"City of dreadful night; cut throats, don't mention political news" Read the full letter
Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold3/1914/86 |
Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Friday 11 December 1914 |
Address From | Kensington Palace Mansions, De Vere Gardens, 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 at Kensington Palace Mansions from late October 1914 to late July 1915.
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1
Friday
2
3 My dear Laddie
4
5 If you’ve done with that book of Norman Angels "Patriotism under two
6flags" return it to me some time. I long to see thy old face but know
7how busy you are.
8
9 Had a nice little note from our Dot. I am anxious about our Bill. Hope
10he doesn’t go to German West. My dear friend Haldane Murray is there.
11
12 I think that heart treatment is doing me wonderful good. My lungs also
13seem so much relieved by it. If only I could get well enough just to
14revise my Stray Thoughts, & get them published & I might earn
15something & feel I was some good in the world & not just a drone how
16splendid it would be. I have great hope of this treatment. I met a
17Cape girl the other day who said you she was at your dinner & you were
18the handsomest man in the room, & made the finest speech, & she was
19bursting with pride over the South African! Of course I thought she
20was a nice girl!!!!
21
22 I hope all goes well with our children here. I was so well this
23afternoon I went to Gandhi’s goodbye gathering at the Westminster
24Hotel. To my surprise they asked me to speak. I stood up & said ten or
25twelve words, but the wonderful thing is, it didn’t tell on me at
26all; I had none of that awful fluttering & faintness I always have
27when I try to speak in public, & don’t feel ill at all tonight. That
28shows how strong my heart has got. You must try it if it really helps
29me.
30
31 "Alles ten besten", dear old man
32 Olive
33
34 Did I tell you my darling Adela has consumption. No one is to see her
35for two months. She is to rest completely.
36
37 I wonder if you saw Bernard Shaws splendid article in this week’s
38^"New^ Statesman"? "The old Lion" its called.
39
40
41
2
3 My dear Laddie
4
5 If you’ve done with that book of Norman Angels "Patriotism under two
6flags" return it to me some time. I long to see thy old face but know
7how busy you are.
8
9 Had a nice little note from our Dot. I am anxious about our Bill. Hope
10he doesn’t go to German West. My dear friend Haldane Murray is there.
11
12 I think that heart treatment is doing me wonderful good. My lungs also
13seem so much relieved by it. If only I could get well enough just to
14revise my Stray Thoughts, & get them published & I might earn
15something & feel I was some good in the world & not just a drone how
16splendid it would be. I have great hope of this treatment. I met a
17Cape girl the other day who said you she was at your dinner & you were
18the handsomest man in the room, & made the finest speech, & she was
19bursting with pride over the South African! Of course I thought she
20was a nice girl!!!!
21
22 I hope all goes well with our children here. I was so well this
23afternoon I went to Gandhi’s goodbye gathering at the Westminster
24Hotel. To my surprise they asked me to speak. I stood up & said ten or
25twelve words, but the wonderful thing is, it didn’t tell on me at
26all; I had none of that awful fluttering & faintness I always have
27when I try to speak in public, & don’t feel ill at all tonight. That
28shows how strong my heart has got. You must try it if it really helps
29me.
30
31 "Alles ten besten", dear old man
32 Olive
33
34 Did I tell you my darling Adela has consumption. No one is to see her
35for two months. She is to rest completely.
36
37 I wonder if you saw Bernard Shaws splendid article in this week’s
38^"New^ Statesman"? "The old Lion" its called.
39
40
41
Notation
The book and article referred to are: Norman Angell (1903) Patriotism Under Three Flags London: T. Fisher Unwin; George Bernard Shaw (1914) 'The last spring of the old lion' New Statesman 12 December 1914.
The book and article referred to are: Norman Angell (1903) Patriotism Under Three Flags London: T. Fisher Unwin; George Bernard Shaw (1914) 'The last spring of the old lion' New Statesman 12 December 1914.