"Natives to be crushed, effects of the war" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner: Mary Sauer MSC 26/2.11.27 |
| Archive | National Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Wednesday 27 May 1891 |
| Address From | Cape Town, Western Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Mary Sauer nee Cloete |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 192-3 |
| 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. Content indicates Schreiner was in Cape Town when it was written. Schreiner stayed in Cape Town for most of May to August or September 1891.
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1
Wednesday
2
3 I am leaving this evening for Matjesfontein. I think I shall do more
4work there. I send you one tiny little story; it's to be part of a
5book of woman's stories, which I'm going to publish some day with a
6preface on the true emancipation of women, which whi will be some
7thing much greater, if it ever comes, than the poor little possession
8of the franchise. I hope no one will think again I meant it for my
9sweet old Adela Villiers because I wrote it long before I ever knew
10her.
11
12 If I I've not revised it. I printed it on purpose to revise it, but
13now I'm not well enough. Don't let it get lost because I don't want
14any of these stories printed at home till I publish the whole little
15book. Dear, you know I love you better than ever. The women I don't
16really treasure I do all I can for, & for the rest keep out of their
17way. One only speaks openly to the best people. I'm afraid I can't
18print the Buddhist Priest's Wife & other big books here it comes too
19expensive. But I'll send you them when I have them published at home.
20I hope you had a nice day on Monday it was so fine.
21
22 Yours always. dear,
23 Olive
24
25 ^I wish I could take Dorothy with me to Matjesfontein. She would be so
26lovely to teach.^
27
2
3 I am leaving this evening for Matjesfontein. I think I shall do more
4work there. I send you one tiny little story; it's to be part of a
5book of woman's stories, which I'm going to publish some day with a
6preface on the true emancipation of women, which whi will be some
7thing much greater, if it ever comes, than the poor little possession
8of the franchise. I hope no one will think again I meant it for my
9sweet old Adela Villiers because I wrote it long before I ever knew
10her.
11
12 If I I've not revised it. I printed it on purpose to revise it, but
13now I'm not well enough. Don't let it get lost because I don't want
14any of these stories printed at home till I publish the whole little
15book. Dear, you know I love you better than ever. The women I don't
16really treasure I do all I can for, & for the rest keep out of their
17way. One only speaks openly to the best people. I'm afraid I can't
18print the Buddhist Priest's Wife & other big books here it comes too
19expensive. But I'll send you them when I have them published at home.
20I hope you had a nice day on Monday it was so fine.
21
22 Yours always. dear,
23 Olive
24
25 ^I wish I could take Dorothy with me to Matjesfontein. She would be so
26lovely to teach.^
27
Notation
For the 'tiny story', see: "The Woman's Rose" New Review vol 4, no.25, June 1891, pp.540-3. The possible 'book of woman's stories' never came to fruition. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
For the 'tiny story', see: "The Woman's Rose" New Review vol 4, no.25, June 1891, pp.540-3. The possible 'book of woman's stories' never came to fruition. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.