"Spencer's First Principles, key books, we who have never been to school starved, you overfed" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold3/1914/57 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Friday 4 September 1914 |
| Address From | 30 St Mary Abbotts Terrace, Kensington, London |
| Address To | |
| Who To | William Philip ('Will') Schreiner |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please 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. Schreiner was resident in St Mary Abbotts Terrace for some weeks during August and September 1914.
|
1Friday
2
3Dear Laddie
4
5I am glad of your note. I don’t know how Merriman knows the
6parliament is to be called.
7
8If the reports are true & the English want the Cape to attack Germany
9on the land side – It is not very many hours from the Preska railway
10station to the Station German boarder – they may feel they must call
11Parliament to decide All my hope is in the sanity of Jan Smuts & Botha,
12 but if they are in a difficult political position they may feel war
13would draw all ^Dutch^ Africanders together – but I think that they
14must realize that one day they may need those very Germans whom they
15slay now to help them against Japan. Ghandi & Callenback came to see
16me & yesterday I went to see them & Mrs Ghandi. They came over third
17class & will be here for two months. It was a great comfort to me to
18see them.
19
20I shall stay on here till I can find quieter rooms. I am better since
21I am boarding myself, I do no cooking live on beaten up egg & milk, &
22bread & cheese, & am feeling stronger. Don’t feel anxious about me,
23dear. I’m all right
24
25I have no news of the Brackenburys Except ^the^ Ghandi ^party^ & Merriman
26I’ve not seen or spoken to any one for days so have no news but the
27paper lies.
28
29I am going to advertise for a quiet room where I can sit & write.
30
31I don’t think England & English men & women need fear they will in
32the end make much money out of this war. Certain classes, the smaller
33people may be ruined for a time, but the big folks will in the long
34run gain. I’ll tell you if I move.
35
36Good bye dear
37Olive
38
2
3Dear Laddie
4
5I am glad of your note. I don’t know how Merriman knows the
6parliament is to be called.
7
8If the reports are true & the English want the Cape to attack Germany
9on the land side – It is not very many hours from the Preska railway
10station to the Station German boarder – they may feel they must call
11Parliament to decide All my hope is in the sanity of Jan Smuts & Botha,
12 but if they are in a difficult political position they may feel war
13would draw all ^Dutch^ Africanders together – but I think that they
14must realize that one day they may need those very Germans whom they
15slay now to help them against Japan. Ghandi & Callenback came to see
16me & yesterday I went to see them & Mrs Ghandi. They came over third
17class & will be here for two months. It was a great comfort to me to
18see them.
19
20I shall stay on here till I can find quieter rooms. I am better since
21I am boarding myself, I do no cooking live on beaten up egg & milk, &
22bread & cheese, & am feeling stronger. Don’t feel anxious about me,
23dear. I’m all right
24
25I have no news of the Brackenburys Except ^the^ Ghandi ^party^ & Merriman
26I’ve not seen or spoken to any one for days so have no news but the
27paper lies.
28
29I am going to advertise for a quiet room where I can sit & write.
30
31I don’t think England & English men & women need fear they will in
32the end make much money out of this war. Certain classes, the smaller
33people may be ruined for a time, but the big folks will in the long
34run gain. I’ll tell you if I move.
35
36Good bye dear
37Olive
38