"Everything so dark & mysterious, going to be a great European war" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Anna Purcell MSB 386/1.15 |
| Archive | National Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | After Start: 1915 ; Before End: 1916 |
| Address From | na |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Anna Purcell nee Cambier Faure |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the National Library of South Africa (NLSA), Cape Town, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Special Collections. The year range has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. The poem referred to cannot be established.
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1
Darling Anna
2
3 I am enclosing a little poem to you. Its the only really good thing
4I've seen written since upon the war. It seems to come from my own
5heart. Its not the actual killing & death that is so awful in war as
6the hate that breathes through human hearts & makes us forget that
7humanity is one.
8
9 Miss Greene told me about your lovely picnic. If I could just be with
10you all for a few hours. I'm not getting any better dear I'm getting
11steadily worse; but don't say this to Cron if you see him any time.
12Its that I don't want the burden of my illness to rest on him, that
13makes me stay here. I should only be a trouble to you all in Africa.
14Here I trouble no one & there are always nursing homes one can go to.
15Sometimes I think if Miss Molteno & Miss Greene were in England I
16might hire their little cottage, but its only a dream. Is it in a tiny
17place? What is the use of my being in Africa if I can't be near Cron:
18& in De Aar I can't live.
19
20 I just live from day to day, determined not to think if the war is
21over soon I can try Nauheim again perhaps.
22
23 Good bye dear one.
24
25 Yours always with tender love & grateful for all your goodness to me,
26my beloved Anna
27 Olive
28
29 Show the poem to Miss Molteno & ask her to send it back to me.
30
2
3 I am enclosing a little poem to you. Its the only really good thing
4I've seen written since upon the war. It seems to come from my own
5heart. Its not the actual killing & death that is so awful in war as
6the hate that breathes through human hearts & makes us forget that
7humanity is one.
8
9 Miss Greene told me about your lovely picnic. If I could just be with
10you all for a few hours. I'm not getting any better dear I'm getting
11steadily worse; but don't say this to Cron if you see him any time.
12Its that I don't want the burden of my illness to rest on him, that
13makes me stay here. I should only be a trouble to you all in Africa.
14Here I trouble no one & there are always nursing homes one can go to.
15Sometimes I think if Miss Molteno & Miss Greene were in England I
16might hire their little cottage, but its only a dream. Is it in a tiny
17place? What is the use of my being in Africa if I can't be near Cron:
18& in De Aar I can't live.
19
20 I just live from day to day, determined not to think if the war is
21over soon I can try Nauheim again perhaps.
22
23 Good bye dear one.
24
25 Yours always with tender love & grateful for all your goodness to me,
26my beloved Anna
27 Olive
28
29 Show the poem to Miss Molteno & ask her to send it back to me.
30