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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box7/Fold3/Jan-Feb1920/2
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateSunday 4 January 1920
Address From9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London
Address To
Who ToFrances (‘Fan’) Schreiner nee Reitz
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. Schreiner was resident at Porchester Place from early April 1917 until August 1920, when she left Britain for South Africa.
1 Jan 4th 1920
2
3 Sunday night
4
5 It’s just twelve o’clock but as I can’t sleep I may as well
6write. Oh we are having such weather, dear, rain & rain & fog & cold
7– all mixed up.
8
9 Lady Loch wrote to ask me to go to dinner today – but I couldn’t
10
11 I haven’t seen Edna since I last wrote, but I’ve seen Ol for a few
12minutes; he came in here to dress as he was going to dinner just round
13the corner. He is getting so handsome. Being stouter suits him so.
14Something of the old light seems to have come back into his eyes. Edna
15was looking very well & sweet when last I saw her a week ago. I am so
16glad her sister is coming to her.
17
18 Tell me a little about Ursies baby. Has he any teeth yet?
19
20 Have you seen anything of Nasie since you got out out!
21
22 Cron tells me he wrote a letter to welcome you as soon as he heard you
23were coming but he has never heard from you. Did you ever get it. I
24think he is staying in Jo burg now with his brother, but a letter
25addressed to de Aar will always find him.
26
27 I think little Wynnie Barnes engagement has not gone well. She looks
28so sad, & I never see the young man here any more. I wish I was a rich
29woman, I’d like to have Wynnie to live with me as a sort of
30companion.
31
32 The food here is getting rapidly worse. It has never been like this
33before – every thing has risen – even the evening newspaper rose a
34penny from to-day Solly Joel of Johannesburg fame has bought all the
35omnibuses & the underground railway, & all the fairs are to be doubled.
36 There will be a revolution if they go on like this, people can’t
37stand it. Fortunately I don’t want much to eat now – perhaps if
38the food was better I would. All the rich people are crowding at away
39to the Riviera & south of France. I wish you could once of seen it:
40its the most beautiful country on earth – with the most lovely
41climate If I could have gone there every winter I should never have
42got into the condition in which I am. I haven’t seen any one to
43speak to except Oliver, & haven’t any news.
44
45 Tell me how Anna Purcell is if you see her.
46
47 I do hope you are not so terribly thin & frail as you were here, my
48darling sister. The good food & sunshine ought to strengthen you. Cron
49will be coming to Cape Town later.
50
51 Good bye. I’ll try going to bed now. I’m hoping for the Cape post
52soon.
53 Olive
54
55 Miss Molteno is still with Miss Greene who gets worse &
56
57 ^worse.^
58
59 ^Love to Bill^
60