Greene are spending a few days
40with me here: it is so delightful to have them. I shall miss them much
41when they go. I have got mY three meerkats & my little dog with me.
42
43
44^I wish I could see you; there is so much I should like to say, & to
45hear. Writing is no good. Much love to you all. ^
46
47 Olive Schreiner
48
49
50
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/99 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 28 June 1903 |
Address From | PO Uitkik, Frasersburg Road, Western Cape (now Leeu Gamka, Prince Albert, Western 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.
|
1
P.O. Uitkÿk
2 near Frasersburg Rd
3 Cape Colony
4 June 28 / 03.
5
6 Dear Isie
7
8 Thankyou for your long letter & the pleasant messages. Also for the
9magazines I got last night.
10
11 This is a beautiful place to me, very bare, open, Karroo, but the air
12is wonderfully fresh & clear & we can see the far mountains, always on
13every hand. Yesterday my husband came for the day from Cape Town. He
14left again by the afternoon train but it was very nice to see him, it
15makes this place seem more home like. The Le Roux’s are very nice kind
16people & I couldn’t be more comfortable boarding anywhere than here.
17Mrs. Le Roux who was a Miss ?Fütch says she remembers you as a little
18girl at the school at Stellenbosch when she was there: two of her
19brothers died fighting on the Transvaal side; one was shot & one died
20of disease: Yes, I always feel more significantly with the Transvaal &
21Freestate than this Colony. This old Bond is a stick in the mud
22
23^?fast of organization; but one must take life as it comes. Good bye my
24love to you all
25
26 Olive Schreiner^
27
28 PS. Do you know Dr. Kolk did not write those poems, but some one else
29who does not at all wish their name known. It was a great surprise to
30me when I found out Have you perhaps got another copy of Songs of the
31Veld you could send me? I want one so much to send to Mrs Malan^’s^
32aunt Mrs. Van Heerden, & I can’t get a copy in Cape Town.
33
34 Good bye again
35 OS
36
37 ^I shall perhaps be going up to Bloemfontein for a week or ten days
38before I return to Hanover in August. I wish the air at Pretoria more
39like the air at Bloemfontein. I have about 12 stories most of them I
40made during the first year of the war. Since the peace all life seems
41to have died out of me.^
42
2 near Frasersburg Rd
3 Cape Colony
4 June 28 / 03.
5
6 Dear Isie
7
8 Thankyou for your long letter & the pleasant messages. Also for the
9magazines I got last night.
10
11 This is a beautiful place to me, very bare, open, Karroo, but the air
12is wonderfully fresh & clear & we can see the far mountains, always on
13every hand. Yesterday my husband came for the day from Cape Town. He
14left again by the afternoon train but it was very nice to see him, it
15makes this place seem more home like. The Le Roux’s are very nice kind
16people & I couldn’t be more comfortable boarding anywhere than here.
17Mrs. Le Roux who was a Miss ?Fütch says she remembers you as a little
18girl at the school at Stellenbosch when she was there: two of her
19brothers died fighting on the Transvaal side; one was shot & one died
20of disease: Yes, I always feel more significantly with the Transvaal &
21Freestate than this Colony. This old Bond is a stick in the mud
22
23^?fast of organization; but one must take life as it comes. Good bye my
24love to you all
25
26 Olive Schreiner^
27
28 PS. Do you know Dr. Kolk did not write those poems, but some one else
29who does not at all wish their name known. It was a great surprise to
30me when I found out Have you perhaps got another copy of Songs of the
31Veld you could send me? I want one so much to send to Mrs Malan^’s^
32aunt Mrs. Van Heerden, & I can’t get a copy in Cape Town.
33
34 Good bye again
35 OS
36
37 ^I shall perhaps be going up to Bloemfontein for a week or ten days
38before I return to Hanover in August. I wish the air at Pretoria more
39like the air at Bloemfontein. I have about 12 stories most of them I
40made during the first year of the war. Since the peace all life seems
41to have died out of me.^
42
Notation
The book referred to is: Anonymous (1902) Songs of the Veld and Other Poems: Reprinted from ‘The New Age’ London: New Age Press.
The book referred to is: Anonymous (1902) Songs of the Veld and Other Poems: Reprinted from ‘The New Age’ London: New Age Press.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/99A |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 30 August 1903 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Aug 30 / 03
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Your letter was sent on to me here. All my heart goes out in love &
7sympathy towards little Sannie. I know what a joy she will be to her
8father & mother. I am so glad to know you are getting on well; but
9please send me a line to say just how you both are. It was such a
10surprise & joy to hear of the coming of your little one.
11
12 I am now in Hanover. I got here a week ago meaning to spend one day
13here & then go on to Bloemfontein, but I got unreadable ill here &
14have not been able to go on. I hope I may be able to go at the end of
15this week. I think Cron will be going up to the Pretoria for a few
16days & will pass Hanover Rd on Saturday the a 5th & it I will join him
17at Hanover Rd & go as far as Bloemfontein. I am staying in bed &
18trying to get better. Our little home is not yet nearly finished; & it
19was a great disappointment to me when I came here as I expected it to
20be quite done. I have just had a letter from Malan’s aunt Mrs Van
21Heerden. Her old father for whom she has kept house & whom she had
22tended for years like a child is dead. I do hope she & Malan will not
23have to leave the farm, that some arrangement will be made by which he
24& his aunt can stay on the farm. I had such a delightful time with the
25dear Le Roux’s at Uitkÿk; it was like being in my ^own^ sister’s house.
26They took me to Prince Albert & we spent a delightful two weeks there
27with the ?Lütys & I got to know a very sweet little woman Mrs Du Toit
28the wife of the Dutch Minister there. She was a Miss Goosen of the
29Free State, & was sent away by the Military. Her sister-in-law Mrs
30Fouchè who was Sophie du Toit, is coming here as the wife of our new
31minister Fouchè.
32
33 I am long so terribly to see my husband. I have only seen him twice in
34the last three months. I am trying to be well to catch the mail train
35on Saturday. It is my heart that is so troublesome. I want to try &
36get a servant in Bloemfontein too.
37
38 Give many kisses to little Sannie. I know what a joy she must be to
39you all.
40
41^I hope I shall see her some day.
42
43 Yours ever
44 Olive^
45
46 ^Please drop me a line to say just how you are.^
47
48
2 Aug 30 / 03
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Your letter was sent on to me here. All my heart goes out in love &
7sympathy towards little Sannie. I know what a joy she will be to her
8father & mother. I am so glad to know you are getting on well; but
9please send me a line to say just how you both are. It was such a
10surprise & joy to hear of the coming of your little one.
11
12 I am now in Hanover. I got here a week ago meaning to spend one day
13here & then go on to Bloemfontein, but I got unreadable ill here &
14have not been able to go on. I hope I may be able to go at the end of
15this week. I think Cron will be going up to the Pretoria for a few
16days & will pass Hanover Rd on Saturday the a 5th & it I will join him
17at Hanover Rd & go as far as Bloemfontein. I am staying in bed &
18trying to get better. Our little home is not yet nearly finished; & it
19was a great disappointment to me when I came here as I expected it to
20be quite done. I have just had a letter from Malan’s aunt Mrs Van
21Heerden. Her old father for whom she has kept house & whom she had
22tended for years like a child is dead. I do hope she & Malan will not
23have to leave the farm, that some arrangement will be made by which he
24& his aunt can stay on the farm. I had such a delightful time with the
25dear Le Roux’s at Uitkÿk; it was like being in my ^own^ sister’s house.
26They took me to Prince Albert & we spent a delightful two weeks there
27with the ?Lütys & I got to know a very sweet little woman Mrs Du Toit
28the wife of the Dutch Minister there. She was a Miss Goosen of the
29Free State, & was sent away by the Military. Her sister-in-law Mrs
30Fouchè who was Sophie du Toit, is coming here as the wife of our new
31minister Fouchè.
32
33 I am long so terribly to see my husband. I have only seen him twice in
34the last three months. I am trying to be well to catch the mail train
35on Saturday. It is my heart that is so troublesome. I want to try &
36get a servant in Bloemfontein too.
37
38 Give many kisses to little Sannie. I know what a joy she must be to
39you all.
40
41^I hope I shall see her some day.
42
43 Yours ever
44 Olive^
45
46 ^Please drop me a line to say just how you are.^
47
48
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/99B |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 22 October 1903 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Oct 22nd 1903
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Its very funny that just this morning as I was thinking that as soon
7as I’d put the dinner on I would write to you, Cron came in with
8post & Sannie’s little box of cherries. Give her a kiss for each
9cherry. They were very sweet coming from that dear old garden in
10Pretoria. That house & garden are the only parts of Pretoria I like
11now.
12
13 How does Sannie grow? Do you know that you owe me two letters? But I
14believe if I had Sannie I shouldn’t write to anyone, I’d be so
15busy over her. We’ve moved into our little house as I told you. But
16I like it so much. It stands just on the out skirts of the town & you
17can see the veld all roun. If you go to Cape Town do, do, do come &
18stay with us for a couple of days on the way. I can get you a nice
19bedroom near to this in the house of my friend Miss Viljoen in whose
20house I had my room during Martial Law; & if you’ll put up with my
21cooking for the sake of giving me pleasure, I’ll be so happy. I’ve
22got a little Bushman girl now of almost 11 who cleans the pots &
23fetches water, & it is such a splendid comfort I’ve even even begun
24to write a little again.
25
26 Public affairs are so sickening to write about. Some people say if you
27get up to the top of the hill what matter whether it be crawling on
28your hands & knees or walking upright. But to me it seems to make a
29great difference. There is some talk of sh Cron’s standing for
30Beaufort West. The leaders of the party wanted Venter & du Vaal to
31stand here, so though Cron had a big majority of voters he with-drew.
32Good bye. Tell me about Sannie.
33
34 Love to you all
35
36 Olive
37
38
2 Oct 22nd 1903
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Its very funny that just this morning as I was thinking that as soon
7as I’d put the dinner on I would write to you, Cron came in with
8post & Sannie’s little box of cherries. Give her a kiss for each
9cherry. They were very sweet coming from that dear old garden in
10Pretoria. That house & garden are the only parts of Pretoria I like
11now.
12
13 How does Sannie grow? Do you know that you owe me two letters? But I
14believe if I had Sannie I shouldn’t write to anyone, I’d be so
15busy over her. We’ve moved into our little house as I told you. But
16I like it so much. It stands just on the out skirts of the town & you
17can see the veld all roun. If you go to Cape Town do, do, do come &
18stay with us for a couple of days on the way. I can get you a nice
19bedroom near to this in the house of my friend Miss Viljoen in whose
20house I had my room during Martial Law; & if you’ll put up with my
21cooking for the sake of giving me pleasure, I’ll be so happy. I’ve
22got a little Bushman girl now of almost 11 who cleans the pots &
23fetches water, & it is such a splendid comfort I’ve even even begun
24to write a little again.
25
26 Public affairs are so sickening to write about. Some people say if you
27get up to the top of the hill what matter whether it be crawling on
28your hands & knees or walking upright. But to me it seems to make a
29great difference. There is some talk of sh Cron’s standing for
30Beaufort West. The leaders of the party wanted Venter & du Vaal to
31stand here, so though Cron had a big majority of voters he with-drew.
32Good bye. Tell me about Sannie.
33
34 Love to you all
35
36 Olive
37
38
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/100 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 30 October 1903 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Oct 30 / 03
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you for the biltong. We get none here now as the soldiers nearly
7exterminated the bucks in this part of the world, so it is specially
8welcome. I would have written to thank you the day before yesterday
9when it came but by my heart has been laying me up again. I write for
10two days & then comes a long spell when I can’t. Cron has written to
11the government & from it we have got permission to take up the bodies
12of our three friends buried at de Aar, & have them buried here at
13Hanover the only condition is that there must be no demonstration at
14the funeral, a condition we shall see is strictly observed. Do a The
15friends of the men are very poor the widow & 6 little children of one
16we have almost entirely to support as she is very ill. The other dear
17old man ^the father of Nieuwhout^ is very old, he works hard to support
18himself & his invalid daughter. I am collecting money to pay for
19fetching the bodies from de Aar, bring them here by train & cart &
20getting coffins &c. I wondered whether it would be possible for your
21husband or any of the friends in the Transvaal to make a small
22contribution. I am sure I can raise all the money here, it will be
23about £216 (sixteen pounds) but if a little were contributed by
24friends in the Transvaal (with or without their names being given ^just^
25as they liked) it would touch the dear old parents & friends here very
26much. But be sure not to send anything if you think it best not. There
27may be objections which I don’t see.
28
29 Do all of you come here if you can. I shall like to meet the two girls
30& shall find them a bed room, perhaps not so close as y at Miss
31Viljoens, which is next house but one to mine, but they won’t mind
32walking a little way. I’ll send 2 carts to the station quite as
33easily as one. I do hope it will have rained by that time, otherwise
34we shall have nothing but meat & rice to offer you. There are I think
35only about two cows in the Hanover district, people have sent all
36their cattle & most of their small stock to the Free State. But butter
37we get up by parcels post from Cape Town! Fruit & vegetables we never
38see & a terrible frost last week killed everything that was beginning
39to sprout in the village gardens – so you mustn’t expect much in
40the way of meat & drink – though ever so much in the way of loving
41welcome. Please write to me some time before you come if you do see
42any chance of breaking your journey here, because letters from the
43Transvaal seem often so delayed. Miss Viljoen is delighted to think
44you will perhaps sleep at her house. Good bye.
45
46 Olive
47
48 ^Give my best love to Ellen Burger. I am always meaning to write her a
49long letter but the time never seems to come.^
50
51
2 Oct 30 / 03
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you for the biltong. We get none here now as the soldiers nearly
7exterminated the bucks in this part of the world, so it is specially
8welcome. I would have written to thank you the day before yesterday
9when it came but by my heart has been laying me up again. I write for
10two days & then comes a long spell when I can’t. Cron has written to
11the government & from it we have got permission to take up the bodies
12of our three friends buried at de Aar, & have them buried here at
13Hanover the only condition is that there must be no demonstration at
14the funeral, a condition we shall see is strictly observed. Do a The
15friends of the men are very poor the widow & 6 little children of one
16we have almost entirely to support as she is very ill. The other dear
17old man ^the father of Nieuwhout^ is very old, he works hard to support
18himself & his invalid daughter. I am collecting money to pay for
19fetching the bodies from de Aar, bring them here by train & cart &
20getting coffins &c. I wondered whether it would be possible for your
21husband or any of the friends in the Transvaal to make a small
22contribution. I am sure I can raise all the money here, it will be
23about £216 (sixteen pounds) but if a little were contributed by
24friends in the Transvaal (with or without their names being given ^just^
25as they liked) it would touch the dear old parents & friends here very
26much. But be sure not to send anything if you think it best not. There
27may be objections which I don’t see.
28
29 Do all of you come here if you can. I shall like to meet the two girls
30& shall find them a bed room, perhaps not so close as y at Miss
31Viljoens, which is next house but one to mine, but they won’t mind
32walking a little way. I’ll send 2 carts to the station quite as
33easily as one. I do hope it will have rained by that time, otherwise
34we shall have nothing but meat & rice to offer you. There are I think
35only about two cows in the Hanover district, people have sent all
36their cattle & most of their small stock to the Free State. But butter
37we get up by parcels post from Cape Town! Fruit & vegetables we never
38see & a terrible frost last week killed everything that was beginning
39to sprout in the village gardens – so you mustn’t expect much in
40the way of meat & drink – though ever so much in the way of loving
41welcome. Please write to me some time before you come if you do see
42any chance of breaking your journey here, because letters from the
43Transvaal seem often so delayed. Miss Viljoen is delighted to think
44you will perhaps sleep at her house. Good bye.
45
46 Olive
47
48 ^Give my best love to Ellen Burger. I am always meaning to write her a
49long letter but the time never seems to come.^
50
51
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/187/100A |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 21 November 1903 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Nov 21st 1903
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Many thanks for your letter & the enclosed cheque. We have changed our
7minds about having the funeral here. We are going to buy the little
8bit of ground in which ?Islow lie, & enclose it, & at some future
9date. I hope it may be before very long set up a large monument to
10them. I have not cashed the cheque till I heard whether you would be
11willing it should be spent on ^buying^ the ground &c. It is now private
12property. No, I can’t go to Gordon’s Bay; Thank you so much for
13wanting me to. But I can’t go close to the sea. I shall however be
14in Cape Town for a couple of days early this next month, staying at
15Mrs. Purcells for three or four days. Is there is any hope of your
16being down there by that time? I want to see Sannie so. You might be
17coming into Town to spend the day with us. I shall only be in ^Cape^
18Town a few days. It would be so nice if I could join your train & go
19down with you. But my going depends on when the committee in Cape Town
20comes to a decision in Cape Town about Cron’s standing for
21Parliament or not. I want to go to Cape Town while he is away visiting
22Prince Albert. If he stands I can’t bear to leave him alone here.
23
24 Good bye dear friend. Greetings to all the good friends at Pretoria.
25
26 Olive Schreiner
27
28
2 Nov 21st 1903
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Many thanks for your letter & the enclosed cheque. We have changed our
7minds about having the funeral here. We are going to buy the little
8bit of ground in which ?Islow lie, & enclose it, & at some future
9date. I hope it may be before very long set up a large monument to
10them. I have not cashed the cheque till I heard whether you would be
11willing it should be spent on ^buying^ the ground &c. It is now private
12property. No, I can’t go to Gordon’s Bay; Thank you so much for
13wanting me to. But I can’t go close to the sea. I shall however be
14in Cape Town for a couple of days early this next month, staying at
15Mrs. Purcells for three or four days. Is there is any hope of your
16being down there by that time? I want to see Sannie so. You might be
17coming into Town to spend the day with us. I shall only be in ^Cape^
18Town a few days. It would be so nice if I could join your train & go
19down with you. But my going depends on when the committee in Cape Town
20comes to a decision in Cape Town about Cron’s standing for
21Parliament or not. I want to go to Cape Town while he is away visiting
22Prince Albert. If he stands I can’t bear to leave him alone here.
23
24 Good bye dear friend. Greetings to all the good friends at Pretoria.
25
26 Olive Schreiner
27
28
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/61 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 9 January 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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Jan 9 / 04
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Do let me have just an answer on enclosed bit of paper as to how you &
7the little ones are. I know it is so impossible for you to write put
8just answers to the enclosed questions. You know you ought never to
9have let us all come & fill the house when you were in such a delicate
10state, with your hands so full. But some how I can’t help being
11anxious especially about Santa. Has she cut her teeth I wonder. We go
12down to parliament on the l before the 10th of March when parliament
13opens. I do wish there was a chance of your all being down at
14Stellenbosch then.
15
16 Good bye, my dear friend
17 Olive
18
19
2 Jan 9 / 04
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Do let me have just an answer on enclosed bit of paper as to how you &
7the little ones are. I know it is so impossible for you to write put
8just answers to the enclosed questions. You know you ought never to
9have let us all come & fill the house when you were in such a delicate
10state, with your hands so full. But some how I can’t help being
11anxious especially about Santa. Has she cut her teeth I wonder. We go
12down to parliament on the l before the 10th of March when parliament
13opens. I do wish there was a chance of your all being down at
14Stellenbosch then.
15
16 Good bye, my dear friend
17 Olive
18
19
Notation
The enclosed questions are no longer attached.
The enclosed questions are no longer attached.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/62 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 12 February 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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Feb 12 / 04
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so glad this morning to get the really beautiful photo of you
7three. It’s so good. Dear little Sannie with her big eyes looks so
8sweet one wants to get hold of her & hug her here a little & her
9mother looks so happy & satisfied. I think this dear little daughter
10is consoling you for all you passed through.
11
12 I was so sorry I couldn’t come to see you at Gordon’s Bay, but I
13dare not go near the sea there, or I have to hurry back up country.
14
15 Cron returned yesterday from Beaufort West. He had been gone 6 weeks &
16a half electioneering, except when hers returned once for two days,
17because the doctors wired for him to come & see me. I didn’t know
18anything about it or I wouldn’t have let him come. It’s so nice to
19have him back. Tomorrow I suppose we shall hear the result of the
20election.
21
22 My little Bushman servant was taken ill with typhoid fever the day I
23returned from Cape Town & three members of her family have died of it
24in the last five weeks, so I’ve had no one in the house all the time
25Cron was away but now I’ve got a little Africander girl of about 12
26to help me, a very nice little thing. I am so glad to have her. Her
27father drinks a great deal & they are very poor with six little
28children; so she is glad to come & I hope she may stay with me. I like
29so to have people about me whom I can realy get to love & feel are
30part of the household.
31
32 I’m so sorry Daisy has no prospect of having a little one very soon,
33but so very glad you all like her husband so much.
34
35 About those men at de Aar for whose funeral you sent the money, –
36Mrs. Nienaber the wife of one of them is going to marry Mr. Nieuwhout
37the father of another of the men who is buried at de Aar, & she wants
38us to wait till the wedding is over before we do anything about
39burying them. The idea is now to buy the bit of ground they are buried
40in at de Aar, & go & have a funeral over their graves, & to get
41General Malan & some of his men to come. You We are having a terrible
42time here with typhoid & a curious type of stomach complaint from
43which I also suffered. Many ^white^ children & four adults, unreadable
44quite a dozen natives have died of the last after being only from six
45to twenty four hours ill, & we have had 23 ^white^ people down with
46typhoid during this month. It makes one think of what the camps must
47have been like. We have four Trained hospital nurses here from Port
48Elizabeth; the doctors wired everywhere to get some more but we could
49not. However its going over now, mine was one of the last cases. They
50think its the water supply that is wrong; but all kinds of new
51diseases seem to inflict us since we had the big military camps here
52just outside the village.
53
54 I see dear old Stead is coming out. I shall be so glad to see him. I
55shouldn’t have thought one could long to see one’s friends as
56I’ve done in the three years I’ve been in Hanover. Except when my
57sister came for one day, I’ve not seen the face of a friend in
58Hanover in all the three years. It’s so off the line that people
59can’t come. When Cron is away I sometimes pass weeks here without
60speaking to a human creature except the little boy who brings the
61wires. It’s rather sad in these little up country Towns now, the
62reaction after the war. Danger & suffering held us all together, &
63founded a great common bond. Now it is the usual little up country
64life, quarreling about the water rates, or the ?school & every man
65fighting for his own hand.
66
67^Much love to you all & good bye. I’m so glad you had such a good
68time in the Boovenland. ^
69
70 Olive
71
72 Did you see my dear friends Miss Molteno & Miss Green & Anna Purcell
73when you were in Town I saw you were at Miss Eloff’s wedding.
74
75
2 Feb 12 / 04
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so glad this morning to get the really beautiful photo of you
7three. It’s so good. Dear little Sannie with her big eyes looks so
8sweet one wants to get hold of her & hug her here a little & her
9mother looks so happy & satisfied. I think this dear little daughter
10is consoling you for all you passed through.
11
12 I was so sorry I couldn’t come to see you at Gordon’s Bay, but I
13dare not go near the sea there, or I have to hurry back up country.
14
15 Cron returned yesterday from Beaufort West. He had been gone 6 weeks &
16a half electioneering, except when hers returned once for two days,
17because the doctors wired for him to come & see me. I didn’t know
18anything about it or I wouldn’t have let him come. It’s so nice to
19have him back. Tomorrow I suppose we shall hear the result of the
20election.
21
22 My little Bushman servant was taken ill with typhoid fever the day I
23returned from Cape Town & three members of her family have died of it
24in the last five weeks, so I’ve had no one in the house all the time
25Cron was away but now I’ve got a little Africander girl of about 12
26to help me, a very nice little thing. I am so glad to have her. Her
27father drinks a great deal & they are very poor with six little
28children; so she is glad to come & I hope she may stay with me. I like
29so to have people about me whom I can realy get to love & feel are
30part of the household.
31
32 I’m so sorry Daisy has no prospect of having a little one very soon,
33but so very glad you all like her husband so much.
34
35 About those men at de Aar for whose funeral you sent the money, –
36Mrs. Nienaber the wife of one of them is going to marry Mr. Nieuwhout
37the father of another of the men who is buried at de Aar, & she wants
38us to wait till the wedding is over before we do anything about
39burying them. The idea is now to buy the bit of ground they are buried
40in at de Aar, & go & have a funeral over their graves, & to get
41General Malan & some of his men to come. You We are having a terrible
42time here with typhoid & a curious type of stomach complaint from
43which I also suffered. Many ^white^ children & four adults, unreadable
44quite a dozen natives have died of the last after being only from six
45to twenty four hours ill, & we have had 23 ^white^ people down with
46typhoid during this month. It makes one think of what the camps must
47have been like. We have four Trained hospital nurses here from Port
48Elizabeth; the doctors wired everywhere to get some more but we could
49not. However its going over now, mine was one of the last cases. They
50think its the water supply that is wrong; but all kinds of new
51diseases seem to inflict us since we had the big military camps here
52just outside the village.
53
54 I see dear old Stead is coming out. I shall be so glad to see him. I
55shouldn’t have thought one could long to see one’s friends as
56I’ve done in the three years I’ve been in Hanover. Except when my
57sister came for one day, I’ve not seen the face of a friend in
58Hanover in all the three years. It’s so off the line that people
59can’t come. When Cron is away I sometimes pass weeks here without
60speaking to a human creature except the little boy who brings the
61wires. It’s rather sad in these little up country Towns now, the
62reaction after the war. Danger & suffering held us all together, &
63founded a great common bond. Now it is the usual little up country
64life, quarreling about the water rates, or the ?school & every man
65fighting for his own hand.
66
67^Much love to you all & good bye. I’m so glad you had such a good
68time in the Boovenland. ^
69
70 Olive
71
72 Did you see my dear friends Miss Molteno & Miss Green & Anna Purcell
73when you were in Town I saw you were at Miss Eloff’s wedding.
74
75
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/63 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 22 February 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. Schreiner was resident in Hanover from September 1900 to October 1907, after 1902 with visits, sometimes fairly lengthy, elsewhere.
|
1
Feb 22 / 04
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 I am leaving this on the 1st for Cape Town. Cron is going down to
6parliament & I am going down with him; but shall probably only stay
7for a few days, as I can’t stand the air there.
8
9 Most of our people are very down spirited. I am not more so than I
10have been for the last two years. I have always seen that these things
11& probably many much worse must happen before the day breaks. I cannot
12think how our leaders can have miscalculated so! It has also seemed to
13me they were living in a fools paradise. Of course things will come
14right in the end: the long long end. We are going to have the funeral
15here on the 21st ^of March^ after all. I have had the coffins made. I am
16sorry I shall not be here. I am buying some crape &c for Mrs. Nienaber
17& the children for that day.
18
19 I wish so very very much I could stand the climate at Pretoria & come
20up to stay with you for a little time. I must try to find some farm
21where I can go n. I wish you were in Town now that I could see Sannie.
22Isn’t she like your husbands mother? It seems so from the
23photograph? Every one says she was such an exceptionally sweet woman.
24
25 Good bye. Greetings to you all.
26 Olive
27
28 Tell your husband his little letter to my husband, & what he said
29about the passing of a redistribution bill here, did ?my ?heart good.
30
31 ^If you write while I am in Cape Town address c/o my husband House of
32Parliament, as I don’t yet know where I shall find a boarding house.
33Mrs. Purcell with whom I always stay is away at the sea side.^
34
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 I am leaving this on the 1st for Cape Town. Cron is going down to
6parliament & I am going down with him; but shall probably only stay
7for a few days, as I can’t stand the air there.
8
9 Most of our people are very down spirited. I am not more so than I
10have been for the last two years. I have always seen that these things
11& probably many much worse must happen before the day breaks. I cannot
12think how our leaders can have miscalculated so! It has also seemed to
13me they were living in a fools paradise. Of course things will come
14right in the end: the long long end. We are going to have the funeral
15here on the 21st ^of March^ after all. I have had the coffins made. I am
16sorry I shall not be here. I am buying some crape &c for Mrs. Nienaber
17& the children for that day.
18
19 I wish so very very much I could stand the climate at Pretoria & come
20up to stay with you for a little time. I must try to find some farm
21where I can go n. I wish you were in Town now that I could see Sannie.
22Isn’t she like your husbands mother? It seems so from the
23photograph? Every one says she was such an exceptionally sweet woman.
24
25 Good bye. Greetings to you all.
26 Olive
27
28 Tell your husband his little letter to my husband, & what he said
29about the passing of a redistribution bill here, did ?my ?heart good.
30
31 ^If you write while I am in Cape Town address c/o my husband House of
32Parliament, as I don’t yet know where I shall find a boarding house.
33Mrs. Purcell with whom I always stay is away at the sea side.^
34
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/64 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 19 June 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.
|
1
Hanover
2 June 19 / 04
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I hope you will see my husband, he is in Pretoria now I think. It was
7such a happy happy time to me in Cape Town with my dear friends Dr. &
8Mrs. Purcell & their little boy. They were living quite close to the
9boarding house where I stayed at Tamboer’s Kloof. I was not able to
10go to Stellenbosch. I went to Wellington once for a day, & that made
11my chest so bad I did not venture on Stellenbosch. It seems I am never
12to see it. In Tamboers Kloof I am always quite fit. I saw old Stead
13when he was there. It’s strange that even the pro-Boers don’t seem
14really to understand us.
15
16 I hope little Sannie is doing very well. General Malan spent 5 very
17delightful days with us at Cape Town. He is absorbed in his farming.
18He’s a splendid fellow I wish I could have come to Pretoria too &
19have seen you all & little Sannie Good bye, dear Isie
20
21 Olive
22
23 ^Did I ever tell you what a comfort that biltong you sent me was to me
24when there was so much typhoid here? I used to give it to the people
25when they were getting well & were very weak. I was almost the only
26person who had biltong in the village, & it did many folks good.^
27
28
2 June 19 / 04
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I hope you will see my husband, he is in Pretoria now I think. It was
7such a happy happy time to me in Cape Town with my dear friends Dr. &
8Mrs. Purcell & their little boy. They were living quite close to the
9boarding house where I stayed at Tamboer’s Kloof. I was not able to
10go to Stellenbosch. I went to Wellington once for a day, & that made
11my chest so bad I did not venture on Stellenbosch. It seems I am never
12to see it. In Tamboers Kloof I am always quite fit. I saw old Stead
13when he was there. It’s strange that even the pro-Boers don’t seem
14really to understand us.
15
16 I hope little Sannie is doing very well. General Malan spent 5 very
17delightful days with us at Cape Town. He is absorbed in his farming.
18He’s a splendid fellow I wish I could have come to Pretoria too &
19have seen you all & little Sannie Good bye, dear Isie
20
21 Olive
22
23 ^Did I ever tell you what a comfort that biltong you sent me was to me
24when there was so much typhoid here? I used to give it to the people
25when they were getting well & were very weak. I was almost the only
26person who had biltong in the village, & it did many folks good.^
27
28
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/65 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 22 July 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.
|
1
Hanover
2 July 22nd 1904
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so glad to get your letter with its good news of little Sannie &
7all the rest of you, except poor Daisy. I wish I had known she was in
8Tamboer’s Kloof I would certainly have gone to see her often.
9
10 Our old President is gone! I had no idea I would feel his death so
11much as I did. Botha’s few words on him as reported in the papers
12were I thought very fine. Yes, we will keep silence. I wish I could
13come to Pretoria to his funeral.
14
15 Cron only stayed a few hours in Pretoria, did not even sleep one night
16there so had no time to come & see you. Thank you very much for having
17meant to send me the oranges & lemons. I told him to buy me some up
18there: but he forgot in all the business & worry of Johannesburg. We
19can now easily get things from the station as the poor men here have
20now got waggons & mules, but the pity is that now they have the
21waggons & teams there are no goods to carry as traid here as
22everywhere else is very slack: & there is no money. We paying for the
23war in a new way. Cron is away from home again down in Cape Town on
24business & I & my little Kaffir boy of nine years old are here alone.
25Did I tell you I’d got him from the reformatory in Cape Town. He
26can’t do much in the way of work, but he carries in the coals for me
27& cleans the pots which saves me a great deal, & he is a dear little
28fellow. It is so nice to have a little loving human being about the
29house as Cron is away all day. If you have Sannie’s photograph taken
30again please send me one.
31
32 My dear friends Miss Molteno & Miss Greene are going to England this
33week, & may be away for more than a year. Though I so seldom see them
34it will be a great loss to me. I like to know they are in Africa; I
35have so few friends here. All my old English friends in South Africa I
36have lost, & one doesn’t make new ones in their place. The only one
37of my
38
39^old friends who has stuck to me through all is Lady Innes, & I feel
40grateful to her for it. Though there isn’t much sympathy between us
41now our ideas on the public affairs in this country are so different.
42You & your husband & the Purcells & Miss Molteno & Miss Greene are
43nearly the only friends I have in South Africa, unless I enclude
44General Malan & his sweet & beautiful aunt. Did I tell you Malan spent
45a few days with us in Cape Town. I always have such a wish he could
46meet your sister Ella & they could fall in love with each other. But
47these things never turn out as you wish: & it is a mistake ever to try
48to make them! Good. bye. Give little Sannie a kiss for me. ^
49
50 Olive Schreiner
51
52 ^Did I tell you that when we reburied the men from de Aar here, all the
53flesh was quite gone from the bones, but the ropes were there still
54undecayed tied round the bones of the arms & legs; & there were still
55bits of the chairs to which they were tied when they were thrown into
56the holes. There were over 1000 people at the funeral.^
57
58
2 July 22nd 1904
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I was so glad to get your letter with its good news of little Sannie &
7all the rest of you, except poor Daisy. I wish I had known she was in
8Tamboer’s Kloof I would certainly have gone to see her often.
9
10 Our old President is gone! I had no idea I would feel his death so
11much as I did. Botha’s few words on him as reported in the papers
12were I thought very fine. Yes, we will keep silence. I wish I could
13come to Pretoria to his funeral.
14
15 Cron only stayed a few hours in Pretoria, did not even sleep one night
16there so had no time to come & see you. Thank you very much for having
17meant to send me the oranges & lemons. I told him to buy me some up
18there: but he forgot in all the business & worry of Johannesburg. We
19can now easily get things from the station as the poor men here have
20now got waggons & mules, but the pity is that now they have the
21waggons & teams there are no goods to carry as traid here as
22everywhere else is very slack: & there is no money. We paying for the
23war in a new way. Cron is away from home again down in Cape Town on
24business & I & my little Kaffir boy of nine years old are here alone.
25Did I tell you I’d got him from the reformatory in Cape Town. He
26can’t do much in the way of work, but he carries in the coals for me
27& cleans the pots which saves me a great deal, & he is a dear little
28fellow. It is so nice to have a little loving human being about the
29house as Cron is away all day. If you have Sannie’s photograph taken
30again please send me one.
31
32 My dear friends Miss Molteno & Miss Greene are going to England this
33week, & may be away for more than a year. Though I so seldom see them
34it will be a great loss to me. I like to know they are in Africa; I
35have so few friends here. All my old English friends in South Africa I
36have lost, & one doesn’t make new ones in their place. The only one
37of my
38
39^old friends who has stuck to me through all is Lady Innes, & I feel
40grateful to her for it. Though there isn’t much sympathy between us
41now our ideas on the public affairs in this country are so different.
42You & your husband & the Purcells & Miss Molteno & Miss Greene are
43nearly the only friends I have in South Africa, unless I enclude
44General Malan & his sweet & beautiful aunt. Did I tell you Malan spent
45a few days with us in Cape Town. I always have such a wish he could
46meet your sister Ella & they could fall in love with each other. But
47these things never turn out as you wish: & it is a mistake ever to try
48to make them! Good. bye. Give little Sannie a kiss for me. ^
49
50 Olive Schreiner
51
52 ^Did I tell you that when we reburied the men from de Aar here, all the
53flesh was quite gone from the bones, but the ropes were there still
54undecayed tied round the bones of the arms & legs; & there were still
55bits of the chairs to which they were tied when they were thrown into
56the holes. There were over 1000 people at the funeral.^
57
58
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/66 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 3 September 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.
|
1
Hanover
2 September 3rd 1904
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Just the day after the beautiful fruit arrived I had to start off on a
7long journey to fetch my dear old fathers remains to rest by my
8mothers in Cape Town. I only returned the day pefore before yesterday.
9I took a bag full of the fruit with me, & we enjoyed it much. You can
10get plenty of oranges here but such wretched little sour things, only
11good for cooking. I have still some of the nartjes quite quite good,
12only dry.
13
14 Thank you very much dear Isie for writing me for the 16th of December.
15I don’t know when I have wished so much for anything as to be there.
16But is it true that cheap ticket will be given by the English
17government costing only £1 return from Stellenbosch & Cape Town? In
18that case I shall not be able to come, as the trains will be too
19crowded & I My heart is a bit bad now & I shouldn’t be any good when
20I got there if I came in a crush with no place place to lie down. It
21doesn’t seem to me likely that the British Government should try to
22collect thousands & thousands of Africanders in Pretoria on that date,
23but it may be so! Please let me know if your husband knows anything of
24the matter, as everyone here is very anxious to hear the truth. Thank
25you so much dear Isie for offering the room & to pay my expenses but I
26fear I shant be able to come but I think my husband will unreadable
27try to. That funeral seems to me so much more than a funeral. It
28should be a testimony that the love of freedom which lived in the old
29man’s heart is not really buried with him but lives on in the hearts
30of the thousands of South Africans who follow his remains.
31
32 Next Thursday ^Tuesday^ I leave for Cape Town to attend the re-burial of
33my dear old fathers remains beside my mother’s; whom he always loved
34so tenderly & devotedly. I & my sister felt we couldn’t rest till he
35was sleeping beside her. He would have wished it so. I shall not stay
36in Cape Town very long, & Cron will send on all my letters to me at once.
37 So just address here.
38
39 Thank you so much for the picture of little Sannie. She looks
40splendidly strong & happy. I don’t mean only physically strong, but
41she has such a strong little face, in her picture, mentally as well.
42When I was in Eastern Province I meet some old friends English farmers
43who fought all through the war on the English side. They are very
44bitter, one & all, at the way they have been treated, much more bitter
45than the Dutch; & they all say without exception "Never will we take
46up a gun for the British Government again." It was rather interesting
47to be among them. I think it is so well that Jameson & his party are
48in power now: they are wonderful educators. I should like very much to
49meet Botha & de la Rey. One would see all our leading people if one
50came up to the funeral.
51
52 // I am so glad Daisy has a little one. Perhaps she will get quite
53strong now. Much love to you
54
55 Olive Schreiner
56
57
2 September 3rd 1904
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Just the day after the beautiful fruit arrived I had to start off on a
7long journey to fetch my dear old fathers remains to rest by my
8mothers in Cape Town. I only returned the day pefore before yesterday.
9I took a bag full of the fruit with me, & we enjoyed it much. You can
10get plenty of oranges here but such wretched little sour things, only
11good for cooking. I have still some of the nartjes quite quite good,
12only dry.
13
14 Thank you very much dear Isie for writing me for the 16th of December.
15I don’t know when I have wished so much for anything as to be there.
16But is it true that cheap ticket will be given by the English
17government costing only £1 return from Stellenbosch & Cape Town? In
18that case I shall not be able to come, as the trains will be too
19crowded & I My heart is a bit bad now & I shouldn’t be any good when
20I got there if I came in a crush with no place place to lie down. It
21doesn’t seem to me likely that the British Government should try to
22collect thousands & thousands of Africanders in Pretoria on that date,
23but it may be so! Please let me know if your husband knows anything of
24the matter, as everyone here is very anxious to hear the truth. Thank
25you so much dear Isie for offering the room & to pay my expenses but I
26fear I shant be able to come but I think my husband will unreadable
27try to. That funeral seems to me so much more than a funeral. It
28should be a testimony that the love of freedom which lived in the old
29man’s heart is not really buried with him but lives on in the hearts
30of the thousands of South Africans who follow his remains.
31
32 Next Thursday ^Tuesday^ I leave for Cape Town to attend the re-burial of
33my dear old fathers remains beside my mother’s; whom he always loved
34so tenderly & devotedly. I & my sister felt we couldn’t rest till he
35was sleeping beside her. He would have wished it so. I shall not stay
36in Cape Town very long, & Cron will send on all my letters to me at once.
37 So just address here.
38
39 Thank you so much for the picture of little Sannie. She looks
40splendidly strong & happy. I don’t mean only physically strong, but
41she has such a strong little face, in her picture, mentally as well.
42When I was in Eastern Province I meet some old friends English farmers
43who fought all through the war on the English side. They are very
44bitter, one & all, at the way they have been treated, much more bitter
45than the Dutch; & they all say without exception "Never will we take
46up a gun for the British Government again." It was rather interesting
47to be among them. I think it is so well that Jameson & his party are
48in power now: they are wonderful educators. I should like very much to
49meet Botha & de la Rey. One would see all our leading people if one
50came up to the funeral.
51
52 // I am so glad Daisy has a little one. Perhaps she will get quite
53strong now. Much love to you
54
55 Olive Schreiner
56
57
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/67 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 1 October 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. Schreiner was resident in Hanover from September 1900 to October 1907, after 1902 with visits, sometimes fairly lengthy, elsewhere.
|
1
Oct 1st 1904
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 Two dear old friends of mine Dr & Mrs Brown have just arrived in Natal
6to visit their daughter there. They are strong pro-Boer, & have
7suffered much for their views in England. They are old friends of the
8Steyns. Dr Brown has now retired from his pro profession, & they have
9come back to visit South Africa, where he practiced as a Doctor for
10some years as a doct in the Frazerburg district. Mrs Brown is South
11African (a cousin of Judge Solomon’s) & as all her family are very
12strong on the Jingo side she has been much divided from them. You
13would all love them so much if you knew them. They talk of visiting
14the Transvaal soon & then coming on to Hanover to stay with us for
15some time. I am writing to you about them because if they come to
16Pretoria I want you so much to see them, & perhaps you could introduce
17them to some of our friends there. Could you drop them a line perhaps
18to their daughter’s address (Mrs Brown, care Mrs Dick, St Thomas’s
19Rd, Durban, ^Natal^) asking them to let you know when they come to
20Pretoria so you can meet. They are such beautiful, simple, lovable
21souls, & know how much you & your husband would like to see them, or I
22wouldn’t ask you to take the trouble.
23
24 I hope Sannie is still growing & thriving. It would be so nice to see
25you all. My dear husband is well & sends many greetings.
26
27 Yours ever
28 Olive Schreiner
29
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 Two dear old friends of mine Dr & Mrs Brown have just arrived in Natal
6to visit their daughter there. They are strong pro-Boer, & have
7suffered much for their views in England. They are old friends of the
8Steyns. Dr Brown has now retired from his pro profession, & they have
9come back to visit South Africa, where he practiced as a Doctor for
10some years as a doct in the Frazerburg district. Mrs Brown is South
11African (a cousin of Judge Solomon’s) & as all her family are very
12strong on the Jingo side she has been much divided from them. You
13would all love them so much if you knew them. They talk of visiting
14the Transvaal soon & then coming on to Hanover to stay with us for
15some time. I am writing to you about them because if they come to
16Pretoria I want you so much to see them, & perhaps you could introduce
17them to some of our friends there. Could you drop them a line perhaps
18to their daughter’s address (Mrs Brown, care Mrs Dick, St Thomas’s
19Rd, Durban, ^Natal^) asking them to let you know when they come to
20Pretoria so you can meet. They are such beautiful, simple, lovable
21souls, & know how much you & your husband would like to see them, or I
22wouldn’t ask you to take the trouble.
23
24 I hope Sannie is still growing & thriving. It would be so nice to see
25you all. My dear husband is well & sends many greetings.
26
27 Yours ever
28 Olive Schreiner
29
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/68 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 31 October 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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Oct 31st 1904
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 We will both accept your kind invitation & come up to the funeral if
7you are quite sure you can make room for us. I don’t know why I have
8such a curious wish to be there; it’s long since I wanted anything
9so much. I know what crowds there will be in the trains & how now more
10dead than alive one will get there, & yet I mean to come; I really
11don’t know why! because absolutely one will see nothing but a big
12big crowd swarming about every where, & I have seen so many. It’s an
13idea I suppose. We have had a little nice rain here; not enough to
14make anything green yet, but enough to lay the dust & put a little
15hope into many of our poor farmer’s hearts. I am so glad your mother
16will be there: I have wanted to meet her, but it seems I shall never
17get as far as Stellenbosch. Will Ella be there too? I hope so. This is
18just a line to tell you
19
20^that if you are quite sure you can have us we are coming. Yours with a
21kiss for little Sannie ^
22 Olive
23
24
2 Oct 31st 1904
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 We will both accept your kind invitation & come up to the funeral if
7you are quite sure you can make room for us. I don’t know why I have
8such a curious wish to be there; it’s long since I wanted anything
9so much. I know what crowds there will be in the trains & how now more
10dead than alive one will get there, & yet I mean to come; I really
11don’t know why! because absolutely one will see nothing but a big
12big crowd swarming about every where, & I have seen so many. It’s an
13idea I suppose. We have had a little nice rain here; not enough to
14make anything green yet, but enough to lay the dust & put a little
15hope into many of our poor farmer’s hearts. I am so glad your mother
16will be there: I have wanted to meet her, but it seems I shall never
17get as far as Stellenbosch. Will Ella be there too? I hope so. This is
18just a line to tell you
19
20^that if you are quite sure you can have us we are coming. Yours with a
21kiss for little Sannie ^
22 Olive
23
24
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/69 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 20 November 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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Nov 20th 1904
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 No, I wouldn’t think of letting you pay for my coming up; it is good
7enough of you to be willing to give me a room when every place will be
8so crowded. If you can give me us even that outside room Mr. Roos had
9it would be quite right. I shall only be able to stay the one day I
10fear. Cron says I am mad to think of going that I want to be buried on
11the same day as Oom Paul! But I mean to come; even if I can only stay
12the one day. I want so much to see Botha & de la Ray. It’s perhaps
13the only chance I shall ever have. I cat I can’t get a cart to take
14me over to the station when the train passes with the body as everyone
15wants their own carts & won’t even let me hire one for 40/-
16shillings. But there’ll be such a crowd, I don’t suppose I should
17be able to get near the train if I went. I do hope little Sannie is
18quite better again. It is this awful drought that makes everyone feel
19so bad. We are always watching the sky, but the clouds come & melt
20without any rain. I hope Ella will be able to come to Pretoria after
21all. Love to you
22
23 Olive Schreiner
24
25
2 Nov 20th 1904
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 No, I wouldn’t think of letting you pay for my coming up; it is good
7enough of you to be willing to give me a room when every place will be
8so crowded. If you can give me us even that outside room Mr. Roos had
9it would be quite right. I shall only be able to stay the one day I
10fear. Cron says I am mad to think of going that I want to be buried on
11the same day as Oom Paul! But I mean to come; even if I can only stay
12the one day. I want so much to see Botha & de la Ray. It’s perhaps
13the only chance I shall ever have. I cat I can’t get a cart to take
14me over to the station when the train passes with the body as everyone
15wants their own carts & won’t even let me hire one for 40/-
16shillings. But there’ll be such a crowd, I don’t suppose I should
17be able to get near the train if I went. I do hope little Sannie is
18quite better again. It is this awful drought that makes everyone feel
19so bad. We are always watching the sky, but the clouds come & melt
20without any rain. I hope Ella will be able to come to Pretoria after
21all. Love to you
22
23 Olive Schreiner
24
25
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.
|
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.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/70A |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 26 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. Although Schreiner has written on 1907 as the year of this letter, content shows it is clearly 1904.
|
1
Hanover
2 Dec 26 / 07
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 You will have wondered at not having heard from me, but since I came
7home I have been ill, & in Johannesburg the four days I spent there I
8was so over run with visitors I had not one second. Twenty minutes
9before the train started I had to ask some people to leave that I
10might pack my things.
