"About Rebecca Schreiner, OS's childhood, her writing" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner: Katie Findlay MSC 26/2.14.18 |
| Archive | National Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 14 October 1880 |
| Address From | Lily Kloof, Halesowen, Eastern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Catherine ('Katie') Findlay nee Schreiner |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 9; Rive 1987: 25 |
| 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.
|
1Lily Kloof
2Oct. 14 / 80
3
4My dear Katie
5
6I have allowed your letter to remain rather long unanswered. In truth,
7it is very difficult to get a chance of posting. I have to take
8advantage of any old Hottentot or Boer happening to pass to send my
9letters to Town.
10
11I was much grieved to hear of Alice’s dreadful loss. Dear old
12Leo’s death I especially felt for I loved the child very much. I can
13not yet realize that he is gone.
14
15I hope all your dear little ones are well. Are your boys still at the
16Cape? George must be quite a great fellow by this time.
17
18I am very well, better than I have been for years. The cold mountain
19climate suits me splendidly. We went into Cradock the week before last
20to nachtmaal, but I was very glad to get back to the farm again. All
21is looking beautifully green here, but the frost has destroyed almost
22all the fruit.
23
24Mrs. Fouche’s little Baby was baptized when we went in to Town, & I
25am its godmother. It is a very pretty little thing & I am very fond of
26it. The two girls I teach are nice loving children & give me no
27trouble at all. It is certainly much pleasanter to teach among the
28Dutch than among the English.
29
30I hope you will not leave this letter as long as I have left yours
31without an answer.
32
33My address is simply,
34Miss Schreiner, Cradock.
35
36With love to all believe me to remain, dear Katie,
37Your very affecate sister,
38Olive
39
2Oct. 14 / 80
3
4My dear Katie
5
6I have allowed your letter to remain rather long unanswered. In truth,
7it is very difficult to get a chance of posting. I have to take
8advantage of any old Hottentot or Boer happening to pass to send my
9letters to Town.
10
11I was much grieved to hear of Alice’s dreadful loss. Dear old
12Leo’s death I especially felt for I loved the child very much. I can
13not yet realize that he is gone.
14
15I hope all your dear little ones are well. Are your boys still at the
16Cape? George must be quite a great fellow by this time.
17
18I am very well, better than I have been for years. The cold mountain
19climate suits me splendidly. We went into Cradock the week before last
20to nachtmaal, but I was very glad to get back to the farm again. All
21is looking beautifully green here, but the frost has destroyed almost
22all the fruit.
23
24Mrs. Fouche’s little Baby was baptized when we went in to Town, & I
25am its godmother. It is a very pretty little thing & I am very fond of
26it. The two girls I teach are nice loving children & give me no
27trouble at all. It is certainly much pleasanter to teach among the
28Dutch than among the English.
29
30I hope you will not leave this letter as long as I have left yours
31without an answer.
32
33My address is simply,
34Miss Schreiner, Cradock.
35
36With love to all believe me to remain, dear Katie,
37Your very affecate sister,
38Olive
39
Notation
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect. Cronwright-Schreiner's (1924) version is incorrect in various ways.
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect. Cronwright-Schreiner's (1924) version is incorrect in various ways.