"Won't take money from Transvaal Government; Rhodes' lies about 'Peter Halket'; expecting war" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner: John & Mary Brown MSC 26/2.2.13 |
| Archive | National Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Sunday 22 February 1903 |
| Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Mary Brown nee Solomon |
| 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. Schreiner was resident in Hanover from September 1900 to October 1907, after 1902 with visits, sometimes fairly lengthy, elsewhere.
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1
Sunday morning
2 Feb 22 / 03
3
4 Dear Friend, I am thinking much of you. Have you settled for good at
520 ?Warrender Park Crescent? Have you your own rooms or is it a
6boarding house? Have you ^yet^ read The Soul of a People? You know I
7always feel as if it was my book; as if I had written it; as if it had
8come out of my heart; only, it's much more beautiful & sweet than
9anything I have written, or could write.
10
11 I wrote a little letter to the author telling him that I liked it, but
12asked him not trouble to answer me. You have to be a writer to know
13how you hate the unknown people who will write to you expecting an
14answer.
15
16 I wouldn't have written to him at all only 12 or 13 years ago he wrote
17to me, about my books I never answered his letter: but I put it away &
18kept it. It was only destroyed now at Johannesburg with my other
19things by the British. I am feeling much stronger & better lately.
20Cron is away in Cape Town; will return the end of next week. This is
21just a word of love.
22
23 Olive
24
2 Feb 22 / 03
3
4 Dear Friend, I am thinking much of you. Have you settled for good at
520 ?Warrender Park Crescent? Have you your own rooms or is it a
6boarding house? Have you ^yet^ read The Soul of a People? You know I
7always feel as if it was my book; as if I had written it; as if it had
8come out of my heart; only, it's much more beautiful & sweet than
9anything I have written, or could write.
10
11 I wrote a little letter to the author telling him that I liked it, but
12asked him not trouble to answer me. You have to be a writer to know
13how you hate the unknown people who will write to you expecting an
14answer.
15
16 I wouldn't have written to him at all only 12 or 13 years ago he wrote
17to me, about my books I never answered his letter: but I put it away &
18kept it. It was only destroyed now at Johannesburg with my other
19things by the British. I am feeling much stronger & better lately.
20Cron is away in Cape Town; will return the end of next week. This is
21just a word of love.
22
23 Olive
24
Notation
The book referred to is: Harold Fielding Hall (1898) The Soul of a People London: R. Bentley & Son.
The book referred to is: Harold Fielding Hall (1898) The Soul of a People London: R. Bentley & Son.