11
12 I can’t thank you enough for the very, very, happy time I had with
13you. It is years since I felt so strong & well & enjoyed any holiday
14so much. The only draw back was that little Santa was not well enough
15for me to romp with her, & the thought that it couldn’t be good for
16you to have that great house full of us in your delicate state. I
17think you stood it all just wonderfully. I always feel a woman ought
18to have six weeks of perfect quite & rest after the birth of her baby,
19just to think of it & enjoy it, & nothing else. I wonder if you could
20spare the time, or get Mary Reitz just to send me a post card to say
21how you all are. I shall be so glad to heart Santa’s teeth are
22through. I keep seeing her face with its big blue eyes, & it’s
23wonderful little smile. I wonder if she is so beautiful when she is
24well! Please give my love to your dear mother if she is still with you.
25 I shall certainly go to Stellenbosch just to have the pleasure of
26seeing her again. I should like to know more of Garfield too. He looks
27to me almost as interesting as Ella, but I had no chance of talking
28with him. It’s so beautiful to me that the quite young generation of
29Africanders seems growing up with so much promise. Garfields face is
30like Ellas; its the face of someone who really can think. Most people
31just live without thinking. I spent an afternoon at Johannesburg with
32Malan’s parents. His sister is such a beautiful girl, strong & sweet
33in character, exactly like her brother. All the sons & daughters
34resemble the mother who is a very fine woman. The father is quite
35common place, & one wonders how he comes to have such remarkable
36children till you see the mother. I had a very very happy time in
37Johannesburg too, but didn’t get to Roodepoort to see my little name
38sake. I am afraid the child will be disappointed as I promised to go,
39but I had not a moment to spare. We had a very trying journey down:
40not a place to lie down in, over 230 passengers on the train, & not
41one mouthful of food to be got from the time I left Johannesburg at 8.
4220. one evening till I got to Hanover Rd at 8.10 the next. Except some
43soda water which I got out of the train & bought at Bloemfontein. The
44unreadable passengers ate up all the food on the train, before we
45could get any. When we got to Hanover Rd the cart I had ordered had
46gone back again, would not wait as the train was some hours late, & I
47had to sit out on the platform till half past ten the next morning.
48But all the rest of the journey was so delightful I am very thankful I
49went. Please tell your mother Mrs. Malan is going to have a photograph
50of her sons taken for me & sh & I will send her one with all their
51names written below. The youngest was only 14 when he joined at the
52beginning of the war & all the brother’s fought to the end. The old
53lady is so proud of them, & well she may be! All good & loving wishes
54for you all for the new year.
55
56 Olive.
57
58 ^Malan of Ons Land got into the train at Bloemfontein but I was so
59tired & there were so many people I couldn’t look for him. His wife
60is a very sweet woman: you would like her much. I wish you would be
61down at Stellenbosch when parliament meets. Is there any chance of
62your being down there?^
63
64
65
2 Dec 26 / 07
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 You will have wondered at not having heard from me, but since I came
7home I have been ill, & in Johannesburg the four days I spent there I
8was so over run with visitors I had not one second. Twenty minutes
9before the train started I had to ask some people to leave that I
10might pack my things.
11
12 I can’t thank you enough for the very, very, happy time I had with
13you. It is years since I felt so strong & well & enjoyed any holiday
14so much. The only draw back was that little Santa was not well enough
15for me to romp with her, & the thought that it couldn’t be good for
16you to have that great house full of us in your delicate state. I
17think you stood it all just wonderfully. I always feel a woman ought
18to have six weeks of perfect quite & rest after the birth of her baby,
19just to think of it & enjoy it, & nothing else. I wonder if you could
20spare the time, or get Mary Reitz just to send me a post card to say
21how you all are. I shall be so glad to heart Santa’s teeth are
22through. I keep seeing her face with its big blue eyes, & it’s
23wonderful little smile. I wonder if she is so beautiful when she is
24well! Please give my love to your dear mother if she is still with you.
25 I shall certainly go to Stellenbosch just to have the pleasure of
26seeing her again. I should like to know more of Garfield too. He looks
27to me almost as interesting as Ella, but I had no chance of talking
28with him. It’s so beautiful to me that the quite young generation of
29Africanders seems growing up with so much promise. Garfields face is
30like Ellas; its the face of someone who really can think. Most people
31just live without thinking. I spent an afternoon at Johannesburg with
32Malan’s parents. His sister is such a beautiful girl, strong & sweet
33in character, exactly like her brother. All the sons & daughters
34resemble the mother who is a very fine woman. The father is quite
35common place, & one wonders how he comes to have such remarkable
36children till you see the mother. I had a very very happy time in
37Johannesburg too, but didn’t get to Roodepoort to see my little name
38sake. I am afraid the child will be disappointed as I promised to go,
39but I had not a moment to spare. We had a very trying journey down:
40not a place to lie down in, over 230 passengers on the train, & not
41one mouthful of food to be got from the time I left Johannesburg at 8.
4220. one evening till I got to Hanover Rd at 8.10 the next. Except some
43soda water which I got out of the train & bought at Bloemfontein. The
44unreadable passengers ate up all the food on the train, before we
45could get any. When we got to Hanover Rd the cart I had ordered had
46gone back again, would not wait as the train was some hours late, & I
47had to sit out on the platform till half past ten the next morning.
48But all the rest of the journey was so delightful I am very thankful I
49went. Please tell your mother Mrs. Malan is going to have a photograph
50of her sons taken for me & sh & I will send her one with all their
51names written below. The youngest was only 14 when he joined at the
52beginning of the war & all the brother’s fought to the end. The old
53lady is so proud of them, & well she may be! All good & loving wishes
54for you all for the new year.
55
56 Olive.
57
58 ^Malan of Ons Land got into the train at Bloemfontein but I was so
59tired & there were so many people I couldn’t look for him. His wife
60is a very sweet woman: you would like her much. I wish you would be
61down at Stellenbosch when parliament meets. Is there any chance of
62your being down there?^
63
64
65
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/71 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 1905 |
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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. The name of the addressee is indicated by content. Schreiner was resident in Hanover from September 1900 to October 1907, after 1902 with visits, sometimes fairly lengthy, elsewhere. The place the letter was sent from is provided by content.
|
1
Do you know two things you said to me at Pretoria were a comfort to me.
2 One was that you mentioned something about the different relation one
3had to have ^for^ to people since the war. It has distressed me so much
4that the people who were everything to me during the whole war, more
5than my brothers & sisters when I had to try & help to get them out of
6prison, or to help them get food, seem nothing to me now, & I am
7nothing to them. They pass me in the street almost without saying good
8morning. I sometimes feel there must be some fault in me that it is so.
9 But perhaps we are all feeling the same! We were all like
10ship-wrecked people on a raft at sea together, now we have landed &
11each one falls back into his own line of life, & the bond that held us
12together is gone!
13
14 The other thing was that you said something that made me fancy see you
15& your husband knew about the miserable things some of our own people
16(at least Africander people) are saying about the Generals, about
17their taking all the money & not giving it away &c, &c. It has made me
18more angry than anything that ever happened in the war, when they
19speak so of all the Generals but especially of your husband. I have
20often wondered if he knew about it, & yet I couldn’t write to him
21about it, because I myself hate so much to hear anything unloving
22people say of me. You have to forgive them, & sometimes it hurts & is
23hard to do so. Yet I often had a feeling I ought to write & tell your
24husband. After all one mustn’t feel these things. That it has been
25given them to be leaders in a great cause, is matter for much
26gratitude, that nothing that can be said or done should touch them.
27This bitterness of attitude towards their leaders; & the desire of
28each man to be first, seem to me the things we really have to fear in
29the future of our people. It seems to me the motto of our Africander
30or South African nation should be the little line I wrote in your
31sisters album, "And he that is greatest among you let him be as the
32servant of all." It’s the finest text in the bible I always think.
33
34 Well, you are having a very ?long letter this morning, dear Isie, but
35I am writing it in between, while I run into the kitchen every now &
36then to stir the ?leen brad & the sheep tail I am melting out on the
37stove; & now it is time to set the table for dinner.
38
39 We are going to have some of the apricots your mother sent me from
40Stellenbosch for dinner too. Good bye. Don’t forget just to answer
41my questions, & just to close the envelope & send it to the post. I
42know it must be quite impossible for you to write letters now with the
43two babies. How rich you are, dear!! Health, & children & true friends
44seem to me always the only wealth one has really any joy out of. I
45haven’t the two first, but I have the last if ever a person had.
46Give our affectionate greetings to your husband.
47
48 Olive
49
50
51
2 One was that you mentioned something about the different relation one
3had to have ^for^ to people since the war. It has distressed me so much
4that the people who were everything to me during the whole war, more
5than my brothers & sisters when I had to try & help to get them out of
6prison, or to help them get food, seem nothing to me now, & I am
7nothing to them. They pass me in the street almost without saying good
8morning. I sometimes feel there must be some fault in me that it is so.
9 But perhaps we are all feeling the same! We were all like
10ship-wrecked people on a raft at sea together, now we have landed &
11each one falls back into his own line of life, & the bond that held us
12together is gone!
13
14 The other thing was that you said something that made me fancy see you
15& your husband knew about the miserable things some of our own people
16(at least Africander people) are saying about the Generals, about
17their taking all the money & not giving it away &c, &c. It has made me
18more angry than anything that ever happened in the war, when they
19speak so of all the Generals but especially of your husband. I have
20often wondered if he knew about it, & yet I couldn’t write to him
21about it, because I myself hate so much to hear anything unloving
22people say of me. You have to forgive them, & sometimes it hurts & is
23hard to do so. Yet I often had a feeling I ought to write & tell your
24husband. After all one mustn’t feel these things. That it has been
25given them to be leaders in a great cause, is matter for much
26gratitude, that nothing that can be said or done should touch them.
27This bitterness of attitude towards their leaders; & the desire of
28each man to be first, seem to me the things we really have to fear in
29the future of our people. It seems to me the motto of our Africander
30or South African nation should be the little line I wrote in your
31sisters album, "And he that is greatest among you let him be as the
32servant of all." It’s the finest text in the bible I always think.
33
34 Well, you are having a very ?long letter this morning, dear Isie, but
35I am writing it in between, while I run into the kitchen every now &
36then to stir the ?leen brad & the sheep tail I am melting out on the
37stove; & now it is time to set the table for dinner.
38
39 We are going to have some of the apricots your mother sent me from
40Stellenbosch for dinner too. Good bye. Don’t forget just to answer
41my questions, & just to close the envelope & send it to the post. I
42know it must be quite impossible for you to write letters now with the
43two babies. How rich you are, dear!! Health, & children & true friends
44seem to me always the only wealth one has really any joy out of. I
45haven’t the two first, but I have the last if ever a person had.
46Give our affectionate greetings to your husband.
47
48 Olive
49
50
51
Notation
The Biblical quote seems to be a version of Luke 22, verse 26.
The Biblical quote seems to be a version of Luke 22, verse 26.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/72 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 13 May 1905 |
Address From | Eastbergholt, Tamboer?s Kloof Road, Gardens, Cape Town, Western 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.
|
1
Eastbergholt
2 Tamboer’s Kloof Rd
3 Tamboer’s Kloof
4 May 13th 1905
5
6 My dear Isie
7
8 Nearly every day for months I’ve been meaning to write to you but
9I’ve not been writing to any one of late. I am better now again. I
10hope I may still get over to Stellenbosch to see your mother before I
11leave. I am so sorry to hear Daisy’s little baby is gone. I am so
12glad to have her address. I am writing to her. I will go & see her if
13she can’t come to see me.
14
15 Thank you so much for the beautiful tin of biscuits you sent me. I
16thought as they came from Stellenbosch they were from your mother; but
17when I wrote to her she said they were from you. We still had some to
18eat in the train on the way down. I am so glad to hear of little Santa
19running about & doing mischief – no doubt she doesn’t look so much
20like an angel as when I saw her – but that’s better!
21
22 I sent you a letter yesterday in the news. I wasn’t well enough to
23re-writ revise or reread the proofs & there are a lot of
24printers-errors as in "Forges Valley" for "Valley Forge" &c but it
25doesn’t matter. My husband has just returned from Hanover where he
26had to be for a couple of weeks on business. We shall go up four ^weeks^
27few from to-day I expect. I have not got Cato’s photo yet. I shall
28never forget the surprise she gave me when I saw her in your arms!!! I
29want to ask you a question Isie: of course you need not answer it
30unless you feel you can, & like to just take no notice of it. When I
31was in Pretoria you said something to me about people saying I only
32liked unreadable de Wet & not Botha or de la Ray. I didn’t have time
33to ask you more then as the nurse came in, & the next day I left. But
34someone from Bloemfontein told me the same thing, that I had said de
35Wet was the only real general, that Botha & de la Rey were no generals!
36 – can you think of anything so mad! – & they wouldn’t tell me
37the name of the person who had told them! I had said: If you could
38tell me who told you I should be very glad, because I am in my own
39mind thinking it is a certain person who did it deliberately from spite
40& I don’t like to think so of any one; & may be quite unjust to them.
41 And it’s bad to feel you may be unjust to any one. I’m sure its
42no Dutch Africander; that I know. Not only have the greatest
43admiration for all the the three generals but I really am not in a
44position to say which was the best general. If I had to chose a great
45head general for a war out of the three I should probably chose de la
46Ray. But I realy have no means of judging as under martial law I never
47even saw the papers, & to determine which was the greatest you would
48have to know the exactly the difficulties each one had to contend with,
49 & the relative means at his disposal. de la Rays men all say he was
50best, Bothas men that he was, de Wets that he was! And I don’t
51believe any of us knows!!
52
53 Of course personally I have a feeling for de Wet I can’t have for
54the others because I know him personally & have had long talks with
55him, & I’ve never exchanged one word with either of the others &
56only shacken hands once. Just as I love your husband better than all
57three, not because I say he is always a greater leader but because he
58is my friend. It always seems so small to me, this drawing comparisons
59between men who have to the last of their power fought for their own
60country. I no more believe all the lies told by Africanders about
61Botha & de la Ray having taken the money that ought to have gone to
62the people than I believe the story that your husband walked off with
63£25,000 which he has kept for himself. A student of history knows
64that is always from the hands of the people for whom a man has
65sacrificed himself & risked all that he receives the hardest blows. I
66have never felt any thing that the Jingoes said of me in the
67very least but when Dutch Africanders have come to me & demanded money
68from me, & when I said I really hadn’t any more to give, have said
69that of the thousands I got from the Transvaal government for writing
70for them before the war & since, I ought to have plenty to give them
71– I have felt a little pained. Oh Only the other day before I left
72Hanover a rich Boer woman flaunted into my little room & began talking
73of the money I had made out of the Trans-vaal & by show being on the
74Africander side. You know you can’t answer such people – you just
75let them talk on. You can’t answer such people. Not only did I lose
76all the little I had in Johannesburg & have my little house ^in
77Kimberley^ blown to pieces with boems boms & looted by the English
78between the many so that I was left without a penny in the world,
79but even the money with which my husband went to England to speak for
80the Republics was given him by an Englishman relation of mine who did
81not wish his name mentioned, but every act of kindness & consideration
82I have ever received in my life except from you & your husband & your
83dear mother & my friend Miss Viljoen, has been from English people. I
84have not one smallest tiniest thing to thank Dutch Africanders for.
85You may say my husband earns his living now among Dutch Africanders
86– & a poor little living it is – but I have never taken one
87sixpence of my husbands money since I married, I support myself
88entirely by my own writing & pay every week half of all the household
89expenses, so they cannot even throw it in my teeth that I am earning
90that from them. My dear old brother died in England five years ago &
91left me a couple of hundred pounds & on that & the proceeds of some
92articles on the woman question which I have published in America I
93have been living ever since. The living of my husband & myself in
94Hanover even this included doesn’t come to more than £10 a month; &
95all he gets in parliament & a third of what he gets in Hanover has got
96to go to pay a competent assistant, whom he would not need if he were
97not away at parliament for three months. I am telling you all this not
98because it matters at all, but simply that you may know how impossible
99it is I should believe any of the lies they tell of the Botha & de la
100Ray & your husband.
101
102 // I’ve seen Malan & his wife once since I was down here. Their dear
103little boy ?Jacquie has quite hopeless heart disease but the baby girl
104is fine & well. Yes I wish so much I could up to Pretoria a little
105this winter, but I can’t. It is bad that we always are here in the
106winter & you in the summer. I’m so glad it’s going so well with
107the two little daughters.
108
109 Your very loving friend
110 Olive Schreiner
111
112 ^This letter is private, just for yourself & your husband. Dont show it
113to Miss Hobhouse or anyone.^
114
2 Tamboer’s Kloof Rd
3 Tamboer’s Kloof
4 May 13th 1905
5
6 My dear Isie
7
8 Nearly every day for months I’ve been meaning to write to you but
9I’ve not been writing to any one of late. I am better now again. I
10hope I may still get over to Stellenbosch to see your mother before I
11leave. I am so sorry to hear Daisy’s little baby is gone. I am so
12glad to have her address. I am writing to her. I will go & see her if
13she can’t come to see me.
14
15 Thank you so much for the beautiful tin of biscuits you sent me. I
16thought as they came from Stellenbosch they were from your mother; but
17when I wrote to her she said they were from you. We still had some to
18eat in the train on the way down. I am so glad to hear of little Santa
19running about & doing mischief – no doubt she doesn’t look so much
20like an angel as when I saw her – but that’s better!
21
22 I sent you a letter yesterday in the news. I wasn’t well enough to
23re-writ revise or reread the proofs & there are a lot of
24printers-errors as in "Forges Valley" for "Valley Forge" &c but it
25doesn’t matter. My husband has just returned from Hanover where he
26had to be for a couple of weeks on business. We shall go up four ^weeks^
27few from to-day I expect. I have not got Cato’s photo yet. I shall
28never forget the surprise she gave me when I saw her in your arms!!! I
29want to ask you a question Isie: of course you need not answer it
30unless you feel you can, & like to just take no notice of it. When I
31was in Pretoria you said something to me about people saying I only
32liked unreadable de Wet & not Botha or de la Ray. I didn’t have time
33to ask you more then as the nurse came in, & the next day I left. But
34someone from Bloemfontein told me the same thing, that I had said de
35Wet was the only real general, that Botha & de la Rey were no generals!
36 – can you think of anything so mad! – & they wouldn’t tell me
37the name of the person who had told them! I had said: If you could
38tell me who told you I should be very glad, because I am in my own
39mind thinking it is a certain person who did it deliberately from spite
40& I don’t like to think so of any one; & may be quite unjust to them.
41 And it’s bad to feel you may be unjust to any one. I’m sure its
42no Dutch Africander; that I know. Not only have the greatest
43admiration for all the the three generals but I really am not in a
44position to say which was the best general. If I had to chose a great
45head general for a war out of the three I should probably chose de la
46Ray. But I realy have no means of judging as under martial law I never
47even saw the papers, & to determine which was the greatest you would
48have to know the exactly the difficulties each one had to contend with,
49 & the relative means at his disposal. de la Rays men all say he was
50best, Bothas men that he was, de Wets that he was! And I don’t
51believe any of us knows!!
52
53 Of course personally I have a feeling for de Wet I can’t have for
54the others because I know him personally & have had long talks with
55him, & I’ve never exchanged one word with either of the others &
56only shacken hands once. Just as I love your husband better than all
57three, not because I say he is always a greater leader but because he
58is my friend. It always seems so small to me, this drawing comparisons
59between men who have to the last of their power fought for their own
60country. I no more believe all the lies told by Africanders about
61Botha & de la Ray having taken the money that ought to have gone to
62the people than I believe the story that your husband walked off with
63£25,000 which he has kept for himself. A student of history knows
64that is always from the hands of the people for whom a man has
65sacrificed himself & risked all that he receives the hardest blows. I
66have never felt any thing that the Jingoes said of me in the
67very least but when Dutch Africanders have come to me & demanded money
68from me, & when I said I really hadn’t any more to give, have said
69that of the thousands I got from the Transvaal government for writing
70for them before the war & since, I ought to have plenty to give them
71– I have felt a little pained. Oh Only the other day before I left
72Hanover a rich Boer woman flaunted into my little room & began talking
73of the money I had made out of the Trans-vaal & by show being on the
74Africander side. You know you can’t answer such people – you just
75let them talk on. You can’t answer such people. Not only did I lose
76all the little I had in Johannesburg & have my little house ^in
77Kimberley^ blown to pieces with boems boms & looted by the English
78between the many so that I was left without a penny in the world,
79but even the money with which my husband went to England to speak for
80the Republics was given him by an Englishman relation of mine who did
81not wish his name mentioned, but every act of kindness & consideration
82I have ever received in my life except from you & your husband & your
83dear mother & my friend Miss Viljoen, has been from English people. I
84have not one smallest tiniest thing to thank Dutch Africanders for.
85You may say my husband earns his living now among Dutch Africanders
86– & a poor little living it is – but I have never taken one
87sixpence of my husbands money since I married, I support myself
88entirely by my own writing & pay every week half of all the household
89expenses, so they cannot even throw it in my teeth that I am earning
90that from them. My dear old brother died in England five years ago &
91left me a couple of hundred pounds & on that & the proceeds of some
92articles on the woman question which I have published in America I
93have been living ever since. The living of my husband & myself in
94Hanover even this included doesn’t come to more than £10 a month; &
95all he gets in parliament & a third of what he gets in Hanover has got
96to go to pay a competent assistant, whom he would not need if he were
97not away at parliament for three months. I am telling you all this not
98because it matters at all, but simply that you may know how impossible
99it is I should believe any of the lies they tell of the Botha & de la
100Ray & your husband.
101
102 // I’ve seen Malan & his wife once since I was down here. Their dear
103little boy ?Jacquie has quite hopeless heart disease but the baby girl
104is fine & well. Yes I wish so much I could up to Pretoria a little
105this winter, but I can’t. It is bad that we always are here in the
106winter & you in the summer. I’m so glad it’s going so well with
107the two little daughters.
108
109 Your very loving friend
110 Olive Schreiner
111
112 ^This letter is private, just for yourself & your husband. Dont show it
113to Miss Hobhouse or anyone.^
114
Notation
What the proofs were that Schreiner mentions she was correcting cannot be established.
What the proofs were that Schreiner mentions she was correcting cannot be established.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/73 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 24 May 1905 |
Address From | Eastbergholt, Tamboer's Kloof Road, Gardens, Cape Town, Western 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.
|
1
Eastberg Holt
2 Tamboer’s Kloof Rd
3 May 24th 1905
4
5 Dear Isie
6
7 Thank so you so much for Cato’s picture. She is so pretty & strong
8in it; the little hands are so nice.
9
10 I’m going to try & go to see Daisy tomorrow.
11
12 On Friday I was driving home with my little dog Neta & she fell under
13the wheel of the cab & was crushed to death. I have had many good &
14beautiful friends in my life; but she was the best friend I ever had.
15
16 We shall be back in Hanover in the middle of next month. I saw Mrs.
17Malan & her little boy today. he has such a sweet bright little face
18but his heart is very bad; the doctors say he will never grow up: but
19their little girl is splendid & strong.
20
21 Good bye.
22 Olive Schreiner
23
24 Don’t you think Cato is very like your little boy, about the upper
25part of the face?
26 Wednesday night
27 May 24th
28
29 ^I hope dear you did not think from my last letter of what people I was
30complaining of what people said. One has long ago accepted
31misunderstanding as one of the condition, that follow all most for
32others. I only mentioned it to show how certain it was the bitter
33things said of our great men would not touch me.^
34
35
36
2 Tamboer’s Kloof Rd
3 May 24th 1905
4
5 Dear Isie
6
7 Thank so you so much for Cato’s picture. She is so pretty & strong
8in it; the little hands are so nice.
9
10 I’m going to try & go to see Daisy tomorrow.
11
12 On Friday I was driving home with my little dog Neta & she fell under
13the wheel of the cab & was crushed to death. I have had many good &
14beautiful friends in my life; but she was the best friend I ever had.
15
16 We shall be back in Hanover in the middle of next month. I saw Mrs.
17Malan & her little boy today. he has such a sweet bright little face
18but his heart is very bad; the doctors say he will never grow up: but
19their little girl is splendid & strong.
20
21 Good bye.
22 Olive Schreiner
23
24 Don’t you think Cato is very like your little boy, about the upper
25part of the face?
26 Wednesday night
27 May 24th
28
29 ^I hope dear you did not think from my last letter of what people I was
30complaining of what people said. One has long ago accepted
31misunderstanding as one of the condition, that follow all most for
32others. I only mentioned it to show how certain it was the bitter
33things said of our great men would not touch me.^
34
35
36
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/74 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 25 August 1905 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 C.C.
3 Aug 25 / 05
4
5 Dear Isie
6
7 Thank you very much for your letter. I do hope the little daughters
8are quite better. July are always the trying months in the Transvaal.
9
10 I sent you the little bit of the chair. Did you get it quite right?
11
12 I had a letter today from Mrs Van Heerden Malan’s sister ^aunt^. She
13says the whole family including "Onze Generaal" are going to trek away
14to German East Africa. The father & ^eldest^ son & son-in-law are there
15already. The German’s will have a fine fighter if they get him! I
16wonder if they know his worth!
17
18 It’s still bitterly cold, cutting winds & snow clouds every day; but
19I like the cold & am enjoying it more than any one else here seems to
20do. I’m so sorry your visit to Cape Town never comes when I have a
21chance of being there; but I am not sure I shall go down when my
22husband goes to Parliament this year.
23
24 I haven’t any news to give as I haven’t been out or seen any one
25for weeks, but I go for a long walk among the kopjes every day, & that
26is the great joy of my life. I find so much y delight in walking now I
27am able to get two or three miles out of the town, I into the wild
28kopjes. There are owls & little red hares & all sorts of nice things
29among them, & at night if I come back after sunset I can hear the
30jackals calling.
31
32 I always make believe to myself that some day I shall finish copying
33out one of my books & have a lot of money, & then I shall go
34travelling months & months in the dear old veld. I know it will never
35come off but I get a lot of fun picturing it!
36
37 My Husband sends best greetings to you both. I send many kisses to the
38little daughters.
39
40 Your ever loving friend
41 Olive
42
43 Who is the editor of the "Volkstem"? He sent me a copy this week, the
44first I have seen.
45
46 How was Mr Reitz when he was at Pretoria? I didn’t go to see him
47when he was in Cape Town as they said he didn’t care to see people &
48would rather I didn’t!
49
50
2 C.C.
3 Aug 25 / 05
4
5 Dear Isie
6
7 Thank you very much for your letter. I do hope the little daughters
8are quite better. July are always the trying months in the Transvaal.
9
10 I sent you the little bit of the chair. Did you get it quite right?
11
12 I had a letter today from Mrs Van Heerden Malan’s sister ^aunt^. She
13says the whole family including "Onze Generaal" are going to trek away
14to German East Africa. The father & ^eldest^ son & son-in-law are there
15already. The German’s will have a fine fighter if they get him! I
16wonder if they know his worth!
17
18 It’s still bitterly cold, cutting winds & snow clouds every day; but
19I like the cold & am enjoying it more than any one else here seems to
20do. I’m so sorry your visit to Cape Town never comes when I have a
21chance of being there; but I am not sure I shall go down when my
22husband goes to Parliament this year.
23
24 I haven’t any news to give as I haven’t been out or seen any one
25for weeks, but I go for a long walk among the kopjes every day, & that
26is the great joy of my life. I find so much y delight in walking now I
27am able to get two or three miles out of the town, I into the wild
28kopjes. There are owls & little red hares & all sorts of nice things
29among them, & at night if I come back after sunset I can hear the
30jackals calling.
31
32 I always make believe to myself that some day I shall finish copying
33out one of my books & have a lot of money, & then I shall go
34travelling months & months in the dear old veld. I know it will never
35come off but I get a lot of fun picturing it!
36
37 My Husband sends best greetings to you both. I send many kisses to the
38little daughters.
39
40 Your ever loving friend
41 Olive
42
43 Who is the editor of the "Volkstem"? He sent me a copy this week, the
44first I have seen.
45
46 How was Mr Reitz when he was at Pretoria? I didn’t go to see him
47when he was in Cape Town as they said he didn’t care to see people &
48would rather I didn’t!
49
50
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/188/75 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 20 October 1905 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 Oct 20 / 05
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I hope the little ones are quite well again. It seems so long since I
7had any news of you all Two dear friends of mine, Mr. & Mrs. Pethwick
8Lawrence have been spending a week with us. Later they are going on to
9the Transvaal, but I am so afraid you & your husband will be down at
10Gordons Bay when they are N in Pretoria. When do you start. They are
11both very strong pro Boers. A friend of mine told me she nearly cried
12herself to death when she heard of Cronje’s defeat! He was the
13Editor ^& prospector^ of the Echo in London & they did a great deal for
14our cause.
15
16 I think you will love them both if you meet them, they are so simple &
17sincere. They are coming back here next week & I am going to take them
18about a little in the Cradock district visiting some of the farms & my
19old friends there. We shall go to Lilly Kloof where your husband had a
20fight, I believe one of his men was shot there. You can’t think what
21a joy it has been to me to have them here.
22
23 Kisses for the little ones, your old friend
24 Olive Schreiner
25
26
2 Oct 20 / 05
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I hope the little ones are quite well again. It seems so long since I
7had any news of you all Two dear friends of mine, Mr. & Mrs. Pethwick
8Lawrence have been spending a week with us. Later they are going on to
9the Transvaal, but I am so afraid you & your husband will be down at
10Gordons Bay when they are N in Pretoria. When do you start. They are
11both very strong pro Boers. A friend of mine told me she nearly cried
12herself to death when she heard of Cronje’s defeat! He was the
13Editor ^& prospector^ of the Echo in London & they did a great deal for
14our cause.
15
16 I think you will love them both if you meet them, they are so simple &
17sincere. They are coming back here next week & I am going to take them
18about a little in the Cradock district visiting some of the farms & my
19old friends there. We shall go to Lilly Kloof where your husband had a
20fight, I believe one of his men was shot there. You can’t think what
21a joy it has been to me to have them here.
22
23 Kisses for the little ones, your old friend
24 Olive Schreiner
25
26
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/189/77 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 12 March 1906 |
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.
|
1
Hanover
2 March 12 / 06
3
4 My dear Isie
5
6 I was so sorry I was not able to go & meet Neef Jan at Hanover Rd when
7he passed. I should greatly have enjoyed a talk with him, but I
8wasn’t very fit & couldn’t go.
9
10 My husband has sold his business here, & we are going to live at de
11Aar. But we shall not move over till our house is built, & it cannot
12be ready to move in for another five or even six months, though it
13will be only small. Workmen always take so long. The great advantage
14to me of being there is that I shall be able now & then at least a
15glimpse of my friends faces as they pass at the station. Our little
16house will be about half a mile from the camp, out on the veld.
17
18 I hope the little daughters were very well & flourishing to greet
19their father on his return, & I do hope he’s feeling better for the
20change. I’ve no doubt he did good work for South Africa over there.
21
22 Isn’t this murder case in Cape Town terrible? The people even here
23seem able to think of little else. I expect your husband knows
24something of the Basson family as they come from his part. They say
25Toby Louw is own cousin to Adriaan Hofmeyr. It seems terrible to think
26we shall likely never really know the fate of the other men Basson
27murdered.
28
29 Next month on the 7th May my husband is going to visit his
30constituents at Beaufort West, Prince Albert, & Laingsberg & I am
31going with him, we shall be gone about two weeks.
32
33^I’m so sorry I didn’t see Daisy. Please send me her address so
34that when I go to Cape Town next I may be sure to see her. I am glad
35to see that Het Volk is working for the woman’s franchise. Now
36I’ve told you a lot of news about ourselves. Write & give me all
37your news. ^
38
39 With loving greetings
40 Olive
41
42
2 March 12 / 06
3
4 My dear Isie
5
6 I was so sorry I was not able to go & meet Neef Jan at Hanover Rd when
7he passed. I should greatly have enjoyed a talk with him, but I
8wasn’t very fit & couldn’t go.
9
10 My husband has sold his business here, & we are going to live at de
11Aar. But we shall not move over till our house is built, & it cannot
12be ready to move in for another five or even six months, though it
13will be only small. Workmen always take so long. The great advantage
14to me of being there is that I shall be able now & then at least a
15glimpse of my friends faces as they pass at the station. Our little
16house will be about half a mile from the camp, out on the veld.
17
18 I hope the little daughters were very well & flourishing to greet
19their father on his return, & I do hope he’s feeling better for the
20change. I’ve no doubt he did good work for South Africa over there.
21
22 Isn’t this murder case in Cape Town terrible? The people even here
23seem able to think of little else. I expect your husband knows
24something of the Basson family as they come from his part. They say
25Toby Louw is own cousin to Adriaan Hofmeyr. It seems terrible to think
26we shall likely never really know the fate of the other men Basson
27murdered.
28
29 Next month on the 7th May my husband is going to visit his
30constituents at Beaufort West, Prince Albert, & Laingsberg & I am
31going with him, we shall be gone about two weeks.
32
33^I’m so sorry I didn’t see Daisy. Please send me her address so
34that when I go to Cape Town next I may be sure to see her. I am glad
35to see that Het Volk is working for the woman’s franchise. Now
36I’ve told you a lot of news about ourselves. Write & give me all
37your news. ^
38
39 With loving greetings
40 Olive
41
42
Notation
For the Basson murder case, see http://www.africacrime-mystery.co.za/books/fsac/chp1.htm
For the Basson murder case, see http://www.africacrime-mystery.co.za/books/fsac/chp1.htm
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/189/78 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 24 May 1906 |
Address From | Haddon Hall, Tamboer’s Kloof, Gardens, Cape Town, Western 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.
|
1
Hadden Hall
2 Tamboer’s Kloof
3 May 24th 1906
4
5 Dear Isie
6
7 I got here yesterday & found your letter here sent on from Hanover.
8Thank you so much for it. It was a cheering thing to find here, for it
9is pouring with rain & very damp & I am so afraid I may have to return
10to Hanover & spend the three months Parliament sits alone there
11without him ^Cron.^ I think this will be a very busy scession sitting.
12Some folk seem to feel sure Jameson will have to go out. I hope not.
13If the SA Party comes in on such a small majority it will have to play
14down to the capitalistic & other elements.
15
16 // I shall certainly go to Stellenbosch if I stay here, to see your
17dear mother. I shall go to see Daisy the first fine day. I wish you &
18the children were down here too. I hope when you come down next you
19will meet my dear friend Anna Purcell She is a woman, I think, after
20your own heart.
21
22 Good bye. My husband would send hearty greetings to you both but he is
23out.
24
25 Olive
26
27 Address to my Husbands care House of Parliament, & he will send the
28letter on to me if by any chance I should have left.
29
30
2 Tamboer’s Kloof
3 May 24th 1906
4
5 Dear Isie
6
7 I got here yesterday & found your letter here sent on from Hanover.
8Thank you so much for it. It was a cheering thing to find here, for it
9is pouring with rain & very damp & I am so afraid I may have to return
10to Hanover & spend the three months Parliament sits alone there
11without him ^Cron.^ I think this will be a very busy scession sitting.
12Some folk seem to feel sure Jameson will have to go out. I hope not.
13If the SA Party comes in on such a small majority it will have to play
14down to the capitalistic & other elements.
15
16 // I shall certainly go to Stellenbosch if I stay here, to see your
17dear mother. I shall go to see Daisy the first fine day. I wish you &
18the children were down here too. I hope when you come down next you
19will meet my dear friend Anna Purcell She is a woman, I think, after
20your own heart.
21
22 Good bye. My husband would send hearty greetings to you both but he is
23out.
24
25 Olive
26
27 Address to my Husbands care House of Parliament, & he will send the
28letter on to me if by any chance I should have left.
29
30
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/190/42 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 13 October 1907 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Oct 13 / 07
3
4 My dear Isie
5
6 Thank you so much for your letter, & your loving invitation. I fear I
7shan’t be able to come up & see you it’s such a long expensive
8journey, but my heart thanks you for your loving wish. I am living at
9de Aar now as you will see I am so grateful to be near my dear Husband
10again. He has built one little room on the outskirts of the Camp,
11where there is not so much dust & sand as in the centre of the camp &
12I hope I shall be able to stay here. We go to our meals at the hotel
13near the station; but when it gets hotter I shan’t be able to walk
14so far, so Cron will have to go & get his at the Hotel & I cook mine
15on a spirit lamp here. It is quite nice like a picnic out here in the
16veld, but the dust blows in so fearfully. I have swept this room four
17times today & the dust is now thick on the floor! To me personal the
18most terrible result of the war is that it has compelled us to spend
19our lives on the desolate god forsaken plains of this high plateau;
20cut off from all human intercourse & fellow-ship. But if once we get a
21little house built here, as the train passes here, I hope often to get
22my friends to come & stay with us for a little time. It is so nice to
23have the train passing here. In the night I lie awake listening to it
24coming in far off across the plain. One may not be able to go in it,
25but one knows it comes from the great world & goes to the great world,
26where the men & things one cares for are, & it gives me curious
27pleasure to hear it. I can see the lights from our little front door
28when the train comes in at night, & it’s so beautiful. One would
29have had to live alone shut up in Hanover as I have for so many years
30to know how beautiful.
31
32 //I am so glad the three little ones are doing so well. Its’ such a
33pity you are not going to Gordon’s Bay this year because I should at
34least have had a peep at you as you passed through de Aar. But I’ve
35heard from my niece Alsie Findlay that some parts of the high-veld in
36the Transvaal are delightful in the summer. My husband is well, but
37very hard worked here, & now another election is coming on, which will
38take him away & add to his work. I see Jan is home again from his trip
39to the north & things seem going well with him politically. Give
40warmest greetings to him from my husband & myself.
41
42 Good bye dear. Kisses to the children from their loving little
43 Auntie Olive
44
45
2 Oct 13 / 07
3
4 My dear Isie
5
6 Thank you so much for your letter, & your loving invitation. I fear I
7shan’t be able to come up & see you it’s such a long expensive
8journey, but my heart thanks you for your loving wish. I am living at
9de Aar now as you will see I am so grateful to be near my dear Husband
10again. He has built one little room on the outskirts of the Camp,
11where there is not so much dust & sand as in the centre of the camp &
12I hope I shall be able to stay here. We go to our meals at the hotel
13near the station; but when it gets hotter I shan’t be able to walk
14so far, so Cron will have to go & get his at the Hotel & I cook mine
15on a spirit lamp here. It is quite nice like a picnic out here in the
16veld, but the dust blows in so fearfully. I have swept this room four
17times today & the dust is now thick on the floor! To me personal the
18most terrible result of the war is that it has compelled us to spend
19our lives on the desolate god forsaken plains of this high plateau;
20cut off from all human intercourse & fellow-ship. But if once we get a
21little house built here, as the train passes here, I hope often to get
22my friends to come & stay with us for a little time. It is so nice to
23have the train passing here. In the night I lie awake listening to it
24coming in far off across the plain. One may not be able to go in it,
25but one knows it comes from the great world & goes to the great world,
26where the men & things one cares for are, & it gives me curious
27pleasure to hear it. I can see the lights from our little front door
28when the train comes in at night, & it’s so beautiful. One would
29have had to live alone shut up in Hanover as I have for so many years
30to know how beautiful.
31
32 //I am so glad the three little ones are doing so well. Its’ such a
33pity you are not going to Gordon’s Bay this year because I should at
34least have had a peep at you as you passed through de Aar. But I’ve
35heard from my niece Alsie Findlay that some parts of the high-veld in
36the Transvaal are delightful in the summer. My husband is well, but
37very hard worked here, & now another election is coming on, which will
38take him away & add to his work. I see Jan is home again from his trip
39to the north & things seem going well with him politically. Give
40warmest greetings to him from my husband & myself.
41
42 Good bye dear. Kisses to the children from their loving little
43 Auntie Olive
44
45
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/190/43 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 4 December 1907 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
Box 24
2 de Aar
3 Dec 4th 1907
4
5 Dear Isie
6
7 I don’t know why I’ve been thinking so much about you the last few
8days. I was so sorry to hear Jan had hurt his foot so. Anything that
9hampers one in ones work is horrid. I hope it’s quite well now. We
10are so happy here because we had half an inch of rain last Sunday.
11It’s the first real rain we have had for a year, though we had a
12tiny shower while Miss Hobhouse was here, which made it nice & cool.
13
14 I am very happy here in my one little room. We have made a well & are
15setting up a windmill & & then we can make a little garden, which will
16be my great delight. Nothing gives me so much happiness as working in
17a garden. I’m a real old Boer vrouw. I am working very hard at my
18book, all the time I can. I have just got a new asthma remedy from
19England, Dr. Tucker’s cure, & it is not only helping my asthma but
20relieves my heart greatly. I have only been trying it ten days: but if
21I find it continues to help me I mean to put ^notices in^ all the papers
22telling people about it. It is rather dear costs £4 ^b^if^t^, but
23if it helps them even the poorest person will find it cheap. Its not
24anything you drink; you you pump a fine vapour into your lungs which
25expands them. If you know anyone who had asthma do tell them to try it.
26
27^My husband is standing for Beaufort West again, but I doubt much
28whether he will get in though he feels quite hopeful. unreadable Many
29kisses for the dear little ones much love to you all from your little ^
30
31 Auntie Olive
32
33
2 de Aar
3 Dec 4th 1907
4
5 Dear Isie
6
7 I don’t know why I’ve been thinking so much about you the last few
8days. I was so sorry to hear Jan had hurt his foot so. Anything that
9hampers one in ones work is horrid. I hope it’s quite well now. We
10are so happy here because we had half an inch of rain last Sunday.
11It’s the first real rain we have had for a year, though we had a
12tiny shower while Miss Hobhouse was here, which made it nice & cool.
13
14 I am very happy here in my one little room. We have made a well & are
15setting up a windmill & & then we can make a little garden, which will
16be my great delight. Nothing gives me so much happiness as working in
17a garden. I’m a real old Boer vrouw. I am working very hard at my
18book, all the time I can. I have just got a new asthma remedy from
19England, Dr. Tucker’s cure, & it is not only helping my asthma but
20relieves my heart greatly. I have only been trying it ten days: but if
21I find it continues to help me I mean to put ^notices in^ all the papers
22telling people about it. It is rather dear costs £4 ^b^if^t^, but
23if it helps them even the poorest person will find it cheap. Its not
24anything you drink; you you pump a fine vapour into your lungs which
25expands them. If you know anyone who had asthma do tell them to try it.
26
27^My husband is standing for Beaufort West again, but I doubt much
28whether he will get in though he feels quite hopeful. unreadable Many
29kisses for the dear little ones much love to you all from your little ^
30
31 Auntie Olive
32
33
Notation
The book Schreiner was working hard at is From Man to Man.
The book Schreiner was working hard at is From Man to Man.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/190/43A |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: 7 January 1909 ; Before End: 28 February 1909 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western 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 date range of this letter is provided by content around when Schreiner was resident in Majjesfontein, when Closer Union was published as an article and then Constance ytton arranged for Fifield to publish it in book form.
|
1
Matjesfontein
2
3 My dear Isie
4
5 I think there must be unseen telepathic wires between Matjesfontein &
6Pretoria for today there came to pacages of books with Neef Jans name
7on them & your name inside some. How did you guess I wanted books? I
8have just been longing for some lately; all I have here are Wordswroths
9Wordsworth’s poem’s & Gibbons history; & as I have read both ever
10since I was a child till I almost know them by heart they are not very
11stimulating! The only other things I have to read are the ^"Cape^ Times"
12& the "Argus", & when I have finished the rest of them I sometimes
13read the advertisements to make them last out! And I get "the Nation"
14once a week from England. Thanks very much for them I have long been
15wishing to get that book of Fielding Hall’s; & have been reading it
16to day. I am writing at my novel, but one can’t write all the time,
17in fact when I have written for a couple of hours I have to go & lie
18down & it rests one’s brain to have something far removed from your
19work to think of. When the old librarian was alive in Cape Town he
20used to send me packet of the back numbers of the "Reviews" & the
21"Century" & Harpers"; but he is dead now & a new king has arisen "who
22knows not Moses." My friend Lady Constance Lytton has just cabled me
23she has madeking me satisfactory arrangements for bringing out my
24little article on Closer Union in Book form. Tell Jan I am going
25to send him a copy that he can carry about in his pocket, as I know
26how much he likes it & agrees with all the views!!!!!!
