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Letter ReferenceKarl Pearson 840/4/2/38-39
ArchiveUniversity College London Library, Special Collections, UCL, London
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateFriday 12 March 1886
Address FromBournemouth, Dorset
Address To
Who ToKarl Pearson
Other Versions
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to University College London (UCL) and its Library Services 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 at two addresses in Bournemouth from mid February to mid March 1886. The name of the addressee is indicated by content.
1 Friday night
2
3 I didn’t mean I wouldn’t help "men" if I could, I meant anybody.
4
5 I like Miss Easty’s letter. She is a freed woman.
6
7 I hope I shall understand your book: I shall tell you if I don’t. I
8want something new; something before which I can sit like a little
9child & learn: if it puzzles me so much the better.
10
11 It isn’t that I didn’t want to write, - it’s that I can’t.
12I’ve been ill. I can’t bear to talk about it unreadable but the
13spring’ll soon be here now. Tomorrow week I’m going to try a new
14place called South Bourne-on Sea. It’s the point of the Bay; nearly
15touching the needles in the Isle of Wight. Its about two miles from
16Christchurch, do you remember Christchurch? South-Bourne is just a few
17houses out on the point – sand & tufts of rough grass – a wild
18bleak sort of place, Shanklin is a city compared to it. I think there
19are ten Houses.
20
21 Who If you meet Mrs Philpot you will be disappointed, if you meet
22Eleanor you will be delighted. Mrs Philpot is one of the people you
23have go to help. Eleanor would help you ^I think^ as she does me. She is
24like mental champagne. I hope you’ll see each other really when you
25meet. I wish I could be there too. Don’t tell any one about my being
26not well. I hate people to know I’m ill, it cuts one somehow. I
27don’t mind you.
28
29 Will you if it doesn’t bother you send me that New Werther & the
30play you wrote, & tell me how long ago they were written.
31
32 Have you ever thought of going to Egypt? It must be so glorious there.
33Watch the sun rising over the large planes, it’s great clear
34unblinking eye opening slowly! The Egyptians couldn’t help building
35those wonderful temples & carving those wonderful images. Italy must
36be beautiful, but it must be the beauty of your lover whom you love,
37not that other beauty.
38
39 O.S.
40
41 I’ve ?not Do you ever go ^along^ to the British Museum, & just wander
42about not trying to think for study & then

43
Notation
'Your book' that Schreiner hopes she will understand could be one of a number that Pearson was working on at this time. 'New Werther' is the novel Pearson published pseudonymously as Loki: (1880) The New Werther London: Kegan Paul & Co; his play is: (1882) The Trinity: A Nineteenth Century Passion-Play Cambridge: E. Johnson.