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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner: Katie Findlay MSC 26/1.14.20
ArchiveNational Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date5 January 1881
Address FromLily Kloof, Halesowen, Eastern Cape
Address To
Who ToCatherine ('Katie') Findlay nee Schreiner
Other VersionsCronwright-Schreiner 1924: 9; Rive 1987: 26-7
PermissionsPlease 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.
1Lilys Kloof
2Jan 5 / 81.
3
4My dear Sister
5
6I was glad when this afternoon’s post brought me a letter from you.
7Leading this quiet farm life one seems to prize letters even more than
8one would do living in Town. I am glad to hear it all goes well with
9you still. I shall be delighted to get photos of the boys. I only wish
10I could get a really good one of you.
11
12As to my own plans all being well I hope to leave Lily Kloof on the
137th of February. I shall go to Grahamstown & leave ^spend^ a few days
14with Mama, I think a week. I shall then sail. Of course the steamer
15will call at Cape Town, & if I have time I should like to see Hudson.
16At what school is he? I intend going to the Royal Infirmary of
17Edinburgh when I go to England. I don’t think I shall ever return to
18this country unless my health gives way again. I shall spend about a
19week with Fred before I go up to Edinburgh. I am not going to become a
20Doctor: that costs money of which I have none, but one can become a
21nurse without paying anything, & after all if they cannot be of so
22much use as the doctors they can still relieve a great deal of
23suffering.
24
25You must excuse this wonderfully written blotted letter, but the
26children are playing about me, touching pen, ink, paper & everything.
27
28I had a letter from Fred this afternoon. Three boys in his school are
29lying ill of a fever, & the poor old fellow is very anxious about them.
30
31I suppose you will have seen something of Ettie while she was at
32Fraserburg. I wish I could have seen her to say goodbye before I leave.
33
34^Good bye dear old Katie
35With love to all believe me ever
36Your affectate sister
37Olive
38
39Thanks for your kind offer but I have quite made up my mind to go.^
40
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.