27
28 Really, I would come up to Pretoria just to have a long talk with him;
29but I know a politician never talks; he fences!
30
31 I hope the children are much better for their change. Your little son
32has a long face. Don’t you think he’s very like your little
33Koosie?
34
35 Good bye, dear thanks for all you your love to me.
36
37 Olive Schreiner.
38
39 Tell Neef Jan, he’s I say, he’s not to go on dancing on the head
40of my Indians like he does; & that when I die, he must take care of
41all my black people for me!!! I shall leave them to him in my will.
42
43
44
2
3 My dear Isie
4
5 I think there must be unseen telepathic wires between Matjesfontein &
6Pretoria for today there came to pacages of books with Neef Jans name
7on them & your name inside some. How did you guess I wanted books? I
8have just been longing for some lately; all I have here are Wordswroths
9Wordsworth’s poem’s & Gibbons history; & as I have read both ever
10since I was a child till I almost know them by heart they are not very
11stimulating! The only other things I have to read are the ^"Cape^ Times"
12& the "Argus", & when I have finished the rest of them I sometimes
13read the advertisements to make them last out! And I get "the Nation"
14once a week from England. Thanks very much for them I have long been
15wishing to get that book of Fielding Hall’s; & have been reading it
16to day. I am writing at my novel, but one can’t write all the time,
17in fact when I have written for a couple of hours I have to go & lie
18down & it rests one’s brain to have something far removed from your
19work to think of. When the old librarian was alive in Cape Town he
20used to send me packet of the back numbers of the "Reviews" & the
21"Century" & Harpers"; but he is dead now & a new king has arisen "who
22knows not Moses." My friend Lady Constance Lytton has just cabled me
23she has madeking me satisfactory arrangements for bringing out my
24little article on Closer Union in Book form. Tell Jan I am going
25to send him a copy that he can carry about in his pocket, as I know
26how much he likes it & agrees with all the views!!!!!!
27
28 Really, I would come up to Pretoria just to have a long talk with him;
29but I know a politician never talks; he fences!
30
31 I hope the children are much better for their change. Your little son
32has a long face. Don’t you think he’s very like your little
33Koosie?
34
35 Good bye, dear thanks for all you your love to me.
36
37 Olive Schreiner.
38
39 Tell Neef Jan, he’s I say, he’s not to go on dancing on the head
40of my Indians like he does; & that when I die, he must take care of
41all my black people for me!!! I shall leave them to him in my will.
42
43
44
Notation
This letter plays upon the racial, indeed racist, sensibilities of Jan and Isie Smuts. The savage ironies involved in endeavouring to liberalise them were shared with her friends Alice Greene and Betty Molteno, as a 23 November 1913 letter from Greene to Molteno written concerning the Natives Land Act makes clear:
My Beloved,
Yesterday morning I walked to Glazemount Bank, where I had left my book the day before to be made up... In the afternoon I went to see Olive. Miss Thompson was just bicycling up the drive when I arrived at Lyndall met us at the door. 'Aunt Olive is holding a seance upstairs in her bedroom' she said, 'Mrs Molteno & John are there. Would you like to go up?' I said I would & asked after Olive. She said she perfectly astonished them with her freshness & vigour & said she seemed a different being from what she was when she had last seen her at D' Aar. She was lying muffled up in a quilt on her bed, Mrs Molteno in a low chair beside her: Mister John grave in the background I felt sorry to interrupt so nice a tete-a-tete, but Lucy was exceedingly sweet & nice, & presently she & John took their leave. Then followed a long confabulation for I stayed until a quarter to seven.... She was very amusing about having written to Smuts leaving in his tender care during her absence 'all my Kaffirs & my Indians.' She speaks with great affection & respect of Gandhi, & thinks Kallenbach would like me & that I should like Kallenbach. She says that there are not too many Indians or too many natives that is the trouble. They want more but they must be absolutely tools in their service. What they cannot stand is any independent footing of any sort...
Schreiner's 'paper' is her 'Views on closer union', a lengthy article published in the Transvaal Leader on 21 December 1908 and the Cape Times on 22 December 1908 (p.9); it appeared as a short book in 1909. The novel Schreiner was 'working at' is From Man to Man. For Wordsworth's poems, see: William Wordsworth (1863) The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth London: Routledge, Warne & Routledge. The other books referred to are: Edward Gibbon (1776-1787) The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire London; Harold Fielding Hall (1898) The Soul of a People London: R. Bentley & Son.
This letter plays upon the racial, indeed racist, sensibilities of Jan and Isie Smuts. The savage ironies involved in endeavouring to liberalise them were shared with her friends Alice Greene and Betty Molteno, as a 23 November 1913 letter from Greene to Molteno written concerning the Natives Land Act makes clear:
My Beloved,
Yesterday morning I walked to Glazemount Bank, where I had left my book the day before to be made up... In the afternoon I went to see Olive. Miss Thompson was just bicycling up the drive when I arrived at Lyndall met us at the door. 'Aunt Olive is holding a seance upstairs in her bedroom' she said, 'Mrs Molteno & John are there. Would you like to go up?' I said I would & asked after Olive. She said she perfectly astonished them with her freshness & vigour & said she seemed a different being from what she was when she had last seen her at D' Aar. She was lying muffled up in a quilt on her bed, Mrs Molteno in a low chair beside her: Mister John grave in the background I felt sorry to interrupt so nice a tete-a-tete, but Lucy was exceedingly sweet & nice, & presently she & John took their leave. Then followed a long confabulation for I stayed until a quarter to seven.... She was very amusing about having written to Smuts leaving in his tender care during her absence 'all my Kaffirs & my Indians.' She speaks with great affection & respect of Gandhi, & thinks Kallenbach would like me & that I should like Kallenbach. She says that there are not too many Indians or too many natives that is the trouble. They want more but they must be absolutely tools in their service. What they cannot stand is any independent footing of any sort...
Schreiner's 'paper' is her 'Views on closer union', a lengthy article published in the Transvaal Leader on 21 December 1908 and the Cape Times on 22 December 1908 (p.9); it appeared as a short book in 1909. The novel Schreiner was 'working at' is From Man to Man. For Wordsworth's poems, see: William Wordsworth (1863) The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth London: Routledge, Warne & Routledge. The other books referred to are: Edward Gibbon (1776-1787) The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire London; Harold Fielding Hall (1898) The Soul of a People London: R. Bentley & Son.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/191/51 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 2 June 1908 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
Box 24
2 de Aar
3 June 2nd 1908
4
5 My dear Isie
6
7 I was delighted with the feather. It is a beauty. I’ll have it put
8in my black hat, & wear it when I’m in town (if I’m able to stay
9here at this time of year!)
10
11 Parliament meets on the 19th & I’m going down with my husband but
12don’t know how long the rain will let me stay. It’s so hard to
13have to be separated from him all the cession. I don’t know where I
14shall go. If it were April or May I’d come up to Pretoria, but I’m
15afraid of the climate in the Transvaal in June July & August. It’s
16like de Aar, all wind & dust.
17
18 I’m so sorry I didn’t see your husband; his train passed
19Matjesfontein about 12 o’clock. I was still sitting writing & saw it
20through my window, but it would have been no use going to the station
21as they would all have been asleep. I hope to see Emily Hobhouse here
22in a few days.
23
24 I’m trying to get my little house in order before I go. The men
25haven’t quite finished the outer part but we are living in it. I
26hope the little ones are flourishing. I wish I could see you all. Good
27bye dear. The girl is waiting to take the letters down to the camp to
28post. We are nearly a mile out.
29
30 Olive Schreiner
31
32
2 de Aar
3 June 2nd 1908
4
5 My dear Isie
6
7 I was delighted with the feather. It is a beauty. I’ll have it put
8in my black hat, & wear it when I’m in town (if I’m able to stay
9here at this time of year!)
10
11 Parliament meets on the 19th & I’m going down with my husband but
12don’t know how long the rain will let me stay. It’s so hard to
13have to be separated from him all the cession. I don’t know where I
14shall go. If it were April or May I’d come up to Pretoria, but I’m
15afraid of the climate in the Transvaal in June July & August. It’s
16like de Aar, all wind & dust.
17
18 I’m so sorry I didn’t see your husband; his train passed
19Matjesfontein about 12 o’clock. I was still sitting writing & saw it
20through my window, but it would have been no use going to the station
21as they would all have been asleep. I hope to see Emily Hobhouse here
22in a few days.
23
24 I’m trying to get my little house in order before I go. The men
25haven’t quite finished the outer part but we are living in it. I
26hope the little ones are flourishing. I wish I could see you all. Good
27bye dear. The girl is waiting to take the letters down to the camp to
28post. We are nearly a mile out.
29
30 Olive Schreiner
31
32
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/191/52 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 11 October 1908 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Oct 11th 1908
3
4 My dear Isie
5
6 Hugo Naude spent yesterday with us. It was so nice to hear news of you
7all. He says your little boy is so charming. I was surprised to hear
8there was another little daughter! You are getting rich! I am
9delighted to hear about the farm & the new house. It will be so much
10healthier for you & the children. There is nothing so delightful on
11earth as living on a farm in South Africa. Except Cape Town I don’t
12think there’s any town in Africa one really wants to live in – &
13even in Cape Town its not in the town one wants to be. There’s a
14lovely house on the highest point between Sea Point & Camp’s Bay
15(that’s called "Van Zÿl’s folly" because ^old^ Van Zyl built it
16four ^six^ years ago & no one will ever live in it!) that I always dream
17of living in when my ship comes home. It’s got the most wonderful
18view over the sea, & a little "logia" like they have in Italy where
19one would realy live & take all one’s meals in the open air. I’ve
20always thought that part near Irene so beautiful. I’m sure you’ll
21like it.
22
23 We have just been enjoying the fruit you sent for our tea. The nartjes
24are just wonderful. I am sure that as far as fruit & agriculture goes
25the Transvaal is the country of the future. Good bye, dear Isie.
26
27 Kisses for your little ones from Auntie Olive & much love to you
28
29 Olive
309
30
2 Oct 11th 1908
3
4 My dear Isie
5
6 Hugo Naude spent yesterday with us. It was so nice to hear news of you
7all. He says your little boy is so charming. I was surprised to hear
8there was another little daughter! You are getting rich! I am
9delighted to hear about the farm & the new house. It will be so much
10healthier for you & the children. There is nothing so delightful on
11earth as living on a farm in South Africa. Except Cape Town I don’t
12think there’s any town in Africa one really wants to live in – &
13even in Cape Town its not in the town one wants to be. There’s a
14lovely house on the highest point between Sea Point & Camp’s Bay
15(that’s called "Van Zÿl’s folly" because ^old^ Van Zyl built it
16four ^six^ years ago & no one will ever live in it!) that I always dream
17of living in when my ship comes home. It’s got the most wonderful
18view over the sea, & a little "logia" like they have in Italy where
19one would realy live & take all one’s meals in the open air. I’ve
20always thought that part near Irene so beautiful. I’m sure you’ll
21like it.
22
23 We have just been enjoying the fruit you sent for our tea. The nartjes
24are just wonderful. I am sure that as far as fruit & agriculture goes
25the Transvaal is the country of the future. Good bye, dear Isie.
26
27 Kisses for your little ones from Auntie Olive & much love to you
28
29 Olive
309
30
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/191/53 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 1 December 1908 |
Address From | De Aar, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Dec 1st 1908
3
4 Dear Nief Jannie
5
6 I have just got your wire. Thank you very much, but I can’t leave
7just now. Perhaps in the middle of the month, when the heat gets too
8great to stand here I may be able to come down & spend a week with you
9as I shall have to go to Matjesfontein as I can’t do any writing
10here. I shall be at the station on Thursday to have a peep at Isie &
11the children. I feel I shall never see her again if I don’t take the
12chance of coming to Cape Town. You know my thoughts are often with you,
13 & Malan. It would break my heart if I had to part from either of you
14politically. You are the two men I look forward to doing great work
15for South Africa when we old figures have passed away. But can you do
16great work unless your thoughts & ideals are larger than those of the
17mere racial & party politician?
18
19 Your loving small
20 Aunt
21 Olive
22
23
2 Dec 1st 1908
3
4 Dear Nief Jannie
5
6 I have just got your wire. Thank you very much, but I can’t leave
7just now. Perhaps in the middle of the month, when the heat gets too
8great to stand here I may be able to come down & spend a week with you
9as I shall have to go to Matjesfontein as I can’t do any writing
10here. I shall be at the station on Thursday to have a peep at Isie &
11the children. I feel I shall never see her again if I don’t take the
12chance of coming to Cape Town. You know my thoughts are often with you,
13 & Malan. It would break my heart if I had to part from either of you
14politically. You are the two men I look forward to doing great work
15for South Africa when we old figures have passed away. But can you do
16great work unless your thoughts & ideals are larger than those of the
17mere racial & party politician?
18
19 Your loving small
20 Aunt
21 Olive
22
23
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/191/54 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | December 1908 |
Address From | De Aar, 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 De Aar from November 1907 until she left South Africa for Britain and Europe in December 1913, but with some fairly lengthy visits elsewhere over this time.
|
1
Dear Isie
2
3 It was nice to see you. I always say I am "the last of the
4Republicans" in South Africa, but as you wear that little ribbon I
5suppose you are one too? I am so sick of hearing about "Europe" & the
6"Union Jack": it makes one perfectly ill. It’s very hot & dusty here,
7 & I shall be going to Matjesfontein about the 15th of this month –
8My Husband has ten days Holiday at Xmas, & if he goes down to Cape
9Town I may, possibly, go down too.
10
11 But I’m sure your house will be quite full at that time, so if I
12come to See Point I will take rooms in a ^boarding^ house somewhere near
13you, where I can run in & see you every day. Is your house on the
14Camp’s Bay side of the Round church? Is it on the street where the
15Camp’s Bay train passes, or nearer the sea. Tell me if you see Anna
16Purcell & if you like her. Both she & her husband are beautiful folk.
17
18 Kisses for the children. I hope the change is doing you all good.
19
20 Auntie Olive
21
22 ^I shared your flowers with the bank managers wife, & gave some to my
23husband’s office girl, & still brought a little bunch home, which is
24quite fresh still as I change the water every day.^
25
26
27
2
3 It was nice to see you. I always say I am "the last of the
4Republicans" in South Africa, but as you wear that little ribbon I
5suppose you are one too? I am so sick of hearing about "Europe" & the
6"Union Jack": it makes one perfectly ill. It’s very hot & dusty here,
7 & I shall be going to Matjesfontein about the 15th of this month –
8My Husband has ten days Holiday at Xmas, & if he goes down to Cape
9Town I may, possibly, go down too.
10
11 But I’m sure your house will be quite full at that time, so if I
12come to See Point I will take rooms in a ^boarding^ house somewhere near
13you, where I can run in & see you every day. Is your house on the
14Camp’s Bay side of the Round church? Is it on the street where the
15Camp’s Bay train passes, or nearer the sea. Tell me if you see Anna
16Purcell & if you like her. Both she & her husband are beautiful folk.
17
18 Kisses for the children. I hope the change is doing you all good.
19
20 Auntie Olive
21
22 ^I shared your flowers with the bank managers wife, & gave some to my
23husband’s office girl, & still brought a little bunch home, which is
24quite fresh still as I change the water every day.^
25
26
27
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/191/55 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Thursday December 1908 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Thursday
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you so much for the beautiful fruit. The custard apples
7especially were a great treat. I had never tasted them before: they
8are delicious.
9
10 I went to the train & saw your husband & General Botha for a few
11moments. I thought Onse Jannie looking very well. It was the first
12time I had ever spoken to Botha though I shook hands with him once. I
13quite understand now why the Purcell’s & all my other friends are so
14fond of him. He has such a beautiful smile. I always believe there is
15something deep down very good in the people whose smile is good: &
16people however good they may otherwise look whose smile makes you
17shrink from them I always mistrust. Your husband told me you would be
18coming down soon. Do let me know when you pass that I may come down to
19the station to see you & the children I hope you will get to know &
20love my dear sweet friends Dr & Mrs. Purcell when you are down. I can
21picture how happy the children will be when you go to spend a day with
22them at their beautiful farm. I would have written long ago, but my
23heart has been very bad. I have not been able to do anything the heat
24is so great here. I fear I shall very soon have to go down to
25Matjesfontein. It is hard to leave my husband alone in this miserable
26place. But I must go where I am able to do a little writing.
27
28 Good bye dear. "Alles ten besten"
29
30 Your loving little
31 Auntie Olive
32
33
34
2 Thursday
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you so much for the beautiful fruit. The custard apples
7especially were a great treat. I had never tasted them before: they
8are delicious.
9
10 I went to the train & saw your husband & General Botha for a few
11moments. I thought Onse Jannie looking very well. It was the first
12time I had ever spoken to Botha though I shook hands with him once. I
13quite understand now why the Purcell’s & all my other friends are so
14fond of him. He has such a beautiful smile. I always believe there is
15something deep down very good in the people whose smile is good: &
16people however good they may otherwise look whose smile makes you
17shrink from them I always mistrust. Your husband told me you would be
18coming down soon. Do let me know when you pass that I may come down to
19the station to see you & the children I hope you will get to know &
20love my dear sweet friends Dr & Mrs. Purcell when you are down. I can
21picture how happy the children will be when you go to spend a day with
22them at their beautiful farm. I would have written long ago, but my
23heart has been very bad. I have not been able to do anything the heat
24is so great here. I fear I shall very soon have to go down to
25Matjesfontein. It is hard to leave my husband alone in this miserable
26place. But I must go where I am able to do a little writing.
27
28 Good bye dear. "Alles ten besten"
29
30 Your loving little
31 Auntie Olive
32
33
34
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/191/56 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Monday December 1908 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Monday
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you so much for your letter. I can’t come just now, but may
7later. I am leaving for Matjesfontein on Saturday. My husband says he
8can’t spare time to go to Cape Town. I wish he could the heat is so
9terrible here. I never knew anything quite like the last three days.
10
11 Thank you so much
12 Olive
13
14
15
2 Monday
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you so much for your letter. I can’t come just now, but may
7later. I am leaving for Matjesfontein on Saturday. My husband says he
8can’t spare time to go to Cape Town. I wish he could the heat is so
9terrible here. I never knew anything quite like the last three days.
10
11 Thank you so much
12 Olive
13
14
15
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/191/57 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 21 December 1908 |
Address From | De Aar, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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.
|
1
Lieve Neef Jan
2
3 Ik stuur voor jou een "article", de ik greschryven het. Lees dit. Dink
4daar o’er. Ik veet jÿ is vanje slimmer als ik; maar, God het daarom
5voor jou oude, kleine, tanteje iets laat zien. Jÿ weet, mein lieve
6Neef Jan, toen Hofmeyr en Rhodes voor jou naar Kimberley gestuur het,
7dat jy was verkeërd, en de domme, kleine tanteje het recht gehad. Jy
8moet niet zo als Milner wees, om alles te lezen, en niets ter
9luisteren!
10
11 Wees niet kwaad f voor jouw kleine tante: die wat zÿ moet zegt, die
12moet zÿ zegt.
13
14 Die Brief is zoo goed geschreven en die Hollands is zoo hoog, ik vrees
15mÿ. Neef Jan zal het niet verstaan, daarom zal ik nu op-hou.
16
17 Tante,
18 Olive.
19
20 de Aar
21 Dec 21st 1908
22
23 Toe Neef Jan
24
25
26
2
3 Ik stuur voor jou een "article", de ik greschryven het. Lees dit. Dink
4daar o’er. Ik veet jÿ is vanje slimmer als ik; maar, God het daarom
5voor jou oude, kleine, tanteje iets laat zien. Jÿ weet, mein lieve
6Neef Jan, toen Hofmeyr en Rhodes voor jou naar Kimberley gestuur het,
7dat jy was verkeërd, en de domme, kleine tanteje het recht gehad. Jy
8moet niet zo als Milner wees, om alles te lezen, en niets ter
9luisteren!
10
11 Wees niet kwaad f voor jouw kleine tante: die wat zÿ moet zegt, die
12moet zÿ zegt.
13
14 Die Brief is zoo goed geschreven en die Hollands is zoo hoog, ik vrees
15mÿ. Neef Jan zal het niet verstaan, daarom zal ik nu op-hou.
16
17 Tante,
18 Olive.
19
20 de Aar
21 Dec 21st 1908
22
23 Toe Neef Jan
24
25
26
Notation
This letter is written in a mixture of Dutch and taal. It is written humorously but with serious intent and we translate it as follows:
Dear Nephew Jan
I send you an article, that I have written. Read it. Think about it. I know you are rather cleverer than I; but, God therefore allowed your old, small auntie to see something. You know, my dear Nephew Jan, when Hofmeyr and Rhodes sent you to Kimberley, that you were wrong, and the stupid, little auntie was right. You must not be like Milner, reading everything, and listening to nothing!
Do not be angry with your little auntie: that which she says, she must say.
This letter is so well written and the Dutch is so high, I shock myself. Nephew Jan will not understand, therefore I will now stop.
Auntie,
Olive.
To Nephew Jan.
The article that Schreiner sent with this letter, which will almost certainly have been that on the 'taal', is no longer attached.
This letter is written in a mixture of Dutch and taal. It is written humorously but with serious intent and we translate it as follows:
Dear Nephew Jan
I send you an article, that I have written. Read it. Think about it. I know you are rather cleverer than I; but, God therefore allowed your old, small auntie to see something. You know, my dear Nephew Jan, when Hofmeyr and Rhodes sent you to Kimberley, that you were wrong, and the stupid, little auntie was right. You must not be like Milner, reading everything, and listening to nothing!
Do not be angry with your little auntie: that which she says, she must say.
This letter is so well written and the Dutch is so high, I shock myself. Nephew Jan will not understand, therefore I will now stop.
Auntie,
Olive.
To Nephew Jan.
The article that Schreiner sent with this letter, which will almost certainly have been that on the 'taal', is no longer attached.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/191/58 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 30 December 1908 |
Address From | Hotel Milner, Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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. This letter is written on printed headed notepaper.
|
1
Hotel Milner
2 Matjesfontein
3 Cape Colony
4 Dec 30 / 08
5
6 Dear Neef Jan
7
8 Thank you for your letter. No, I don’t want to come to Cape Town
9while this Convention is sitting. The less I think of it the happier I am.
10
11 I wish I had a copy of a letter I wrote to Milner when he first came
12here, to send to you (only substituting your name for his). It
13wasn’t clever, it wasn’t perhaps interesting, but it held a truth,
14when I tried to prove to him that from the moment when he accepted a
15high position of rule to this country his right to act as a mere party
16man was gone. That not only to the Englishmen but to every Boer and
17every little Kaffir child to every old Hottentot walking in the veld,
18he owes a duty. Our duty stretches as far as our power of benefiting
19our fellow creatures goes. It doesn’t end till that ends.
20
21 And from the man of wide powers, from him much is expected.
22
23 Good bye dear Nief Jan
24 Love to Isie & the little ones
25 Auntie Olive
26
27
28
2 Matjesfontein
3 Cape Colony
4 Dec 30 / 08
5
6 Dear Neef Jan
7
8 Thank you for your letter. No, I don’t want to come to Cape Town
9while this Convention is sitting. The less I think of it the happier I am.
10
11 I wish I had a copy of a letter I wrote to Milner when he first came
12here, to send to you (only substituting your name for his). It
13wasn’t clever, it wasn’t perhaps interesting, but it held a truth,
14when I tried to prove to him that from the moment when he accepted a
15high position of rule to this country his right to act as a mere party
16man was gone. That not only to the Englishmen but to every Boer and
17every little Kaffir child to every old Hottentot walking in the veld,
18he owes a duty. Our duty stretches as far as our power of benefiting
19our fellow creatures goes. It doesn’t end till that ends.
20
21 And from the man of wide powers, from him much is expected.
22
23 Good bye dear Nief Jan
24 Love to Isie & the little ones
25 Auntie Olive
26
27
28
Notation
The 'man of wide powers' quotation seems to combine well-known tags from different sources.
The 'man of wide powers' quotation seems to combine well-known tags from different sources.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/192/87 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 4 January 1909 |
Address From | Hotel Milner, Matjesfontein, Western 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. This letter is written on printed headed notepaper.
|
1
Hotel Milner
2 Matjesfontein
3 Cape Colony
4 Jan 4th 1909
5
6 Dear Isie
7
8 Thank you so much for your letter.
9
10 My heart is troubling me much here, I don’t seem getting better for
11the change, so perhaps I’ll have to come to Cape Town & if I do
12I’ll be sure to run & see you & your mother at Stellenbosch.
13
14 I wish you & the children were here. I’m the only person in this big
15hotel except the three servants, & I haven’t exchanged a word with
16any one for ten days. I just long to hear people talking sometimes! I
17hope you are having a good time at Stellenbosch. It must be lovely at
18this time of the year. Here every thing is burnt up with the drought
19but we had a nice little rain yesterday which will make the veld
20fresher. I hope you liked my darling Anna Purcell. She’s one of the
21sweetest women in the world. Good night dear. Thanks for all your
22lovingness to me. There’s nothing so good in the world as friendship
23& love
24
25 Olive
26
27
28
2 Matjesfontein
3 Cape Colony
4 Jan 4th 1909
5
6 Dear Isie
7
8 Thank you so much for your letter.
9
10 My heart is troubling me much here, I don’t seem getting better for
11the change, so perhaps I’ll have to come to Cape Town & if I do
12I’ll be sure to run & see you & your mother at Stellenbosch.
13
14 I wish you & the children were here. I’m the only person in this big
15hotel except the three servants, & I haven’t exchanged a word with
16any one for ten days. I just long to hear people talking sometimes! I
17hope you are having a good time at Stellenbosch. It must be lovely at
18this time of the year. Here every thing is burnt up with the drought
19but we had a nice little rain yesterday which will make the veld
20fresher. I hope you liked my darling Anna Purcell. She’s one of the
21sweetest women in the world. Good night dear. Thanks for all your
22lovingness to me. There’s nothing so good in the world as friendship
23& love
24
25 Olive
26
27
28
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/192/88 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 8 February 1909 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western 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.
|
1
Matjesfontein
2 Feb 8th 1909
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 It was so nice to see you. I live so quite alone here, that you
7can’t understand how my heart rushes out when I see people, I love.
8I hear you have bought a big "Old Dutch House" at Sea Point. But there
9are no "Old Dutch houses at Sea Point that I know of so probably its
10all a made up story! If you have & mean to live there I shall be sorry,
11 as I can’t live in old mouldy houses & I want to come & visit you!
12I suppose the results of the Convention came out today, but I don’t
13know when we shall get it here. All I know of what passed is what
14Logan used to get through the de Beer’s people. I am curious to know
15how much of it was true. I expect their early knowledge of things will
16help them to make some ^more^ money! I am so afraid the capital is going
17to be at Cape Town. We shall have to pay so dearly for it if it is. I
18would rather it were at Pretoria; though I don’t want it in either
19place.
20
21 Good night dear. It was nice to see you both.
22
23 Olive
24
25
2 Feb 8th 1909
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 It was so nice to see you. I live so quite alone here, that you
7can’t understand how my heart rushes out when I see people, I love.
8I hear you have bought a big "Old Dutch House" at Sea Point. But there
9are no "Old Dutch houses at Sea Point that I know of so probably its
10all a made up story! If you have & mean to live there I shall be sorry,
11 as I can’t live in old mouldy houses & I want to come & visit you!
12I suppose the results of the Convention came out today, but I don’t
13know when we shall get it here. All I know of what passed is what
14Logan used to get through the de Beer’s people. I am curious to know
15how much of it was true. I expect their early knowledge of things will
16help them to make some ^more^ money! I am so afraid the capital is going
17to be at Cape Town. We shall have to pay so dearly for it if it is. I
18would rather it were at Pretoria; though I don’t want it in either
19place.
20
21 Good night dear. It was nice to see you both.
22
23 Olive
24
25
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/192/89 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 5 June 1909 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 June 5th 1909
3
4 Dear Isie,
5
6 Thank you so much for the book of Kaffir-stories you sent me. I would
7like to write you a real long letter about the "woman’s question" &
8so many things, but I’m very sick, dear, & sometimes I feel as if
9all my work were done. Even writing letters to those I love I put off
10from week to week, always hoping I shall be better – but that time
11doesn’t come.
12
13 I know how lonely you must be with Jan so far away. I see so little of
14my husband he is so busy here; but still I’d rather be near him than
15anywhere away.
16
17 I shall have to go away in the summer when it gets so hot here that
18even strong men break down, so I want to stay here in the cool weather
19while I can. I have a dear little dog called Ollie who has just had
20four beautiful little pups & two little meerkats, & they are great
21company to me. The great thing in life is to love other things,
22animals, people, every thing – the whole dear old world.
23
24 I mustn’t forget to ask you about something My sister Ettie has got
25a beautiful old old Dutch house up on the mountain side behind Cape
26Town, its about ten minutes drive into the city: its called the
27Highlands. It’s got about 50 acre of ground about it. Her health is
28quite broken down & she is going to try let it, & go away for change.
29She wants to let the big house all furnished: she will let it for £15
30a month. Some time ago she refused £36 for a month for it but things
31are now so bad in Cape Town no one can afford to pay high rents.
32I’ve been wondering if perhaps you might know of any one who would
33like to hire it. It would just suit you because its so perfectly quiet
34with the big grounds round it; though so near to the town it’s like
35a farm. But she wants to let it at once, & I suppose you will not be
36coming down till the Union parliament meets. If you know of any one
37who might hire it I would be so glad if you would tell them about it.
38I enclose a picture of the house. It’s only Pretoria or Johannesburg
39people who would be likely to want such a big house. There are two
40little houses on the estate one of which she will keep for herself &
41one of which a niece of mine lives in, so it is not quite lonely.
42
43 Its beautifully cool up there on the mountain side when its quite hot
44in Cape Town itself. It would be the greatest kindness if you could do
45me if you would friend tell any one who would hire it. There are big
46outbuildings where cows, carriages & motor cars could be kept.
47
48 I hope the little ones are well. I like their pictures much. Santa
49looks just brimful of mischief & life!
50
51 I wish you were nearer me that I could sometimes go & spend a few days
52with you. It would be such a nice rest. The journey to Pretoria is too
53long & expensive for just a few days. Good bye dear.
54
55 My unchanging love always turns towards you.
56 Olive
57
2 June 5th 1909
3
4 Dear Isie,
5
6 Thank you so much for the book of Kaffir-stories you sent me. I would
7like to write you a real long letter about the "woman’s question" &
8so many things, but I’m very sick, dear, & sometimes I feel as if
9all my work were done. Even writing letters to those I love I put off
10from week to week, always hoping I shall be better – but that time
11doesn’t come.
12
13 I know how lonely you must be with Jan so far away. I see so little of
14my husband he is so busy here; but still I’d rather be near him than
15anywhere away.
16
17 I shall have to go away in the summer when it gets so hot here that
18even strong men break down, so I want to stay here in the cool weather
19while I can. I have a dear little dog called Ollie who has just had
20four beautiful little pups & two little meerkats, & they are great
21company to me. The great thing in life is to love other things,
22animals, people, every thing – the whole dear old world.
23
24 I mustn’t forget to ask you about something My sister Ettie has got
25a beautiful old old Dutch house up on the mountain side behind Cape
26Town, its about ten minutes drive into the city: its called the
27Highlands. It’s got about 50 acre of ground about it. Her health is
28quite broken down & she is going to try let it, & go away for change.
29She wants to let the big house all furnished: she will let it for £15
30a month. Some time ago she refused £36 for a month for it but things
31are now so bad in Cape Town no one can afford to pay high rents.
32I’ve been wondering if perhaps you might know of any one who would
33like to hire it. It would just suit you because its so perfectly quiet
34with the big grounds round it; though so near to the town it’s like
35a farm. But she wants to let it at once, & I suppose you will not be
36coming down till the Union parliament meets. If you know of any one
37who might hire it I would be so glad if you would tell them about it.
38I enclose a picture of the house. It’s only Pretoria or Johannesburg
39people who would be likely to want such a big house. There are two
40little houses on the estate one of which she will keep for herself &
41one of which a niece of mine lives in, so it is not quite lonely.
42
43 Its beautifully cool up there on the mountain side when its quite hot
44in Cape Town itself. It would be the greatest kindness if you could do
45me if you would friend tell any one who would hire it. There are big
46outbuildings where cows, carriages & motor cars could be kept.
47
48 I hope the little ones are well. I like their pictures much. Santa
49looks just brimful of mischief & life!
50
51 I wish you were nearer me that I could sometimes go & spend a few days
52with you. It would be such a nice rest. The journey to Pretoria is too
53long & expensive for just a few days. Good bye dear.
54
55 My unchanging love always turns towards you.
56 Olive
57
Notation
The book of 'Kaffir-stories' Schreiner refers to has not been established.
The book of 'Kaffir-stories' Schreiner refers to has not been established.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/193/81 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 6 February 1910 |
Address From | Rocklands, Beach Road, Sea Point, Cape Town, Western 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.
|
1
Rocklands
2 Sea Point
3 February 6th 1910
4
5 My darling Isie
6
7 Do you think I have forgotten you? I’ve been so ill for a long time
8dear, I’ve not been able to write to any one. First I got very ill
9in town during the cession the heat was so great. Then I spent a
10little time in Muizenberg with some dear friends but got worse there.
11Then I went to Matjesfontein where I have always got better, & got
12worse. So the doctors sent me down here. First I stayed in the town &
13then they sent me out here but I am not any better. So as soon as
14there is room I am going into the nursing home at Plumstead. I seem to
15have lost all interest in things, even the future of South Africa. If
16they gave the votes to all the women in the world or passed the most
17just laws with regard to the natives, I don’t think it would matter
18to me, though once it would have sent me almost out of my mind with
19delight. The only thing I want is to be with my dear Husband at de Aar
20but the doctors wont let me go up on account of the height & heat.
21They say my heart is growing so large & pressing on the internal
22organs, which causes the congestion. I am telling you all this that
23you may understand why I never write. Please don’t think I don’t
24love you & Jan, or that any difference in my views on politics from
25yours makes any difference in my feelings to you. It seems to me more
26& more that there’s nothing in the world matters but loving your
27fellow men & helping them if you can. And when one can’t do anything
28more one can still keep on loving.
29
30 I hope all your little ones are well. Are you now at Irene? Do you
31like it there? It’s a pity for me you are not at Sea Point now, then
32I might have seen you every day. But its terribly hot here; at least I
33feel it so.
34
35 Good bye dear
36 My love to you all
37 Olive Schreiner
38
39
2 Sea Point
3 February 6th 1910
4
5 My darling Isie
6
7 Do you think I have forgotten you? I’ve been so ill for a long time
8dear, I’ve not been able to write to any one. First I got very ill
9in town during the cession the heat was so great. Then I spent a
10little time in Muizenberg with some dear friends but got worse there.
11Then I went to Matjesfontein where I have always got better, & got
12worse. So the doctors sent me down here. First I stayed in the town &
13then they sent me out here but I am not any better. So as soon as
14there is room I am going into the nursing home at Plumstead. I seem to
15have lost all interest in things, even the future of South Africa. If
16they gave the votes to all the women in the world or passed the most
17just laws with regard to the natives, I don’t think it would matter
18to me, though once it would have sent me almost out of my mind with
19delight. The only thing I want is to be with my dear Husband at de Aar
20but the doctors wont let me go up on account of the height & heat.
21They say my heart is growing so large & pressing on the internal
22organs, which causes the congestion. I am telling you all this that
23you may understand why I never write. Please don’t think I don’t
24love you & Jan, or that any difference in my views on politics from
25yours makes any difference in my feelings to you. It seems to me more
26& more that there’s nothing in the world matters but loving your
27fellow men & helping them if you can. And when one can’t do anything
28more one can still keep on loving.
29
30 I hope all your little ones are well. Are you now at Irene? Do you
31like it there? It’s a pity for me you are not at Sea Point now, then
32I might have seen you every day. But its terribly hot here; at least I
33feel it so.
34
35 Good bye dear
36 My love to you all
37 Olive Schreiner
38
39
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/193/82 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Thursday May 1910 |
Address From | na |
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.
|
1
Thursday
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 Thank you for your letter. I wrote yesterday in answer to one from
6Lady Innes promising her to arrive at on Saturday night, & come & stay
7with her first for a few days.
8
9 I shall then likely be going on to my nephew Hudson Findlays farm, but
10I will try to come & spend at least a day with you on my way back. I
11am going to spend some days at Bloemfontein & want to be back here
12under three weeks so shall not have much time to stay as the journey
13takes so long. But its the travelling that does me most good, the
14fresh air without the exertion of walking makes me so fit.
15
16 It will be so nice to see you all again. Yours in haste in catch post.
17
18 Tant Sannie de van de Achterveld
19 Olive.
20
21
22
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 Thank you for your letter. I wrote yesterday in answer to one from
6Lady Innes promising her to arrive at on Saturday night, & come & stay
7with her first for a few days.
8
9 I shall then likely be going on to my nephew Hudson Findlays farm, but
10I will try to come & spend at least a day with you on my way back. I
11am going to spend some days at Bloemfontein & want to be back here
12under three weeks so shall not have much time to stay as the journey
13takes so long. But its the travelling that does me most good, the
14fresh air without the exertion of walking makes me so fit.
15
16 It will be so nice to see you all again. Yours in haste in catch post.
17
18 Tant Sannie de van de Achterveld
19 Olive.
20
21
22
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/193/83 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | May 1910 |
Address From | na |
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.
|
1
Dear Isie
2
3 I have been a good bit played out & the doctor says I must have a
4little change as my heart is pretty bad. Will you have me for a few
5days if I come up to the Transvaal? I long to see you again I hear you
6are now on the farm. I shall spend a few days too with Lady Innes
7perhaps. I am glad your husband has a free play for all his wonderful
8powers now. I send him kindest greetings I wonder if he ever got the
9letter I sent him some months ago. I told him not to answer it as I
10knew he was much too busy, so I didn’t expect a reply. The weather
11will be fine in the Transvaal now. I can’t stay more than a very
12short time because as soon as I am better I want to get back to my
13work. Good bye dear.
14
15 Olive.
16
17 I know you are so sweet & truthful you won’t say you want me to come
18if you don’t.
19
20 We are wondering who the new ministry are to be. Olive.
21
22
23
2
3 I have been a good bit played out & the doctor says I must have a
4little change as my heart is pretty bad. Will you have me for a few
5days if I come up to the Transvaal? I long to see you again I hear you
6are now on the farm. I shall spend a few days too with Lady Innes
7perhaps. I am glad your husband has a free play for all his wonderful
8powers now. I send him kindest greetings I wonder if he ever got the
9letter I sent him some months ago. I told him not to answer it as I
10knew he was much too busy, so I didn’t expect a reply. The weather
11will be fine in the Transvaal now. I can’t stay more than a very
12short time because as soon as I am better I want to get back to my
13work. Good bye dear.
14
15 Olive.
16
17 I know you are so sweet & truthful you won’t say you want me to come
18if you don’t.
19
20 We are wondering who the new ministry are to be. Olive.
21
22
23
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/193/84 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 31 August 1910 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Aug 31st 1910
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 My husband told me yesterday that he had seen in some paper that your
7husband had the measles. I asked him if it was not a joke, but he said
8no it was stated quite seriously.
9
10 I do hope its not true I had measles not many years ago, just before I
11was married, & had to keep my bed for three months. It’s nothing for
12child to have measles, but for a grown up person its very serious. I
13do hope he will take care of himself for good a time. I seemed to be
14getting quite better & then I took cold, & it settled on my heart &
15kidneys & was the beginning of all my serious trouble.
16
17 I do hope my husband was mistaken.
18
19 You needn’t have sent those old bits of lace dear they weren’t
20worth the trouble of doing up; but thankyou for taking the trouble. I
21would have written long ago, but have had whooping cough & wasn’t up
22to writing. I am quite over it now. I shan’t be going up to Hudson
23Findlays farm, so I’m afraid there’s no chance of my seeing you
24for a long time, unless you pass here on my ^the^ way to Cape Town. If I
25have to leave de Aar for the hot summer months I shall perhaps go to
26the farm of a friend near Colesburg, where I shall not be so far from
27home & my husband, where he might sometimes be able to come & see me.
28We are making a garden here I find it such a joy. My husband & I spend
29all our spare time working in it. We have planted over 40 fruit trees
30with our own hands & about 200 pepper trees. Please just send me a
31post card to say how your husband is.
32
33 Much love to you
34 Auntie Olive
35
36
2 Aug 31st 1910
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 My husband told me yesterday that he had seen in some paper that your
7husband had the measles. I asked him if it was not a joke, but he said
8no it was stated quite seriously.
9
10 I do hope its not true I had measles not many years ago, just before I
11was married, & had to keep my bed for three months. It’s nothing for
12child to have measles, but for a grown up person its very serious. I
13do hope he will take care of himself for good a time. I seemed to be
14getting quite better & then I took cold, & it settled on my heart &
15kidneys & was the beginning of all my serious trouble.
16
17 I do hope my husband was mistaken.
18
19 You needn’t have sent those old bits of lace dear they weren’t
20worth the trouble of doing up; but thankyou for taking the trouble. I
21would have written long ago, but have had whooping cough & wasn’t up
22to writing. I am quite over it now. I shan’t be going up to Hudson
23Findlays farm, so I’m afraid there’s no chance of my seeing you
24for a long time, unless you pass here on my ^the^ way to Cape Town. If I
25have to leave de Aar for the hot summer months I shall perhaps go to
26the farm of a friend near Colesburg, where I shall not be so far from
27home & my husband, where he might sometimes be able to come & see me.
28We are making a garden here I find it such a joy. My husband & I spend
29all our spare time working in it. We have planted over 40 fruit trees
30with our own hands & about 200 pepper trees. Please just send me a
31post card to say how your husband is.
32
33 Much love to you
34 Auntie Olive
35
36
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/193/85 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 15 October 1910 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
De Aar
2 Oct 15th 1910
3
4 My dear Isie
5
6 I feel I want to write to you today. I never wrote Neef Jan to
7congratulate him on his safe election – but he’s knows I did in my
8heart.
9
10 Anna Purcell writes me to-day about her visit to Stellenbosch, & how
11glad she was to see your mother. She thinks Ella so fine & strong &
12independent in character. Cron is away now in Cape Town visiting his
13mother; but he will be back the end of next week. I am so glad he
14should get a little change away from the dust & heat here.
15
16 Are you going down for the opening of Parliament? My heart is bad as
17the heat increases. I shall soon have to leave. Oh Isie it is so hard
18to have to leave my husband & my dear home, & go away for months, &
19its so hard to find a place in a hot land like Africa. The Haldane
20Murrays have invited me to go & try their farm in the mountains beyond
21Graaff Reinet. If my heart doesn’t get better there I shall have to
22try Hermanus. If I have to go there how nice it would be if you & the
23children were there too! I know a Mr. De Villiers who has a very much
24enlarged heart, nearly like mine & he says Hermanus suits him better
25than any sea side places he has been to. I will send you my little
26book on the woman question as soon as I get some copies. I wish I’d
27felt more lively & well when I was up with you & we’d been able to
28discuss things, but my heart felt so big I only wanted to lie & rest.
29What good rest I did have, in that beautiful big room of yours. Good
30bye, dear. Write to me if ever the spirit moves you. If you don’t
31write I shall still always know you love me as I love you.
32
33 Yours ever
34 Auntie Olive.
35
36 Remember me to Mrs. Hull when you meet her. She’s such a nice woman
37I should like to meet her again. I hope Hull will get in. Just because
38he’s not quite white I should like to see him hold his own. If you
39write address to de Aar & Cron will send the letter on if ^I’m gone.^
40
2 Oct 15th 1910
3
4 My dear Isie
5
6 I feel I want to write to you today. I never wrote Neef Jan to
7congratulate him on his safe election – but he’s knows I did in my
8heart.
9
10 Anna Purcell writes me to-day about her visit to Stellenbosch, & how
11glad she was to see your mother. She thinks Ella so fine & strong &
12independent in character. Cron is away now in Cape Town visiting his
13mother; but he will be back the end of next week. I am so glad he
14should get a little change away from the dust & heat here.
15
16 Are you going down for the opening of Parliament? My heart is bad as
17the heat increases. I shall soon have to leave. Oh Isie it is so hard
18to have to leave my husband & my dear home, & go away for months, &
19its so hard to find a place in a hot land like Africa. The Haldane
20Murrays have invited me to go & try their farm in the mountains beyond
21Graaff Reinet. If my heart doesn’t get better there I shall have to
22try Hermanus. If I have to go there how nice it would be if you & the
23children were there too! I know a Mr. De Villiers who has a very much
24enlarged heart, nearly like mine & he says Hermanus suits him better
25than any sea side places he has been to. I will send you my little
26book on the woman question as soon as I get some copies. I wish I’d
27felt more lively & well when I was up with you & we’d been able to
28discuss things, but my heart felt so big I only wanted to lie & rest.
29What good rest I did have, in that beautiful big room of yours. Good
30bye, dear. Write to me if ever the spirit moves you. If you don’t
31write I shall still always know you love me as I love you.
