"OS reply to B, who had responded to her earlier letter about harassment by a policeman" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | John X. Merriman MSC 15/1912:210 |
| Archive | National Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Monday 1912 |
| Address From | Alexandra Hotel, Muizenberg, Western Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | John X. Merriman |
| 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. This letter is written on printed headed notepaper with a drawing of the hotel.
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1
Alexandra Hotel
2 Muizenberg
3 Monday, 1912
4
5 Dear Mr Merriman,
6
7 Thank you very sincerely for your letter. I hope to come in on the
815th.
9
10 The interest in the House of Mirth lies not in the least in the love
11story - that is only necessary because it shows how even love falls
12powerless in the presence of the absolute love of pleasure, ease,
13excitement & the material good of life - in the case of those unhappy
14modern women who are tending to become parasitic
15
16 I know of two women whose attitude towards life - though it is in no
17way a sermon - has been materially influenced by it - so the book
18cannot be wholly powerless. But I can quite understand it is outside
19the line of those many important interests that are necessarily
20absorbing your life & thought just now. One can't be interested in
21every thing - though I think both you & I have have the same
22characteristic of being interested in almost every thing - & running
23out - if it is possible - in too many directions!
24
25 I see nothing of the vulgar side of Muizenberg. I have only once been
26near the beach to look for someone in the ten days I have been here. I
27sit in my little room writing all day, with a glorious view of the Bay
28& Simons town & Cape Point from my big window & after dinner walk on
29the high road or look in on some of my friends who have cottages along
30it. It perfectly ideal to me. I don't know when I've been so happy.
31
32 "Alles ten besten"
33 Olive Schreiner
34
2 Muizenberg
3 Monday, 1912
4
5 Dear Mr Merriman,
6
7 Thank you very sincerely for your letter. I hope to come in on the
815th.
9
10 The interest in the House of Mirth lies not in the least in the love
11story - that is only necessary because it shows how even love falls
12powerless in the presence of the absolute love of pleasure, ease,
13excitement & the material good of life - in the case of those unhappy
14modern women who are tending to become parasitic
15
16 I know of two women whose attitude towards life - though it is in no
17way a sermon - has been materially influenced by it - so the book
18cannot be wholly powerless. But I can quite understand it is outside
19the line of those many important interests that are necessarily
20absorbing your life & thought just now. One can't be interested in
21every thing - though I think both you & I have have the same
22characteristic of being interested in almost every thing - & running
23out - if it is possible - in too many directions!
24
25 I see nothing of the vulgar side of Muizenberg. I have only once been
26near the beach to look for someone in the ten days I have been here. I
27sit in my little room writing all day, with a glorious view of the Bay
28& Simons town & Cape Point from my big window & after dinner walk on
29the high road or look in on some of my friends who have cottages along
30it. It perfectly ideal to me. I don't know when I've been so happy.
31
32 "Alles ten besten"
33 Olive Schreiner
34
Notation
The book referred to is: Edith Wharton (1905) The House of Mirth New York: C. Scribner's Sons.
The book referred to is: Edith Wharton (1905) The House of Mirth New York: C. Scribner's Sons.