"Johannesburg, fiendish hell, veld all round" Read the full letter
Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box7/Fold2/Aug-Dec1919/14 |
Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | October 1919 |
Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
Address To | |
Who To | Betty Molteno |
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 month and year have been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident at Porchester Place from early April 1917 until August 1920, when she left Britain for South Africa.
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1Betty darling,
2
3Tell Alice she mustn’t think of answering my letter. I know just how
4she loves me, & you give me her news every day.
5
6Lucy came to say goodbye this afternoon. Mrs Molteno has come up, but
7Lady Molteno is going to see her off tomorrow. I would go but she
8starts so early & I am less & less able to go out in this weather. We
9have a dense fog on today. It seems Lucy had a quarrel with ?Jervise
10– I don’t know what about – but she said he insulted her & he
11wasn’t a gentleman. I should think he was a quite easy person to get
12on with but of course I don’t know him: I do hope she’ll get on at
13a Cape. She’s going through a difficult phase. This is for yourself
14alone.
15
16I enclose you another of dear Anna’s letters to Cron. She & I & Dr
17Purcell & Cron have always shared just the same views about life &
18death. She had the English funeral service read at his grave because
19that gave an opportunity to all those who had loved him to come to his
20funeral. I think the English service is so much finer than any of the
21others.
22
23I get to love dear little Edna more & more. Oliver has just won a
24legal scholarship at the Temple, which means £100 for three years,
25which will be a great help to them as money is not plentiful. Edna is
26so sweet & economical. Oliver never told us he was going in for the
27exam – just like him. He has a wonderful intellect & is so sweet &
28tender to Edna - & to every one just like my old father.
29
30Good bye my old darling darling. I hope walks in sight of the sea you
31love so help you
32Olive
33
2
3Tell Alice she mustn’t think of answering my letter. I know just how
4she loves me, & you give me her news every day.
5
6Lucy came to say goodbye this afternoon. Mrs Molteno has come up, but
7Lady Molteno is going to see her off tomorrow. I would go but she
8starts so early & I am less & less able to go out in this weather. We
9have a dense fog on today. It seems Lucy had a quarrel with ?Jervise
10– I don’t know what about – but she said he insulted her & he
11wasn’t a gentleman. I should think he was a quite easy person to get
12on with but of course I don’t know him: I do hope she’ll get on at
13a Cape. She’s going through a difficult phase. This is for yourself
14alone.
15
16I enclose you another of dear Anna’s letters to Cron. She & I & Dr
17Purcell & Cron have always shared just the same views about life &
18death. She had the English funeral service read at his grave because
19that gave an opportunity to all those who had loved him to come to his
20funeral. I think the English service is so much finer than any of the
21others.
22
23I get to love dear little Edna more & more. Oliver has just won a
24legal scholarship at the Temple, which means £100 for three years,
25which will be a great help to them as money is not plentiful. Edna is
26so sweet & economical. Oliver never told us he was going in for the
27exam – just like him. He has a wonderful intellect & is so sweet &
28tender to Edna - & to every one just like my old father.
29
30Good bye my old darling darling. I hope walks in sight of the sea you
31love so help you
32Olive
33