32
33 Yours ever
34 Auntie Olive.
35
36 Remember me to Mrs. Hull when you meet her. She’s such a nice woman
37I should like to meet her again. I hope Hull will get in. Just because
38he’s not quite white I should like to see him hold his own. If you
39write address to de Aar & Cron will send the letter on if ^I’m gone.^
40
Notation
Schreiner's 'little book on the woman question' is her Woman and Labour.
Schreiner's 'little book on the woman question' is her Woman and Labour.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/193/86 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 23 December 1910 |
Address From | Portlock, Graaff-Reinet, Eastern 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.
|
1
Portlock
2 nr. Graaff Reinet
3 23 December 1910
4
5 My dear Isie
6
7 I never wrote to thank you for the dear little box of cherries you
8sent me because I was then ill, & just leaving de Aar. My husband & I
9ate them together – quite fair – he half & I half – like two
10babies! Its so sweet of you to think of me, Isie.
11
12 I am up here among these high mountain tops staying with my friends
13the Murrays on their farm. The cool air after the terrible heat of de
14Aar soon revived me, & I am much better. For the first time for more
15than a year I’ve been able to get to my writing again really which
16is a great comfort. I hope you are having a very happy Xmas with Neef
17Jan home again. Its hard you should have to be so much separated from
18him. I know so well what you feel because I know what it is to me to
19have to leave my home & husband every year. I still have a dream of
20someday being able to finish my novel & buy a little farm up in the
21mountains ^where we could live together^ - but I guess its only a dream.
22But I’m very grateful to have found such a nice place to stay the
23summer in. The Murrays are so kind & good & the three dear children
24are such a joy to me. They are very busy in their school room today
25making little Xmas presents for everybody. If your mother has come up
26to spend Xmas with you please give her my love.
27
28 Yours ever
29 Auntie Olive
30
31 This is a lovely farm you are right on the tip top of the mountain.
32When you walk just a short way from the house you get to the edge, &
33look far away over the valleys & plains.
34
35
2 nr. Graaff Reinet
3 23 December 1910
4
5 My dear Isie
6
7 I never wrote to thank you for the dear little box of cherries you
8sent me because I was then ill, & just leaving de Aar. My husband & I
9ate them together – quite fair – he half & I half – like two
10babies! Its so sweet of you to think of me, Isie.
11
12 I am up here among these high mountain tops staying with my friends
13the Murrays on their farm. The cool air after the terrible heat of de
14Aar soon revived me, & I am much better. For the first time for more
15than a year I’ve been able to get to my writing again really which
16is a great comfort. I hope you are having a very happy Xmas with Neef
17Jan home again. Its hard you should have to be so much separated from
18him. I know so well what you feel because I know what it is to me to
19have to leave my home & husband every year. I still have a dream of
20someday being able to finish my novel & buy a little farm up in the
21mountains ^where we could live together^ - but I guess its only a dream.
22But I’m very grateful to have found such a nice place to stay the
23summer in. The Murrays are so kind & good & the three dear children
24are such a joy to me. They are very busy in their school room today
25making little Xmas presents for everybody. If your mother has come up
26to spend Xmas with you please give her my love.
27
28 Yours ever
29 Auntie Olive
30
31 This is a lovely farm you are right on the tip top of the mountain.
32When you walk just a short way from the house you get to the edge, &
33look far away over the valleys & plains.
34
35
Notation
The novel which is is 'only a dream' Schreiner will finish is From Man to Man.
The novel which is is 'only a dream' Schreiner will finish is From Man to Man.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/9/61 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Tuesday 1911 |
Address From | De Aar, 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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
de Aar
2 Tuesday
3
4 My darling Isie
5
6 How sweet your loving letter of invitation was to me. I don’t know
7if I shall be well enough to come: it will be a bitter disappointment
8to me if I can’t, but I’ll certainly come to you. at least for one night
9I shall only be there two days as Cron has to hurry back to his office.
10 Cron had unreadable through his unreadable? eh?
11
12 I am so nervous to hear what Emily Hobhouse gets from that man. Her
13condition is so exactly like mine, except that I don’t know if her
14heart is enlarged like mine. She is just like me, as long as she is
15lying down flat, she feels so much better & can think, but as soon as
16one sits or stands up every thing gets dark before one & one feels
17feels faint. Sometimes when I wake in the morning I feel full of hope
18& life as if I could do anything: but as soon as I move about it all
19goes. I can just get through my household work & lie down again.
20I’ve written half the paper I want to be ready at the congress, but
21I don’t know if I’ll get the other half written, and its no use my
22^coming without it.^ Just as I was writing this letter there came a box
23of lovely fruit. I’m sure it must be from you though there was no
24name on. I am making some lovely angels food for dinner with it.
25
26 Good bye dear. Excuse blots & hand writing, & I am writing lying
27down: & my writing is none of the best at any time.
28
29 Thine ever
30 Auntie Olive
31
32
33
2 Tuesday
3
4 My darling Isie
5
6 How sweet your loving letter of invitation was to me. I don’t know
7if I shall be well enough to come: it will be a bitter disappointment
8to me if I can’t, but I’ll certainly come to you. at least for one night
9I shall only be there two days as Cron has to hurry back to his office.
10 Cron had unreadable through his unreadable? eh?
11
12 I am so nervous to hear what Emily Hobhouse gets from that man. Her
13condition is so exactly like mine, except that I don’t know if her
14heart is enlarged like mine. She is just like me, as long as she is
15lying down flat, she feels so much better & can think, but as soon as
16one sits or stands up every thing gets dark before one & one feels
17feels faint. Sometimes when I wake in the morning I feel full of hope
18& life as if I could do anything: but as soon as I move about it all
19goes. I can just get through my household work & lie down again.
20I’ve written half the paper I want to be ready at the congress, but
21I don’t know if I’ll get the other half written, and its no use my
22^coming without it.^ Just as I was writing this letter there came a box
23of lovely fruit. I’m sure it must be from you though there was no
24name on. I am making some lovely angels food for dinner with it.
25
26 Good bye dear. Excuse blots & hand writing, & I am writing lying
27down: & my writing is none of the best at any time.
28
29 Thine ever
30 Auntie Olive
31
32
33
Notation
Schreiner's aborted paper and the congress in Johannesburg or Pretoria it was to have been given at have not been established; however, from content it was perhaps a women's congress with Isie Smuts involved in an organizational capacity.
Schreiner's aborted paper and the congress in Johannesburg or Pretoria it was to have been given at have not been established; however, from content it was perhaps a women's congress with Isie Smuts involved in an organizational capacity.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/9/62 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 1911 |
Address From | na |
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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
Darling Isie
2
3 I can’t come: it’s a bitter disappointment to me. I’ve got all I
4want to say ready in my head, but it’s no use. I shouldn’t be able
5to go & speak & I don’t feel well enough to write it out. I don’t
6know when I have felt anything such a disappointment but one must take
7things as they come in life. But oh Isie, it is hard to want to do so
8much & be able to do so little.
9
10 Good bye dear.
11
12 Thanks for your loving wish to have me with.
13
14 Love to you & the children & neef Jan - if he doesn’t think someone
15who loves niggers & Indians & all sorts of people is worth having love
16from! One has to love the people who you think are weak & may need you.
17
18 Your Auntie
19 Olive
20
21 Sunday.
22 Cron is leaving tomorrow night for Pretoria. I dare say the change up
23would do me good, I always get better as soon as I travel, but I
24can’t spend the money just for a few day’s pleasure, & I can’t
25use the free pass when I know I won’t be able to speak.
26
27
28
29
2
3 I can’t come: it’s a bitter disappointment to me. I’ve got all I
4want to say ready in my head, but it’s no use. I shouldn’t be able
5to go & speak & I don’t feel well enough to write it out. I don’t
6know when I have felt anything such a disappointment but one must take
7things as they come in life. But oh Isie, it is hard to want to do so
8much & be able to do so little.
9
10 Good bye dear.
11
12 Thanks for your loving wish to have me with.
13
14 Love to you & the children & neef Jan - if he doesn’t think someone
15who loves niggers & Indians & all sorts of people is worth having love
16from! One has to love the people who you think are weak & may need you.
17
18 Your Auntie
19 Olive
20
21 Sunday.
22 Cron is leaving tomorrow night for Pretoria. I dare say the change up
23would do me good, I always get better as soon as I travel, but I
24can’t spend the money just for a few day’s pleasure, & I can’t
25use the free pass when I know I won’t be able to speak.
26
27
28
29
Notation
What Schreiner had not 'written out' was a paper for a congress in Johannesburg or Pretoria; from content it was pwerhaps a women's congress with Isie Smuts involved in an organizational capacity.
What Schreiner had not 'written out' was a paper for a congress in Johannesburg or Pretoria; from content it was pwerhaps a women's congress with Isie Smuts involved in an organizational capacity.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/9/63 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 16 April 1911 |
Address From | De Aar, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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.
|
1
de Aar
2 April 16th 1911
3
4 Dear Neef Jan
5
6 I note that you are a socialist – but I wonder of what kind? It must
7break your heart to see the attempts made by a little handful of
8oligarchic white men, who call themselves "working men" to keep down
9the millions of their labouring fellow citizens! Verily the Farrars &
10Philipses go into the Kingdom of Heaven before them. At least they do
11openly confess the doctrine of "Each man for himself, & the devil for
12us all." Don’t trouble to answer this – I know how awfully busy
13you are. I hope you feel physically fit.
14
15 I was at Lily Kloof the other day; it was at Lower Lily Kloof where
16you had the fight & the Englishman was killed – Allaman’s-fontein.
17Curious to think you were there in my old haunts.
18
19 Love to the wife.
20 Olive Schreiner
21
22 I don’t know if my book sells well; I hear so from people in England;
23 but have nothing to do with the sales. I sold it to the publishers.
24Its better to have sixty pounds sure & in the hand, than the promise
25of a thousand as a royalty; & then get nothing at all! as with some of
26my other books. I certainly can’t be one of the meek, for I don’t
27inherit the earth.
28
29 The recent bloody outcry on the part of some women here has at moments
30made me feel as if though at least the women of South Africa were not
31fit for the vote now – but when one comes to consider that there are
32white men capable of almost linching an innocent man in the streets of
33Jo’burg because his skin is black, one sees, as always there is
34nothing to choose between them. The longer one lives & studies human
35nature the more clear it becomes that neither intellectually nor
36morally is any difference between the sexes. The devil man has the
37devil woman to match him - & so on & on.
38
39 I gave my husband your message. I don’t understand this de Aar
40business. It doesn’t seem to me to matter one way or the other.
41
2 April 16th 1911
3
4 Dear Neef Jan
5
6 I note that you are a socialist – but I wonder of what kind? It must
7break your heart to see the attempts made by a little handful of
8oligarchic white men, who call themselves "working men" to keep down
9the millions of their labouring fellow citizens! Verily the Farrars &
10Philipses go into the Kingdom of Heaven before them. At least they do
11openly confess the doctrine of "Each man for himself, & the devil for
12us all." Don’t trouble to answer this – I know how awfully busy
13you are. I hope you feel physically fit.
14
15 I was at Lily Kloof the other day; it was at Lower Lily Kloof where
16you had the fight & the Englishman was killed – Allaman’s-fontein.
17Curious to think you were there in my old haunts.
18
19 Love to the wife.
20 Olive Schreiner
21
22 I don’t know if my book sells well; I hear so from people in England;
23 but have nothing to do with the sales. I sold it to the publishers.
24Its better to have sixty pounds sure & in the hand, than the promise
25of a thousand as a royalty; & then get nothing at all! as with some of
26my other books. I certainly can’t be one of the meek, for I don’t
27inherit the earth.
28
29 The recent bloody outcry on the part of some women here has at moments
30made me feel as if though at least the women of South Africa were not
31fit for the vote now – but when one comes to consider that there are
32white men capable of almost linching an innocent man in the streets of
33Jo’burg because his skin is black, one sees, as always there is
34nothing to choose between them. The longer one lives & studies human
35nature the more clear it becomes that neither intellectually nor
36morally is any difference between the sexes. The devil man has the
37devil woman to match him - & so on & on.
38
39 I gave my husband your message. I don’t understand this de Aar
40business. It doesn’t seem to me to matter one way or the other.
41
Notation
The book Schreiner refers to is her Woman and Labour.
The book Schreiner refers to is her Woman and Labour.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/9/64 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 2 August 1911 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Aug 2 1911
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I am writing this to introduce you to Dr. Jacobs. I am sure she is a
7woman you will be delighted to know. She was the first woman doctor &
8a fast friend of ours during the war. She wanted to come out & doctor
9the women in the camps but of course was not allowed.
10
11 If you would invite her & the friend who is travelling with her ^out to Irene^
12– a lady from Holland – I am sure it would give them as much
13pleasure to know you as it will give you to know them.
14
15 Dr. Jacobs is travelling over the world in the cause of woman’s
16suffrage It was she who translated "Woman & Labour" into Dutch.
17
18 Good bye.
19 Your little Auntie
20 Olive
2 Aug 2 1911
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 I am writing this to introduce you to Dr. Jacobs. I am sure she is a
7woman you will be delighted to know. She was the first woman doctor &
8a fast friend of ours during the war. She wanted to come out & doctor
9the women in the camps but of course was not allowed.
10
11 If you would invite her & the friend who is travelling with her ^out to Irene^
12– a lady from Holland – I am sure it would give them as much
13pleasure to know you as it will give you to know them.
14
15 Dr. Jacobs is travelling over the world in the cause of woman’s
16suffrage It was she who translated "Woman & Labour" into Dutch.
17
18 Good bye.
19 Your little Auntie
20 Olive
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/9/65 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | August 1911 |
Address From | De Aar, 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 De Aar from November 1907 until she left South Africa for Britain and Europe in December 1913, but with some fairly lengthy visits elsewhere over this time.
|
1
Dear Isie
2
3 It seems such ages since I had any news of you. My health has been
4worse the last year & I’ve almost given up writing letters to my
5oldest & dearest friends.
6
7 I hope you are all well & happy. Are you still at Irene or have you
8moved into Pretoria?
9
10 No One very beautiful thing happened to me this year. My Brother
11Will’s wife & children are going up to the Falls & he invited me to
12go with them & paid my ticket like the dear old fellow he is. It was
13so delightful: the falls were so wonderful & we were all so happy
14together, & I kept so fit all the way. You must go & see the Falls
15some day if you’ve not been yet.
16
17 Give my heartiest greetings to Neef Jan. He must have thought I was
18mad when he got my note to him some months ago. I misread a word in
19his letter. He said "I am a Laodicean." I read it, "I am a
20‘Socialist." I did wonder rather! & thought he meant it as a joke!
21– so took it that way. I did wonder since when he had been a
22socialist!!
23
24 I would have sent you a copy of my book for yourself, dear; but I know
25you don’t care much for reading books in English so waiting till I
26got a copy of the Dutch translation. I have only had one copy in Dutch
27which my husband collared as soon as it came. I’ll send you one as
28soon as more Dutch copies come. I know you are not very much interest
29in the woman’s question, but I like to send it you just because I
30love you. I haven’t been to Cape Town for more than a year & a half.
31Will perhaps be going to Cape Town next summer. If so do let me know
32when you pass.
33
34 Good bye.
35
36 Love to you all. I expect the children have grown much since I saw
37them.
38
39 Thine ever
40 Olive Schreiner
41
42
43
2
3 It seems such ages since I had any news of you. My health has been
4worse the last year & I’ve almost given up writing letters to my
5oldest & dearest friends.
6
7 I hope you are all well & happy. Are you still at Irene or have you
8moved into Pretoria?
9
10 No One very beautiful thing happened to me this year. My Brother
11Will’s wife & children are going up to the Falls & he invited me to
12go with them & paid my ticket like the dear old fellow he is. It was
13so delightful: the falls were so wonderful & we were all so happy
14together, & I kept so fit all the way. You must go & see the Falls
15some day if you’ve not been yet.
16
17 Give my heartiest greetings to Neef Jan. He must have thought I was
18mad when he got my note to him some months ago. I misread a word in
19his letter. He said "I am a Laodicean." I read it, "I am a
20‘Socialist." I did wonder rather! & thought he meant it as a joke!
21– so took it that way. I did wonder since when he had been a
22socialist!!
23
24 I would have sent you a copy of my book for yourself, dear; but I know
25you don’t care much for reading books in English so waiting till I
26got a copy of the Dutch translation. I have only had one copy in Dutch
27which my husband collared as soon as it came. I’ll send you one as
28soon as more Dutch copies come. I know you are not very much interest
29in the woman’s question, but I like to send it you just because I
30love you. I haven’t been to Cape Town for more than a year & a half.
31Will perhaps be going to Cape Town next summer. If so do let me know
32when you pass.
33
34 Good bye.
35
36 Love to you all. I expect the children have grown much since I saw
37them.
38
39 Thine ever
40 Olive Schreiner
41
42
43
Notation
'My book' referred to by Schreiner is Woman and Labour.
'My book' referred to by Schreiner is Woman and Labour.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/9/66 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 25 September 1911 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Sep 25th 1911
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you so much for your letter.
7
8 I gave a letter of introduction to you to Dr. Jacobs – such a
9delightful Hollander. I hope you ^will meet^ met her while she is at
10Pretoria. I’ve no news to give you of myself: all goes on the old
11way here. When the heat gets too great in the summer I shall I think
12go down to Cape Town to try Blauwberg, or the other side of Table Bay.
13My sister Mrs. Lewis says she finds her heart much better there –
14that it is cooler & at the same time dryer than other places near Cape
15Town. I do hope you will be coming down when parliament meets then I
16shall have a chance of seeing you. Are you coming? How are the
17children getting on at school? I think they will all be clever bright
18students; they can hardly help being so, with two such parents.
19
20 I had a letter from Emily Hobhouse too. She wants me to come & try the
21wonderful man at Florence whom she hopes may cure her ^heart & arteries^.
22 I am so anxious to hear if he does her good. But I’m afraid I
23shan’t be able to go any how.
24
25 When I go to Cape Town I am really going to spend a day at
26Stellenbosch & shall see your mother. I am always working in my little
27garden here; no one would believe how much work it takes to make
28anything grow here. I am watering all day long.
29
30 Good bye dearest Isie.
31 "Alles ten besten"
32 Your little Auntie
33 Olive
34
35
2 Sep 25th 1911
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you so much for your letter.
7
8 I gave a letter of introduction to you to Dr. Jacobs – such a
9delightful Hollander. I hope you ^will meet^ met her while she is at
10Pretoria. I’ve no news to give you of myself: all goes on the old
11way here. When the heat gets too great in the summer I shall I think
12go down to Cape Town to try Blauwberg, or the other side of Table Bay.
13My sister Mrs. Lewis says she finds her heart much better there –
14that it is cooler & at the same time dryer than other places near Cape
15Town. I do hope you will be coming down when parliament meets then I
16shall have a chance of seeing you. Are you coming? How are the
17children getting on at school? I think they will all be clever bright
18students; they can hardly help being so, with two such parents.
19
20 I had a letter from Emily Hobhouse too. She wants me to come & try the
21wonderful man at Florence whom she hopes may cure her ^heart & arteries^.
22 I am so anxious to hear if he does her good. But I’m afraid I
23shan’t be able to go any how.
24
25 When I go to Cape Town I am really going to spend a day at
26Stellenbosch & shall see your mother. I am always working in my little
27garden here; no one would believe how much work it takes to make
28anything grow here. I am watering all day long.
29
30 Good bye dearest Isie.
31 "Alles ten besten"
32 Your little Auntie
33 Olive
34
35
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/51 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Monday 5 February 1912 |
Address From | Alexandra Hotel, Muizenberg, Western 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
Alexandra Hotel
2 Muizenberg
3 Monday morning
4
5 My dear old Isie
6
7 It was so nice to see you. It makes all this part seem more home like
8to have you here. I think the children have developed finely since I
9saw them. I was coming down to your house to fetch my umbrella last
10night, but I saw you were pass in the motor, & thought you had
11probably been to Stellenbosch & were coming back dead tired & would
12want to get the children to bed.
13
14 I’ve been thinking it over dear, & I think I’d rather come to
15visit you later in my stay here. I’ll have to be here till the end
16of March. I’ve been so ill at Milnerton & other places since I came
17down, & am getting so splendidly well the four days I’ve been here,
18that I think I’d better not move. If I go away for a week they’ll
19let my room & I won’t be able to get it again if I get ill. Its
20years since I’ve been able to walk as far as from here to St James
21with out any difficulty as I did yest the other night. A If its not
22hot, I’m going by train this afternoon to see my husband’s old
23mother who lives with her maid at Kalk Bay. On on the way back I’ll
24get out & come & have but don’t stop in for me because if it’s at
25all warm I won’t go.
26
27 "Alles ten beste" Love to the children from
28 Auntie Olive
29
30
31
2 Muizenberg
3 Monday morning
4
5 My dear old Isie
6
7 It was so nice to see you. It makes all this part seem more home like
8to have you here. I think the children have developed finely since I
9saw them. I was coming down to your house to fetch my umbrella last
10night, but I saw you were pass in the motor, & thought you had
11probably been to Stellenbosch & were coming back dead tired & would
12want to get the children to bed.
13
14 I’ve been thinking it over dear, & I think I’d rather come to
15visit you later in my stay here. I’ll have to be here till the end
16of March. I’ve been so ill at Milnerton & other places since I came
17down, & am getting so splendidly well the four days I’ve been here,
18that I think I’d better not move. If I go away for a week they’ll
19let my room & I won’t be able to get it again if I get ill. Its
20years since I’ve been able to walk as far as from here to St James
21with out any difficulty as I did yest the other night. A If its not
22hot, I’m going by train this afternoon to see my husband’s old
23mother who lives with her maid at Kalk Bay. On on the way back I’ll
24get out & come & have but don’t stop in for me because if it’s at
25all warm I won’t go.
26
27 "Alles ten beste" Love to the children from
28 Auntie Olive
29
30
31
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/52 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Friday 29 March 1912 |
Address From | Alexandra Hotel, Muizenberg, Western 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. The letter is on printed headed notepaper with a drawing of the hotel.
|
1
Alexandra Hotel
2 Muizenberg
3 Friday
4
5 Dear Isie
6
7 There must be some misunderstanding!! When I got home yesterday I
8found Captain Bourne had invited Lyndall (my niece) & myself to a
9dinner party with him & Mr. Smith on Saturday evening!! He wouldn’t
10have invited us if he’d meant to be dining with you? Did he not
11promise to come to you on Friday or Sunday? ^& not Saturday?^ I could
12come either for lunch or dinner supper ^with you^ on Sunday if you are
13not going out for the day.
14
15 Good bye dear. I am leaving on Monday for Newlands for a couple of
16days before I go back to de Aar. I went to see Bessie Reitz. Her eye
17seems improving
18
19 Thine loving Auntie Olive
20
21 ^PS. Just got a note from Captain Bourne to say he is expecting us to
22come on Saturday evening, so he cant be coming to you.^
23
24
25
2 Muizenberg
3 Friday
4
5 Dear Isie
6
7 There must be some misunderstanding!! When I got home yesterday I
8found Captain Bourne had invited Lyndall (my niece) & myself to a
9dinner party with him & Mr. Smith on Saturday evening!! He wouldn’t
10have invited us if he’d meant to be dining with you? Did he not
11promise to come to you on Friday or Sunday? ^& not Saturday?^ I could
12come either for lunch or dinner supper ^with you^ on Sunday if you are
13not going out for the day.
14
15 Good bye dear. I am leaving on Monday for Newlands for a couple of
16days before I go back to de Aar. I went to see Bessie Reitz. Her eye
17seems improving
18
19 Thine loving Auntie Olive
20
21 ^PS. Just got a note from Captain Bourne to say he is expecting us to
22come on Saturday evening, so he cant be coming to you.^
23
24
25
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/53 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Sunday 8 April 1912 |
Address From | Villa Flandre, Newlands, Cape Town, Western 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
Villa Flandre
2 Newlands
3 Easter Sunday
4
5 Isie dear, I wanted so to come out & say good bye to you today: but I
6can’t I’ve been so ill all these last weeks, its been difficult to
7drag myself about. I was so disappointed I couldn’t go to the house
8the day Neef Jan asked me. I’ve only been three times since I came
9down & I’d meant to go so often. I’m leaving on Thursday morning
10for de Aar When you pass there please let me know that I can come down
11& see you.
12
13 Good bye dear. Love to you all
14 Olive
15
16
17
2 Newlands
3 Easter Sunday
4
5 Isie dear, I wanted so to come out & say good bye to you today: but I
6can’t I’ve been so ill all these last weeks, its been difficult to
7drag myself about. I was so disappointed I couldn’t go to the house
8the day Neef Jan asked me. I’ve only been three times since I came
9down & I’d meant to go so often. I’m leaving on Thursday morning
10for de Aar When you pass there please let me know that I can come down
11& see you.
12
13 Good bye dear. Love to you all
14 Olive
15
16
17
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/54 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 2 May 1912 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 May 2nd 1912
3
4 Dear old Isie
5
6 You said you would be going back to Pretoria in May. Please don’t
7pass without letting me know. Whatever the weather is like I’ll come
8down to the station just to have a look at you I was so bad when first
9came here – I couldn’t write to any one but now the cold weather
10has come & I’m much better.
11
12 You’ll be glad to get home, & it won’t be very long now before
13Neef Jan comes up too. We’ve had such early rains here, we’ve
14never had such since the war. My flower garden is lovely I’ll bring
15you some flowers when you pass. Have you artichokes at the farm –
16the kind that grow like potatoes? I want you to have something I’ve
17grown & that’s all I have at present except parsnips. I always make
18a butter sauce with plenty of grated cheese to pour over the par
19artichokes, otherwise they are so tasteless.
20
21 I hope the children have all gained a great deal by their time by the
22sea. I wish you could all come & stay with me here for a little time
23then I would get really to know the children. I think children take as
24much or more "learning to know" as grown up people. Each little nature
25is so wonderfully different from the other.
26
27 Give my special love to Sulma. My brother Will was so much struck by
28her eyes, he couldn’t forget them. She’ll be a creature of light &
29life, as long as she lives.
30
31 My family – two dogs, a beautiful Persian cat, & a meerkat are all
32well! When I lie down after dinner the little dogs lie down one at
33each side of me, & the cat & meerkat curl up on my chest, & we’re
34quite a happy family.
35
36 Much love to you all
37 Little Auntie
38 Olive
39
40
2 May 2nd 1912
3
4 Dear old Isie
5
6 You said you would be going back to Pretoria in May. Please don’t
7pass without letting me know. Whatever the weather is like I’ll come
8down to the station just to have a look at you I was so bad when first
9came here – I couldn’t write to any one but now the cold weather
10has come & I’m much better.
11
12 You’ll be glad to get home, & it won’t be very long now before
13Neef Jan comes up too. We’ve had such early rains here, we’ve
14never had such since the war. My flower garden is lovely I’ll bring
15you some flowers when you pass. Have you artichokes at the farm –
16the kind that grow like potatoes? I want you to have something I’ve
17grown & that’s all I have at present except parsnips. I always make
18a butter sauce with plenty of grated cheese to pour over the par
19artichokes, otherwise they are so tasteless.
20
21 I hope the children have all gained a great deal by their time by the
22sea. I wish you could all come & stay with me here for a little time
23then I would get really to know the children. I think children take as
24much or more "learning to know" as grown up people. Each little nature
25is so wonderfully different from the other.
26
27 Give my special love to Sulma. My brother Will was so much struck by
28her eyes, he couldn’t forget them. She’ll be a creature of light &
29life, as long as she lives.
30
31 My family – two dogs, a beautiful Persian cat, & a meerkat are all
32well! When I lie down after dinner the little dogs lie down one at
33each side of me, & the cat & meerkat curl up on my chest, & we’re
34quite a happy family.
35
36 Much love to you all
37 Little Auntie
38 Olive
39
40
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/55 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Monday 20 June 1912 |
Address From | De Aar, 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
de Aar
2 Monday
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you very much for your letter. I am back again at de Aar,
7feeling the sudden rise of 4000 feet a bit as I always do when I come
8up. It is so strange my sister should have gone first. I always seemed
9so much worse than she was till the last year. I always hoped she
10would long out live me, bad as her heart was.
11
12 I feel anxious about Jan with such a terrible load of work. I so fear
13he will wear himself out. I am very sorry Hull has left the Ministry.
14I can never help feeling a sympathy with him. There is something so
15wonderful in the way he has fought his way up in the world. I should
16also be sorry if Sauer left. He is a valuable man; but I have no doubt
17he was autocratic. It is all a curious jumble to me. I think there
18must before long be a break-up of all parties & a resorting of the
19cards.
20
21 Cron leaves next week for the Victoria falls & will be gone two weeks.
22I shall look after the house & the animals!
23
24 His mother died while I was in Cape Town. It was a very terrible death
25at the end. I was with her a few hours before she died.
26
27 Oh it is so beautiful to believe as I do that death is an everlasting
28sleep. That after all their sufferings our dear ones rest.
29
30 Good bye, dear.
31
32 Love to you all
33 Auntie Olive
34
35 How is Miss Hobhouse getting on?
36
37
38
2 Monday
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Thank you very much for your letter. I am back again at de Aar,
7feeling the sudden rise of 4000 feet a bit as I always do when I come
8up. It is so strange my sister should have gone first. I always seemed
9so much worse than she was till the last year. I always hoped she
10would long out live me, bad as her heart was.
11
12 I feel anxious about Jan with such a terrible load of work. I so fear
13he will wear himself out. I am very sorry Hull has left the Ministry.
14I can never help feeling a sympathy with him. There is something so
15wonderful in the way he has fought his way up in the world. I should
16also be sorry if Sauer left. He is a valuable man; but I have no doubt
17he was autocratic. It is all a curious jumble to me. I think there
18must before long be a break-up of all parties & a resorting of the
19cards.
20
21 Cron leaves next week for the Victoria falls & will be gone two weeks.
22I shall look after the house & the animals!
23
24 His mother died while I was in Cape Town. It was a very terrible death
25at the end. I was with her a few hours before she died.
26
27 Oh it is so beautiful to believe as I do that death is an everlasting
28sleep. That after all their sufferings our dear ones rest.
29
30 Good bye, dear.
31
32 Love to you all
33 Auntie Olive
34
35 How is Miss Hobhouse getting on?
36
37
38
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/56 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 6 July 1912 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 July 6th 1912
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Could you send me Miss Hobhouse’s address as soon as you can. I have
7never written to thank her for that loving thought of hers. The time
8was a few years ago when going to Nauheim or some European cure me so
9far that I could have gone on working & finished some book. Now I know
10I shall never write anything again. I have not been out of the house
11here since I came back from Cape Town in March except the day I went
12to meet you, & then it was very difficult to get home again. It was
13much easier to walk in Cape Town.
14
15 I had such a vivid dream aft about your husband the night before last.
16I was telling him how much I disliked the Defense Force; I told him he
17was shaping a knife with which other men would cut, not he. And that
18the day would come when he would find that the first civil war in this
19country whether against black men or white would end his career. And
20it seemed to me he was so angry & in such distress. Of course in real
21life he would only have laughed at me, & told me in his heart, that I
22was a fool. But the dream seems cut into my mind.
23
24 I am so anxious about the future of the country: but perhaps it is
25because I am ill that I feel so depressed about it. You don’t know
26how much I care about your husband, & how I have hoped for his really
27great career in South Africa. No other South African has his brilliant
28intellect, his charm, his unwearied power of labour. But what I ask
29myself is "Does always see far enough?" Old Jan Hofmeyr had not his
30charm, not his brilliancy - but he saw far!
31
32 My husband has returned from his trip from the falls. He enjoyed it so
33greatly.
34
35 Good bye, dear. I hope you are all well & happy. Your small auntie
36sends her love to you all.
37
38Olive
39
2 July 6th 1912
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 Could you send me Miss Hobhouse’s address as soon as you can. I have
7never written to thank her for that loving thought of hers. The time
8was a few years ago when going to Nauheim or some European cure me so
9far that I could have gone on working & finished some book. Now I know
10I shall never write anything again. I have not been out of the house
11here since I came back from Cape Town in March except the day I went
12to meet you, & then it was very difficult to get home again. It was
13much easier to walk in Cape Town.
14
15 I had such a vivid dream aft about your husband the night before last.
16I was telling him how much I disliked the Defense Force; I told him he
17was shaping a knife with which other men would cut, not he. And that
18the day would come when he would find that the first civil war in this
19country whether against black men or white would end his career. And
20it seemed to me he was so angry & in such distress. Of course in real
21life he would only have laughed at me, & told me in his heart, that I
22was a fool. But the dream seems cut into my mind.
23
24 I am so anxious about the future of the country: but perhaps it is
25because I am ill that I feel so depressed about it. You don’t know
26how much I care about your husband, & how I have hoped for his really
27great career in South Africa. No other South African has his brilliant
28intellect, his charm, his unwearied power of labour. But what I ask
29myself is "Does always see far enough?" Old Jan Hofmeyr had not his
30charm, not his brilliancy - but he saw far!
31
32 My husband has returned from his trip from the falls. He enjoyed it so
33greatly.
34
35 Good bye, dear. I hope you are all well & happy. Your small auntie
36sends her love to you all.
37
38Olive
39
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/57 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 18 August 1912 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
De Aar
2 Aug 18th 1912
3
4 Isie dear,
5
6 I was glad to get your good news this morning. I know how your heart
7will rejoice over your little son. It is so good it is a little son. I
8have seen so much of the tragidy of people’s having an only son,
9even in my own family, that I am always so rejoiced when there is a
10second son. I expect the girls are delighted with him. I am so glad
11you & he are both doing so well. I expect his father is delighted.
12
13 Thank you for the beautiful box of fruit & things which I got
14yesterday. The nartjes are just splendid & I’m going to cook some of
15the macaroni tomorrow & have the ginger to-day. I can never eat meat
16now, so I have to live on rice & fruit & such safe things, so the
17macaroni will be very nice. I wish I could come & see you dear, but
18the only time I could come is in the winter & then I must be here with
19my husband, as I have to be away in Jan & Feb. I hope you will be down
20to Parliament again. I am trying to have one room for myself for these
21two months as I can’t bear staying at an hotel. I shall do my
22cooking on a little spirit lamp for myself.
23
24 Do come down & let me see the new little Jannie.
25
26 Good bye. May your little son be a great joy to you always
27 Olive
28
29
2 Aug 18th 1912
3
4 Isie dear,
5
6 I was glad to get your good news this morning. I know how your heart
7will rejoice over your little son. It is so good it is a little son. I
8have seen so much of the tragidy of people’s having an only son,
9even in my own family, that I am always so rejoiced when there is a
10second son. I expect the girls are delighted with him. I am so glad
11you & he are both doing so well. I expect his father is delighted.
12
13 Thank you for the beautiful box of fruit & things which I got
14yesterday. The nartjes are just splendid & I’m going to cook some of
15the macaroni tomorrow & have the ginger to-day. I can never eat meat
16now, so I have to live on rice & fruit & such safe things, so the
17macaroni will be very nice. I wish I could come & see you dear, but
18the only time I could come is in the winter & then I must be here with
19my husband, as I have to be away in Jan & Feb. I hope you will be down
20to Parliament again. I am trying to have one room for myself for these
21two months as I can’t bear staying at an hotel. I shall do my
22cooking on a little spirit lamp for myself.
23
24 Do come down & let me see the new little Jannie.
25
26 Good bye. May your little son be a great joy to you always
27 Olive
28
29
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/58 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Postcard |
Letter Date | 4 September 1912 |
Address From | De Aar, Northern Cape |
Address To | Irene, Pretoria, Transvaal |
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 postcard, which is part of its Special Collections. The name of the addressee and the address this postcard was sent to are on its front.
|
1
I hope all goes well with you & our dear little Jan. Have you heard
2that Hugo Naude is engaged to be married to my friend Julie Brown the
3daughter of Dr. & Mrs. John Brown.
4 "Alles ten Beste"
5
6 Olive
7
8 de Aar
9 Sep 4th 1912
10
11
12
2that Hugo Naude is engaged to be married to my friend Julie Brown the
3daughter of Dr. & Mrs. John Brown.
4 "Alles ten Beste"
5
6 Olive
7
8 de Aar
9 Sep 4th 1912
10
11
12
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/59 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Thursday 19 October 1912 |
Address From | De Aar, 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
De Aar
2 Thursday
3
4 Dear Isie,
5
6 I am wondering how you all & especially dear little Jan are getting on.
7
8 Do come down to Muizenberg this summer. I have taken a room at Smits Cafe
9Schmitt’s Cafe at Muizenberg for January & February. I haven’t one
10friend at Muizenberg all the people I know will be at St James. Do
11take a house at Muizenberg so that I often see you & the children. I
12am sure you will find the air much more stimulating & nice at
13Muizenberg than at St James. You must take the house at once for they
14are going fast.
15
16 You know I could see by your face as soon as I saw you last year that
17you were going to have another little one. It’s curious but I can
18always tell. I passed a young unmarried girl on the street here some
19time ago. I knew at once she was pregnant. She got as soon as I caught
20sight of her face. Two months after she got married and five months
21after she had a full-time baby. I ought to have been a doctor. As soon
22as I see people it often flashes on me what’s the matter with them,
23heart disease or liver, or lungs, & I’m generally right!!
24
25 Did I tell you my little niece Ursula Schreiner has just begun her
26medical studies in England? Lyndall the elder sister is going on with
27her law. Her first exam takes place in December. Even if she doesn’t
28pass it will be good for her to have studied it, & I hope she will
29pass. I think she would make a good Barrister. My friend Mrs. J.E.R.
30de Villiers whom I brought to see you once is studying law too, but
31she will not go up this year. I hope next year she will pass very high
32as she is very brilliant. Dear, the heat & drought are fearful here
33now. If it goes on a little longer many of the farmers will have to
34trek.
35
36 I am going to board myself when I am at Muizenberg. Have a little
37parafine stove & cook for myself. The macaroni you sent us was so
38delicious we have ordered a lot from Johannesburg. Its the first
39really good macaroni I’ve ever got in this country.
40
41 Its about 12 o’clock, but its too hot to go to bed; I do all my letter
42writing in the middle of the night now; its too hot to do anything in
43the day. Do come to Muizenberg!
44
45 Love to you all.
46 Olive.
47
48
49
2 Thursday
3
4 Dear Isie,
5
6 I am wondering how you all & especially dear little Jan are getting on.
7
8 Do come down to Muizenberg this summer. I have taken a room at Smits Cafe
9Schmitt’s Cafe at Muizenberg for January & February. I haven’t one
10friend at Muizenberg all the people I know will be at St James. Do
11take a house at Muizenberg so that I often see you & the children. I
12am sure you will find the air much more stimulating & nice at
13Muizenberg than at St James. You must take the house at once for they
14are going fast.
15
16 You know I could see by your face as soon as I saw you last year that
17you were going to have another little one. It’s curious but I can
18always tell. I passed a young unmarried girl on the street here some
19time ago. I knew at once she was pregnant. She got as soon as I caught
20sight of her face. Two months after she got married and five months
21after she had a full-time baby. I ought to have been a doctor. As soon
22as I see people it often flashes on me what’s the matter with them,
23heart disease or liver, or lungs, & I’m generally right!!
24
25 Did I tell you my little niece Ursula Schreiner has just begun her
26medical studies in England? Lyndall the elder sister is going on with
27her law. Her first exam takes place in December. Even if she doesn’t
28pass it will be good for her to have studied it, & I hope she will
29pass. I think she would make a good Barrister. My friend Mrs. J.E.R.
30de Villiers whom I brought to see you once is studying law too, but
31she will not go up this year. I hope next year she will pass very high
32as she is very brilliant. Dear, the heat & drought are fearful here
33now. If it goes on a little longer many of the farmers will have to
34trek.
35
36 I am going to board myself when I am at Muizenberg. Have a little
37parafine stove & cook for myself. The macaroni you sent us was so
38delicious we have ordered a lot from Johannesburg. Its the first
39really good macaroni I’ve ever got in this country.
40
41 Its about 12 o’clock, but its too hot to go to bed; I do all my letter
42writing in the middle of the night now; its too hot to do anything in
43the day. Do come to Muizenberg!
44
45 Love to you all.
46 Olive.
47
48
49
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/60 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 5 November 1912 |
Address From | De Aar, 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in De Aar from November 1907 until she left South Africa for Britain and Europe in December 1913, but with some fairly lengthy visits elsewhere over this time.
|
1
Dear Isie
2
3 Thanks to your loving heart for the box. The butter especially was a
4treat, as the drought is so bad we can get none here. We have only
5imported butter which we get up from Cartwright the grocer in Cape
6Town by parcel’s post. The drought here is terrible. Even the Karroo
7bushes are dead. Yesterday there were a few clouds, but they passed
8away again. The lemons were delightful so full of juice. I am going to
9make some pancakes to-day to eat with them. My husband is now like me,
10& doesn’t eat meat any more since he had a bad attack of rheumatism,
11so I have to make other kinds of food.
12
13 I do hope you are coming down to Muizenberg in January; I want to see
14what the little
15
16^Jan is like. I am sure you would like Muizenberg much more than St
17James. One feels much freer there. ^
18
19 Auntie Olive
20
21 ^The heat is so great today I can’t write a real letter. Its just a
22line of thanks.^
23
24
25
2
3 Thanks to your loving heart for the box. The butter especially was a
4treat, as the drought is so bad we can get none here. We have only
5imported butter which we get up from Cartwright the grocer in Cape
6Town by parcel’s post. The drought here is terrible. Even the Karroo
7bushes are dead. Yesterday there were a few clouds, but they passed
8away again. The lemons were delightful so full of juice. I am going to
9make some pancakes to-day to eat with them. My husband is now like me,
10& doesn’t eat meat any more since he had a bad attack of rheumatism,
11so I have to make other kinds of food.
12
13 I do hope you are coming down to Muizenberg in January; I want to see
14what the little
15
16^Jan is like. I am sure you would like Muizenberg much more than St
17James. One feels much freer there. ^
18
19 Auntie Olive
20
21 ^The heat is so great today I can’t write a real letter. Its just a
22line of thanks.^
23
24
25
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/61 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 9 November 1912 |
Address From | De Aar, 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in De Aar from November 1907 until she left South Africa for Britain and Europe in December 1913, but with some fairly lengthy visits elsewhere over this time.
|
1
Dear Isie
2
3 Your card has just come; the box has not come yet, but the boy has
4gone to the station to ask. I am just writing to my brother-in-law
5(married to Cron’s sister): he has a nice house at Muizenberg, next
6to Bakers on this side. I know they will all be there for Xmas & the
7Holidays, but are may be willing to let after they are over. It would
8be so nice if you got that house. But I’m afraid the rent might be
9rather high.
10
11 I have taken one small bed room at Schmilt’s Cafe ^for January &
12February^ Cafe close by my mother-in-laws house, & I have to pay £12 a
13month for the one room without board, I board myself! I have never
14heard of such prices as they are asking this year: & St James is
15dearer than Muizenberg. I do hope you’ll get a house at Muizenberg.
16I’m writing also to the friend who has got me the room at
17Schmilt’s Cafe to ask if she doesn’t know of a house. I wonder
18Neef Jan doesn’t buy a little bit of ground & build a little house
19at Muizenberg, right out on that side where the beach is so nice &
20wild. I always feel so shut up & "respectable" at St James! Muizenberg
21is much freer you wear what you like & do what you like! The tomatoes
22will be delightful thank you dear I’ll send back box at once.
23
24 My heart is so bad the doctor says I must leave at once: but I am not
25feeling well enough to get to pack my box & leave things right here
26for my husband. As soon as I can get this done, I’ll go to Cape Town
27& stay at my brother Will’s till New Year. Then they go to St.
28James’s & I go Muizenberg. Its sweet of you to ask me to stay with
29you but I have my room which I must pay for any how.
30
31 We have clouds & thunder every day, but never a drop of rain. It seems
32as if it were trying to rain & can’t.
33
34 Love to you all
35from Auntie Olive
36
36
2
3 Your card has just come; the box has not come yet, but the boy has
4gone to the station to ask. I am just writing to my brother-in-law
5(married to Cron’s sister): he has a nice house at Muizenberg, next
6to Bakers on this side. I know they will all be there for Xmas & the
7Holidays, but are may be willing to let after they are over. It would
8be so nice if you got that house. But I’m afraid the rent might be
9rather high.
10
11 I have taken one small bed room at Schmilt’s Cafe ^for January &
12February^ Cafe close by my mother-in-laws house, & I have to pay £12 a
13month for the one room without board, I board myself! I have never
14heard of such prices as they are asking this year: & St James is
15dearer than Muizenberg. I do hope you’ll get a house at Muizenberg.
16I’m writing also to the friend who has got me the room at
17Schmilt’s Cafe to ask if she doesn’t know of a house. I wonder
18Neef Jan doesn’t buy a little bit of ground & build a little house
19at Muizenberg, right out on that side where the beach is so nice &
20wild. I always feel so shut up & "respectable" at St James! Muizenberg
21is much freer you wear what you like & do what you like! The tomatoes
22will be delightful thank you dear I’ll send back box at once.
23
24 My heart is so bad the doctor says I must leave at once: but I am not
25feeling well enough to get to pack my box & leave things right here
26for my husband. As soon as I can get this done, I’ll go to Cape Town
27& stay at my brother Will’s till New Year. Then they go to St.
28James’s & I go Muizenberg. Its sweet of you to ask me to stay with
29you but I have my room which I must pay for any how.
30
31 We have clouds & thunder every day, but never a drop of rain. It seems
32as if it were trying to rain & can’t.
