"City of dreadful night; cut throats, don't mention political news" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/77 |
| Archive | National English Literary Museum, Grahamstown |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | After Start: Tuesday February 1911 ; Before End: March 1911 |
| Address From | Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Minnie or Mimmie Murray nee Parkes |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the National English Literary Museum (NELM) for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscript Collections. This letter has been approximately dated by reference to content. Schreiner was in Oudeberg and then Graaff-Reinett in late January to the end of February 1911.
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1
Graaff Reinet
2 Tuesday night
3
4 Dear Mrs Murray,
5
6 Mrs Stretch's little girl seemed having a light attack of scarletina
7(I didn't see her as there was no good if I was not nursing her) this
8morning midday at 1.30 Mrs Stretch came in & said she was going to the
9farm with the children & there would be no one at the hotel so in half
10an hour I had to start off flinging my things into the cart, & coming
11down here, as the said they would not let me have another cart
12^tomorrow^ as the man was going to a sale. So here I am to my
13astonishment not knowing where to go or or what to do. My plan is to
14Somerset as Minnie de Villiers mother has wired she is anxious to have
15me. I am thinking of waiting till Friday morning when the train leaves
16via Cradock in the hope you might want to go with me!!
17 If you cared to bring take the trip in the cart I would pay for forage
18&c but I think it would be better to go by train. Miss Berrigh
19?Berringham might be willing to come & stay at Portlock with the
20children I shall have to be in Cradock to go to Lily Kloof for on the
2130th of 28th of February but I have the days between to go to Somerset.
22 Mrs Crump feels sure you can’t come as you are busy getting ready for
23the show so I won’t be a bit disappointed if you can’t come, but I
24felt I must send a boy up with this letter in case you could come.
25
26 It was quite a blow to me having to leave Oudeberg. I loved it so & it
27suited me so well.
28
29 Love to all
30 Olive
31
32
2 Tuesday night
3
4 Dear Mrs Murray,
5
6 Mrs Stretch's little girl seemed having a light attack of scarletina
7(I didn't see her as there was no good if I was not nursing her) this
8morning midday at 1.30 Mrs Stretch came in & said she was going to the
9farm with the children & there would be no one at the hotel so in half
10an hour I had to start off flinging my things into the cart, & coming
11down here, as the said they would not let me have another cart
12^tomorrow^ as the man was going to a sale. So here I am to my
13astonishment not knowing where to go or or what to do. My plan is to
14Somerset as Minnie de Villiers mother has wired she is anxious to have
15me. I am thinking of waiting till Friday morning when the train leaves
16via Cradock in the hope you might want to go with me!!
17 If you cared to bring take the trip in the cart I would pay for forage
18&c but I think it would be better to go by train. Miss Berrigh
19?Berringham might be willing to come & stay at Portlock with the
20children I shall have to be in Cradock to go to Lily Kloof for on the
2130th of 28th of February but I have the days between to go to Somerset.
22 Mrs Crump feels sure you can’t come as you are busy getting ready for
23the show so I won’t be a bit disappointed if you can’t come, but I
24felt I must send a boy up with this letter in case you could come.
25
26 It was quite a blow to me having to leave Oudeberg. I loved it so & it
27suited me so well.
28
29 Love to all
30 Olive
31
32