"De Aar dust & heat" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Letters/525 |
| Archive | |
| Epistolary Type | |
| Letter Date | 6 March 1914 |
| Address From | Florence, Italy |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 330-1 |
| 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.
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1To Havelock Ellis.
2Florence, 6th Mar.
3
4I've been as sick as a dog since I came here. The doctor says I'm too
5near the river and I'm going to try tomorrow to find a place in the
6high dry part of the city. Probably I shall go to Villa Trollope -
7full of English snobs - but all that a woman hath will she give for
8her life. I've never gone through a more terrible five days than the
9last. I have had three treatments from Carloni and they seem to do the
10chest and heart good; but, you see, what with the stone in my kidney
11and all the other things I'm not much good. I don't seem to be able to
12die and I can't work, which is the thing I want to live for. If
13Carloni does me much good, Edith must come and try him some day, but
14never in March. The grey damp fog rests over everything; it's the kind
15of fog that rises from marshes and melting snow - not good London fog
16- which is nothing - it's rather nice. ... I hope you come, dear. Oh,
17what a joy it will be to see you! But you mustn't come just for my
18sake, because I may be only a disappointment. Goodbye. I do hope Edith
19is better.
20
21When I was at the Post Office to-day, I asked a beautiful young girl
22standing there if she could explain in Italian what I wanted. When I
23had to give my name she started and said: "Oh, I know that name, I
24know it," and gave me a most beautiful smile. She was a Swede. How
25beautiful these northern people are.
26
2Florence, 6th Mar.
3
4I've been as sick as a dog since I came here. The doctor says I'm too
5near the river and I'm going to try tomorrow to find a place in the
6high dry part of the city. Probably I shall go to Villa Trollope -
7full of English snobs - but all that a woman hath will she give for
8her life. I've never gone through a more terrible five days than the
9last. I have had three treatments from Carloni and they seem to do the
10chest and heart good; but, you see, what with the stone in my kidney
11and all the other things I'm not much good. I don't seem to be able to
12die and I can't work, which is the thing I want to live for. If
13Carloni does me much good, Edith must come and try him some day, but
14never in March. The grey damp fog rests over everything; it's the kind
15of fog that rises from marshes and melting snow - not good London fog
16- which is nothing - it's rather nice. ... I hope you come, dear. Oh,
17what a joy it will be to see you! But you mustn't come just for my
18sake, because I may be only a disappointment. Goodbye. I do hope Edith
19is better.
20
21When I was at the Post Office to-day, I asked a beautiful young girl
22standing there if she could explain in Italian what I wanted. When I
23had to give my name she started and said: "Oh, I know that name, I
24know it," and gave me a most beautiful smile. She was a Swede. How
25beautiful these northern people are.
26