33
34 Love to you all
35from Auntie Olive
36
36
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/38- pages 165-66 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Thursday 11 March 1904 |
Address From | 6 Tamboerskloof Road, Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. 11 March 1904 was actually a Friday, so this letter was perhaps actually written on 10 March.
|
16 Tamboer’s Kloof Rd
2Tamboer’s Kloof
3March 11 / 04
4Thursday
5
6Dear Friend
7
8Our drive to Camps Bay yesterday was a great pleasure to me. Aren’t
9those mountains lovely? Please let me know of your future plans when
10you have made them.
11
12If Sunday is free & you have nothing better to do & you would come &
13have lunch with us at 1 (boarding house lunch, not G. S. lunch of
14course!) we might drive out to Camps Bay again or sit on my balcony &
15have a nice restful talk in the afternoon.
16
17^Please let me know at once if you can come as if not I may make other
18plans for the day. I want so much to see you once more. Perhaps we
19shall never see each other again.^
20OS.
21
22^If your daughter has no other engagement I will be very glad is she
23will come with you. O/S.^
24
2Tamboer’s Kloof
3March 11 / 04
4Thursday
5
6Dear Friend
7
8Our drive to Camps Bay yesterday was a great pleasure to me. Aren’t
9those mountains lovely? Please let me know of your future plans when
10you have made them.
11
12If Sunday is free & you have nothing better to do & you would come &
13have lunch with us at 1 (boarding house lunch, not G. S. lunch of
14course!) we might drive out to Camps Bay again or sit on my balcony &
15have a nice restful talk in the afternoon.
16
17^Please let me know at once if you can come as if not I may make other
18plans for the day. I want so much to see you once more. Perhaps we
19shall never see each other again.^
20OS.
21
22^If your daughter has no other engagement I will be very glad is she
23will come with you. O/S.^
24
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/62 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Monday 12 November 1912 |
Address From | De Aar, 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in De Aar from November 1907 until she left South Africa for Britain and Europe in December 1913, but with some fairly lengthy visits elsewhere over this time.
|
1
Monday Evening
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 They have not heard of the box at the station here yet. I am so afraid
6the tomatoes may be getting bad. A friends sent me a small box of
7fruit from Cape Town the other day. When I wrote & told him it
8hadn’t come, he went to the station & found it still there – with
9the fruit quite rotten. Isn’t it perhaps lying at Irene? They seem
10to get more & more careless on the railways
11
12 I hope soon to hear from my brother in law. You would love that house
13it stands quite by itself. Its quite country, & they have their own
14large bathing house down on the beach.
15
16 Love to you
17 From Olive
18
19
20
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 They have not heard of the box at the station here yet. I am so afraid
6the tomatoes may be getting bad. A friends sent me a small box of
7fruit from Cape Town the other day. When I wrote & told him it
8hadn’t come, he went to the station & found it still there – with
9the fruit quite rotten. Isn’t it perhaps lying at Irene? They seem
10to get more & more careless on the railways
11
12 I hope soon to hear from my brother in law. You would love that house
13it stands quite by itself. Its quite country, & they have their own
14large bathing house down on the beach.
15
16 Love to you
17 From Olive
18
19
20
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/63 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 14 November 1912 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Nov 14th 1912
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 The box has come with all the lovely things. The box came ^quite^ open &
7unlocked & there was no key. One square was empty in front, so a
8bottle may have been taken out, & a few eggs were broken otherwise it
9was all right. I have enjoyed some of the delicious fruit already for
10lunch. The dry beans are so very nice, they boil so soft. We are
11going to have macaroni & tomatoes for supper tonight!
12
13 I’ll nail the box down & send it to the station this afternoon, or
14perhaps I’d better just tie it with a rope as nails might break it.
15
16 I’ve just this moment got a letter from my sister-in-law saying you
17have taken their house. Did you hear of it from some one else? I’m
18sure you’ll like being there. I like it best of all places in
19Muizenberg. It’s so splendid for the children to play alone, no
20danger from trains. You will be happy & I will be happy to have you so
21near me.
22
23 Thank you darling Isie for your loving thought of me.
24 Little Auntie Olive
25
26
2 Nov 14th 1912
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 The box has come with all the lovely things. The box came ^quite^ open &
7unlocked & there was no key. One square was empty in front, so a
8bottle may have been taken out, & a few eggs were broken otherwise it
9was all right. I have enjoyed some of the delicious fruit already for
10lunch. The dry beans are so very nice, they boil so soft. We are
11going to have macaroni & tomatoes for supper tonight!
12
13 I’ll nail the box down & send it to the station this afternoon, or
14perhaps I’d better just tie it with a rope as nails might break it.
15
16 I’ve just this moment got a letter from my sister-in-law saying you
17have taken their house. Did you hear of it from some one else? I’m
18sure you’ll like being there. I like it best of all places in
19Muizenberg. It’s so splendid for the children to play alone, no
20danger from trains. You will be happy & I will be happy to have you so
21near me.
22
23 Thank you darling Isie for your loving thought of me.
24 Little Auntie Olive
25
26
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/194/10/64 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 16 December 1912 |
Address From | Newlands, Cape Town, Western 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.
|
1
Newlands
2 Dec 16th 1912
3
4 Isie dear,
5
6 It is indeed a terrible trouble that has overtaken you all. For the
7parents it must be a dreadful blow; one can bear so much when one is
8young. It is good that at least one of you was with him. The only
9comfort I ever find when one I love is taken from me by a sudden
10terrible blow, is the thought that perhaps they have been saved from
11the terrible agony of a slow lingering death – which seems to me the
12supreme evil in life. When y my father, & later my favourite nephew
13dropped dead in the midst of apparent health & strength it did comfort
14me to think they had escaped the long slow agony many of us will have
15to pass through. But the awful blank is just the same for those who
16are left, & its so sad when the young who haven’t yet really drunk
17of life go. I am going to write to your dear mother & Ella; but no
18words of sympathy can really come near such awful sorrow.
19
20 I am glad Ella is with the old people.
21
22 I am longing to see you down here. I had to come down as the heat at
23de Aar was crushing me; but it was hard to leave my old husband in it.
24
25 It will be nice for your mother to have you & the children down here &
26be able to see you sometimes. I wonder if Ella has a child.
27
28 Thank you from my heart dear, for wanting me to come to you; but I
29couldn’t fix myself down on you for all that time! But I’ll often
30come to see you as Schmitts’ Café is not further than I can manage
31to walk when its cool; especially in the evenings I can come.
32
33 Since the news of the trouble in the ministry came down here I have
34been delighted to hear how every one that I have met, English as well
35as Dutch speaks of "onse Jannie". They all feel that he is the man, &
36that he must be at the centre of things. My only fear is that he will
37overwork himself. I sympathize with Hertzog in his objection to the
38British Empire, but he realy has made things impossible for the
39ministry by his personal & narrow attacks. A really good & noble man,
40which I believe Hertzog to be, may often do more harm to the life of a
41nation than a bad one who has wisdom & understanding.
42
43 Good bye, dear. I am so glad you are coming soon because when one is
44in great sorrow change of place & scene is so good for one.
45
46 Your loving little
47 Auntie Olive
48
49
2 Dec 16th 1912
3
4 Isie dear,
5
6 It is indeed a terrible trouble that has overtaken you all. For the
7parents it must be a dreadful blow; one can bear so much when one is
8young. It is good that at least one of you was with him. The only
9comfort I ever find when one I love is taken from me by a sudden
10terrible blow, is the thought that perhaps they have been saved from
11the terrible agony of a slow lingering death – which seems to me the
12supreme evil in life. When y my father, & later my favourite nephew
13dropped dead in the midst of apparent health & strength it did comfort
14me to think they had escaped the long slow agony many of us will have
15to pass through. But the awful blank is just the same for those who
16are left, & its so sad when the young who haven’t yet really drunk
17of life go. I am going to write to your dear mother & Ella; but no
18words of sympathy can really come near such awful sorrow.
19
20 I am glad Ella is with the old people.
21
22 I am longing to see you down here. I had to come down as the heat at
23de Aar was crushing me; but it was hard to leave my old husband in it.
24
25 It will be nice for your mother to have you & the children down here &
26be able to see you sometimes. I wonder if Ella has a child.
27
28 Thank you from my heart dear, for wanting me to come to you; but I
29couldn’t fix myself down on you for all that time! But I’ll often
30come to see you as Schmitts’ Café is not further than I can manage
31to walk when its cool; especially in the evenings I can come.
32
33 Since the news of the trouble in the ministry came down here I have
34been delighted to hear how every one that I have met, English as well
35as Dutch speaks of "onse Jannie". They all feel that he is the man, &
36that he must be at the centre of things. My only fear is that he will
37overwork himself. I sympathize with Hertzog in his objection to the
38British Empire, but he realy has made things impossible for the
39ministry by his personal & narrow attacks. A really good & noble man,
40which I believe Hertzog to be, may often do more harm to the life of a
41nation than a bad one who has wisdom & understanding.
42
43 Good bye, dear. I am so glad you are coming soon because when one is
44in great sorrow change of place & scene is so good for one.
45
46 Your loving little
47 Auntie Olive
48
49
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/195/43 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 20 January 1913 |
Address From | Grand Hotel, Muizenberg, Western 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. This letter is on printed headed notepaper, with the heading crossed through.
|
1Villa Flandre
2Newlands
3Grand Hotel
4Muizenberg
5Jan 20th 1913
6
7 Dear Isie
8
9 I’m so glad to think you’ll be here soon. I think you’ll like
10your house. I hope I’ll be so much better by the time you come that
11I’ll often be able to walk over & see you. It’s not very far from
12here I saw Neef Jan going past in a motor car the other day & waved to
13him but he didn’t see me. I am feeling better at this place, but one
14feels very lonely in a big hotel & one can only see a tiny bit of the
15sea over the roofs of the houses.
16
17 If my husband were here I would be quite happy He says the heat is
18terrible at de Aar.
19
20 Good bye dear. I long to see what little Jan is like. Your little
21Auntie
22 Olive
23
24
25
2Newlands
3Grand Hotel
4Muizenberg
5Jan 20th 1913
6
7 Dear Isie
8
9 I’m so glad to think you’ll be here soon. I think you’ll like
10your house. I hope I’ll be so much better by the time you come that
11I’ll often be able to walk over & see you. It’s not very far from
12here I saw Neef Jan going past in a motor car the other day & waved to
13him but he didn’t see me. I am feeling better at this place, but one
14feels very lonely in a big hotel & one can only see a tiny bit of the
15sea over the roofs of the houses.
16
17 If my husband were here I would be quite happy He says the heat is
18terrible at de Aar.
19
20 Good bye dear. I long to see what little Jan is like. Your little
21Auntie
22 Olive
23
24
25
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/195/44 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Sunday 11 April 1913 |
Address From | De Aar, 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
de Aar
2 Sunday
3
4 My dear Isie
5
6 I got home yesterday morning. It is so nice to be with my dear old
7husband in my own house again. If the heat didn’t drive me I would
8never leave home. I was so sorry I couldn’t come to see you all
9again, dear. I couldn’t hire a cab or taxi in the whole of
10Muizenberg, & I was too short of breath to walk so far.
11
12 It was so nice to see something of you all. Its I am so glad you are
13staying on a little the time down there has done all the children
14wonderful good especially Santa. She looks, for the first time quite
15strong. Santa attracts me so much. She ought to grow up a remarkable
16woman.
17
18 Next time you come to Muizenberg I’ll come & stay with you for some
19weeks if you have a house on the main road where I can breathe. I was
20so much better in Mrs. Alexanders house. Of course I paid them for my
21room just the same as in a boarding house, but I know you wouldn’t
22let me pay. So I’ll only stay a few weeks. I’m always so afraid of
23putting my friends out of their wanting to have other visitors & not
24being able because I’ve got the spare room!
25
26 Oh it is so nice to be home again. I have already been working in the
27garden. And its so nice to cook my husbands dinner for him; I know
28just how he likes things. If only one were a little stronger what a
29beautiful thing life would be.
30
31 Give my best love to neef Jan. I have often longed to have a real talk
32with him; but I have felt he was too tired & overworked to be troubled
33by an outsiders views. ^I’m always so afraid of boring my friends.^
34
35 Good bye, dear Isie.
36
37 Kiss darling Jannie for me. I am sure some day your children will
38richly repay you for all the care & devotion you have given them.
39
40 Auntie Olive
41
42
43
2 Sunday
3
4 My dear Isie
5
6 I got home yesterday morning. It is so nice to be with my dear old
7husband in my own house again. If the heat didn’t drive me I would
8never leave home. I was so sorry I couldn’t come to see you all
9again, dear. I couldn’t hire a cab or taxi in the whole of
10Muizenberg, & I was too short of breath to walk so far.
11
12 It was so nice to see something of you all. Its I am so glad you are
13staying on a little the time down there has done all the children
14wonderful good especially Santa. She looks, for the first time quite
15strong. Santa attracts me so much. She ought to grow up a remarkable
16woman.
17
18 Next time you come to Muizenberg I’ll come & stay with you for some
19weeks if you have a house on the main road where I can breathe. I was
20so much better in Mrs. Alexanders house. Of course I paid them for my
21room just the same as in a boarding house, but I know you wouldn’t
22let me pay. So I’ll only stay a few weeks. I’m always so afraid of
23putting my friends out of their wanting to have other visitors & not
24being able because I’ve got the spare room!
25
26 Oh it is so nice to be home again. I have already been working in the
27garden. And its so nice to cook my husbands dinner for him; I know
28just how he likes things. If only one were a little stronger what a
29beautiful thing life would be.
30
31 Give my best love to neef Jan. I have often longed to have a real talk
32with him; but I have felt he was too tired & overworked to be troubled
33by an outsiders views. ^I’m always so afraid of boring my friends.^
34
35 Good bye, dear Isie.
36
37 Kiss darling Jannie for me. I am sure some day your children will
38richly repay you for all the care & devotion you have given them.
39
40 Auntie Olive
41
42
43
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/195/45 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 2 May 1913 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 2 May 1913
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 It was so nice to seen to see you & the dear children, even for
7a moment. Thank you for your sweet presents.
8
9 Please thank ?Bebas for the moststroop & your dear mother for the
10suikerbos stroop, & Minnie for the mulberry ?nonger. It quite went
11to my heart that they should all have thought of me. The presents are
12delicious. I am going to bake some of the quinces for dinner tomorrow.
13
14 You will be glad to be home again. Theres something about ones own
15home no other place can ever have.
16
17 Please tell Neef Jan to let me know when he passes that I may be able
18to go down to the station to shake hands with him.
19
20 I can’t write more now. My love to you all
21 Auntie Olive
22
23 ^Cron says I must send his greetings. He was so sorry not to be able to
24come down to the station too.^
25
26
2 2 May 1913
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 It was so nice to seen to see you & the dear children, even for
7a moment. Thank you for your sweet presents.
8
9 Please thank ?Bebas for the moststroop & your dear mother for the
10suikerbos stroop, & Minnie for the mulberry ?nonger. It quite went
11to my heart that they should all have thought of me. The presents are
12delicious. I am going to bake some of the quinces for dinner tomorrow.
13
14 You will be glad to be home again. Theres something about ones own
15home no other place can ever have.
16
17 Please tell Neef Jan to let me know when he passes that I may be able
18to go down to the station to shake hands with him.
19
20 I can’t write more now. My love to you all
21 Auntie Olive
22
23 ^Cron says I must send his greetings. He was so sorry not to be able to
24come down to the station too.^
25
26
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/195/46 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Friday 18 July 1913 |
Address From | De Aar, 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. This letter has been dated by reference to letter content and when Sauer suffered a stroke. Schreiner was resident in De Aar from November 1907 until she left South Africa for Britain and Europe in December 1913, but with some fairly lengthy visits elsewhere over this time.
|
1
Friday night
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 The beautiful box of fruit you sent me has come. The little apricots
6are delicious & do me such good. I think its the ?hydrocranic acid in
7them. The fruit is most welcome. The box came broken open at the top,
8but we have put it together again. I don’t think many of the oranges
9& nartjes fell out. I am returning the box by this train.
10
11 How are you all? I hope the darling babe grows well. I have been very
12sorry to hear of Mr. Sauer’s illness. I don’t think his heart is
13strong. Heart disease seems as much the trouble of South Africa as
14consumption is of Europe. Three seemingly big strong people here have
15died just lately of heart. One the wife of the member of parliament.
16
17 It seems there is no chance of Emily Hobhouse coming out to this
18country for a short time. She wants me to go back with her in December,
19 but I don’t know if I can manage it.
20
21 For some months I’ve not been able to lie down at night, have to
22sleep sitting in a chair if ever I do sleep, & that does not give one
23much rest.
24
25 I hope your dear mother is feeling better & more comforted for the
26loss of her dear son. Give her my love when you write. Do you know
27when that Womans Monument to be unveiled? Emily Hobhouse doesn’t
28tell me when she’s coming out, if she does come. Will a letter find
29her still at home if I write now?
30
31 Love to you all dear, & many many thanks for the lovely fruit.
32
33 Thine ever
34 Olive Schreiner
35
36
37
2
3 Dear Isie
4
5 The beautiful box of fruit you sent me has come. The little apricots
6are delicious & do me such good. I think its the ?hydrocranic acid in
7them. The fruit is most welcome. The box came broken open at the top,
8but we have put it together again. I don’t think many of the oranges
9& nartjes fell out. I am returning the box by this train.
10
11 How are you all? I hope the darling babe grows well. I have been very
12sorry to hear of Mr. Sauer’s illness. I don’t think his heart is
13strong. Heart disease seems as much the trouble of South Africa as
14consumption is of Europe. Three seemingly big strong people here have
15died just lately of heart. One the wife of the member of parliament.
16
17 It seems there is no chance of Emily Hobhouse coming out to this
18country for a short time. She wants me to go back with her in December,
19 but I don’t know if I can manage it.
20
21 For some months I’ve not been able to lie down at night, have to
22sleep sitting in a chair if ever I do sleep, & that does not give one
23much rest.
24
25 I hope your dear mother is feeling better & more comforted for the
26loss of her dear son. Give her my love when you write. Do you know
27when that Womans Monument to be unveiled? Emily Hobhouse doesn’t
28tell me when she’s coming out, if she does come. Will a letter find
29her still at home if I write now?
30
31 Love to you all dear, & many many thanks for the lovely fruit.
32
33 Thine ever
34 Olive Schreiner
35
36
37
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/195/47 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 29 September 1913 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Sep 29th 1913
3
4 My darling Isie
5
6 I am sailing on the 6th of December for Europe, to try some medical
7treatment for my heart. I don’t think it will help but my friends
8want me to try it. I should wait till the 27th to go back with Emily
9Hobhouse but am afraid of that three weeks heat at the Cape. I may not
10be able to sail at all if I wait. She arrives this week & is going to
11stay with my friend Anna Purcell. They have such a beautiful large
12spare room with an outer door & window & will make her so comfortable
13I think she will do well there. I am very anxious about her going up
14to Bloemfontein I don’t think she realizes what the height means
15when one is really bad.
16
17 Dear I don’t think I shall ever come back from England, I know my
18path is not very long now. Always know how much I have valued your
19love & friendship & how much I care for you & Jan. Often when I lie on
20my bed I am writing long letters to him in my head – but perhaps it
21better I’m not well enough to write them as they would only bore him.
22
23 I hope the children are all doing well. I wonder if little Jan will
24grow up such a little love-dove as he was as a baby. Good bye dear. If
25I go to England I shall only be there some days & go on the continent
26to try the cure. I will send you my address before I sail.
27
28 Your loving little Auntie
29 Olive
30
31
2 Sep 29th 1913
3
4 My darling Isie
5
6 I am sailing on the 6th of December for Europe, to try some medical
7treatment for my heart. I don’t think it will help but my friends
8want me to try it. I should wait till the 27th to go back with Emily
9Hobhouse but am afraid of that three weeks heat at the Cape. I may not
10be able to sail at all if I wait. She arrives this week & is going to
11stay with my friend Anna Purcell. They have such a beautiful large
12spare room with an outer door & window & will make her so comfortable
13I think she will do well there. I am very anxious about her going up
14to Bloemfontein I don’t think she realizes what the height means
15when one is really bad.
16
17 Dear I don’t think I shall ever come back from England, I know my
18path is not very long now. Always know how much I have valued your
19love & friendship & how much I care for you & Jan. Often when I lie on
20my bed I am writing long letters to him in my head – but perhaps it
21better I’m not well enough to write them as they would only bore him.
22
23 I hope the children are all doing well. I wonder if little Jan will
24grow up such a little love-dove as he was as a baby. Good bye dear. If
25I go to England I shall only be there some days & go on the continent
26to try the cure. I will send you my address before I sail.
27
28 Your loving little Auntie
29 Olive
30
31
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/195/48 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 18 October 1913 |
Address From | De Aar, 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.
|
1
de Aar
2 Oct 18th 1913
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 You may like to know what my friend Mrs Purcell says about Emily
7Hobhouse. I am so thankful she has stood the voyage so well & is
8getting so much better with the dear Purcells. I wrote, & asked them
9to invite her because I knew she would get more comfort & care in
10their beautiful home than anywhere else. She wants me to wait & go
11back with her on the 27th but I hardly see how I can wait so long. I
12wonder if you will be going to Bloemfontein to the opening of monument.
13 I would have liked to go, but of course I can’t.
14
15 Give my love to Neef Jan. Tell him to take care of my Indians &
16Natives for me while I’m away! Oh, Isie dear, if one has suffered so
17much as I have all my life since I was a girl, & especially in these
18last years, one realizes how unnecessary it is we should ever inflict
19suffering on each other. It we human creatures did nothing, but help &
20deal generously with one another, life still inflicts physical anguish
21enough on us to make human life bitter.
22
23 My friends the Pethick Lawrences will meet me when I get to England &
24take me on to Italy. It will be beautiful to be again among all my
25dear friends, but it is so hard to leave my husband & think I may
26never see him again. I shall be gone for more than a year.
27
28 I suppose you won’t be coming down to Cape Town till parliament meets.
29I don’t agree with my husband that Gladstone ought to be recalled, as
30we might get some one worse in his place, & I don’t wish the ministry
31to resign. Except Jan & Malan you have no men of great ability in this
32ministry, but if another government came in with such men as Fichart &
33Freemantle in it should we not be much worse off? The outlook in
34Africa depresses me terribly. Goodbye dear.
35
36 Yours always with much love
37 Olive
38
39 ^I am sick of Botha. I wish Jan would join the young Unionists. The
40back-veld will never appreciate him. He’s in the wrong place.^
41
42
2 Oct 18th 1913
3
4 Dear Isie
5
6 You may like to know what my friend Mrs Purcell says about Emily
7Hobhouse. I am so thankful she has stood the voyage so well & is
8getting so much better with the dear Purcells. I wrote, & asked them
9to invite her because I knew she would get more comfort & care in
10their beautiful home than anywhere else. She wants me to wait & go
11back with her on the 27th but I hardly see how I can wait so long. I
12wonder if you will be going to Bloemfontein to the opening of monument.
13 I would have liked to go, but of course I can’t.
14
15 Give my love to Neef Jan. Tell him to take care of my Indians &
16Natives for me while I’m away! Oh, Isie dear, if one has suffered so
17much as I have all my life since I was a girl, & especially in these
18last years, one realizes how unnecessary it is we should ever inflict
19suffering on each other. It we human creatures did nothing, but help &
20deal generously with one another, life still inflicts physical anguish
21enough on us to make human life bitter.
22
23 My friends the Pethick Lawrences will meet me when I get to England &
24take me on to Italy. It will be beautiful to be again among all my
25dear friends, but it is so hard to leave my husband & think I may
26never see him again. I shall be gone for more than a year.
27
28 I suppose you won’t be coming down to Cape Town till parliament meets.
29I don’t agree with my husband that Gladstone ought to be recalled, as
30we might get some one worse in his place, & I don’t wish the ministry
31to resign. Except Jan & Malan you have no men of great ability in this
32ministry, but if another government came in with such men as Fichart &
33Freemantle in it should we not be much worse off? The outlook in
34Africa depresses me terribly. Goodbye dear.
35
36 Yours always with much love
37 Olive
38
39 ^I am sick of Botha. I wish Jan would join the young Unionists. The
40back-veld will never appreciate him. He’s in the wrong place.^
41
42
Notation
The enclosed letter from Anna Purcell is no longer attached.
The enclosed letter from Anna Purcell is no longer attached.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/195/49 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 30 October 1913 |
Address From | De Aar, 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in De Aar from November 1907 until she left South Africa for Britain and Europe in December 1913, but with some fairly lengthy visits elsewhere over this time.
|
1
Dear Isie
2
3 I was so touched by your thinking of me & sending me that lovely box
4of fruit & things. Thank you dear. I am returning the box carriage
5paid. I leave de Aar about the 20th for Cape Town & shall sail on the
65th of December for Europe. I shall stay with a woman Dr friend of
7mine in London for a short time, & then some friends of mine are going
8to take me on to Italy to the Riviera. I may go later to Florence to
9try that doctor Miss Hobhouse spoke of, but my plans are uncertain. I
10shall be guided by what the heart specialists in London say. Later in
11the summer I shall go to Nauheim which has done my brother Will’s
12heart so much good.
13
14 In the spring I shall go back to London to see all my beloved friends
15before I go to Newheim. Good bye dear. I can’t write more.
16
17 Love & thanks
18 from
19 Auntie Olive
20
21
22
2
3 I was so touched by your thinking of me & sending me that lovely box
4of fruit & things. Thank you dear. I am returning the box carriage
5paid. I leave de Aar about the 20th for Cape Town & shall sail on the
65th of December for Europe. I shall stay with a woman Dr friend of
7mine in London for a short time, & then some friends of mine are going
8to take me on to Italy to the Riviera. I may go later to Florence to
9try that doctor Miss Hobhouse spoke of, but my plans are uncertain. I
10shall be guided by what the heart specialists in London say. Later in
11the summer I shall go to Nauheim which has done my brother Will’s
12heart so much good.
13
14 In the spring I shall go back to London to see all my beloved friends
15before I go to Newheim. Good bye dear. I can’t write more.
16
17 Love & thanks
18 from
19 Auntie Olive
20
21
22
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/202/97A |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: Monday August 1917 ; Before End: December 1917 |
Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner moved to Porchester Place in August 1917.
|
1
9 Porchester Place
2 Edgware Rd
3 Monday
4
5 Dear Jan
6
7 I send you a cutting in case you don’t see the New Statesman. I’ve
8written to Isie & told her you were looking much better than when I
9first saw you, & how good you were, to take me to Cambridge to see
10Miss Greene. Of course I don’t mention politics to her where you are
11concerned. I know in her darling heart you reign as a kind of God, &
12all you do is perfect! It’s sweet it should be so.
13
14 I did enjoy the trip to Cambridge so much.
15
16 Yours ever
17 Olive Schreiner
18
19
20
2 Edgware Rd
3 Monday
4
5 Dear Jan
6
7 I send you a cutting in case you don’t see the New Statesman. I’ve
8written to Isie & told her you were looking much better than when I
9first saw you, & how good you were, to take me to Cambridge to see
10Miss Greene. Of course I don’t mention politics to her where you are
11concerned. I know in her darling heart you reign as a kind of God, &
12all you do is perfect! It’s sweet it should be so.
13
14 I did enjoy the trip to Cambridge so much.
15
16 Yours ever
17 Olive Schreiner
18
19
20
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/202/98 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: Monday January 1917 ; Before End: March 1917 |
Address From | 19 Adam Street, Portman Square, Westminster, London |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in Adam Street from late December 1916 to late March 1917, when she moved to Porchester Place.
|
1
19 Adam St
2 Portman Sq
3 Monday
4
5 Dear Neef Jan
6
7 Thank you for your kindness yesterday. Oh Jan I wish you all good. I
8wish I could help you. Dear, try to act a large hearted part. You have
9such gifts. I hear terrible reports this morning; it is civil war I
10dread so. All is so dark.
11
12 Please ask Captain Theron if I did not leave a yellowish water-proof
13coat in the motor when he drove back to Cambridge. It is ^was^ not here
14when I got into the house & looked at my home. So sorry to trouble you.
15 My love to you & my dear brave Isie & the children if you write.
16
17 Olive
18
19 I am anxious about your going over to France. So many ships get sunk.
20My nephew was called up yesterday suddenly to join his regiment. ^I did
21not see him to say good bye.^
22
23
24
2 Portman Sq
3 Monday
4
5 Dear Neef Jan
6
7 Thank you for your kindness yesterday. Oh Jan I wish you all good. I
8wish I could help you. Dear, try to act a large hearted part. You have
9such gifts. I hear terrible reports this morning; it is civil war I
10dread so. All is so dark.
11
12 Please ask Captain Theron if I did not leave a yellowish water-proof
13coat in the motor when he drove back to Cambridge. It is ^was^ not here
14when I got into the house & looked at my home. So sorry to trouble you.
15 My love to you & my dear brave Isie & the children if you write.
16
17 Olive
18
19 I am anxious about your going over to France. So many ships get sunk.
20My nephew was called up yesterday suddenly to join his regiment. ^I did
21not see him to say good bye.^
22
23
24
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/202/99 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 23 April 1917 |
Address From | c/o Standard Bank, 10 Clements Lane, Lombard Street, London |
Address To | Irene, Pretoria, Transvaal |
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 address this letter was sent to is provided by an attached envelope.
|
1
address
2 c/o Standard Bank
3 10 Clements Lane
4 Lombard St
5 London W
6 April 23rd 1917
7
8 Dear Isie
9
10 How I wish you had come out with your husband, but I know that was
11impossible but how nice it would have been to see you
12
13 Did you ever get the post card I sent you when I heard Louie was born?
14I nearly always write post cards now as they seem to go better than
15letters I have seen Jan since. The first time I saw him I thought him
16looking ill & a little changed, but when I saw him yesterday he was
17looking splendid & quite his old self. He was going to Cambridge &
18kindly motored me to my friends Miss Alice Greenes, who is living
19there with her sister, & he brought me back to London in the afternoon,
20 so I had the chance of a little talk with him. It must be so hard for
21you & the children to have him so much away; but how all families are
22broken up now. My favourite nephew & godson Oliver is on his way to
23India: he was wounded at the Somme & his elbow blown away, but has
24gone out again. Lyndall & Ursula are both nursing at a Hospital in
25France & we have not seen them for a long time. Both have been ill but
26are well & at work again. Do write to me & tell me all about yourself
27& the children. Neef We are having very hard time here as far as
28foot goes food goes. Everything is so dear & difficult to get
29
30 Jan says the children are doing so well at school. How is your dear
31mother? Give her my love when you write or see her. Good bye, dear
32Isie. Love to you all. I wonder if little John Jan still looks so
33sweet.
34
35 Olive
36
37
38
2 c/o Standard Bank
3 10 Clements Lane
4 Lombard St
5 London W
6 April 23rd 1917
7
8 Dear Isie
9
10 How I wish you had come out with your husband, but I know that was
11impossible but how nice it would have been to see you
12
13 Did you ever get the post card I sent you when I heard Louie was born?
14I nearly always write post cards now as they seem to go better than
15letters I have seen Jan since. The first time I saw him I thought him
16looking ill & a little changed, but when I saw him yesterday he was
17looking splendid & quite his old self. He was going to Cambridge &
18kindly motored me to my friends Miss Alice Greenes, who is living
19there with her sister, & he brought me back to London in the afternoon,
20 so I had the chance of a little talk with him. It must be so hard for
21you & the children to have him so much away; but how all families are
22broken up now. My favourite nephew & godson Oliver is on his way to
23India: he was wounded at the Somme & his elbow blown away, but has
24gone out again. Lyndall & Ursula are both nursing at a Hospital in
25France & we have not seen them for a long time. Both have been ill but
26are well & at work again. Do write to me & tell me all about yourself
27& the children. Neef We are having very hard time here as far as
28foot goes food goes. Everything is so dear & difficult to get
29
30 Jan says the children are doing so well at school. How is your dear
31mother? Give her my love when you write or see her. Good bye, dear
32Isie. Love to you all. I wonder if little John Jan still looks so
33sweet.
34
35 Olive
36
37
38
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/202/100 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Telegram |
Letter Date | 15 May 1917 |
Address From | London |
Address To | Savoy Hotel, The Strand, Westminster, London |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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 telegram, which is part of its Special Collections. The date of this telegram and the addresses it was sent to and from are provided by its official stamps.
|
1
London
2 To General Smuts Savoy Hotel
3
4 Your speech was fine
5 Olive Schreiner Betty Molteno
6
7
8
2 To General Smuts Savoy Hotel
3
4 Your speech was fine
5 Olive Schreiner Betty Molteno
6
7
8
Notation
Smuts made a number of speches at the Savoy, with that on 15 May concerned with a Commonwealth of Nations; the more infamous one was 27 May 1917, when he used the term apartheid in a speech proposing separation and separate development on grounds of race; referring to the speech on 15 May as 'fine' implies faint praise.
Smuts made a number of speches at the Savoy, with that on 15 May concerned with a Commonwealth of Nations; the more infamous one was 27 May 1917, when he used the term apartheid in a speech proposing separation and separate development on grounds of race; referring to the speech on 15 May as 'fine' implies faint praise.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/204/145 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 29 May 1918 |
Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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.
|
1
9 Porchester Place
2 Edgware Rd
3 May 29th 1918
4
5 Dear Jan
6
7 I got a letter from my niece Mrs. Hudson Findlay from Pretoria She
8says – "We often see Mrs. Smuts. She is doing such splendid work
9here. We all love her. She is a brave brave woman." I thought
10perhaps you would like to hear this of my dear Isie. I hope you have
11quite got over your touches of fever.
12
13 Yours ever
14 Olive Schreiner
15
16
2 Edgware Rd
3 May 29th 1918
4
5 Dear Jan
6
7 I got a letter from my niece Mrs. Hudson Findlay from Pretoria She
8says – "We often see Mrs. Smuts. She is doing such splendid work
9here. We all love her. She is a brave brave woman." I thought
10perhaps you would like to hear this of my dear Isie. I hope you have
11quite got over your touches of fever.
12
13 Yours ever
14 Olive Schreiner
15
16
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/204/146 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 19 November 1918 |
Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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.
|
1
9 Porchester Place
2 Edgware Road
3 Nov 19th 1918
4
5 Dear Jan
6
7 Don’t you begin to see this is the 20th Century!! That the 19th is
8gone forever. It will have to go even in South Africa!
9
10 The old world is cracking; or rather, it cracked long ago, & now its
11bursting.
12
13 What madness is this sending troops to Russia. Mrs Partington trying
14to keep the sea back with her broom. The waves will rush round & catch
15you from the back!
16
17 Give my love to my dear Isie.
18
19 Yours ever
20 Olive
21
22
2 Edgware Road
3 Nov 19th 1918
4
5 Dear Jan
6
7 Don’t you begin to see this is the 20th Century!! That the 19th is
8gone forever. It will have to go even in South Africa!
9
10 The old world is cracking; or rather, it cracked long ago, & now its
11bursting.
12
13 What madness is this sending troops to Russia. Mrs Partington trying
14to keep the sea back with her broom. The waves will rush round & catch
15you from the back!
16
17 Give my love to my dear Isie.
18
19 Yours ever
20 Olive
21
22
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/204/147 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Monday 1918 |
Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
9 Porchester Place
2 Edgware Road
3 Monday
4
5 Dear Jan
6
7 I was so sorry I could not go for the drive. I had to go & see my
8little niece off to France.
9
10 I have often wished to write you a long letter, & have almost done so
11– but I feel it would be no good. We two view life from such
12different angles. Can’t you "five wise men of Goshen" * see that the
13longer the war goes on the better for America & perhaps for Japan –
14but for us - !!
15
16 I know you will laugh to yourself & say, "A little old woman lying on
17a sofa, seeing no one & reading, fancies she sees more than we great
18men in the midst of affairs!" But don’t you know when two clever
19people are playing chess, & a chance on-looker comes in he sees at a
20glance what the men absorbed in the game don’t?
21
22 But what’s the use of talking.
23
24 Give my dear love to Isie when you write.
25
26 Olive
27
28 I don’t know if I sent you the enclosed little allegory when I wrote
29it. I wrote it in the March of 1915 though I did not publish it till
30last November.
31
32 I feel there’s no use in writing or talking.
33 Whom the gods wish to destroy
34
35 ^* Who went to sea in a bowl. If the bowl had been stronger my Tale
36would have been longer!!^
37
38 ^Written in the great snow storm at Hampstead in ^^March^^ 1915^
39
40
41
2 Edgware Road
3 Monday
4
5 Dear Jan
6
7 I was so sorry I could not go for the drive. I had to go & see my
8little niece off to France.
9
10 I have often wished to write you a long letter, & have almost done so
11– but I feel it would be no good. We two view life from such
12different angles. Can’t you "five wise men of Goshen" * see that the
13longer the war goes on the better for America & perhaps for Japan –
14but for us - !!
15
16 I know you will laugh to yourself & say, "A little old woman lying on
17a sofa, seeing no one & reading, fancies she sees more than we great
18men in the midst of affairs!" But don’t you know when two clever
19people are playing chess, & a chance on-looker comes in he sees at a
20glance what the men absorbed in the game don’t?
21
22 But what’s the use of talking.
23
24 Give my dear love to Isie when you write.
25
26 Olive
27
28 I don’t know if I sent you the enclosed little allegory when I wrote
29it. I wrote it in the March of 1915 though I did not publish it till
30last November.
31
32 I feel there’s no use in writing or talking.
33 Whom the gods wish to destroy
34
35 ^* Who went to sea in a bowl. If the bowl had been stronger my Tale
36would have been longer!!^
37
38 ^Written in the great snow storm at Hampstead in ^^March^^ 1915^
39
40
41
Notation
Schreiner's final insertion is written on a printed copy of her allegory 'Who Knocks at the Door?' see: "Who Knocks at the Door?" Fortnightly Review November 1916, pp.641-5; it also appears in Stories, Dreams and Allegories.
Schreiner's final insertion is written on a printed copy of her allegory 'Who Knocks at the Door?' see: "Who Knocks at the Door?" Fortnightly Review November 1916, pp.641-5; it also appears in Stories, Dreams and Allegories.
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/204/148 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Saturday 1918 |
Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
9 Porchester Place
2 Edgware Road
3 Saturday
4
5 Dear Jan,
6
7 I’ve been feeling a little unhappy about you. You know if ever you
8were in trouble or needed love or friendship you could always look to
9me (as much as such a funny person as I could ever be of any good!).
10You know my nature I’m always with the under dog, not with the top
11dog. When people are very big & successful (or causes either) I
12don’t feel very interest in them. They don’t need me. I feel quite
13fond of Milner when they attack him at the meetings in the park, & say
14he should be turned out of the Cabinet because he’s not purely
15English. Its base ingratitude. If ever a man has been loyal to the
16English Government it is he. Ingratitude is the meanest of all faults.
17
18 If ever you should care to come & see me I’d be very glad to see you.
19 I’ve a nice quiet sitting room here. I shall be out Monday
20afternoon & on Tuesday evening after 6; but otherwise if you’d let
21me know you were coming ^before hand,^ I’d always be in. I’d be so
22disappointed if you came & I was out. But I expect your time is very
23fully taken up.
24
25 Give my fond love to your dear wife when you write to her. Tell her
26she doesn’t know how often I’m thinking of her. This long
27separation from you must be very hard ^for^ her, who is so devoted to
28you.
29
30 I know what it means to me to be so far from my husband.
31
32 Olive
33
34 I love you Jan. It will always be one of the sorrows of my life that I
35cannot always work heart & soul with you, in public matters.
36
37 You see near things ^so clearly & far things so badly!^
38
39
40
2 Edgware Road
3 Saturday
4
5 Dear Jan,
6
7 I’ve been feeling a little unhappy about you. You know if ever you
8were in trouble or needed love or friendship you could always look to
9me (as much as such a funny person as I could ever be of any good!).
10You know my nature I’m always with the under dog, not with the top
11dog. When people are very big & successful (or causes either) I
12don’t feel very interest in them. They don’t need me. I feel quite
13fond of Milner when they attack him at the meetings in the park, & say
14he should be turned out of the Cabinet because he’s not purely
15English. Its base ingratitude. If ever a man has been loyal to the
16English Government it is he. Ingratitude is the meanest of all faults.
17
18 If ever you should care to come & see me I’d be very glad to see you.
19 I’ve a nice quiet sitting room here. I shall be out Monday
20afternoon & on Tuesday evening after 6; but otherwise if you’d let
21me know you were coming ^before hand,^ I’d always be in. I’d be so
22disappointed if you came & I was out. But I expect your time is very
23fully taken up.
24
25 Give my fond love to your dear wife when you write to her. Tell her
26she doesn’t know how often I’m thinking of her. This long
27separation from you must be very hard ^for^ her, who is so devoted to
28you.
29
30 I know what it means to me to be so far from my husband.
31
32 Olive
33
34 I love you Jan. It will always be one of the sorrows of my life that I
35cannot always work heart & soul with you, in public matters.
36
37 You see near things ^so clearly & far things so badly!^
38
39
40
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/206/121 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 3 July 1919 |
Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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. Will Schreiner died at the end of June 1919 and Smuts attended the committal ceremony at Golder’s Green crematorium. Schreiner has misdated the letter as June instead of July.
|
1
telephone no 6506
2 Paddington
3 9 Porchester Place
4 Edgware Road
5 W.
6 June 3rd 1919
7
8 Dear Jan
9
10 They tell me you were just behind me at Golders Green. I didn’t see
11you or I would have turned & shaken hands with you. He was so fond of
12you.
13
14 I’d so like to see you, Jan, before you go out to Africa. We
15shan’t see each other again as I shall never be able to go back to
16our country. I’m so glad to think my dear little Isie will have you
17with her again.
18
19 Jan, dear, I’m sure you begin to see this is a new century, that the
20old world with its aims & ideals is dying about us. With your splendid
21intellect & powers put yourself at the head of the incoming tide, &
22try to lead our people.
23
24 Yours with love
25 Olive Schreiner
26
27 I knew a year ago he was dying, but I always hoped I would go before
28him.
29
2 Paddington
3 9 Porchester Place
4 Edgware Road
5 W.
6 June 3rd 1919
7
8 Dear Jan
9
10 They tell me you were just behind me at Golders Green. I didn’t see
11you or I would have turned & shaken hands with you. He was so fond of
12you.
13
14 I’d so like to see you, Jan, before you go out to Africa. We
15shan’t see each other again as I shall never be able to go back to
16our country. I’m so glad to think my dear little Isie will have you
17with her again.
18
19 Jan, dear, I’m sure you begin to see this is a new century, that the
20old world with its aims & ideals is dying about us. With your splendid
21intellect & powers put yourself at the head of the incoming tide, &
22try to lead our people.
23
24 Yours with love
25 Olive Schreiner
26
27 I knew a year ago he was dying, but I always hoped I would go before
28him.
29
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/206/122 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: June 1919 ; Before End: December 1919 |
Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. It was written after Will Schreiner’s death at the end of June 1919.
|
1
9 Porchester Place
2 Edgware Rd
3 Saturday
4
5 Dear Jan
6
7 Thank you for your letter. Let me know by telephone if ever you can
8come. It would be a bitter disappointment to me if I were out. My
9telephone no is 6506 Paddington.
10
11 Don’t over work yourself & kill yourself as my brother did. People
12with our dispositions are driven on at full speed as long as the
13propeller works – then suddenly it breaks. The most terrible thing
14is to live on when the passionate will & desire to work are there - &
15the machine won’t. Take care of yourself, dear, before its too late.
16
17 Yours ever
18 Olive
19
20
21
2 Edgware Rd
3 Saturday
4
5 Dear Jan
6
7 Thank you for your letter. Let me know by telephone if ever you can
8come. It would be a bitter disappointment to me if I were out. My
9telephone no is 6506 Paddington.
10
11 Don’t over work yourself & kill yourself as my brother did. People
12with our dispositions are driven on at full speed as long as the
13propeller works – then suddenly it breaks. The most terrible thing
14is to live on when the passionate will & desire to work are there - &
15the machine won’t. Take care of yourself, dear, before its too late.
16
17 Yours ever
18 Olive
19
20
21
Letter Reference | Smuts A1/207/185 |
Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 19 October 1920 |
Address From | Oak Hall, Wynburg, Cape Town, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Jan Smuts |
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. Schreiner stayed with her sister-in-law Fan Schreiner and her friend Lucy Molteno in Cape Town after her arrival from Britain on 30 August 1920, moving to a boarding-house in Wynberg in late October, where she was resident until her death on 11 December 1920.
|
1
Address
2c/o Mrs. W P Schreiner
3 Lyndall
4 Garden Street
5 Plumstead
6 nr. Cape Town
7 Oct 19th 1920
8
9 Dear Jan
10
11 Thank you for your kind words of welcome. I wish you & Isie were down
12here now. Do try & get Isie down here when you come down to parliament.
13 I would like to have a long talk with you on the native question -
14not only South Africa’s great question, but the world’s great
15question.
16
17 Oct 28th 1920
18
19 Dear Jan
20
21 I began this but wasn’t able to finish it a week ago. Yesterday I
22read of the troubles in Port Elizabeth. I wish I knew you were taking
23as broad & sane a view on our native problem as you took on many
24European points when you were there. The next few years are going to
25determine the whole future of South Africa in 30 or 40 years time. As
26we sow we shall reap. We may crush the mass of our fellows in South
27Africa today, as Russia did for generations, but today the serf is in
28the Palace & where is the Czar?
29
30 No, Jan, I feel more lonely here than I did in England. I did not live
31in your great fashionable world – but I knew there were millions of
32my fellow men about me all over Europe who thought & felt exactly as I
33did. Here it is otherwise.
