"Coming war, fighting now?" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner: Mary Sauer MSC 26/2.11.103 |
| Archive | National Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 26 May 1896 |
| Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Mary Sauer nee Cloete |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 282 |
| 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in Kimberley from early August 1894 to November 1898.
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1
Yes, darling, I am very sorry for Mr Sauer. He is being deserted by
2the men whose cause he fought & who should have stood by him. And one
3full half of the English who oppose him oppose him simply because he
4has a little Dutch blood. Oh Mary, things are very hideous in the
5country now.
6
7 I do not see that people have any right to say that Mr Sauer has
8betrayed the progressive cause though in this case he is on the side
9of the Boer, because he has never yet betrayed the cause of the native
10& that is the only true test of a man's progress attitude.
11
12 A curious thing is beginning to come clear to me: & that is that if
13Rhodes comes back he will be brought back by the Bond!
14
15 Goodbye, my darling.
16
17 I wrote you a long letter the other day
18
19^but after it was stamped & in the post bag took it out - its no use
20writing bitterly - it was about the people who have turned my mother
21against me &^
22
23^Cron because of the stand we have taken in this matter: but it is
24better to be quiet.^
25
2the men whose cause he fought & who should have stood by him. And one
3full half of the English who oppose him oppose him simply because he
4has a little Dutch blood. Oh Mary, things are very hideous in the
5country now.
6
7 I do not see that people have any right to say that Mr Sauer has
8betrayed the progressive cause though in this case he is on the side
9of the Boer, because he has never yet betrayed the cause of the native
10& that is the only true test of a man's progress attitude.
11
12 A curious thing is beginning to come clear to me: & that is that if
13Rhodes comes back he will be brought back by the Bond!
14
15 Goodbye, my darling.
16
17 I wrote you a long letter the other day
18
19^but after it was stamped & in the post bag took it out - its no use
20writing bitterly - it was about the people who have turned my mother
21against me &^
22
23^Cron because of the stand we have taken in this matter: but it is
24better to be quiet.^
25
Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version of this letter is in a number of respects incorrect.