"Your astonishing letter, family duties, will never mention Katie's name as long as I live" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold1/1912/4
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateFriday 20 January 1912
Address FromMilnerton, Blaauwberg, Western Cape
Address To
Who ToWilliam Philip ('Will') Schreiner
Other Versions
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to Manuscripts and Archives, University of Cape Town, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscripts and Archives Collections. The date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
1Milnerton
2Friday night
3
4 Dear old Man
5
6 I went twice to your chambers before I left Jessie Innes, but you were
7out both times. I’ve been very ill since I was here & am going in
8tomorrow to try & look for a room. Perhaps Effie Brown could let me
9her spare room. I am going out to see it tomorrow. It would be a help
10to them as they are struggling very hard. If that wont do I shall go
11to Sea Point – but every place is so full up now.
12
13 I saw Alsie yesterday & she says Ettie is growing weaker & weaker. If
14Theo tells you what he thinks of her condition please let me know just
15a line. I know you’ve no time for writing. Oh laddie it hard not to
16be able to work when I think of how much I could do for others, not
17only for myself if I could finish some of my work. A stab goes through
18my heart whenever I look at my great portmanteau of unfinished work.
19Take care of yourself dear, take care! Its not sudden death we have to
20fear, thats beautiful – its the many years of struggling to work
21when the power is gone, to feel you are no more of any use in the
22world.
23
24 Good bye dear.
25 Your little sister
26 Olive
27
28 The Innes were so sweet & kind to me. Everyone has been so good to me
29since I came down. What a dear old fellow Innes is.
30
31
32
Notation
The work that Schreiner wants to finish is probably From Man to Man.