34
35 I have got a little room in a boarding house at Wynberg; but I have
36spent nearly two months finding it. The conditions of life are much
37harder here than in England for a person living alone. This accursed
38war has spoiled everything. I should never have come out had I
39realized what the conditions are, but now I shall never be able to
40undertake the journey back. I wonder what you thought of the
41Prince’s speech in London. He says the great aim of British
42Emperialism is to turn all parts of the world where it obtains into
43Englands men. By God, he’ll find his mistake if he tries to do it
44here! It seemed to me the most vain undiplomatic speech that was ever
45made by a man coming out to a country like South Africa. It puzzles me
46why you tried to get him out here. It may please the Unionists & the
47more snobbish sort of Dutch but even in your own South African party
48there are men with stiff backs & knees!!!
49
50 Jan dear, you are having your last throw; throw it right this time.
51You are such a wonderfully brilliant & gifted man, & yet there are
52sometimes things which a simple child might see which you don’t! You
53see close at hand - but you don’t see far enough.
54
55 I do hope you will get Isie to come down when the parliament meets. I
56want so to see her.
57
58 Thine ever
59 Olive
60
61 This is the 20th century; the past is past never to return, even in
62South Africa. The day of princes, & Bosses, of is gone forever: one
63must meet the incoming tide & rise on it, or be swept away ^forever.^
64
2c/o Mrs. W P Schreiner
3 Lyndall
4 Garden Street
5 Plumstead
6 nr. Cape Town
7 Oct 19th 1920
8
9 Dear Jan
10
11 Thank you for your kind words of welcome. I wish you & Isie were down
12here now. Do try & get Isie down here when you come down to parliament.
13 I would like to have a long talk with you on the native question -
14not only South Africa’s great question, but the world’s great
15question.
16
17 Oct 28th 1920
18
19 Dear Jan
20
21 I began this but wasn’t able to finish it a week ago. Yesterday I
22read of the troubles in Port Elizabeth. I wish I knew you were taking
23as broad & sane a view on our native problem as you took on many
24European points when you were there. The next few years are going to
25determine the whole future of South Africa in 30 or 40 years time. As
26we sow we shall reap. We may crush the mass of our fellows in South
27Africa today, as Russia did for generations, but today the serf is in
28the Palace & where is the Czar?
29
30 No, Jan, I feel more lonely here than I did in England. I did not live
31in your great fashionable world – but I knew there were millions of
32my fellow men about me all over Europe who thought & felt exactly as I
33did. Here it is otherwise.
34
35 I have got a little room in a boarding house at Wynberg; but I have
36spent nearly two months finding it. The conditions of life are much
37harder here than in England for a person living alone. This accursed
38war has spoiled everything. I should never have come out had I
39realized what the conditions are, but now I shall never be able to
40undertake the journey back. I wonder what you thought of the
41Prince’s speech in London. He says the great aim of British
42Emperialism is to turn all parts of the world where it obtains into
43Englands men. By God, he’ll find his mistake if he tries to do it
44here! It seemed to me the most vain undiplomatic speech that was ever
45made by a man coming out to a country like South Africa. It puzzles me
46why you tried to get him out here. It may please the Unionists & the
47more snobbish sort of Dutch but even in your own South African party
48there are men with stiff backs & knees!!!
49
50 Jan dear, you are having your last throw; throw it right this time.
51You are such a wonderfully brilliant & gifted man, & yet there are
52sometimes things which a simple child might see which you don’t! You
53see close at hand - but you don’t see far enough.
54
55 I do hope you will get Isie to come down when the parliament meets. I
56want so to see her.
57
58 Thine ever
59 Olive
60
61 This is the 20th century; the past is past never to return, even in
62South Africa. The day of princes, & Bosses, of is gone forever: one
63must meet the incoming tide & rise on it, or be swept away ^forever.^
64
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/37- pages 161-164 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 8 March 1904 |
Address From | 6 Tamboerskloof Road, Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
16 Tamboer’s Kloof Rd
2Tamboer’s Kloof
3March 8th 1904
4
5Dear Friend! It has indeed been delightful to see you. I shall call
6this afternoon at four & see if you would care for the drive in the
7train round the Kloof: though after the marvellous motor car I hardly
8like to propose it.
9
10Please, dear friend, be sure & mention nothing that has passed between
11us in writing to England, (in this country of course I know you will
12not). I had resolved not to refer to the war, Rhodes, or South African
13public matters in speaking to you, but you see I didn’t keep my
14resolve. There is nothing gained about things; it only makes my heart
15bad & we have so much in common on which we are entirely agreed.
16
17It may seem strange but with the exception of that man you sent out to
18see about your paper, I have not exchanged one word with any English
19person once since the peace & even with the Africanders except with a
20very small number of ones closest friend. - It is a time when speech
21can do no good; can do only harm, & as I cannot speak politically in a
22way, I do not feel it is much better to remain perfectly silent – for
23my self.
24
25I am looking forward so much to seeing you this afternoon. I hope you
26are both feeling fit.
27Olive Schreiner
28
2Tamboer’s Kloof
3March 8th 1904
4
5Dear Friend! It has indeed been delightful to see you. I shall call
6this afternoon at four & see if you would care for the drive in the
7train round the Kloof: though after the marvellous motor car I hardly
8like to propose it.
9
10Please, dear friend, be sure & mention nothing that has passed between
11us in writing to England, (in this country of course I know you will
12not). I had resolved not to refer to the war, Rhodes, or South African
13public matters in speaking to you, but you see I didn’t keep my
14resolve. There is nothing gained about things; it only makes my heart
15bad & we have so much in common on which we are entirely agreed.
16
17It may seem strange but with the exception of that man you sent out to
18see about your paper, I have not exchanged one word with any English
19person once since the peace & even with the Africanders except with a
20very small number of ones closest friend. - It is a time when speech
21can do no good; can do only harm, & as I cannot speak politically in a
22way, I do not feel it is much better to remain perfectly silent – for
23my self.
24
25I am looking forward so much to seeing you this afternoon. I hope you
26are both feeling fit.
27Olive Schreiner
28
Notation
While Stead was in South Africa, his son Alfred was sent the letter below by T. Fisher Unwin (T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/pages 37-8). Unwin had published various of Schreiner’s books, to her increasing unhappiness. It shows very clearly that, in spite of his protestation of Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland being ‘not a great business success’, Unwin was very keen to publish something else by her:
Cable and Telegraphic Address – “Century, London.”
P.O. Telephone No. – 181 Central.
T. Fisher Unwin,
Publisher
11, Paternoster Buildings,
London,
E.C.
March 17th 1904
Alfred Stead Esq,
“Review of Reviews”
^My dear Mr Stead^
I heard from our friends the Milhollands that your father is in Cape Town and that he is better; I am very glad indeed to hear this; he needed rest after all his labours.
I feel quite sure that he will meet out mutual friend Olive Schreiner. I wish when you are writing to him you would ask him to talk to her on my behalf and make some brilliant literary suggestion. Why should we not collaborate, you running a book by her as a serial and I issuing it in volume form. Some plan might be organised by which we would work together. At any rate I should be very glad if your father would tell her that I am always ready to publish for her. As you may know I have published most of her work. My last venture was “Peter Halket” which unfortunately was not a great business success for its publisher. However, I paid the author four figures and am quite prepared to pay four figures again if she will give me a good long novel.
^Yours truly
T. Fisher Unwin^
While Stead was in South Africa, his son Alfred was sent the letter below by T. Fisher Unwin (T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/pages 37-8). Unwin had published various of Schreiner’s books, to her increasing unhappiness. It shows very clearly that, in spite of his protestation of Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland being ‘not a great business success’, Unwin was very keen to publish something else by her:
Cable and Telegraphic Address – “Century, London.”
P.O. Telephone No. – 181 Central.
T. Fisher Unwin,
Publisher
11, Paternoster Buildings,
London,
E.C.
March 17th 1904
Alfred Stead Esq,
“Review of Reviews”
^My dear Mr Stead^
I heard from our friends the Milhollands that your father is in Cape Town and that he is better; I am very glad indeed to hear this; he needed rest after all his labours.
I feel quite sure that he will meet out mutual friend Olive Schreiner. I wish when you are writing to him you would ask him to talk to her on my behalf and make some brilliant literary suggestion. Why should we not collaborate, you running a book by her as a serial and I issuing it in volume form. Some plan might be organised by which we would work together. At any rate I should be very glad if your father would tell her that I am always ready to publish for her. As you may know I have published most of her work. My last venture was “Peter Halket” which unfortunately was not a great business success for its publisher. However, I paid the author four figures and am quite prepared to pay four figures again if she will give me a good long novel.
^Yours truly
T. Fisher Unwin^
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/35- pages 157-8 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 12 January 1903 |
Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1^Hanover Cape Colony^
2Jan 12 / 03
3
4Dear Friend
5
6Your Annual has come. I always am one with you on the woman question.
7Thank you for sending it me. It is good.
8
9Let me know if you receive this safely. As I never write on politics
10to any one. I have no faith in the post.
11
12I am still living at Hanover, & may have to continue here as far as I
13can see to the end of my days.
14
15Yours with affectionate greetings
16Olive Schreiner
17
18I hope we shall get the Rev of Rev we have ordered from a bookseller
19here. If it does not come I shall ?assume it strayed ^?from the office.^
20
2Jan 12 / 03
3
4Dear Friend
5
6Your Annual has come. I always am one with you on the woman question.
7Thank you for sending it me. It is good.
8
9Let me know if you receive this safely. As I never write on politics
10to any one. I have no faith in the post.
11
12I am still living at Hanover, & may have to continue here as far as I
13can see to the end of my days.
14
15Yours with affectionate greetings
16Olive Schreiner
17
18I hope we shall get the Rev of Rev we have ordered from a bookseller
19here. If it does not come I shall ?assume it strayed ^?from the office.^
20
Notation
The ‘Annual’ is from the Review of Reviews; these were published each year from its inception.
The ‘Annual’ is from the Review of Reviews; these were published each year from its inception.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/36- pages 159-160 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 18 June 1904 |
Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Hanover
2Cape Colony
3June 18 / 04
4
5Dear Friend
6
7Your note & also the advance sheets of the Rev of Rev=’s have just
8come. I have not yet looked at the latter. Thanks for the former it is
9good news that you are better.
10
11I shall be glad to see your daughter’s little snaps. I shall send you
12a photo of myself next week, & tell you what I think of your Review
13article.
14
15It was good to see you in Cape Town, like a bit of the old life came back.
16
17My husband is up in the Transvaal for a few days or would send
18greetings I know. I am here alone with my meerkats & dog.
19
20All good be with you
21Olive Schreiner
22
2Cape Colony
3June 18 / 04
4
5Dear Friend
6
7Your note & also the advance sheets of the Rev of Rev=’s have just
8come. I have not yet looked at the latter. Thanks for the former it is
9good news that you are better.
10
11I shall be glad to see your daughter’s little snaps. I shall send you
12a photo of myself next week, & tell you what I think of your Review
13article.
14
15It was good to see you in Cape Town, like a bit of the old life came back.
16
17My husband is up in the Transvaal for a few days or would send
18greetings I know. I am here alone with my meerkats & dog.
19
20All good be with you
21Olive Schreiner
22
Notation
Stead’s review article concerned paying war reparations to the Transvaal and Free State and it asked for a judicial review to be held; see W.T. Stead "The Most Pressing Problem in South Africa Today" Review of Reviews vol 28 July 1904 pp.33-6. Stead had clearly sent the advance sheets (akin to proofs) of it for Schreiner to read.
Stead’s review article concerned paying war reparations to the Transvaal and Free State and it asked for a judicial review to be held; see W.T. Stead "The Most Pressing Problem in South Africa Today" Review of Reviews vol 28 July 1904 pp.33-6. Stead had clearly sent the advance sheets (akin to proofs) of it for Schreiner to read.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/33- pages 145-150 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 8 July 1897 |
Address From | Morley’s Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 224; Rive 1987: 312-3 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Morley’s Hotel
2Trafalgar Sq
3July 8 / 97
4
5My dear old Friend
6
7It was indeed a pleasure to see you; Thankyou for coming.
8
9I was so glad my husband met you; & liked you so much. He realized
10what I have always done, that your heart is all right (your spiritual
11heart) even if you do seem to us to be going on the wrong tack
12politically!!! Please be careful not to mention anything we either of
13us said to you on public ^or South African^ matters in the Review of
14Reviews or else where. You are quite mistaken as to my having or ever
15having had an unkindly feeling to Rhodes; if he would only leave South
16Africa alone & come back to England & live in a palace & enjoy life on
17the money he has made out of us & our country - it's the worst I wish
18him!!! It wouldn't undo the evil he has wrought to England, & to the
19natives if he were made to suffer. I am no believer in the infliction
20of punishment by humanity; they are always clumsy & generally wicked &
21cruel. The only just punishment in life, is that which the nature of
22existence compels each soul to inflict on itself!
23
24I was so glad to see you looking so fit physically. Physical strength
25^to do one's work^ is the first of the good things of life; - after the
26power of loving nature & folks, which is perhaps even the greater good.
27
28I was so glad to see Harry.
29
30Thine with all good wishes,
31Olive Schreiner
32
2Trafalgar Sq
3July 8 / 97
4
5My dear old Friend
6
7It was indeed a pleasure to see you; Thankyou for coming.
8
9I was so glad my husband met you; & liked you so much. He realized
10what I have always done, that your heart is all right (your spiritual
11heart) even if you do seem to us to be going on the wrong tack
12politically!!! Please be careful not to mention anything we either of
13us said to you on public ^or South African^ matters in the Review of
14Reviews or else where. You are quite mistaken as to my having or ever
15having had an unkindly feeling to Rhodes; if he would only leave South
16Africa alone & come back to England & live in a palace & enjoy life on
17the money he has made out of us & our country - it's the worst I wish
18him!!! It wouldn't undo the evil he has wrought to England, & to the
19natives if he were made to suffer. I am no believer in the infliction
20of punishment by humanity; they are always clumsy & generally wicked &
21cruel. The only just punishment in life, is that which the nature of
22existence compels each soul to inflict on itself!
23
24I was so glad to see you looking so fit physically. Physical strength
25^to do one's work^ is the first of the good things of life; - after the
26power of loving nature & folks, which is perhaps even the greater good.
27
28I was so glad to see Harry.
29
30Thine with all good wishes,
31Olive Schreiner
32
Notation
Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor respects. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract is incorrect in a range of ways.
Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor respects. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract is incorrect in a range of ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/34- pages 151-153, 155, 156 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 10 January 1903 |
Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 231 |
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 Micofilm Collections. Schreiner has mistakenly dated this letter as January 1902, a slip of the pen as content suggests it was written after the end of the South African War.
|
1Hanover
2Jan 10 / 02
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I have wanted so to write to you for a long time, but I feel no faith
7in any letter of mine ever reaching you. Write & let me know if you
8get this, & if it appears not to have been opened. I have not seen a
9copy of the Rev of Rev nor a line you have printed for three years. Of
10course, during Martial Law nothing of yours was allowed to come in. I
11have ordered the Rev= of Rev. since Martial Law was raised but have
12not yet been able to get it. Now a book seller in Cradock says he will
13send it me: If you have any back copies with anything that would
14specially interest me please send them me. But just do them up as
15ordinary: books with nothing to show. They come from the office of
16Rev= of Rev. I will write you a long letter if I know you will ever
17get it.
18
19I hear from my friend Havelock Ellis that you have made & are still
20making a splendid stand on the subject of the War & South Africa. He
21says you are the one of the very few men in England who have stood
22perfectly fearlessly on this matter.
23
24I would give a great deal to be able to see you: but my heart is very
25bad, & I shall never be able to come to Europe again.
26
27Good bye. All good be with you & strength & health
28Olive Schreiner
29
30P.S. Lately I have read the most beautiful book that has ever fallen
31into my hands through a long life. It's called “The Soul of a People”,
32by H. Fielding Hall. Of course you’ve read it. Was it so wonderful &
33beautiful to you too. I've read it & read it till I almost know it by
34heart, & each time I read it it seems more sweet & beautiful.
35
36^I have not got the Annual you said you sent me with the letter.^
37
38^Address^
39Olive Schreiner
40Hanover
41Cape Colony
42
2Jan 10 / 02
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I have wanted so to write to you for a long time, but I feel no faith
7in any letter of mine ever reaching you. Write & let me know if you
8get this, & if it appears not to have been opened. I have not seen a
9copy of the Rev of Rev nor a line you have printed for three years. Of
10course, during Martial Law nothing of yours was allowed to come in. I
11have ordered the Rev= of Rev. since Martial Law was raised but have
12not yet been able to get it. Now a book seller in Cradock says he will
13send it me: If you have any back copies with anything that would
14specially interest me please send them me. But just do them up as
15ordinary: books with nothing to show. They come from the office of
16Rev= of Rev. I will write you a long letter if I know you will ever
17get it.
18
19I hear from my friend Havelock Ellis that you have made & are still
20making a splendid stand on the subject of the War & South Africa. He
21says you are the one of the very few men in England who have stood
22perfectly fearlessly on this matter.
23
24I would give a great deal to be able to see you: but my heart is very
25bad, & I shall never be able to come to Europe again.
26
27Good bye. All good be with you & strength & health
28Olive Schreiner
29
30P.S. Lately I have read the most beautiful book that has ever fallen
31into my hands through a long life. It's called “The Soul of a People”,
32by H. Fielding Hall. Of course you’ve read it. Was it so wonderful &
33beautiful to you too. I've read it & read it till I almost know it by
34heart, & each time I read it it seems more sweet & beautiful.
35
36^I have not got the Annual you said you sent me with the letter.^
37
38^Address^
39Olive Schreiner
40Hanover
41Cape Colony
42
Notation
On the reverse of one sheet, Schreiner has written the page number ‘34’ and, in her handwriting but with a different pen and ink, ‘nothing, they had no necessary organic relations with each other on anything else.’ The book referred to is: Harold Fielding Hall (1898) The Soul of a People London: R. Bentley & Son. The ‘Annual’ is part of the Review of Reviews; these were published each year from its inception. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter is incorrect in minor ways.
On the reverse of one sheet, Schreiner has written the page number ‘34’ and, in her handwriting but with a different pen and ink, ‘nothing, they had no necessary organic relations with each other on anything else.’ The book referred to is: Harold Fielding Hall (1898) The Soul of a People London: R. Bentley & Son. The ‘Annual’ is part of the Review of Reviews; these were published each year from its inception. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter is incorrect in minor ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/29- pages 131-134 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 4 February 1897 |
Address From | New College, Eastbourne, East Sussex |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. Schreiner has mistakenly dated this letter as February 1896, a slip of the pen as she arrived in the UK in late January 1897. The letter is written on printed headed notepaper.
|
1New College Junior School,
2Eastbourne.
3
4Feb 4 / 96
5
6Dear Friend
7
8I shall not be in London this week I am sorry to say. We return on
9Saturday evening, & shall be all next week at
1019 Russell Rd
11Kensington ^W^
12
13I hope this terrible weather is not trying poor old Garrett too much.
14
15What I wrote about I wrote about Sir George Grey was for yourself
16alone. I wanted you to realize what a great & good son of god he was,
17& the last thing I would have wished would have been to have it
18printed. I do intend to write something on Sir George Grey some day
19but then I shall think long & carefully over it.
20
21Yours ever
22Olive Schreiner
23
24I hope you are fit.
25
2Eastbourne.
3
4Feb 4 / 96
5
6Dear Friend
7
8I shall not be in London this week I am sorry to say. We return on
9Saturday evening, & shall be all next week at
1019 Russell Rd
11Kensington ^W^
12
13I hope this terrible weather is not trying poor old Garrett too much.
14
15What I wrote about I wrote about Sir George Grey was for yourself
16alone. I wanted you to realize what a great & good son of god he was,
17& the last thing I would have wished would have been to have it
18printed. I do intend to write something on Sir George Grey some day
19but then I shall think long & carefully over it.
20
21Yours ever
22Olive Schreiner
23
24I hope you are fit.
25
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/30- pages 135-136 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 27 December 1896 |
Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 298-9 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Private
2The Homestead
3Dec 27 / 96
4
5My dear Friend
6
7We are, as think I told you when I wrote six weeks ago, sailing on the
86th of Jan = from Cape Town & shall I hope arrive in London about the
922nd. I write again in case I forgot to mention to you the date of our
10sailing.
11
12We shall only be in London a few days, for me to see about some
13publisher’s business & then we shall go on to Italy till the summer. I
14shall be very very glad to see you if you can make time to come & see
15me. My address is in London –
16c/o Alice Corthorn, M.B.
1719 Russell Rd
18Kensington W.
19
20If you do come & see me, please let us leave colonial politics alone.
21There are so many much larger & more interesting subjects that Mr
22Rhodes which we can dis-cuss & I feel that nothing I can say would be
23of any help to you. I am always willing to dis-cuss as long as I think
24my views may be of service to another. When I know it is not so, I
25won't. I shall indeed be glad to see you.
26
27Your friend
28Olive Schreiner
29
30^I hear Rhodes intends going by the same steamer we are going by so
31perhaps you will be at Plymouth to welcome him.^
32
2The Homestead
3Dec 27 / 96
4
5My dear Friend
6
7We are, as think I told you when I wrote six weeks ago, sailing on the
86th of Jan = from Cape Town & shall I hope arrive in London about the
922nd. I write again in case I forgot to mention to you the date of our
10sailing.
11
12We shall only be in London a few days, for me to see about some
13publisher’s business & then we shall go on to Italy till the summer. I
14shall be very very glad to see you if you can make time to come & see
15me. My address is in London –
16c/o Alice Corthorn, M.B.
1719 Russell Rd
18Kensington W.
19
20If you do come & see me, please let us leave colonial politics alone.
21There are so many much larger & more interesting subjects that Mr
22Rhodes which we can dis-cuss & I feel that nothing I can say would be
23of any help to you. I am always willing to dis-cuss as long as I think
24my views may be of service to another. When I know it is not so, I
25won't. I shall indeed be glad to see you.
26
27Your friend
28Olive Schreiner
29
30^I hear Rhodes intends going by the same steamer we are going by so
31perhaps you will be at Plymouth to welcome him.^
32
Notation
The ‘publisher’s business’ referred to concerns the publication of Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor respects.
The ‘publisher’s business’ referred to concerns the publication of Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor respects.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/31- pages 137-140 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 20 September 1896 |
Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 290 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1The Homestead
2Sep 20 / 96
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I enclose you some cuttings in case you should hear a wrong version of
7the matter. Before I make any assertion in any print whatso-ever, I
8must have all my facts not only distinct & marshalled, but all my
9witnesses ready! I believe (this is of course ^strictly^ private) that
10no other explanation is necessary of the war, than that Rhodes and the
11Chartered Company rule there!
12
13I am so sorry I have not yet heard from your son. I do hope he will
14come to Kimberley.
15
16Do I'm not fit. I've had two mis-carriages & am for the present
17stone-broke, but shall pull together soon no doubt & work again ^only
18it doesn't seem so now.^
19
20Yours ever with friendliest greetings & hoping you are fit.
21O. S.
22
23^P.S.^ It is curious how people seem to have misunderstood your remarks
24in the Review of Reviews. They seem to me not to bear the construction
25people have put on them at all. But many folk only half read a thing &
26then rush off & write. You will see that Mr Selous had never even read
27my articles p if ^at all.^
28
29The Homestead
30Sunday Morning
31
2Sep 20 / 96
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I enclose you some cuttings in case you should hear a wrong version of
7the matter. Before I make any assertion in any print whatso-ever, I
8must have all my facts not only distinct & marshalled, but all my
9witnesses ready! I believe (this is of course ^strictly^ private) that
10no other explanation is necessary of the war, than that Rhodes and the
11Chartered Company rule there!
12
13I am so sorry I have not yet heard from your son. I do hope he will
14come to Kimberley.
15
16Do I'm not fit. I've had two mis-carriages & am for the present
17stone-broke, but shall pull together soon no doubt & work again ^only
18it doesn't seem so now.^
19
20Yours ever with friendliest greetings & hoping you are fit.
21O. S.
22
23^P.S.^ It is curious how people seem to have misunderstood your remarks
24in the Review of Reviews. They seem to me not to bear the construction
25people have put on them at all. But many folk only half read a thing &
26then rush off & write. You will see that Mr Selous had never even read
27my articles p if ^at all.^
28
29The Homestead
30Sunday Morning
31
Notation
The struck-through ‘The Homestead’ and ‘Sunday Morning’ at the end of this letter are upside-down. The cuttings referred to are of some newspaper letters from Schreiner, and the ‘assertion in print’ she was being careful about concerned the massacres then occurring in the then Matabeleland and Mashonaland.
In 1896, the hunter and explorer Selous was writing a book on the Matabeleland and Mashonaland uprisings and was interviewed on this in September 1896 in the Diamond Field Advertiser, in which he made various claims about Schreiner's views. She sent Stead press cuttings about her response to these claims by Selous, as follows:
NB Please return these cutting
Olive Schreiner
Mr. Selous' statements.
To the Editor "D F Advertiser"
Sir - In your issue of this morning, in an interview with Mr Selous, the following passage occurs:-
"Mr Selous had much to say about Olive Schreiner's explanation of the rebellion. He flatly contradicted her statement that the rebellion was caused by the conduct of white men towards native girls."
As I have never, directly or indirectly, referred to the war in the north in any review or newspaper, I should be glad if through the medium of your columns Mr Selous would inform me where he believes me to have made the statement to which he refers.
In 1891 I wrote a series of articles on South Africa, in one of which, in dealing with the degrading results of illicit relationships between white men and native women I made this statement: "We have it on the most irrefragable evidence, that when, after a war a few years back, a regiment of English soldiers was stationed for many months in the heart of a subdued Bantu tribe, not only was the result of this contact between the soldiers and the native women nil as regarding illegitimate births, but it had been practically impossible for the soldiers to purchase women for purposes of degradation throughout the whole time."
When publishing this article this year, I appended to this statement the following foot-note:- "We are not referring to that which takes place when Englishmen untrammelled by any public opinion or by British rule are absolutely dominant over a crushed native race, as in the territories north of the Limpopo to-day. We shall deal with this, to an Englishman most sorrowful matter, at some future date."
This is the only statement I have ever published with regard to the relations between white men and native women north of the Limpopo, and Mr Selous' remarks later in the interview strongly bear me out.
Will he kindly state where I have asserted that the relations of the white man to the black woman was the cause of the war.
I am, &c,
Olive Schreiner
The Homestead,
September 12.
Selous replied in the following issue that he had confused what she wrote with what Stead had written that Schreiner had implied; by strong implication, he had never read the article in question but relied on Stead's comment. Schreiner then responded:
Whites in Rhodesia
To the Editor, "D F Advertiser"
Sir - I have read Mr Selous' courteous reply in your yesterday's issue; from which it appears that Mr Selous had never read the article which he criticised, and the misstatement is therefore fully accounted for.
The article is an attempt, however crude, from an impartial and scientific standpoint, to consider the gigantic evils which at the present day (whatever may be the case under future and happier conditions) halfcastism does inflict on both races in South Africa, and to study the conditions under which it most flourishes.
When republishing the articles in book form, I shall have much pleasure in appending as foot-notes extracts from Mr Selous' interview with you on the 12th, which powerfully confirm my own views on halfcastism.
With regard to the causes which have led to the present Mashona and Matabili war, I neither afirm nor deny anything. Any statement that I have asserted that the relations of white men with the Mashona or Matabili women to be the cause of this war is false. Any statement that I have asserted it not to be the cause, is equally false.
Olive Schreiner
The Homestead,
Sept 16.
The book is: Frederick Courtney Selous (1896) Sunshine & Storm in Rhodesia: Being a Narrative of Events in Matabeleland Both Before and During the Recent Native Insurrection Up to the Date of the Disbandment of the Bulawayo Field Force London: Roland Ward & Co.
The comments from Stead which had led Selous to comment as he did appeared in the August 1896 issue of the Review of Reviews (pp.153-4) in mis-describing the argument in one of Schreiner's 'A Returned South African' essays.
Schreiner's exchange with Selous clearly stirred up existing negative feelings about Selous on the part of other people too, as the following letter (a copy, and so unfortunately unsigned) in the NELM collections indicates:
Cape Town, Nov 16th 1896
copy
Mrs Cronwright Schreiner
Dear Madam,
Allow me to thank you most sincerely for having challenged Mr F.C. Selous' statement re the treatment of the poor, ignorant and much abused Natives of Rhodesia by the whites.
I much regret, and am surprised at Mr Selous having entered into this controversy for Mr Selous seemed to have forgotten that he, alas, has three illegitimate children yet living in the country (who, I believe, are now in Khama's country) born to him by a woman of Khama's country tribe, and with whom Mr Selous lived for several years, or, as the woman said, until she lost her youth and attractiveness, when Selous, like his equals, turned her adrift to become the prey of others.
I believe that the Rev. Hepburn, former missionary of Bamangwato, has or did have, one, if not two of his children.
If it would be of interest to you, I could mention several other names to prove that the poor native has much cause for complaint.
Any of the undermentioned names will or can give you further information respecting Mr F.C. Selous' children,-
The Rev. C.W. Helm, Bulawayo, Rhodesia
" " W Elliot " "
" " Hepburn, former missionary at Bamangwato, address unknown,
The Rev. W Sykes, " "
With many apologies, & many thanks to you for what you have done, I am Dear Madam
(Unknown to Olive Schreiner, NELM SMD30 33e)
Rive’s (1987) version omits part of the letter and is incorrect in minor respects.
The struck-through ‘The Homestead’ and ‘Sunday Morning’ at the end of this letter are upside-down. The cuttings referred to are of some newspaper letters from Schreiner, and the ‘assertion in print’ she was being careful about concerned the massacres then occurring in the then Matabeleland and Mashonaland.
In 1896, the hunter and explorer Selous was writing a book on the Matabeleland and Mashonaland uprisings and was interviewed on this in September 1896 in the Diamond Field Advertiser, in which he made various claims about Schreiner's views. She sent Stead press cuttings about her response to these claims by Selous, as follows:
NB Please return these cutting
Olive Schreiner
Mr. Selous' statements.
To the Editor "D F Advertiser"
Sir - In your issue of this morning, in an interview with Mr Selous, the following passage occurs:-
"Mr Selous had much to say about Olive Schreiner's explanation of the rebellion. He flatly contradicted her statement that the rebellion was caused by the conduct of white men towards native girls."
As I have never, directly or indirectly, referred to the war in the north in any review or newspaper, I should be glad if through the medium of your columns Mr Selous would inform me where he believes me to have made the statement to which he refers.
In 1891 I wrote a series of articles on South Africa, in one of which, in dealing with the degrading results of illicit relationships between white men and native women I made this statement: "We have it on the most irrefragable evidence, that when, after a war a few years back, a regiment of English soldiers was stationed for many months in the heart of a subdued Bantu tribe, not only was the result of this contact between the soldiers and the native women nil as regarding illegitimate births, but it had been practically impossible for the soldiers to purchase women for purposes of degradation throughout the whole time."
When publishing this article this year, I appended to this statement the following foot-note:- "We are not referring to that which takes place when Englishmen untrammelled by any public opinion or by British rule are absolutely dominant over a crushed native race, as in the territories north of the Limpopo to-day. We shall deal with this, to an Englishman most sorrowful matter, at some future date."
This is the only statement I have ever published with regard to the relations between white men and native women north of the Limpopo, and Mr Selous' remarks later in the interview strongly bear me out.
Will he kindly state where I have asserted that the relations of the white man to the black woman was the cause of the war.
I am, &c,
Olive Schreiner
The Homestead,
September 12.
Selous replied in the following issue that he had confused what she wrote with what Stead had written that Schreiner had implied; by strong implication, he had never read the article in question but relied on Stead's comment. Schreiner then responded:
Whites in Rhodesia
To the Editor, "D F Advertiser"
Sir - I have read Mr Selous' courteous reply in your yesterday's issue; from which it appears that Mr Selous had never read the article which he criticised, and the misstatement is therefore fully accounted for.
The article is an attempt, however crude, from an impartial and scientific standpoint, to consider the gigantic evils which at the present day (whatever may be the case under future and happier conditions) halfcastism does inflict on both races in South Africa, and to study the conditions under which it most flourishes.
When republishing the articles in book form, I shall have much pleasure in appending as foot-notes extracts from Mr Selous' interview with you on the 12th, which powerfully confirm my own views on halfcastism.
With regard to the causes which have led to the present Mashona and Matabili war, I neither afirm nor deny anything. Any statement that I have asserted that the relations of white men with the Mashona or Matabili women to be the cause of this war is false. Any statement that I have asserted it not to be the cause, is equally false.
Olive Schreiner
The Homestead,
Sept 16.
The book is: Frederick Courtney Selous (1896) Sunshine & Storm in Rhodesia: Being a Narrative of Events in Matabeleland Both Before and During the Recent Native Insurrection Up to the Date of the Disbandment of the Bulawayo Field Force London: Roland Ward & Co.
The comments from Stead which had led Selous to comment as he did appeared in the August 1896 issue of the Review of Reviews (pp.153-4) in mis-describing the argument in one of Schreiner's 'A Returned South African' essays.
Schreiner's exchange with Selous clearly stirred up existing negative feelings about Selous on the part of other people too, as the following letter (a copy, and so unfortunately unsigned) in the NELM collections indicates:
Cape Town, Nov 16th 1896
copy
Mrs Cronwright Schreiner
Dear Madam,
Allow me to thank you most sincerely for having challenged Mr F.C. Selous' statement re the treatment of the poor, ignorant and much abused Natives of Rhodesia by the whites.
I much regret, and am surprised at Mr Selous having entered into this controversy for Mr Selous seemed to have forgotten that he, alas, has three illegitimate children yet living in the country (who, I believe, are now in Khama's country) born to him by a woman of Khama's country tribe, and with whom Mr Selous lived for several years, or, as the woman said, until she lost her youth and attractiveness, when Selous, like his equals, turned her adrift to become the prey of others.
I believe that the Rev. Hepburn, former missionary of Bamangwato, has or did have, one, if not two of his children.
If it would be of interest to you, I could mention several other names to prove that the poor native has much cause for complaint.
Any of the undermentioned names will or can give you further information respecting Mr F.C. Selous' children,-
The Rev. C.W. Helm, Bulawayo, Rhodesia
" " W Elliot " "
" " Hepburn, former missionary at Bamangwato, address unknown,
The Rev. W Sykes, " "
With many apologies, & many thanks to you for what you have done, I am Dear Madam
(Unknown to Olive Schreiner, NELM SMD30 33e)
Rive’s (1987) version omits part of the letter and is incorrect in minor respects.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/32- pages 141-144 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 20 February 1897 |
Address From | 19 Russell Road, Kensington, London |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 303 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
119 Russell Rd
2Kensington
3Feb 20 / 97
4
5My dear old Friend
6
7You are curiously mistaken if you fancy that I think the white men in
8Mashonaland are worse than any-where else. My view is (& I have had
9many close & intimate friends among the men there) that the rottenness
10filters down from the government to the so-ciety as a whole, & makes
11it hard for the bravest & best men to abide by traditions of humanity
12& justice!
13
14I wish I could have seen you here.
15
16We leave for Rome on Monday morning. If you want to write to me
17address Poste Restante Rome.
18
19Unless affairs here or in Africa call me back, I shall not return till
20May. I am so very sorrowful to think you are broken in health in any
21way. Take a run to Rome while we are there.
22
23Yours ever
24Olive Schreiner
25
2Kensington
3Feb 20 / 97
4
5My dear old Friend
6
7You are curiously mistaken if you fancy that I think the white men in
8Mashonaland are worse than any-where else. My view is (& I have had
9many close & intimate friends among the men there) that the rottenness
10filters down from the government to the so-ciety as a whole, & makes
11it hard for the bravest & best men to abide by traditions of humanity
12& justice!
13
14I wish I could have seen you here.
15
16We leave for Rome on Monday morning. If you want to write to me
17address Poste Restante Rome.
18
19Unless affairs here or in Africa call me back, I shall not return till
20May. I am so very sorrowful to think you are broken in health in any
21way. Take a run to Rome while we are there.
22
23Yours ever
24Olive Schreiner
25
Notation
Rive’s (1987) version of this letter is in minor respects incorrect.
Rive’s (1987) version of this letter is in minor respects incorrect.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/28- pages 129-130 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | |
Letter Date | 29 April 1896 |
Address From | na |
Address To | W.T. Stead, Review of Reviews, Norfolk Street, Strand, London |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. The date of this postcard has been derived from its postmark, and the name of the addressee and address it was sent to are on its front.
|
1I’m sending you a little African view.
2
3I am expecting a fierce attack from you about my article in the
4Fortnightly, but you would feel as I do about the Boer if you knew
5them as I do.
6
7Yours ever
8O Schreiner
9
2
3I am expecting a fierce attack from you about my article in the
4Fortnightly, but you would feel as I do about the Boer if you knew
5them as I do.
6
7Yours ever
8O Schreiner
9
Notation
The ‘little African view’ Schreiner was sending Stead is perhaps the same as the article which Schreiner expected him to ‘attack’. This was ‘The Boer’, which appeared across a number of issues of the Fortnightly. See: "Prefatory note: Stray Thoughts on South Africa" Fortnightly Review April 1896, vol 59, pp.510; "Stray Thoughts on South Africa: The Boer" Fortnightly Review April 1896, vol 59, pp.510-540; "Stray Thoughts on South Africa: The Boer (Continued from April Number.)" Fortnightly Review July 1896, vol 60, pp.1-35; and "Stray Thoughts on South Africa: The Boer (Continued from July Number.)" Fortnightly Review August 1896, vol 60, pp.225-256. This and the other essays in the series were intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a US publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. This composite article on "The Boer" contains more than the present essay of that title in Thoughts on South Africa.
The ‘little African view’ Schreiner was sending Stead is perhaps the same as the article which Schreiner expected him to ‘attack’. This was ‘The Boer’, which appeared across a number of issues of the Fortnightly. See: "Prefatory note: Stray Thoughts on South Africa" Fortnightly Review April 1896, vol 59, pp.510; "Stray Thoughts on South Africa: The Boer" Fortnightly Review April 1896, vol 59, pp.510-540; "Stray Thoughts on South Africa: The Boer (Continued from April Number.)" Fortnightly Review July 1896, vol 60, pp.1-35; and "Stray Thoughts on South Africa: The Boer (Continued from July Number.)" Fortnightly Review August 1896, vol 60, pp.225-256. This and the other essays in the series were intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a US publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. This composite article on "The Boer" contains more than the present essay of that title in Thoughts on South Africa.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/26- pages 123-126 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 16 November 1896 |
Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 220 |
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 Micofilm Collections. Stead’s son visited Schreiner in Kimberley in October 1895, so it is not certain whether Schreiner’s dating of this letter is correct or a slip of the pen.
|
1^Private^
2
3The Homestead
4Nov 16 / 96
5
6My dear Friend
7
8Your letter somewhat amused me! My financial affairs are from from my
9stand point very flourishing!! I’ve never been so comfortably off &
10satisfied in my life, & if I had more money I shouldn’t feel it right
11to spend it on myself, so I wouldn’t be the richer for it. I often
12wish I had money but not for my self.
13
14I mentioned what I did about the “African Farm”, because you might
15have thought it churlish in me not to give it for the penny ?news. But
16in-deed if I had a thousand a a year so that a couple of hundred a
17year made no difference to me I wouldn’t like a book that seems to unreadable
18^to me (perhaps only because I love it)^ ^to be^ more or less a work of
19art ^to be^ cut up or divided in any way. That is why I would never, if
20I could possibly help it, allow a novel of mine to appear in a
21magazine, because it must then be read in broken parts; (like looking
22at a statue a foot one week & a finger the next!)
23
24Did you get that photograph of Sir George Grey’s statue, I if you
25don’t want it ^I hav^ a great sent you, & the note
26about your boy’s visit to us?
27
28PS
29I have just remembered that I have just re not answered you about the
30story of an African Farm. The copy right is mine entirely. I am only
31allowing the present publisher to pr issue it for a limited number of
32years I getting a royalty for all the ^copies^ sole^d^. As the money I get
33from the sale of the book is nearly every thing I have to live on I
34would not like any extracts made from it which could in any way
35diminish the sale of the work, I My The publisher would have no right
36to make any arrangement for its publication, as the copy right is mine.
37
38Y
39
40^What a beautiful soul Josephine Butler was. I like when you write on
41such matters. That is my Stead. Are there two Steads??^
42
2
3The Homestead
4Nov 16 / 96
5
6My dear Friend
7
8Your letter somewhat amused me! My financial affairs are from from my
9stand point very flourishing!! I’ve never been so comfortably off &
10satisfied in my life, & if I had more money I shouldn’t feel it right
11to spend it on myself, so I wouldn’t be the richer for it. I often
12wish I had money but not for my self.
13
14I mentioned what I did about the “African Farm”, because you might
15have thought it churlish in me not to give it for the penny ?news. But
16in-deed if I had a thousand a a year so that a couple of hundred a
17year made no difference to me I wouldn’t like a book that seems to unreadable
18^to me (perhaps only because I love it)^ ^to be^ more or less a work of
19art ^to be^ cut up or divided in any way. That is why I would never, if
20I could possibly help it, allow a novel of mine to appear in a
21magazine, because it must then be read in broken parts; (like looking
22at a statue a foot one week & a finger the next!)
23
24Did you get that photograph of Sir George Grey’s statue, I if you
25don’t want it ^I hav^ a great sent you, & the note
26about your boy’s visit to us?
27
28PS
29I have just remembered that I have just re not answered you about the
30story of an African Farm. The copy right is mine entirely. I am only
31allowing the present publisher to pr issue it for a limited number of
32years I getting a royalty for all the ^copies^ sole^d^. As the money I get
33from the sale of the book is nearly every thing I have to live on I
34would not like any extracts made from it which could in any way
35diminish the sale of the work, I My The publisher would have no right
36to make any arrangement for its publication, as the copy right is mine.
37
38Y
39
40^What a beautiful soul Josephine Butler was. I like when you write on
41such matters. That is my Stead. Are there two Steads??^
42
Notation
Schreiner has underlined the inserted ‘Private’ at the beginning of this letter five times. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter has been misdated and is incorrect in a range of ways.
Schreiner has underlined the inserted ‘Private’ at the beginning of this letter five times. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter has been misdated and is incorrect in a range of ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/27- pages 127-128 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | |
Letter Date | October 1895 |
Address From | Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | W.T. Stead, Review of Reviews, Norfolk Street, Strand, London |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. The postmark on this postcard is illegible, while the name of the addressee and address it was sent to are on its front. The postcard has been dated by reference to when Stead’s son visited Schreiner in Kimberley.
|
1Did you get the photos? Please send card with answer as I sent off a
2number by same mail & no one seems to have got them. Thanks for letter.
3
4Got a note from your son yesterday in answer to ours. He s-ays he will
5be in Kimberley in a few weeks time. Shall be very
6
7^glad to see him, but wish his letters had come.^
8
9With unreadable Olive Schreiner
10
2number by same mail & no one seems to have got them. Thanks for letter.
3
4Got a note from your son yesterday in answer to ours. He s-ays he will
5be in Kimberley in a few weeks time. Shall be very
6
7^glad to see him, but wish his letters had come.^
8
9With unreadable Olive Schreiner
10
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/24- page 120 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 1890 |
Address From | na |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. This letter has been dated by reference to content and when Schreiner's first 'articles on South Africa' were published.
|
1
[page/s missing]
2
3Your penny Poets are first rate. We have them all. I hope you got f
4the photos I sent you.
5
6Yours ever
7Olive Schreiner
8
9It will be some months before my articles on South Africa come out.
10Probably the first won’t appear before next March, & the first two or
11three are simply des-criptive.
12
2
3Your penny Poets are first rate. We have them all. I hope you got f
4the photos I sent you.
5
6Yours ever
7Olive Schreiner
8
9It will be some months before my articles on South Africa come out.
10Probably the first won’t appear before next March, & the first two or
11three are simply des-criptive.
12
Notation
The ‘Penny Poets’ series was published via the Review of Reviews with a very large number of volumes appearing. The articles which may be ‘some months’ before being published refers to Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. The first appeared pseudonymously in the Fortnightly Review in 1891. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented them appearing as a book, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa.
The ‘Penny Poets’ series was published via the Review of Reviews with a very large number of volumes appearing. The articles which may be ‘some months’ before being published refers to Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. The first appeared pseudonymously in the Fortnightly Review in 1891. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented them appearing as a book, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/25- pages 121-122 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 22 November 1895 |
Address From | Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. Schreiner was resident in Kimberley from 1895 to the end of 1898.
|
1Nov 22 / 95
2
3Dear Friend
4
5It has been a great pleasure to my husband & to myself to see your boy.
6 He’s manly, straight, sincere: he’ll make a good man. We also liked
7his friend Jones. You don’t know how heart ref-reshing it is in this
8country to see these earnest, pure English youths. The cheap brandy
9which every one here lives on because bread & all the necessarys of
10life are almost unpurchasably dear. I send you some cuttings read them.
11
12You will see how bitter is the feeling through out the country at
13Rhode’s attemt to increase the lab tax especially on bread.
14
15Did ever you get the photos?? All goes well with us. My husband joins
16me in friendly greetings. Come out to South Africa as soon as you can.
17
18Olive Schreiner
19
20I have given you son letters to my sister & brother in Cape Town.
21
2
3Dear Friend
4
5It has been a great pleasure to my husband & to myself to see your boy.
6 He’s manly, straight, sincere: he’ll make a good man. We also liked
7his friend Jones. You don’t know how heart ref-reshing it is in this
8country to see these earnest, pure English youths. The cheap brandy
9which every one here lives on because bread & all the necessarys of
10life are almost unpurchasably dear. I send you some cuttings read them.
11
12You will see how bitter is the feeling through out the country at
13Rhode’s attemt to increase the lab tax especially on bread.
14
15Did ever you get the photos?? All goes well with us. My husband joins
16me in friendly greetings. Come out to South Africa as soon as you can.
