"James Rose Innes in broader political life, O advises" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Letters/293 |
| Archive | |
| Epistolary Type | |
| Letter Date | 19 August 1888 |
| Address From | Chertsey, Surrey |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 139 |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
When Cronwright-Schreiner prepared The Letters of Olive Schreiner, with few exceptions he then destroyed her originals. However, some people gave him copies and kept the originals or demanded the return of these; and when actual Schreiner letters can be compared with his versions, his have omissions, distortions and bowdlerisations. Where Schreiner originals have survived, these will be found in the relevant collections across the OSLO website. There is however a residue of some 587 items in The Letters for which no originals are extant. They are included here for sake of completeness. However, their relationship to Schreiners actual letters cannot now be gauged, and so they should be read with caution for the reasons given.
|
1To Havelock Ellis.
2Chertsey, 19th Aug.
3
4Last night I woke up crying, and it seemed to me something was the
5matter with you. I always wake up crying in the night, but generally I
6don't know what is the matter with me. Are you well, dear? ... You
7have suffered so much, my Havelock. Only I can't quite understand that
8anyone should ever have suffered about me. I can understand that
9people should respect and admire me, but not that they love me. But
10you did once, and we all must let love die. ... I am longing very much
11to get out of England, but I have yet no money, and I don't quite know
12where to go. ... I want to have you here for a whole day to myself
13before I go, and I want to cook you a nice dinner. You must once in
14your life eat a real dinner I've cooked!
15
2Chertsey, 19th Aug.
3
4Last night I woke up crying, and it seemed to me something was the
5matter with you. I always wake up crying in the night, but generally I
6don't know what is the matter with me. Are you well, dear? ... You
7have suffered so much, my Havelock. Only I can't quite understand that
8anyone should ever have suffered about me. I can understand that
9people should respect and admire me, but not that they love me. But
10you did once, and we all must let love die. ... I am longing very much
11to get out of England, but I have yet no money, and I don't quite know
12where to go. ... I want to have you here for a whole day to myself
13before I go, and I want to cook you a nice dinner. You must once in
14your life eat a real dinner I've cooked!
15