17
18Olive Schreiner
19
20I have given you son letters to my sister & brother in Cape Town.
21
Notation
The cuttings referred to are no longer attached to this letter.
The cuttings referred to are no longer attached to this letter.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/23- page 119 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 2 October 1895 |
Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 219 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1The Homestead
2Oct 2 / 95
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I got the Rev= of Rev=s yesterday & I am delighted with your article
7on Kama. It would have been a terrible blow to me if you had been on
8the wrong side in this matter. I am more than satisfied with your
9article on him.
10
11I am hoping we shall see your son here in about a fortnight’s time.
12
13^You talk of hymns, but who is to draw the line between hymns & poems?
14Browning’s “Grammarian’s Funeral”, has been more of “a hymn” to me
15than all the hundred hymns I learnt as a child.^
16
2Oct 2 / 95
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I got the Rev= of Rev=s yesterday & I am delighted with your article
7on Kama. It would have been a terrible blow to me if you had been on
8the wrong side in this matter. I am more than satisfied with your
9article on him.
10
11I am hoping we shall see your son here in about a fortnight’s time.
12
13^You talk of hymns, but who is to draw the line between hymns & poems?
14Browning’s “Grammarian’s Funeral”, has been more of “a hymn” to me
15than all the hundred hymns I learnt as a child.^
16
Notation
Stead’s article on Khama which she is delighted with is: W.T. Stead "Character Sketch. Khama, Chief of the Bamangwato" Review of Reviews October 1895 pp.302-17, and it also includes comments on Sebele chief of the Bakwena and Bathorn chief of the Bangwatese. The Browning reference is: ‘The Grammarian’s Funeral’ in Robert Browning (1911) Men and Women Oxford: Clarendon Press. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter is incorrect in various ways.
Stead’s article on Khama which she is delighted with is: W.T. Stead "Character Sketch. Khama, Chief of the Bamangwato" Review of Reviews October 1895 pp.302-17, and it also includes comments on Sebele chief of the Bakwena and Bathorn chief of the Bangwatese. The Browning reference is: ‘The Grammarian’s Funeral’ in Robert Browning (1911) Men and Women Oxford: Clarendon Press. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter is incorrect in various ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/22- pages 117-18 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 26 August 1895 |
Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 256 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1The Homestead
2Kimberley
3August 26 / 95
4
5Dear Friend,
6
7I send you a copy of our paper on the Political Situation at the Cape.
8Read it carefully, please. I wish you were out here. I know we should
9see eye to eye. It is a terrible thing to live in a country which is
10not only not moving back forwards - but which is rolling back back back!
11
12Our history during the last five years has been the saddest that I
13think has ever been set down on the record of any South African ^Anglo Saxon^
14people.
15
16And we had such hopes of Rhodes years ago!
17
18We want an “If Christ Came to South Africa” from your pen.
19
20It's curious that all the time we were writing this article that poem
21of Lowell which you say once lived with you so much – “Once to Every
22Man & Nation” - was running in my mind.
23
24My husband joins me in greetings to you.
25
26Yours ever,
27Olive Schreiner
28
29^I shall send you a photo of my husband & myself next week.^
30
2Kimberley
3August 26 / 95
4
5Dear Friend,
6
7I send you a copy of our paper on the Political Situation at the Cape.
8Read it carefully, please. I wish you were out here. I know we should
9see eye to eye. It is a terrible thing to live in a country which is
10not only not moving back forwards - but which is rolling back back back!
11
12Our history during the last five years has been the saddest that I
13think has ever been set down on the record of any South African ^Anglo Saxon^
14people.
15
16And we had such hopes of Rhodes years ago!
17
18We want an “If Christ Came to South Africa” from your pen.
19
20It's curious that all the time we were writing this article that poem
21of Lowell which you say once lived with you so much – “Once to Every
22Man & Nation” - was running in my mind.
23
24My husband joins me in greetings to you.
25
26Yours ever,
27Olive Schreiner
28
29^I shall send you a photo of my husband & myself next week.^
30
Notation
‘Our paper’ refers to Schreiner’s The Political Situation, which Cronwright-Schreiner read out as a public address in Kimberley Town Hall on 20 August 1895. ‘If Christ Came to South Africa’ is a reworking of the title of Stead’s (1894) If Christ Came to Chicago London: Review of Reviews Offices; Chicago: Laird & Lee. The line of poetry comes from Lowell’s (1844) ‘The Present Crisis’, in James Russell Lowell (1880) The Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell London: Macmillan & Co. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor respects.
‘Our paper’ refers to Schreiner’s The Political Situation, which Cronwright-Schreiner read out as a public address in Kimberley Town Hall on 20 August 1895. ‘If Christ Came to South Africa’ is a reworking of the title of Stead’s (1894) If Christ Came to Chicago London: Review of Reviews Offices; Chicago: Laird & Lee. The line of poetry comes from Lowell’s (1844) ‘The Present Crisis’, in James Russell Lowell (1880) The Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell London: Macmillan & Co. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor respects.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/21- pages 111-16 & pages 253-4 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 10 January 1896 |
Address From | Middelburg, Eastern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 217: Rive 1987: 261-2 |
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 Micofilm Collections. Schreiner has mistakenly dated this letter as January 1895, a slip of the pen as she was in Middelburg in January 1896 and this was also when ‘the guns of the Boers’ ended the Jameson Raid.
|
1Middelburg
2Jan 10 / 95
3
4Thank you, dear friend, for Blastus. It opens up so many interesting
5questions that I cannot enter upon it now. It is very much more
6interesting than anything of the kind you have yet done. I don't see
7how the relations of married life can be well & nobly, in any way
8idealy arranged, where there is not perfect & profound union of aim
9between the man & the [wordmissing] where that is not that as in the
10case of intellectual & mentally active people, I should say, the
11marriage was a failure. Where there is such complete unity there never
12arises the least difficulty with regard to friendships with third
13persons of opposite sex. I In my own case my marriage has not touched
14one of my friendships; ^there is^ & there is something almost comical
15in the idea that it might. Where a man & woman marry feeling that life,
16 with its highest personal & impersonal duties can be best carried out
17in each others company, where this lies firm at the base of their
18union: all the complexities, & difficulties you mention cannot arise.
19Where men & women marry without this as the ground work of their union
20all is & must be wrong, & in many cases the sooner they part from
21each other for ever the better. Marriage perfect & her marriage
22of mind & body, is such a lovely & whol holy thing, that rather
23an imperfect travesty of it, I should say none was better. If I have a
24lovely & beautiful photog picture of one I love or some noble work of
25art, I wou if you cut off the nose & daubed over the ears, I would
26rather not have it at all. It would be an agony to keep it on my wall.
27The thing must be perfect beauty & joy, or it would be damnable
28uglyn ugliness. To me it appears that in the case of a highly
29developed & intellectual people, the mental & spiritual union is more
30important, more truly the marriage than the physical. I should feel it,
31 (& I think every man & woman who has reached a certain stage of
32growth should feel it) a much more val right & important reason
33to terminating a union, that the person to whom were were united had a
34fuller deeper & more useful mental union with another, than that they
35should a physical relation. You will think it is just rather an
36imaginative view to take of marriage; but it is just that mental union
37“for the begetting of great works” that to me does constitute marriage.
38 And mere physical union even with absolute fidelity, is to me a
39repulsive & degrading thing, in men & women capable of the higher form
40of union. Of course there are thousands & millions even in the most
41civilized communities to whom the higher form of marriage, & for whom
42physical attraction, affection & fidelity must constitute marriage.
43But for natures more highly developed I believe such a union to be wrong.
44 Of course when a man or woman has formed a union of the lower kind, &
45the question is it right to continue it; I should say that there is no
46univers-al answer, every circumstance must be taken into consideration.
47 But continuance of the physical relation when the highest mental
48relation is not possible, ^& where that affection is given elsewhere,^
49seems to me a more terrible because a more permanent prostitution than
50that of the streets. You in your book don't to me seem to go to the
51root of the matter quite.
52
53As to South African politics you will by this time know that the guns
54of the Boers have saved South Africa. The power of the monopolist in
55our political & social life is I believe broken forever. It seems as
56if South Africa, were heaving one great sigh of relief. This is how
57the nations of Europe must have felt after Waterloo! We seem to see
58the blue sky over us again.
59
60For Rhodes himself one feels intense pity as one did ^does^ for the
61little Corsican, when one thinks of him eating his supper alone in the
62little inn the night after the Battle.
63
64Rhodes will never rise again in South Africa. His career here is ended;
65 & the terrible thing to us who have admired his talent & personality,
66is to have to say, “It is well so!” It will be twenty years before our
67public ^life^ is as pure as before Rhodes entered it: but the clouds
68have broken.
69
70Yours ever
71Olive Schreiner
72
73^I am writing in haste to catch English mail.^
74
2Jan 10 / 95
3
4Thank you, dear friend, for Blastus. It opens up so many interesting
5questions that I cannot enter upon it now. It is very much more
6interesting than anything of the kind you have yet done. I don't see
7how the relations of married life can be well & nobly, in any way
8idealy arranged, where there is not perfect & profound union of aim
9between the man & the [wordmissing] where that is not that as in the
10case of intellectual & mentally active people, I should say, the
11marriage was a failure. Where there is such complete unity there never
12arises the least difficulty with regard to friendships with third
13persons of opposite sex. I In my own case my marriage has not touched
14one of my friendships; ^there is^ & there is something almost comical
15in the idea that it might. Where a man & woman marry feeling that life,
16 with its highest personal & impersonal duties can be best carried out
17in each others company, where this lies firm at the base of their
18union: all the complexities, & difficulties you mention cannot arise.
19Where men & women marry without this as the ground work of their union
20all is & must be wrong, & in many cases the sooner they part from
21each other for ever the better. Marriage perfect & her marriage
22of mind & body, is such a lovely & whol holy thing, that rather
23an imperfect travesty of it, I should say none was better. If I have a
24lovely & beautiful photog picture of one I love or some noble work of
25art, I wou if you cut off the nose & daubed over the ears, I would
26rather not have it at all. It would be an agony to keep it on my wall.
27The thing must be perfect beauty & joy, or it would be damnable
28uglyn ugliness. To me it appears that in the case of a highly
29developed & intellectual people, the mental & spiritual union is more
30important, more truly the marriage than the physical. I should feel it,
31 (& I think every man & woman who has reached a certain stage of
32growth should feel it) a much more val right & important reason
33to terminating a union, that the person to whom were were united had a
34fuller deeper & more useful mental union with another, than that they
35should a physical relation. You will think it is just rather an
36imaginative view to take of marriage; but it is just that mental union
37“for the begetting of great works” that to me does constitute marriage.
38 And mere physical union even with absolute fidelity, is to me a
39repulsive & degrading thing, in men & women capable of the higher form
40of union. Of course there are thousands & millions even in the most
41civilized communities to whom the higher form of marriage, & for whom
42physical attraction, affection & fidelity must constitute marriage.
43But for natures more highly developed I believe such a union to be wrong.
44 Of course when a man or woman has formed a union of the lower kind, &
45the question is it right to continue it; I should say that there is no
46univers-al answer, every circumstance must be taken into consideration.
47 But continuance of the physical relation when the highest mental
48relation is not possible, ^& where that affection is given elsewhere,^
49seems to me a more terrible because a more permanent prostitution than
50that of the streets. You in your book don't to me seem to go to the
51root of the matter quite.
52
53As to South African politics you will by this time know that the guns
54of the Boers have saved South Africa. The power of the monopolist in
55our political & social life is I believe broken forever. It seems as
56if South Africa, were heaving one great sigh of relief. This is how
57the nations of Europe must have felt after Waterloo! We seem to see
58the blue sky over us again.
59
60For Rhodes himself one feels intense pity as one did ^does^ for the
61little Corsican, when one thinks of him eating his supper alone in the
62little inn the night after the Battle.
63
64Rhodes will never rise again in South Africa. His career here is ended;
65 & the terrible thing to us who have admired his talent & personality,
66is to have to say, “It is well so!” It will be twenty years before our
67public ^life^ is as pure as before Rhodes entered it: but the clouds
68have broken.
69
70Yours ever
71Olive Schreiner
72
73^I am writing in haste to catch English mail.^
74
Notation
The book referred to is: W. T. Stead (1896) Blastus: The King’s Chamberlain. A Political Novel London: Review of Reviews; a short pulicity puff for it had appeared earlier in the September 1895 issue of the Review of Reviews. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor respects. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract is incorrect in various ways.
The book referred to is: W. T. Stead (1896) Blastus: The King’s Chamberlain. A Political Novel London: Review of Reviews; a short pulicity puff for it had appeared earlier in the September 1895 issue of the Review of Reviews. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor respects. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract is incorrect in various ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/16- pages 88-95 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 19 June 1892 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 207-8; Rive 1987: 207 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Matjesfontein
2June 19 / 92
3
4Dear Friend
5
6As I am writing letters this evening, & don’t know when I shall be in
7the mood again I’ll write you a few lines to thank for your letter. I
8hate letter writing more & more; it becomes almost a mental & physical
9impossibility to me. I wish I could have all my good English friends
10by my own little fire here, to talk to one by one instead of writing.
11
12I can’t argue with you about all those subjects you raise, because I
13feel my books when they are published, will be the only answer I can
14make. If you don’t understand my standpoint then I’ll give it up!!!
15I’m sending you by this post a little tiny story on the relations of
16women with women which I think you’ll like. Tell me what you think of
17the view it takes.
18
19I saw Mr Rhodes once when I was in town at a dinner party at Sir Henry
20Lochs. He came up to me & began ^to^ laughing at me about some dream, I
21had ^had. I^ didn't speak to him or ask him what he meant, but I guessed
22you'd been telling him my dream all upside down!!! & your letter which
23I got the next day showed me I was right: there was nothing ridiculous
24in the dream as I told it you. The thing has happened to me hundreds
25of times, to have the most marvellous dreams of which nothing at all
26comes. I don't agree with you at all that Mr Rhodes's falling from his
27fo horse was a fulfilment of my dream, & if it were would not prove
28your great point that “death casts its shadow before it”!
29
30I think my letter writing is a failure this evening, I’m too stupid, &
31will get back to writing at my book, which makes such demands on my
32thoughts now I can’t do anything in any other direction.
33
34Will you tell Garrett if you write to him how terribly sorry I am to
35hear of his illness. I shall be one who is glad to welcome him if he
36comes out here for a time.
37
38Yours always,
39Olive Schreiner
40
41had
42
2June 19 / 92
3
4Dear Friend
5
6As I am writing letters this evening, & don’t know when I shall be in
7the mood again I’ll write you a few lines to thank for your letter. I
8hate letter writing more & more; it becomes almost a mental & physical
9impossibility to me. I wish I could have all my good English friends
10by my own little fire here, to talk to one by one instead of writing.
11
12I can’t argue with you about all those subjects you raise, because I
13feel my books when they are published, will be the only answer I can
14make. If you don’t understand my standpoint then I’ll give it up!!!
15I’m sending you by this post a little tiny story on the relations of
16women with women which I think you’ll like. Tell me what you think of
17the view it takes.
18
19I saw Mr Rhodes once when I was in town at a dinner party at Sir Henry
20Lochs. He came up to me & began ^to^ laughing at me about some dream, I
21had ^had. I^ didn't speak to him or ask him what he meant, but I guessed
22you'd been telling him my dream all upside down!!! & your letter which
23I got the next day showed me I was right: there was nothing ridiculous
24in the dream as I told it you. The thing has happened to me hundreds
25of times, to have the most marvellous dreams of which nothing at all
26comes. I don't agree with you at all that Mr Rhodes's falling from his
27fo horse was a fulfilment of my dream, & if it were would not prove
28your great point that “death casts its shadow before it”!
29
30I think my letter writing is a failure this evening, I’m too stupid, &
31will get back to writing at my book, which makes such demands on my
32thoughts now I can’t do anything in any other direction.
33
34Will you tell Garrett if you write to him how terribly sorry I am to
35hear of his illness. I shall be one who is glad to welcome him if he
36comes out here for a time.
37
38Yours always,
39Olive Schreiner
40
41had
42
Notation
The final word ‘had’ in this letter is written upside-down on the last sheet of paper. The 'relations of women with women' refers to: "Was It Right? ? Was It Wrong?" New Review Vol 7, No 41, October 1892, pp.397-403, and also appears in Dream Life and Real Life as "The Policy In Favour of Protection". The book which Schreiner was going to ‘get back to’ is likely to be either From Man to Man or the never published 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of the letter and is incorrect in minor respects. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract is incorrect in a range of ways.
The final word ‘had’ in this letter is written upside-down on the last sheet of paper. The 'relations of women with women' refers to: "Was It Right? ? Was It Wrong?" New Review Vol 7, No 41, October 1892, pp.397-403, and also appears in Dream Life and Real Life as "The Policy In Favour of Protection". The book which Schreiner was going to ‘get back to’ is likely to be either From Man to Man or the never published 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of the letter and is incorrect in minor respects. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract is incorrect in a range of ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/17- pages 96-7 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: July 1892 ; Before End: August 1892 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. This letter has been dated by reference to content, as Schreiner first had measles around July and August 1892.
|
1
[page/s missing]
2
3never offended with you; always believe in your goodness &
4faithfulness to your friends however however much I may differ from you.
5
6Liked “In the Eve”, deeply interested in one thing in it. Have been in
7bed three weeks with measles!! Isn’t it ridiculous? Make your children
8have it while they are young.
9
10Will write next week.
11Olive Schreiner
12Matjesfontein
13
2
3never offended with you; always believe in your goodness &
4faithfulness to your friends however however much I may differ from you.
5
6Liked “In the Eve”, deeply interested in one thing in it. Have been in
7bed three weeks with measles!! Isn’t it ridiculous? Make your children
8have it while they are young.
9
10Will write next week.
11Olive Schreiner
12Matjesfontein
13
Notation
Schreiner’s reference to ‘In the Eve’ cannot be established.
Schreiner’s reference to ‘In the Eve’ cannot be established.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/18- pages 98-100 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 6 September 1892 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Matjesfontein
2Sep 6 / 92.
3
4My dear Friend
5
6I am sending this note home by my youngest brother. I want him very
7much to meet him while he is in London. I believe you would be
8mutually interested in eachother. He has been for many years Legal
9Adviser to High Commission here, first to Sir H Robinson, & now to Sir
10Henry Loch, & in the capacity of Legal Adviser accompanied by the
11Swaziland Commission two years ago. I don’t think any man in South
12Africa has a deeper knowledge of our political & State affairs. He
13will I fear be only a very short time in London, but I hope you will
14be able to arrange to see something of him. I am writing this in great
15haste & cannot rightly answer your last. I shall do so next week.
16
17Yours Always
18Olive Schreiner
2Sep 6 / 92.
3
4My dear Friend
5
6I am sending this note home by my youngest brother. I want him very
7much to meet him while he is in London. I believe you would be
8mutually interested in eachother. He has been for many years Legal
9Adviser to High Commission here, first to Sir H Robinson, & now to Sir
10Henry Loch, & in the capacity of Legal Adviser accompanied by the
11Swaziland Commission two years ago. I don’t think any man in South
12Africa has a deeper knowledge of our political & State affairs. He
13will I fear be only a very short time in London, but I hope you will
14be able to arrange to see something of him. I am writing this in great
15haste & cannot rightly answer your last. I shall do so next week.
16
17Yours Always
18Olive Schreiner
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/19- pages 101-6 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 12 October 1892 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 209 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Matjesfontein
2Oct 12 / 92.
3
4My dear Friend, I send you here – with a photo of mine; I myself shall
5turn up in London about the end of April or beginning of May next.
6I’ll let you know my address, but don’t tell other folks, as I want to
7have a good time, only seeing my friends, & not being over run. You
8know, women who’ve nothing to say to one, will come & see one just to
9kill their time.
10
11I should write you a long letter on South African concerns, but as I’m
12coming in six months time, it’s not worth while.
13
14What of your news paper? I shall be glad to give any [wordmissing] again.
15 Write to me; your letters are a pleasant break in my life of solitude,
16 & work, & give me the kind of news I like.
17
18It’s a divine day here: it’s worth having been born & lived, to see
19the mountains baking away in the hot sun outside.
20
21I told them to send you my little bit of a story that comes out in the
22New Review this month. No one has yet quite understood it from my
23point of view: they don’t quite see why the woman had to act as she
24did; will you?? I wonder?
25
26I am very happy in my work; but I wish the God’s would give ^me^ three
27hundred years to live in-stead of a few score; then I might do some of
28the things I want to.
29
30Forgive Dilke! It is a blot upon your soul!!
31
32Yours affectionately friend
33Olive Schreiner
34
2Oct 12 / 92.
3
4My dear Friend, I send you here – with a photo of mine; I myself shall
5turn up in London about the end of April or beginning of May next.
6I’ll let you know my address, but don’t tell other folks, as I want to
7have a good time, only seeing my friends, & not being over run. You
8know, women who’ve nothing to say to one, will come & see one just to
9kill their time.
10
11I should write you a long letter on South African concerns, but as I’m
12coming in six months time, it’s not worth while.
13
14What of your news paper? I shall be glad to give any [wordmissing] again.
15 Write to me; your letters are a pleasant break in my life of solitude,
16 & work, & give me the kind of news I like.
17
18It’s a divine day here: it’s worth having been born & lived, to see
19the mountains baking away in the hot sun outside.
20
21I told them to send you my little bit of a story that comes out in the
22New Review this month. No one has yet quite understood it from my
23point of view: they don’t quite see why the woman had to act as she
24did; will you?? I wonder?
25
26I am very happy in my work; but I wish the God’s would give ^me^ three
27hundred years to live in-stead of a few score; then I might do some of
28the things I want to.
29
30Forgive Dilke! It is a blot upon your soul!!
31
32Yours affectionately friend
33Olive Schreiner
34
Notation
The ‘little bit of a story’ refers to: "Was It Right? ? Was It Wrong?" New Review Vol 7, No 41, October 1892, pp.397-403, and also appears in Dream Life and Real Life as "The Policy In Favour of Protection". Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter is incorrect in various ways.
The ‘little bit of a story’ refers to: "Was It Right? ? Was It Wrong?" New Review Vol 7, No 41, October 1892, pp.397-403, and also appears in Dream Life and Real Life as "The Policy In Favour of Protection". Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter is incorrect in various ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/20- pages 107-110 & 215-16 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 19 February 1893 |
Address From | Middelburg, Eastern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 210 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1^Private^
2
3Middelburg
4Feb 19 / 93.
5
6Dear Friend
7
8Thank you for your letter.
9
10I shall be home by the 2nd week in May. Yes, I hope I shall often see
11you. I will explain to you why I acted as I did: There was a woman I
12was afraid I should talk against to you if I saw you. I can't bear to
13talk against anyone, yet if other people talk of them the thing I know
14or the opinion I have sometimes bursts out; so I find it better not to
15see people who talk of them. Don’t dis-cuss other women with me ever,
16except in their political or public capacities, & don't expect me to
17know all your women friends, because some women are such an anguish to
18me they almost break my heart. (This is all strictly private).
19
20I should like to see your little girl.
21
22My sister Ettie is out here again with all her family.
23
24N.B. Do you know of any one who wants, or do you want yourself for
25news paper a first rate correspondent in South Africa? A man with a
26keen condensed, picturesque style of putting things; a fearless out
27spoken thinker on political questions? Don’t forget to answer this. I
28am anxious that a truer, more vivid, more impartial picture of South
29African men & things should be given to the English public, & have
30found the man who can do it. He is not a professional journalist; &
31only has bother to write on different political & social questions, as
32they moved him. My friendship for him began by my being struck by the
33stance he took on certain political questions, & by his artistic
34literary, style. You’ll not be sorry if you get him to send you a
35monthly letter on South African affairs, life, men & c. If you don’t
36want them do you know any one who does?
37
38Good bye dear friend
39Address still to –
40Matjesfontein
41Olive Schreiner
42
43Thank God you’ve got off the ghost subject!!!
44
2
3Middelburg
4Feb 19 / 93.
5
6Dear Friend
7
8Thank you for your letter.
9
10I shall be home by the 2nd week in May. Yes, I hope I shall often see
11you. I will explain to you why I acted as I did: There was a woman I
12was afraid I should talk against to you if I saw you. I can't bear to
13talk against anyone, yet if other people talk of them the thing I know
14or the opinion I have sometimes bursts out; so I find it better not to
15see people who talk of them. Don’t dis-cuss other women with me ever,
16except in their political or public capacities, & don't expect me to
17know all your women friends, because some women are such an anguish to
18me they almost break my heart. (This is all strictly private).
19
20I should like to see your little girl.
21
22My sister Ettie is out here again with all her family.
23
24N.B. Do you know of any one who wants, or do you want yourself for
25news paper a first rate correspondent in South Africa? A man with a
26keen condensed, picturesque style of putting things; a fearless out
27spoken thinker on political questions? Don’t forget to answer this. I
28am anxious that a truer, more vivid, more impartial picture of South
29African men & things should be given to the English public, & have
30found the man who can do it. He is not a professional journalist; &
31only has bother to write on different political & social questions, as
32they moved him. My friendship for him began by my being struck by the
33stance he took on certain political questions, & by his artistic
34literary, style. You’ll not be sorry if you get him to send you a
35monthly letter on South African affairs, life, men & c. If you don’t
36want them do you know any one who does?
37
38Good bye dear friend
39Address still to –
40Matjesfontein
41Olive Schreiner
42
43Thank God you’ve got off the ghost subject!!!
44
Notation
Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract from this letter is incorrect in a range of ways; he also comments that the ‘first rate’ correspondent referred to is himself.
Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract from this letter is incorrect in a range of ways; he also comments that the ‘first rate’ correspondent referred to is himself.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/15- pages 86-7 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 23 November 1891 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 206-7 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Matjesfontein
2Nov 23 / 91
3
4Dear Friend
5
6Thank you for your letter. As always it was refreshing. I have no news
7to give you. I have not been out of my little house for a day for four
8months.
9
10I am more than satisfied with the late numbers of the Rev= of Rev=. I
11too, still always dream of the ideal newspaper.
12
13What you have s-aid lately on South African affairs ^in the Reviews^ has
14not been very much to the point: but at your distance it cannot be
15other wise. The most enlightened & advanced paper in South Africa, &
16wh one which takes up at the same time a judicial & impartial stand
17point is the Cape Times. St Leger the Editor has one of the most
18independent, as he has one of the most impartial minds in South Africa.
19 I shall now & then send you a cutting from it, but I fear to one not
20on the spot the point will not be visible.
21
22You will be glad to hear that Rhodes has returned safely from Mashona
23land as I see from this evening’s papers. Perhaps in no country has so
24much ever hung on the life of one man. It is a bond of sympathy
25between us that you share my view of his genius.
26
27All best wishes for you & for the review for next year.
28Olive Schreiner
29
30^The other four numbers of Stray Thoughts will appear some time soon. I
31am so busy with other work I can’t bother about sending them off just yet.^
32
2Nov 23 / 91
3
4Dear Friend
5
6Thank you for your letter. As always it was refreshing. I have no news
7to give you. I have not been out of my little house for a day for four
8months.
9
10I am more than satisfied with the late numbers of the Rev= of Rev=. I
11too, still always dream of the ideal newspaper.
12
13What you have s-aid lately on South African affairs ^in the Reviews^ has
14not been very much to the point: but at your distance it cannot be
15other wise. The most enlightened & advanced paper in South Africa, &
16wh one which takes up at the same time a judicial & impartial stand
17point is the Cape Times. St Leger the Editor has one of the most
18independent, as he has one of the most impartial minds in South Africa.
19 I shall now & then send you a cutting from it, but I fear to one not
20on the spot the point will not be visible.
21
22You will be glad to hear that Rhodes has returned safely from Mashona
23land as I see from this evening’s papers. Perhaps in no country has so
24much ever hung on the life of one man. It is a bond of sympathy
25between us that you share my view of his genius.
26
27All best wishes for you & for the review for next year.
28Olive Schreiner
29
30^The other four numbers of Stray Thoughts will appear some time soon. I
31am so busy with other work I can’t bother about sending them off just yet.^
32
Notation
The ‘other four numbers of Stray Thoughts’ refers to Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays. These were originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. Stead’s articles and commentaries about South Africa appeared in the Review of Reviews in a variety of formats, including extracts from things by other eople (including Schreiner) published elsewhere. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter is incorrect in a range of ways.
The ‘other four numbers of Stray Thoughts’ refers to Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays. These were originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. Stead’s articles and commentaries about South Africa appeared in the Review of Reviews in a variety of formats, including extracts from things by other eople (including Schreiner) published elsewhere. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter is incorrect in a range of ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/13- pages 80-1 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 6 May 1891 |
Address From | Matjesfontein Cottage, Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Matjesfontein Cottage
2Top of Gardens
3Cape Town
4May 6 / 91
5
6My dear Friend
7
8Your letters always come for like a breath from a larger wider world;
9refreshing. I will answer at length next week, if it can be of the
10slightest use to you, the questions sent.
11
12The cold has driven me from my mountains for the winter months. I have
13taken this tiny house at the foot of the mountain just out of the town.
14
15I saw Rhodes the other day. To me he looks ill – don’t know if he is.
16Had no opportunity of conversation with him as I never see him alone.
17Hope they sent you my article. The first part printed this month is
18very poor ^it’s simply introduction.^ The last part is better though not
19what I would like if I could have given more time to it.
20
21Good bye, in haste
22Olive Schreiner
23
2Top of Gardens
3Cape Town
4May 6 / 91
5
6My dear Friend
7
8Your letters always come for like a breath from a larger wider world;
9refreshing. I will answer at length next week, if it can be of the
10slightest use to you, the questions sent.
11
12The cold has driven me from my mountains for the winter months. I have
13taken this tiny house at the foot of the mountain just out of the town.
14
15I saw Rhodes the other day. To me he looks ill – don’t know if he is.
16Had no opportunity of conversation with him as I never see him alone.
17Hope they sent you my article. The first part printed this month is
18very poor ^it’s simply introduction.^ The last part is better though not
19what I would like if I could have given more time to it.
20
21Good bye, in haste
22Olive Schreiner
23
Notation
The article Schreiner hopes has been sent to Stead is the first of her ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa.
The article Schreiner hopes has been sent to Stead is the first of her ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/14- pages 82-5 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 31 March 1891 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 204 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Matjesfontein
2March 31 / 91
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I have read your article on Madame Novikoff. It is splendid,
7fas-cinating, intensely sympathetic. How is it that that great wide
8heart of yours cannot be a little more merciful to Dilke & Parnell.
9The glory of your nature is its width. All people seem so narrowly
10sym limited in their sympathies, not you; therefore I hate to
11see a limitation in you anywhere. I believe you to be the most loyal
12friend, I know, I would that thou wertest also the most magnanimous
13enemy.
14
15I should like to know Madame N – but we would never agree about Russia
16however much we might sympathize personally (Private) The First of my
17articles which will appear in the Forthnightly I think in J May or
18June, signed, A Returned South African, will not be very interesting,
19it is simply a des-cription of South Africa as a county. The second
20may be interesting as it des-cribes the people & the political
21situation. On all points, but one, I believe you will be perfectly in
22sympathy with me.
23
24I ?picture also
25
26Your friend Olive Schreiner
27
28
2March 31 / 91
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I have read your article on Madame Novikoff. It is splendid,
7fas-cinating, intensely sympathetic. How is it that that great wide
8heart of yours cannot be a little more merciful to Dilke & Parnell.
9The glory of your nature is its width. All people seem so narrowly
10sym limited in their sympathies, not you; therefore I hate to
11see a limitation in you anywhere. I believe you to be the most loyal
12friend, I know, I would that thou wertest also the most magnanimous
13enemy.
14
15I should like to know Madame N – but we would never agree about Russia
16however much we might sympathize personally (Private) The First of my
17articles which will appear in the Forthnightly I think in J May or
18June, signed, A Returned South African, will not be very interesting,
19it is simply a des-cription of South Africa as a county. The second
20may be interesting as it des-cribes the people & the political
21situation. On all points, but one, I believe you will be perfectly in
22sympathy with me.
23
24I ?picture also
25
26Your friend Olive Schreiner
27
28
Notation
Stead’s article on Olga Novikoff appeared as the February 'Character Sketch'. See W.T. Stead ‘Madame Olga Novikoff’ Review of Reviews, February 1891 pp.123-30. The ‘first of my articles’ refers to Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines, with this first one published in the Fortnightly; she intended to rework them in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract from this letter is incorrect in various ways.
Stead’s article on Olga Novikoff appeared as the February 'Character Sketch'. See W.T. Stead ‘Madame Olga Novikoff’ Review of Reviews, February 1891 pp.123-30. The ‘first of my articles’ refers to Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines, with this first one published in the Fortnightly; she intended to rework them in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract from this letter is incorrect in various ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/12- pages 76-9 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 15 March 1891 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 204; Rive 1987: 189-90 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Matjesfontein
2March 15 / 91
3
4None of this to be printed
5
6Thank you for letter. I am glad you have made an alliance with Rhodes.
7I believe your genius is eminently fitted to harmonize with his. What
8you say of him is true, he seems to enlarge the horizon. How he has
9enlarged it in South Africa it would be impossible for you to judge
10unless you had known the South Africa of ten years ago. I send you a
11small sub-leader from the Cape Times which may interest you as showing
12the feeling to which I believe all South Africa gives echo.
13
14Personally I believe Rhodes has the strongest antipathy to myself, but
15it would never affect my sympathy his friends have told me so, but it
16does not in the slightest degree affect my sympathy with him or his
17work: any more than General Boothe’s objection to my work affects my
18feeling to him. It is the beauty of my stand-point, as I told you once
19before, that I am able to sympathize with and love so many people, who
20will never be able to sympathize with or love me. But I always shrink
21from meeting Rhodes as I would shrink from meeting General Boothe.
22
23I have written a series of articles (This is private, not to be
24mentioned to Miss Harkness or any one who writes for papers, I trust
25you in this) on South Africa. The first will appear in May or June. I
26shall give orders that they are to be sent you early. I believe you
27will sympathize with them. They have been a great labour of love with me.
28
29I am well, working, happy. All that I need to make my cup of happiness
30full is the Karroo & work. I have that.
31
32My Review of Reviews has not come yet.
33
34Yours always & faithfully,
35Olive Schreiner
36
37I am so sorry Miss Harkness is so ill. She is a woman who will yet do
38great & good work for the working classes with her pen. I saw a
39beautiful little story of hers the other day in a paper.
40
2March 15 / 91
3
4None of this to be printed
5
6Thank you for letter. I am glad you have made an alliance with Rhodes.
7I believe your genius is eminently fitted to harmonize with his. What
8you say of him is true, he seems to enlarge the horizon. How he has
9enlarged it in South Africa it would be impossible for you to judge
10unless you had known the South Africa of ten years ago. I send you a
11small sub-leader from the Cape Times which may interest you as showing
12the feeling to which I believe all South Africa gives echo.
13
14Personally I believe Rhodes has the strongest antipathy to myself, but
15it would never affect my sympathy his friends have told me so, but it
16does not in the slightest degree affect my sympathy with him or his
17work: any more than General Boothe’s objection to my work affects my
18feeling to him. It is the beauty of my stand-point, as I told you once
19before, that I am able to sympathize with and love so many people, who
20will never be able to sympathize with or love me. But I always shrink
21from meeting Rhodes as I would shrink from meeting General Boothe.
22
23I have written a series of articles (This is private, not to be
24mentioned to Miss Harkness or any one who writes for papers, I trust
25you in this) on South Africa. The first will appear in May or June. I
26shall give orders that they are to be sent you early. I believe you
27will sympathize with them. They have been a great labour of love with me.
28
29I am well, working, happy. All that I need to make my cup of happiness
30full is the Karroo & work. I have that.
31
32My Review of Reviews has not come yet.
33
34Yours always & faithfully,
35Olive Schreiner
36
37I am so sorry Miss Harkness is so ill. She is a woman who will yet do
38great & good work for the working classes with her pen. I saw a
39beautiful little story of hers the other day in a paper.
40
Notation
Schreiner has underlined ‘None of this to be printed’ at the start of the letter, and also ‘I trust you in this’ in the second paragraph, several times. The ‘series of articles’ referred to are Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. The ‘beautiful little story’ referred to by Maggie Harkness was published using her usual pseudonym in late December 1890. See John Law (1890) 'Little Tim's Christmas', 24 December 1890 Pall Mall Gazette Vol. 5, issue number 8039. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor ways. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract has been misdated and is also incorrect in additional ways.
Schreiner has underlined ‘None of this to be printed’ at the start of the letter, and also ‘I trust you in this’ in the second paragraph, several times. The ‘series of articles’ referred to are Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. The ‘beautiful little story’ referred to by Maggie Harkness was published using her usual pseudonym in late December 1890. See John Law (1890) 'Little Tim's Christmas', 24 December 1890 Pall Mall Gazette Vol. 5, issue number 8039. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in minor ways. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract has been misdated and is also incorrect in additional ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/11- pages 74-5 & 249-250 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 4 January 1896 |
Address From | Kowie River (Port Alfred), Eastern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 260 |
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 Micofilm Collections. Schreiner has mistakenly dated this letter as January 1895, a slip of the pen as the Jameson Raid took place in late December 1895 and early January 1896.
|
1^Address to Kimberley^
2
3The Kowie
4Jan 4 / 95
5
6Dear Friend
7
8Your likeness is splendid. You as I like to remember you as you sat
9one day in your arm chair in my room in London.
10
11// What do you say to this state of things out out here – this
12murderous attack on the Transvall by the Chartered forces?? I enclose
13you a letter from a clergyman & one of the most influential &
14important men in South Africa, which will show you, not only that two
15^weeks^ ago, I rightly saw, with many others behind the s-cenes, the
16part Rhodes was playing in the Transvaal; but which will also show you
17what the feeling of earnest unreadable humane men in this country is
18with regard to Rhodes & the m his policy. If such reckless in justice
19& wrong as has been going on here in the last three years
20
21^Private^
22
23were to go unpunished one would lose all faith, not in the production
24in of human actions of natural fruit. He has believed that with the
25same merciless injustice with which he has handled the natives he may
26handle the well armed Boers: the results at this moment it is
27difficult to foretell. For the moment all hope seemss to rest with the
28English government; & if it if this difficulty results in breaking
29forever the power of Rhodes & the Chartered Company, it will be an
30unmixed benefit to the Native, & European population of this country.
31
32Perhaps no man has ever thrown away such chances of writing his name
33in “good” across the face of a great country as Rhodes has thrown away
34here in the last four years. We have just this moment, since I sat
35down to write, got the glorious news of Jameson’s
36
37^defeat.^
38
39Yours ever
40Olive Schreiner
41
2
3The Kowie
4Jan 4 / 95
5
6Dear Friend
7
8Your likeness is splendid. You as I like to remember you as you sat
9one day in your arm chair in my room in London.
10
11// What do you say to this state of things out out here – this
12murderous attack on the Transvall by the Chartered forces?? I enclose
13you a letter from a clergyman & one of the most influential &
14important men in South Africa, which will show you, not only that two
15^weeks^ ago, I rightly saw, with many others behind the s-cenes, the
16part Rhodes was playing in the Transvaal; but which will also show you
17what the feeling of earnest unreadable humane men in this country is
18with regard to Rhodes & the m his policy. If such reckless in justice
19& wrong as has been going on here in the last three years
20
21^Private^
22
23were to go unpunished one would lose all faith, not in the production
24in of human actions of natural fruit. He has believed that with the
25same merciless injustice with which he has handled the natives he may
26handle the well armed Boers: the results at this moment it is
27difficult to foretell. For the moment all hope seemss to rest with the
28English government; & if it if this difficulty results in breaking
29forever the power of Rhodes & the Chartered Company, it will be an
30unmixed benefit to the Native, & European population of this country.
31
32Perhaps no man has ever thrown away such chances of writing his name
33in “good” across the face of a great country as Rhodes has thrown away
34here in the last four years. We have just this moment, since I sat
35down to write, got the glorious news of Jameson’s
36
37^defeat.^
38
39Yours ever
40Olive Schreiner
41
Notation
The letter ‘from a clergyman’ referred to is no longer attached. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also incorrect in minor ways.
The letter ‘from a clergyman’ referred to is no longer attached. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also incorrect in minor ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/9- pages 70-1 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 1 July 1891 |
Address From | Cape Town, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Cape Town
2July 1st 1891
3
4My very dear Friend
5
6The article did not appear in the Fortnightly. Please don’t notice it
7till it does appear some where.
8
9Tell me frankly please, if you can spare time what you think of it.
10Those to follow will be much more interesting. I wish you had a Review
11I would send you all my work. I wish you were ten Steads, instead of
12one. I’m working very hard.
13
14Olive Schreiner
15
16Of course I’m in favour of imperial federation I think Rhodes will be
17the unreadable of unreadable ^in South Africa^
18
2July 1st 1891
3
4My very dear Friend
5
6The article did not appear in the Fortnightly. Please don’t notice it
7till it does appear some where.
8
9Tell me frankly please, if you can spare time what you think of it.
10Those to follow will be much more interesting. I wish you had a Review
11I would send you all my work. I wish you were ten Steads, instead of
12one. I’m working very hard.
13
14Olive Schreiner
15
16Of course I’m in favour of imperial federation I think Rhodes will be
17the unreadable of unreadable ^in South Africa^
18
Notation
The article which ‘did not appear’ is one of Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines, including the Fortnightly, and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa.
The article which ‘did not appear’ is one of Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines, including the Fortnightly, and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/10- pages 72-3 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 4 February 1891 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Matjesfontein
2February 4 / 91
3
4Dear Friend, I send you a little story I wrote many years ago. Don’t
5know if I showed it you before. Like it because I first made it up
6when I was a child.
7
8I prize your likeness the Review of Reviews.
9
10I am well. I am working. If only I can have quiet & no visitors I
11shall get all the work off my brain in a year or a year & a half. Then
12I can return to the other active sort of work.
13
14It’s splendid that the Review develops so.
15
16Believe me always yours loyaly & truly
17Olive Schreiner
18
2February 4 / 91
3
4Dear Friend, I send you a little story I wrote many years ago. Don’t
5know if I showed it you before. Like it because I first made it up
6when I was a child.
7
8I prize your likeness the Review of Reviews.
9
10I am well. I am working. If only I can have quiet & no visitors I
11shall get all the work off my brain in a year or a year & a half. Then
12I can return to the other active sort of work.
13
14It’s splendid that the Review develops so.
15
16Believe me always yours loyaly & truly
17Olive Schreiner
18
Notation
The ‘little story’ which Schreiner sent to Stead with this letter cannot be established but could have been one of the allegories originally published in the New College Magazine.
The ‘little story’ which Schreiner sent to Stead with this letter cannot be established but could have been one of the allegories originally published in the New College Magazine.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/8- pages 66-9 & 227-8 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 12 July 1890 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 191; Rive 1987: 175 |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Matjesfontein
2July 12 / 90
3
4My dear Friend
5
6I must drop you one word to say how very much I am satisfied & pleased
7with the April Review. It is quite invaluable in a country like this
8where there is no possibility of seeing everything & it seems to
9improve number by number.
10
11Thank you more than I can say for your sympathetic feeling towards my
12allegory. My stories I fancy a good many people must like, but my
13allegories are so much a part of myself that is hard to publish them,
14and I feel keenly any sympathy.
15
16I am still living here, Up-county in the Karroo. And all out Colonial
17political & social news you will have better from other sources. The
18only big man we have here is Rhodes, & the only big thing the
19Chartered Company.
20
21I feel a curious & almost painfully intense interest in the man & his
22career. I am so afraid of his making a mistake, as he would do, I
23think, if he accepted the Prime Ministership of this Colony, as there
24is some talk of his doing. I don't see how he can play the hand of the
25Chartered Company & the hand of the Colony at the same time, & I
26should so regret his putting himself in a position in which he was
27obliged to be false to the interest of one or the other. I’ve never
28met him though I have often seen him. There’s nothing else big or
29interesting in our political world.
30
31I hope soon after Xmas to start on my journey to Lake ?N’garmi & the
32Zambesi, & am trying to get all my work done first.
33
34Do you know anything of Sir Henry Loch, our Governor, a splendid
35fellow & a man all over?
36
37If ever there is any great move in your life or work let me know of it.
38
39Yours always unfailingly
40Olive Schreiner
41
2July 12 / 90
3
4My dear Friend
5
6I must drop you one word to say how very much I am satisfied & pleased
7with the April Review. It is quite invaluable in a country like this
8where there is no possibility of seeing everything & it seems to
9improve number by number.
10
11Thank you more than I can say for your sympathetic feeling towards my
12allegory. My stories I fancy a good many people must like, but my
13allegories are so much a part of myself that is hard to publish them,
14and I feel keenly any sympathy.
15
16I am still living here, Up-county in the Karroo. And all out Colonial
17political & social news you will have better from other sources. The
18only big man we have here is Rhodes, & the only big thing the
19Chartered Company.
20
21I feel a curious & almost painfully intense interest in the man & his
22career. I am so afraid of his making a mistake, as he would do, I
23think, if he accepted the Prime Ministership of this Colony, as there
24is some talk of his doing. I don't see how he can play the hand of the
25Chartered Company & the hand of the Colony at the same time, & I
26should so regret his putting himself in a position in which he was
27obliged to be false to the interest of one or the other. I’ve never
28met him though I have often seen him. There’s nothing else big or
29interesting in our political world.
30
31I hope soon after Xmas to start on my journey to Lake ?N’garmi & the
32Zambesi, & am trying to get all my work done first.
33
34Do you know anything of Sir Henry Loch, our Governor, a splendid
35fellow & a man all over?
36
37If ever there is any great move in your life or work let me know of it.
38
39Yours always unfailingly
40Olive Schreiner
41
Notation
The allegory that Schreiner mentions was ‘noticed’ was 'The Sunlight Lay Across my Bed'; see Review of Reviews April 1890 p.317. See also 'The Sunlight Lay Across My Bed; Part I - Hell' New Review vol 1, no.11, April 1890, pp.300-309. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in a number of minor respects. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract is incorrect in a range ways.
The allegory that Schreiner mentions was ‘noticed’ was 'The Sunlight Lay Across my Bed'; see Review of Reviews April 1890 p.317. See also 'The Sunlight Lay Across My Bed; Part I - Hell' New Review vol 1, no.11, April 1890, pp.300-309. Rive’s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is incorrect in a number of minor respects. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract is incorrect in a range ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/7- pages 62-5 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: March 1890 ; Before End: December 1890 |
Address From | na |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. The year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand, while content suggests it was written from Matjesfontein, where Schreiner was mainly resident from March 1890 for around two years, with frequent visits elsewhere.
|
1My dear Friend,
2
3Reading Booths book puts you much in my thought. The book is splendid
4the idea is necess-ary. I suppose if some such work had not shortly
5been started the very ?stones would presently have cried out. I have
6always had the most intense sympathy with the Salvation Army, spite of
7of my dis-approval of its dogmas. If it were in my power to be of my
8assistance in the Colonizing s-cheme, I should willingly give time &
9thought to it.
10
11I think the Rev= of Rev gets better & better. So glad of your success.
12
13Your success is always a matter of joy to me. I should always be hurt
14by your failing in any direction. I am very well & working. Don’t
15trouble to reply to this unless there is something I can do.
16
17Yours always with deep sympathy,
18Olive Schreiner
19
20Address
21Matjesfontein
22Cape Colony
23South Africa
24
25if you ever write. Rhodes’s Prime Ministership is answering splendidly
26so far; beyond all expectation. He is certainly the most remarkable
27man we have ever had in South Africa, one of the most remark-able in
28the world. Except for the Northward movement all is flat enough out here.
29
2
3Reading Booths book puts you much in my thought. The book is splendid
4the idea is necess-ary. I suppose if some such work had not shortly
5been started the very ?stones would presently have cried out. I have
6always had the most intense sympathy with the Salvation Army, spite of
7of my dis-approval of its dogmas. If it were in my power to be of my
8assistance in the Colonizing s-cheme, I should willingly give time &
9thought to it.
10
11I think the Rev= of Rev gets better & better. So glad of your success.
12
13Your success is always a matter of joy to me. I should always be hurt
14by your failing in any direction. I am very well & working. Don’t
15trouble to reply to this unless there is something I can do.
16
17Yours always with deep sympathy,
18Olive Schreiner
19
20Address
21Matjesfontein
22Cape Colony
23South Africa
24
25if you ever write. Rhodes’s Prime Ministership is answering splendidly
26so far; beyond all expectation. He is certainly the most remarkable
27man we have ever had in South Africa, one of the most remark-able in
28the world. Except for the Northward movement all is flat enough out here.
29
Notation
The book by Booth that Schreiner refers to is: William Booth (1890) In Darkest England and the Way Out London: Intetnational Headquarters of the Salvation Army.
The book by Booth that Schreiner refers to is: William Booth (1890) In Darkest England and the Way Out London: Intetnational Headquarters of the Salvation Army.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/5- pages 55-7 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 9 May 1890 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Matjesfontein
2Ap May 9 / 90
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I hear there is a notice of my Allegory in the Review of Reviews but
7haven’t seen it. Will you post me 6 copies for April. I enclose an
8order. I am delighted with the Review. You can’t think how useful it
9is to me up here hundreds of miles from the nearest library. I know
10just what review I want to buy.
11
12I am living up in the Karroo now, & shall likely remain here till
13August. When I hope to begin a journey up to the Zambesi or Lake Gnami
14& I shall likely be taking a run up to Kimberley [wordmissing] the
15winter, but please order the Reviews to be addressed to
16Matjesfontein
17Cape Colony.
18South Africa.
19The Cape Colony is necessary as there other places of the same name in
20the Free State.
21
22I hope the Review is a success in every sense. The only English paper
23I ever see is the daily Pall Mall. I sometimes fancy I still see your
24hand in it!
25
26This is a solitary place in the Karroo. It is very restful to be here
27& I work a great deal.
28
29Good bye. All success & good be with you.
30Olive Schreiner
31
2Ap May 9 / 90
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I hear there is a notice of my Allegory in the Review of Reviews but
7haven’t seen it. Will you post me 6 copies for April. I enclose an
8order. I am delighted with the Review. You can’t think how useful it
9is to me up here hundreds of miles from the nearest library. I know
10just what review I want to buy.
11
12I am living up in the Karroo now, & shall likely remain here till
13August. When I hope to begin a journey up to the Zambesi or Lake Gnami
14& I shall likely be taking a run up to Kimberley [wordmissing] the
15winter, but please order the Reviews to be addressed to
16Matjesfontein
17Cape Colony.
18South Africa.
19The Cape Colony is necessary as there other places of the same name in
20the Free State.
21
22I hope the Review is a success in every sense. The only English paper
23I ever see is the daily Pall Mall. I sometimes fancy I still see your
24hand in it!
25
26This is a solitary place in the Karroo. It is very restful to be here
27& I work a great deal.
28
29Good bye. All success & good be with you.
30Olive Schreiner
31
Notation
The 'notice' about Schreiner’s allegory is: 'A Vision of Hell. By Olive Schreiner' in 'The Reviews reviewed' section, the Review of Reviews April 1890 Vol 1, issue 4, p.317; it refers to her 'audacious and original allegory', 'The Sunlight Lay Across My Bed'. The first part of this had appeared in the New Review that month; see 'The Sunlight Lay Across My Bed; Part I - Hell' New Review vol 1, no.11, April 1890, pp.300-9.
The 'notice' about Schreiner’s allegory is: 'A Vision of Hell. By Olive Schreiner' in 'The Reviews reviewed' section, the Review of Reviews April 1890 Vol 1, issue 4, p.317; it refers to her 'audacious and original allegory', 'The Sunlight Lay Across My Bed'. The first part of this had appeared in the New Review that month; see 'The Sunlight Lay Across My Bed; Part I - Hell' New Review vol 1, no.11, April 1890, pp.300-9.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/6- pages 58-61 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: March 1890 ; Before End: December 1890 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 203 |
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 Micofilm Collections. The year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand, while content suggests it was written from Matjesfontein, where Schreiner was mainly resident from March 1890 for around two years, with frequent visits elsewhere.
|
1Thank you, good friend, for your letter. But your last two letters
2don’t seem like you. Perhaps it is only their being in type but it
3seems to me as if some one else had written them.
4
5I don’t remember what I said about Madame Novikoff’s writing; of
6course I am bitterly opposed to her views ^on Russian matters^, & could
7fight things to the death if I had the knowledge & power, but the
8woman herself must be very fine from all I have heard of her, & it
9would have put anything I said as attacking her^self^ views & not
10herself as well as her writings. I believe in attacking views & lines
11of policy, the great aim is to ignore the person, who may appart from
12those views be the best & nobblest being, & far better than ourselves.
13I don’t at all mind dear old Booths hating my book, or like him the
14less for it; its my book is the only little tiny bit of myself I’ve
15given to the world, & if they attack it fairly, not seeming to praise
16it that this may add something else, I can quite sympathize with them
17for attacking it. But I am very very grateful to people who feel
18affectionate to it, as you say Miss Harkness does. You say you are
19thinking of sending her out to see me. I am if you can manage it. I am
20very grateful to any one who wishes to see me, but I have come out to
21Africa entirely that I might be alone, & gone through the bitter agony
22of parting with the human beings I love best in the world in England,
23that I might come to Africa for several years to work. Many of my
24friends offered to come with me, & more than I can count have written
25to the say they would come, but I am have begged them all not. I have
26given up 10 years of my life entirely to people & I would & want ?this
27?to work, then I shall come back to work among
28
29^people, & giving my time up to them. Even my my beloved favourite
30brother & sister have never been to to see me here at Matjesfontein.
31At intervals of four months I go for one week to see them, & their
32little ones, & that is the only change I have allowed myself since I
33came except once when I went to Bloemfontein. I am telling you all
34this lest you should think me churlish. When my work is done, I shall
35rejoice so to welcome all good friends all over the world, but now I
36think I am right in trying to work. Will you show this letter to Miss
37Harkness because she might not understand if you did not. I am sure
38she is large enough to understand my need of just for quiet.
39Address to Matjesfontein^
40
41Yours always
42Olive Schreiner
43
44P.S. The books have just come. Thanks much.
45
2don’t seem like you. Perhaps it is only their being in type but it
3seems to me as if some one else had written them.
4
5I don’t remember what I said about Madame Novikoff’s writing; of
6course I am bitterly opposed to her views ^on Russian matters^, & could
7fight things to the death if I had the knowledge & power, but the
8woman herself must be very fine from all I have heard of her, & it
9would have put anything I said as attacking her^self^ views & not
10herself as well as her writings. I believe in attacking views & lines
11of policy, the great aim is to ignore the person, who may appart from
12those views be the best & nobblest being, & far better than ourselves.
13I don’t at all mind dear old Booths hating my book, or like him the
14less for it; its my book is the only little tiny bit of myself I’ve
15given to the world, & if they attack it fairly, not seeming to praise
16it that this may add something else, I can quite sympathize with them
17for attacking it. But I am very very grateful to people who feel
18affectionate to it, as you say Miss Harkness does. You say you are
19thinking of sending her out to see me. I am if you can manage it. I am
20very grateful to any one who wishes to see me, but I have come out to
21Africa entirely that I might be alone, & gone through the bitter agony
22of parting with the human beings I love best in the world in England,
23that I might come to Africa for several years to work. Many of my
24friends offered to come with me, & more than I can count have written
25to the say they would come, but I am have begged them all not. I have
26given up 10 years of my life entirely to people & I would & want ?this
27?to work, then I shall come back to work among
28
29^people, & giving my time up to them. Even my my beloved favourite
30brother & sister have never been to to see me here at Matjesfontein.
31At intervals of four months I go for one week to see them, & their
32little ones, & that is the only change I have allowed myself since I
33came except once when I went to Bloemfontein. I am telling you all
34this lest you should think me churlish. When my work is done, I shall
35rejoice so to welcome all good friends all over the world, but now I
36think I am right in trying to work. Will you show this letter to Miss
37Harkness because she might not understand if you did not. I am sure
38she is large enough to understand my need of just for quiet.
39Address to Matjesfontein^
40
41Yours always
42Olive Schreiner
43
44P.S. The books have just come. Thanks much.
45
Notation
Stead’s article on Olga Novikoff actually apeared as the February 'Character Sketch'. See W.T. Stead ‘Madame Olga Novikoff’ Review of Reviews, February 1891 pp.123-30. ‘My book’ which Booth would hate is perhaps The Story of An African Farm, although it could have been Dreams, which appeared in 1890. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract from this letter is incorrect in various ways.
Stead’s article on Olga Novikoff actually apeared as the February 'Character Sketch'. See W.T. Stead ‘Madame Olga Novikoff’ Review of Reviews, February 1891 pp.123-30. ‘My book’ which Booth would hate is perhaps The Story of An African Farm, although it could have been Dreams, which appeared in 1890. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract from this letter is incorrect in various ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/4- pages 47-54 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: January 1891 ; Before End: February 1891 |
Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Margaret (Maggie) Harkness |
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 Micofilm Collections. The year has been written on this letter as 1890 in an unknown hand although content shows it was written after 24 December 1890 when Harkness's "Little Tim's Christmas" was published and so was most likely written in early 1891. Content also shows that this letter is linked to Schreiner’s letter to Stead of March-December 1890 (T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/6- pages 58-61), which mentions Harkness by name, and was written from Matjesfontein, where Schreiner was mainly resident from March 1890 for around two years, with frequent visits elsewhere. The start and end of the letter are missing.
|
1
[missing page/s]
2
3I am giving up today & tomorrow in trying to answer.
4
5I wrote to you last in June ^or July^ not yet quite two years ago, when
6I was in Chenie Street, but there are close bosom friends who were
7tender to me when I was a child that I have not written to for 8 years,
8 though they often write to me. The woman I love best in the world, &
9who I think loves me better than anyone else has written to me ten
10times or more on political & social questions since I came out here: I
11have written her two post cards. yet if tomorrow I wrote “I need you
12she would leave her husband & home & come to me, & if she simply
13hinted that she needed me, I should be in England in three weeks. I
14know that my name is so sacred to her that she never dis-cusses me
15with anyone, & I never mention her & it would be over my body that
16anyone should touch her; but I don't feel I want to write to her, it
17is she who must give me food for thought in her large interesting life
18in the centre of political & social thought & action, & I would much
19rather she was doing her great work in England than hanging round of
20in Africa where she sho, could not be of so much use.
21
22I would rather have read that lovely little story of yours about the
23poor children in the P.M.G. than have five thousand letters from you;
24I would rather you wrote one great generous article in a news-paper
25showing how large & impersonal the soul of woman be, than of thousands
26of convers-ations with me. You ought to feel the same about me. I am
27doing my best to work, & what more can any one who values me want.
28
29Mrs I am sending this through Mr Stead as he wrote to tell me he was
30going to try to send you out to stay with me, in a way that implied
31you & he thought I was very lonely & were wanting making a
32sacrifice of yourselves for my sake. ^(& also because I can’t make out
33your address.)^ I am afraid you & he will think me very ungrate full
34because of the letter I wrote him, but you who yourself write should
35understand. I have had something over 25 (twenty five) offers: of
36people from home to come & staying with me here. I am getting very
37worn out of writing “No, I want to be quiet & work, & if I can have a
38day or hour free I should like to spend it in studying people here, &
39the in seeing the dear friends whom I must soon say good bye to
40forever when I return to Europe”. I know you & Mr Stead will be very
41angry with me I can’t help it. I am despair, I try to help other
42people, & I try to satisfy every one, I try to love other people, & I
43have only one poor little life. I cannot do all things for all men.
44
45It is so terrible to feel you can never satisfy your fellows. I used
46to think in “London, yes of my own will I come here & live among women,
47 & they have a right to be angry with me, if I cannot do & be all they
48wish.” but here in my own solitary Karroo thous-ands of miles from you
49all, I thought it would have been possible for me to feel “I am doing
50all that other women have a right to expect of me.” You don’t know how
51terrible it is to me feel human beings have expectations from me, that
52God knows I have not the power to satisfy.
53
54I was going to write you a long letter the other week of three or four
55sheets about something in Booth’s book, that I thought my might be
56useful to you & him; but I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s
57nothing very useful in my idea. I can always write about impersonal
58things, art or s-cience, or poetry, or nursing, or education or ways
59of feeding babies, or managing a house. All these things are so
60beautiful & large, & use ful. But I’m loving more & more the power of
61writing ordinary notes simply to say I’m well &c, &c.
62
63I will promise always to write to you if I’ve anything impersonal to
64dis-cuss; you must promise to write to me if we’ve any lile ?line of
65thought we can thrash it out together. I will write to you if ever I
66want any material & practical service from you: ^you^ I will write to me
67if ever you want a like service from me. There is no need for us
68simply to write to say we are alive & well. I should always see in the
69papers if you were ill, you would always see from the papers if I were
70ill or dead.
71
72When I have got a private secretary, then I mean to answer everybodies
73letters. It can’t be till then.
74
75// I don’t think that in the last three years ^except Mrs Philpot & Mr
76Stead unreadable & unreadable^ anyone has ever mentioned your name to
77me so much as to say they had met you much less to tell me anything
78about you. Mrs Aveling has never even, that I know of, mentioned your
79name; I did not know you ever saw her; in the last year & a half all I
80have heard from her is a post card about some work she was copying for
81me. I should think she was the very last woman to sully her lips by
82dis-cussing other peoples affairs. As a rule no woman dares in my
83presence to dis-cuss other peoples private concerns. I will not stand it.
84 Four times only have I ordered women out of my rooms or told them not
85to come again, & in all cases it has been because they dis-cussed
86other women & their private concerns. There is one place where every
87woman’s reputation is safe, & that is in my presence. If I can help it
88no one dis-cusses men & women with me unless they are politicians, &
89then we dis-cuss them purely in their political capacity. The only
90kind of personality I like is when people tell me of themselves, their
91own thoughts, their own feelings, their own children, I like them to
92talk of. If anyone had come to talk against you or any one to me, I
93should have liked you or any one all the better for it. I judge of
94people by what they say to me, I never allow the opinions of others to
95influence me. I believe you are quite loyal to me. I believe you will
96yet do greater & greater good work in our world. I wish that all good
97& success always be with you.
98
99Olive Schreiner
100
101PS. If you are coming out here for your own sake & not for mine I
102shall be glad to give you any advice & help I can about interesting
103place to see, & lines of travel to take. I know South Africa well.
104Please let me do anything I can for you: it would be a very great joy
105to me.
106
107Please give my friendliest greeting to Mr Stead. He must forgive me as
108you must if I seem churlish. What am I do when life is so short. I
109believe him to be one the greatest men in England or in this age; &
110his wide genial sympathies are his grand virtues. There is hardly ever
111a mention of any person in the Rev=. of Rev. that is not broad &
112showing up the best side of men, & our common beautiful human nature.
113I have no news to give of myself. I am happy except when people are
114angry with me for not writing: I am learning Kaffir, one of the most
115beautiful &
116
117^wonderful of languages, & am collecting some very curious insects &
118fossils. The years I have spent here have been the happiest & most
119peaceful of my life. Not once has any one been unkindly dis-cussed in
120my little room, not once has an unkind word been said to me, by any
121one here. I am so happy.^ [missing page/s]
122
2
3I am giving up today & tomorrow in trying to answer.
4
5I wrote to you last in June ^or July^ not yet quite two years ago, when
6I was in Chenie Street, but there are close bosom friends who were
7tender to me when I was a child that I have not written to for 8 years,
8 though they often write to me. The woman I love best in the world, &
9who I think loves me better than anyone else has written to me ten
10times or more on political & social questions since I came out here: I
11have written her two post cards. yet if tomorrow I wrote “I need you
12she would leave her husband & home & come to me, & if she simply
13hinted that she needed me, I should be in England in three weeks. I
14know that my name is so sacred to her that she never dis-cusses me
15with anyone, & I never mention her & it would be over my body that
16anyone should touch her; but I don't feel I want to write to her, it
17is she who must give me food for thought in her large interesting life
18in the centre of political & social thought & action, & I would much
19rather she was doing her great work in England than hanging round of
20in Africa where she sho, could not be of so much use.
21
22I would rather have read that lovely little story of yours about the
23poor children in the P.M.G. than have five thousand letters from you;
24I would rather you wrote one great generous article in a news-paper
25showing how large & impersonal the soul of woman be, than of thousands
26of convers-ations with me. You ought to feel the same about me. I am
27doing my best to work, & what more can any one who values me want.
28
29Mrs I am sending this through Mr Stead as he wrote to tell me he was
30going to try to send you out to stay with me, in a way that implied
31you & he thought I was very lonely & were wanting making a
32sacrifice of yourselves for my sake. ^(& also because I can’t make out
33your address.)^ I am afraid you & he will think me very ungrate full
34because of the letter I wrote him, but you who yourself write should
35understand. I have had something over 25 (twenty five) offers: of
36people from home to come & staying with me here. I am getting very
37worn out of writing “No, I want to be quiet & work, & if I can have a
38day or hour free I should like to spend it in studying people here, &
39the in seeing the dear friends whom I must soon say good bye to
40forever when I return to Europe”. I know you & Mr Stead will be very
41angry with me I can’t help it. I am despair, I try to help other
42people, & I try to satisfy every one, I try to love other people, & I
43have only one poor little life. I cannot do all things for all men.
44
45It is so terrible to feel you can never satisfy your fellows. I used
46to think in “London, yes of my own will I come here & live among women,
47 & they have a right to be angry with me, if I cannot do & be all they
48wish.” but here in my own solitary Karroo thous-ands of miles from you
49all, I thought it would have been possible for me to feel “I am doing
50all that other women have a right to expect of me.” You don’t know how
51terrible it is to me feel human beings have expectations from me, that
52God knows I have not the power to satisfy.
53
54I was going to write you a long letter the other week of three or four
55sheets about something in Booth’s book, that I thought my might be
56useful to you & him; but I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s
57nothing very useful in my idea. I can always write about impersonal
58things, art or s-cience, or poetry, or nursing, or education or ways
59of feeding babies, or managing a house. All these things are so
60beautiful & large, & use ful. But I’m loving more & more the power of
61writing ordinary notes simply to say I’m well &c, &c.
62
63I will promise always to write to you if I’ve anything impersonal to
64dis-cuss; you must promise to write to me if we’ve any lile ?line of
65thought we can thrash it out together. I will write to you if ever I
66want any material & practical service from you: ^you^ I will write to me
67if ever you want a like service from me. There is no need for us
68simply to write to say we are alive & well. I should always see in the
69papers if you were ill, you would always see from the papers if I were
70ill or dead.
71
72When I have got a private secretary, then I mean to answer everybodies
73letters. It can’t be till then.
74
75// I don’t think that in the last three years ^except Mrs Philpot & Mr
76Stead unreadable & unreadable^ anyone has ever mentioned your name to
77me so much as to say they had met you much less to tell me anything
78about you. Mrs Aveling has never even, that I know of, mentioned your
79name; I did not know you ever saw her; in the last year & a half all I
80have heard from her is a post card about some work she was copying for
81me. I should think she was the very last woman to sully her lips by
82dis-cussing other peoples affairs. As a rule no woman dares in my
83presence to dis-cuss other peoples private concerns. I will not stand it.
84 Four times only have I ordered women out of my rooms or told them not
85to come again, & in all cases it has been because they dis-cussed
86other women & their private concerns. There is one place where every
87woman’s reputation is safe, & that is in my presence. If I can help it
88no one dis-cusses men & women with me unless they are politicians, &
89then we dis-cuss them purely in their political capacity. The only
90kind of personality I like is when people tell me of themselves, their
91own thoughts, their own feelings, their own children, I like them to
92talk of. If anyone had come to talk against you or any one to me, I
93should have liked you or any one all the better for it. I judge of
94people by what they say to me, I never allow the opinions of others to
95influence me. I believe you are quite loyal to me. I believe you will
96yet do greater & greater good work in our world. I wish that all good
97& success always be with you.
98
99Olive Schreiner
100
101PS. If you are coming out here for your own sake & not for mine I
102shall be glad to give you any advice & help I can about interesting
103place to see, & lines of travel to take. I know South Africa well.
104Please let me do anything I can for you: it would be a very great joy
105to me.
106
107Please give my friendliest greeting to Mr Stead. He must forgive me as
108you must if I seem churlish. What am I do when life is so short. I
109believe him to be one the greatest men in England or in this age; &
110his wide genial sympathies are his grand virtues. There is hardly ever
111a mention of any person in the Rev=. of Rev. that is not broad &
112showing up the best side of men, & our common beautiful human nature.
113I have no news to give of myself. I am happy except when people are
114angry with me for not writing: I am learning Kaffir, one of the most
115beautiful &
116
117^wonderful of languages, & am collecting some very curious insects &
118fossils. The years I have spent here have been the happiest & most
119peaceful of my life. Not once has any one been unkindly dis-cussed in
120my little room, not once has an unkind word been said to me, by any
121one here. I am so happy.^ [missing page/s]
122
Notation
Harkness published under the pseudonym John Law; the story by her about poor children is: John Law (1890) "Little Tim's Christmas" Pall Mall Gazette 24 December 1890, vol 5, number 8039. ‘Booth’s book’ refers to: William Booth (1890) In Darkest England and the Way Out London: International Headquarters of the Salvation Army.
Harkness published under the pseudonym John Law; the story by her about poor children is: John Law (1890) "Little Tim's Christmas" Pall Mall Gazette 24 December 1890, vol 5, number 8039. ‘Booth’s book’ refers to: William Booth (1890) In Darkest England and the Way Out London: International Headquarters of the Salvation Army.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/3- pages 45-6 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: Thursday June 1889 ; Before End: August 1889 |
Address From | Ladies Chambers, Chenies Street, Camden, London |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. The year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand; Schreiner was resident in Ladies Chambers from early June to late August 1889 then returned to South Africa in early October, and thus its dating.
|
1Ladies Chambers
2Chenies St.
3Thursday Night.
4
5My dear Mr Stead
6
7My article is not coming out in this months Fortnightly, I hear this
8evening.
9
10I would like to see you. I shan’t be alone tomorrow afternoon, but I
11shall be in the evening, or Saturday morning. If as is most likely you
12are too busy to call Please when return me the allegory:
13perhaps I ought not to have shown it you before it was published (I
14don’t know the rule in these cases, but I wanted so much to know what
15you thought of it. When I’m in Africa I want to write some short
16articles des-cribing it; & the relation of the Dutch & English races
17&c. Shall I le send them you. Of course if I ^you^ don’t like them you
18can return them to the friend who will see after my papers here.
19
20I would like to see you before I go, because I don’t think you
21understood how very tired I was feeling the last time we met. One has
22so many problems to think out, & one is such a very little person.
23
24Olive Schreiner
25
26^Please address here^
27
2Chenies St.
3Thursday Night.
4
5My dear Mr Stead
6
7My article is not coming out in this months Fortnightly, I hear this
8evening.
9
10I would like to see you. I shan’t be alone tomorrow afternoon, but I
11shall be in the evening, or Saturday morning. If as is most likely you
12are too busy to call Please when return me the allegory:
13perhaps I ought not to have shown it you before it was published (I
14don’t know the rule in these cases, but I wanted so much to know what
15you thought of it. When I’m in Africa I want to write some short
16articles des-cribing it; & the relation of the Dutch & English races
17&c. Shall I le send them you. Of course if I ^you^ don’t like them you
18can return them to the friend who will see after my papers here.
19
20I would like to see you before I go, because I don’t think you
21understood how very tired I was feeling the last time we met. One has
22so many problems to think out, & one is such a very little person.
23
24Olive Schreiner
25
26^Please address here^
27
Notation
The article was ‘not coming out in the Fortnightly’ because of its length. See "The sunlight lay across my bed: Part I - Hell" New Review Vol 1, no 11, April 1890, pp.300-309; and "The sunlight lay across my bed: Part II - Heaven", New Review Vol 1, no 12, May 1890, pp.423-431. The ‘short articles’ referred to are Schreiner's ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a US publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa.
The article was ‘not coming out in the Fortnightly’ because of its length. See "The sunlight lay across my bed: Part I - Hell" New Review Vol 1, no 11, April 1890, pp.300-309; and "The sunlight lay across my bed: Part II - Heaven", New Review Vol 1, no 12, May 1890, pp.423-431. The ‘short articles’ referred to are Schreiner's ‘A Returned South African’ essays, originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a US publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/2- pages 42-4 & 218-220 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Tuesday 16 April 1889 |
Address From | 25 Montague Street, Camden, London |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 163 |
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 Micofilm Collections. The year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand; Schreiner stayed in Montague Street for a short period in April 1889 and had left Paris on 13 April, so this Tuesday was 16 April.
|
125 Montague St.
2Russell Sq.
3Tuesday
4
5Dear Mr Stead
6
7Your letter after wandering all over Europe has just this moment
8reached me here. I’ve been spending some time in Paris & came over on
9Saturday.
10
11As to your friend. No man has a right to put his individual health
12before the health of so-ciety, & I believe every secret or left handed
13union is a disease spot in society. If the man were noble he would
14endure the ill health as thousands of others do: If the woman he loves
15were brave & faithful she would for the sake of her love for him not
16endure he should fail in openness & sincerity. I feel less & less able
17to call that relation love, in which one draws the other from the
18higher for the sake of possessing them. You will understand what I
19mean when my book is published. I can't express myself satisfactorily
20didactically.
21
22With regard to yourself ^in the matter of the paper^ one aim only say;
23hold to your principles what ever they are, & apply them to yourself
24with bloodless impartiality as if you were another man.
25
26Will you tell me who wrote the article in P.M.G. on Lady Dilke’s first
27husband? I guess but am not sure I am right.
28
29My mother has written me an article ^a letter^ wildly enthusiastic about
30the Bismark article, & begs me to try & find out the writer! May I
31tell her who he is?
32
33Yours Always
34Olive Schreiner
35
2Russell Sq.
3Tuesday
4
5Dear Mr Stead
6
7Your letter after wandering all over Europe has just this moment
8reached me here. I’ve been spending some time in Paris & came over on
9Saturday.
10
11As to your friend. No man has a right to put his individual health
12before the health of so-ciety, & I believe every secret or left handed
13union is a disease spot in society. If the man were noble he would
14endure the ill health as thousands of others do: If the woman he loves
15were brave & faithful she would for the sake of her love for him not
16endure he should fail in openness & sincerity. I feel less & less able
17to call that relation love, in which one draws the other from the
18higher for the sake of possessing them. You will understand what I
19mean when my book is published. I can't express myself satisfactorily
20didactically.
21
22With regard to yourself ^in the matter of the paper^ one aim only say;
23hold to your principles what ever they are, & apply them to yourself
24with bloodless impartiality as if you were another man.
25
26Will you tell me who wrote the article in P.M.G. on Lady Dilke’s first
27husband? I guess but am not sure I am right.
28
29My mother has written me an article ^a letter^ wildly enthusiastic about
30the Bismark article, & begs me to try & find out the writer! May I
31tell her who he is?
32
33Yours Always
34Olive Schreiner
35
Notation
‘When my book is published’ is likely to refer to From Man to Man. The unsigned article on Mark Pattison is: "Mark Pattison's Essays" Pall Mall Gazette 1 April 1889, p.3. An article on Bismark could not be found in the Pall Mall Gazette in any of the issues around the date of this letter, although earlier there were reports of a scandal involving Bismark and a forged letter. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract from this letter is incorrect in various ways.
‘When my book is published’ is likely to refer to From Man to Man. The unsigned article on Mark Pattison is: "Mark Pattison's Essays" Pall Mall Gazette 1 April 1889, p.3. An article on Bismark could not be found in the Pall Mall Gazette in any of the issues around the date of this letter, although earlier there were reports of a scandal involving Bismark and a forged letter. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) extract from this letter is incorrect in various ways.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/39- pages 167-8 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: Friday 18 March 1904 ; Before End: 25 March 1904 |
Address From | Eastbergholt, 6 Tamboerskloof Road, Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. The month and year have been written on this letter in an unknown hand; content and the dates of Schreiner’s other letters to Stead over the period he was in South Africa have supplied the date range given.
|
1East Bergholt
26 Tamboer’s Kloof Rd
3Tamboer’s Kloof
4Friday
5
6Dear Friend
7
8This is just a line to wel-come you back to Cape Town, I hope feeling
9much better for your trip.
10
11Give my love to your daughter. Is there any time when I should be
12likely to find you in & free, or when you could come up here & see me.
13I know your time is very short & full & many people will want to see
14you, but I would like to greet you before you leave on Tuesday.
15
16Yours ever
17Olive Schreiner
18
19^Tomorrow (Saturday) I spend at the Sauer’s but shall return tomorrow
20evening.^
21
26 Tamboer’s Kloof Rd
3Tamboer’s Kloof
4Friday
5
6Dear Friend
7
8This is just a line to wel-come you back to Cape Town, I hope feeling
9much better for your trip.
10
11Give my love to your daughter. Is there any time when I should be
12likely to find you in & free, or when you could come up here & see me.
13I know your time is very short & full & many people will want to see
14you, but I would like to greet you before you leave on Tuesday.
15
16Yours ever
17Olive Schreiner
18
19^Tomorrow (Saturday) I spend at the Sauer’s but shall return tomorrow
20evening.^
21
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/40- pages 169-170 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: 18 March 1904 ; Before End: 25 March 1904 |
Address From | Tamboerskloof Road, Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. This letter has been dated by reference to content and other letters from Schreiner to Stead when he was in South Africa, which also provide the address it was written from.
|
1Dear Friend
2
3not been
4to find on
5which it
6you are going
7with tomorrow
8If I am
9able tomo
10& see you
11accept
12word of
13
14& my small hope that your trip will have done you much good.
15
16Give my love to your daughter also. If she comes out to South Africa
17again she must come up to Hanover & let me show her some real Up
18country life.
19
20Yours ever
21Olive Schreiner
22
23^I have heard there is to be a reception to you tonight, but I have not
24been invited & don’t know where it is to ?take place^
25
2
3not been
4to find on
5which it
6you are going
7with tomorrow
8If I am
9able tomo
10& see you
11accept
12word of
13
14& my small hope that your trip will have done you much good.
15
16Give my love to your daughter also. If she comes out to South Africa
17again she must come up to Hanover & let me show her some real Up
18country life.
19
20Yours ever
21Olive Schreiner
22
23^I have heard there is to be a reception to you tonight, but I have not
24been invited & don’t know where it is to ?take place^
25
Notation
The text of this letter is extremely difficult to read and so not every word which is missing or unreadable has been provided, because this would make the few legible words difficult to make sense of.
The text of this letter is extremely difficult to read and so not every word which is missing or unreadable has been provided, because this would make the few legible words difficult to make sense of.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/41- pages 171-172 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 3 March 1894 |
Address From | Krantz Plaats, Halesowen, Eastern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Krantz Plaats
2P.O Halesowen
3Cape Colony
4March 3 / 94
5
6Dear Friend
7
8I am not quite sure (I have had so many letters to write) whether I
9wrote to tell you of my wedding on the 24th of Feb. We came straight
10to our farm, a wild, wild, place in the Karroo, but much after my own
11heart. Next week I shall send you some photographs of it, & of my
12husband & myself among our goats & ostriches!
13
14You would have a hearty welcome from us both if you ever come out here
15as I hope you will some day.
16
17Your old friend
18Olive Schreiner
19
20^Address Mrs Olive Schreiner^
21
2P.O Halesowen
3Cape Colony
4March 3 / 94
5
6Dear Friend
7
8I am not quite sure (I have had so many letters to write) whether I
9wrote to tell you of my wedding on the 24th of Feb. We came straight
10to our farm, a wild, wild, place in the Karroo, but much after my own
11heart. Next week I shall send you some photographs of it, & of my
12husband & myself among our goats & ostriches!
13
14You would have a hearty welcome from us both if you ever come out here
15as I hope you will some day.
16
17Your old friend
18Olive Schreiner
19
20^Address Mrs Olive Schreiner^
21
Notation
The paper this letter is written on also has on it a printed ‘Progressive’ congratulatory verse on his marriage entitled ‘To. S.C.C’, which is as follows:
‘Progressive One! in this thy happiest day,
When joy is present, and through lovers dreams
The future with a hue more resolute gleams.
Take heed, and bear this fact in mind alway,
The Genius thou has wooed with thee to stay
Is of the nation, who will look to see
It still outpoured to thrill the Colony.
Watch to thyself, that none may ever say
That thou didst fail to wear thine honours well.
Life has begun. – take up thy work, - advance!
Thou’lt have an influence now than which no spell
Could e’er more power have giv’n. – And
soon, perchance
The Senate of thy native land will hear
Thy voice for Progress pleading calm and clear.
W.
^Middelburg^
Feb 24 / 94
The paper this letter is written on also has on it a printed ‘Progressive’ congratulatory verse on his marriage entitled ‘To. S.C.C’, which is as follows:
‘Progressive One! in this thy happiest day,
When joy is present, and through lovers dreams
The future with a hue more resolute gleams.
Take heed, and bear this fact in mind alway,
The Genius thou has wooed with thee to stay
Is of the nation, who will look to see
It still outpoured to thrill the Colony.
Watch to thyself, that none may ever say
That thou didst fail to wear thine honours well.
Life has begun. – take up thy work, - advance!
Thou’lt have an influence now than which no spell
Could e’er more power have giv’n. – And
soon, perchance
The Senate of thy native land will hear
Thy voice for Progress pleading calm and clear.
W.
^Middelburg^
Feb 24 / 94
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/42- pages 173-176 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Monday 5 July 1897 |
Address From | Morley’s Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. This letter is by and from Olive Schreiner, with Cronwright-Schreiner acting as her amanuensis or secretary. Schreiner was very briefly in Broadstairs in early July 1897, returning to Morley’s Hotel on the night of Sunday 4 July, thus the dating of the letter.
|
1Monday
2
3Dear Mr. Stead,
4
5My wife asks me to say she should like to meet you. Her health has
6been and is so bad (the English climate not suiting her) that she may
7have to return to the Cape very soon. In any case our movements are
8uncertain. She would not like to leave without having met you.
9Politics as touching South Africa can be avoided if you wish it.
10
11We went to Broadstairs on Saturday, hoping she might be better there,
12but she had asthma so severely that we had to return last night. She
13is better today, but our stay here is uncertain; so perhaps, if it
14suits you, you will arrange a meeting as soon as possible.
15
16Yours very truly,
17S.C. Cronwright Schreiner
18
19W.T. Stead Esq
20
2
3Dear Mr. Stead,
4
5My wife asks me to say she should like to meet you. Her health has
6been and is so bad (the English climate not suiting her) that she may
7have to return to the Cape very soon. In any case our movements are
8uncertain. She would not like to leave without having met you.
9Politics as touching South Africa can be avoided if you wish it.
10
11We went to Broadstairs on Saturday, hoping she might be better there,
12but she had asthma so severely that we had to return last night. She
13is better today, but our stay here is uncertain; so perhaps, if it
14suits you, you will arrange a meeting as soon as possible.
15
16Yours very truly,
17S.C. Cronwright Schreiner
18
19W.T. Stead Esq
20
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/43- pages 177-180 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Sunday July 1897 |
Address From | Morley’s Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. Stead’s Notables of Britain was published in the first part of 1897 while, out of many occasions she was at Morley’s Hotel, Schreiner stayed there for some weeks during July 1897, hence the dating of this letter.
|
1Morley’s Hotel
2Sunday
3
4^Private^
5
6Dear Friend
7
8I have just received your book of Notables of Britain. Yes I have a
9suggestion to make about my photograph: Seven years ago Eliot & Fry
10took the caricature of me which you ^have^ reproduced.
11
12I had given them special instructions to destroy the negatives & keep
13no copies of the photograph. Will you kindly let me know where you got
14the copy you have reproduced?
15
16If you care to have a photograph taken by the photographers you
17mentioned before, I will go & have one taken for the book you with
18great pleasure (if you will send me the address which I have forgotten!)
19 ^but please on the condition that if I think it bad it is to be
20destroyed^ but please don’t put that ^Elliot & Fry^ photo in the next
21edition! This note is private.
22
23Thine ever
24Olive Schreiner
25
26I know of course, dear friend, you thought the photograph was all
27right. I want to know how it got out of Elliot & Fry’s hands.
28
2Sunday
3
4^Private^
5
6Dear Friend
7
8I have just received your book of Notables of Britain. Yes I have a
9suggestion to make about my photograph: Seven years ago Eliot & Fry
10took the caricature of me which you ^have^ reproduced.
11
12I had given them special instructions to destroy the negatives & keep
13no copies of the photograph. Will you kindly let me know where you got
14the copy you have reproduced?
15
16If you care to have a photograph taken by the photographers you
17mentioned before, I will go & have one taken for the book you with
18great pleasure (if you will send me the address which I have forgotten!)
19 ^but please on the condition that if I think it bad it is to be
20destroyed^ but please don’t put that ^Elliot & Fry^ photo in the next
21edition! This note is private.
22
23Thine ever
24Olive Schreiner
25
26I know of course, dear friend, you thought the photograph was all
27right. I want to know how it got out of Elliot & Fry’s hands.
28
Notation
The book in question is: WT Stead (1897) Notables of Britain: An Album of Portraits and Autographs London: Review of Review Offices. The entry for Olive Schreiner, with the Elliott & Fry photograph referred to, is on page 205 and describes her as ‘the most remarkable woman of South Africa...; a brilliant writer; a vehement but somewhat Utopian politician.’.
The book in question is: WT Stead (1897) Notables of Britain: An Album of Portraits and Autographs London: Review of Review Offices. The entry for Olive Schreiner, with the Elliott & Fry photograph referred to, is on page 205 and describes her as ‘the most remarkable woman of South Africa...; a brilliant writer; a vehement but somewhat Utopian politician.’.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/44- pages 181-2 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | April 1889 |
Address From | 25 Montague Street, Camden, London |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. Schreiner stayed for a short time in Montagu Street in April 1889, thus the dating of this letter.
|
125 Montague St
2W.C.
3
4No I am any thing but angry. When I am not at unity with any one I
5state it directly so that they may know at once, & so all people may
6feel perfectly restful with me. I am over run with visitors today,
7shall not alone a moment till ten tonight so we could not talk.
8
9Turn up tomorrow can’t you in the afternoon or evening, if you let me
10know when you were coming I would
11
12 ^try & keep the time clear. O.S.^
13
2W.C.
3
4No I am any thing but angry. When I am not at unity with any one I
5state it directly so that they may know at once, & so all people may
6feel perfectly restful with me. I am over run with visitors today,
7shall not alone a moment till ten tonight so we could not talk.
8
9Turn up tomorrow can’t you in the afternoon or evening, if you let me
10know when you were coming I would
11
12 ^try & keep the time clear. O.S.^
13
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/45- pages 183-186 & 241 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: January 1897 ; Before End: February 1897 |
Address From | 19 Russell Road, Kensington, London |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. Schreiner stayed many times in Russell Road, the home of her friend Alice Corthorn, while visiting England. The letter refers to Stead collecting photographs for his Notables of Britain, which was published in the first part of 1897. During her 1897 visit to the UK, Schreiner stayed at Russell Road in January and February; thus the dating of this letter. The letter is written on printed headed notepaper. The end of the letter appears to be missing.
|
119, Russell Road,
2Kensington. W.
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I’m so glad you are going to print Sir George Grey’s photograph. It
7will delight the heart of the dear old man who sent it & took it.
8Please be sure to mention that it was taken by Mr F W Dugmore
9(Dugmore). He’s a great admirer of yours, (he’s not a professional
10photographer) & it will delight him.
11
12As to me dear friend I havent time to have my photo taken, I havent a
13moment free & want much to jet off on Saturday. Don’t quote anything
14out of my letter because it was written for you only & I don’t
15remember what I said.
16
17Please I am so glad you are going to write admiringly of that grand
18old man Sir George Grey.
19
20As to my last letter, dear friend, don’t think it’s only with you; I
21won’t agu argue about South African affairs with any one. My health
22won’t stand it.
23
2Kensington. W.
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I’m so glad you are going to print Sir George Grey’s photograph. It
7will delight the heart of the dear old man who sent it & took it.
8Please be sure to mention that it was taken by Mr F W Dugmore
9(Dugmore). He’s a great admirer of yours, (he’s not a professional
10photographer) & it will delight him.
11
12As to me dear friend I havent time to have my photo taken, I havent a
13moment free & want much to jet off on Saturday. Don’t quote anything
14out of my letter because it was written for you only & I don’t
15remember what I said.
16
17Please I am so glad you are going to write admiringly of that grand
18old man Sir George Grey.
19
20As to my last letter, dear friend, don’t think it’s only with you; I
21won’t agu argue about South African affairs with any one. My health
22won’t stand it.
23
Notation
The book referred to is: WT Stead (1897) Notables of Britain: An Album of Portraits and Autographs London: Review of Review Offices. The entry for Olive Schreiner, with the Elliott & Fry photograph referred to, is on page 205 and describes her as ‘the most remarkable woman of South Africa...; a brilliant writer; a vehement but somewhat Utopian politician.’.
The book referred to is: WT Stead (1897) Notables of Britain: An Album of Portraits and Autographs London: Review of Review Offices. The entry for Olive Schreiner, with the Elliott & Fry photograph referred to, is on page 205 and describes her as ‘the most remarkable woman of South Africa...; a brilliant writer; a vehement but somewhat Utopian politician.’.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/46- pages 187-188 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | After Start: January 1897 ; Before End: February 1897 |
Address From | 19 Russell Road, Kensington, London |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections. Schreiner stayed many times in Russell Road, the home of her friend Alice Corthorn, while visiting England. The references to being ‘very pressed’ suggests that it was written during Schreiner’s 1897 visit to the UK, when she stayed at Russell Road in January and February; thus the dating of this letter.
|
119 Russell Rd
2Kensington
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I should be glad to see you on Thursday morning at 11 if you afternoon
7at 4 if you could come then I would try to keep the afternoon clear.
8Let me know as I am very pressed.
9
10Tell Garrett he has never sent me the book he promised.
11
12Yours ever
13Olive Schreiner
14
2Kensington
3
4Dear Friend
5
6I should be glad to see you on Thursday morning at 11 if you afternoon
7at 4 if you could come then I would try to keep the afternoon clear.
8Let me know as I am very pressed.
9
10Tell Garrett he has never sent me the book he promised.
11
12Yours ever
13Olive Schreiner
14
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/47- page 189 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 7 February 1895 |
Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | William Thomas Stead |
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 Micofilm Collections.
|
1Dear Friend
2
3I send you a few cutting from Colonial papers: which look at if you
4have time.
5
6I also send you a photograph of myself & my husband.
7
8Yours ever & ever
9Olive Schreiner
10
11The Homestead ^Kimberley^
12Feb 7 / 95
13
2
3I send you a few cutting from Colonial papers: which look at if you
4have time.
5
6I also send you a photograph of myself & my husband.
7
8Yours ever & ever
9Olive Schreiner
10
11The Homestead ^Kimberley^
12Feb 7 / 95
13
Notation
The cuttings referred to are no longer attached to this letter.
The cuttings referred to are no longer attached to this letter.
Letter Reference | T120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/48- pages 190-191 |
Archive | National Archives Depot, Pretoria |
Epistolary Type | Letter |