"Du Bois, great desolating native war" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box7/Fold4/Mar-Dec1920/21 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 15 September 1920 |
| Address From | Plumstead, Cape Town, Western Cape |
| 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. Schreiner stayed with her niece Ursula Scott, her sister-in-law Fan Schreiner, and her friend Lucy Molteno, in Cape Town after her arrival from Britain on 30 August 1920, moving to a boarding-house in Wynberg in late October 1920, where she was resident until her death on 11 December 1920.
|
1
Plumstead
2 but address c/o Standard Bank
3 Strand St
4 Cape Town
5 Sep 15th 1920
6
7 My darling Betty
8
9 I was not able to write last week I have seen none of your people
10since the day after soon after I came when Lucy & the girls came to
11see me. Dear Lucy wrote & asked me to come & visit them, but I can’t
12go anywhere till I have found quarters for some kind. I have addr
13advertised in the papers for a room in Tamboers Kloof &c but got no
14replys. Tomorrow I am going to go & try to find a boarding house at
15Sea Point. I don’t like boarding houses or Sea Point "but there
16seems to be more chance there than anywhere else.
17
18 Edna Oliver’s wife has got appendicitis: she has gone to the Monte
19Rosa nursing home & was operated on there today. All has gone well so
20far. Poor Oliver looks awfully bad. The baby & nurse & he will be
21staying on at my sister-in-laws for some time & then she is leaving
22for the sea side on the first of Oct November so I could only
23spend a few days with her at most.
24
25 I wonder so what you are doing, if you have been again to Cornwall if
26you has seen our beautiful Margaret. I long for next Mondays post. You
27said you were going to see Barkly before he sailed. Where is he going
28to? It your brother Percy coming out with the others? You could quit
29much more easily find rooms here, because you could walk, but I have
30to be close to the tram or train, as I cant can walk much less here
31than in England It has rained & rained without ending – but it must
32surely be over now. It is colder here than in England at this time of
33the year.
34
35 I have seen Anna Purcell a couple of times. It is a joy to see her
36dear face, but it looks sad & aged. Perhaps if if I find a nice place
37to stay in you might like to come & find rooms there too. I do long to
38see you, Betty. Love to dear Mrs Murray if you are near her & to Mrs
39Molteno. Freddy & May were very wise not to come out till October. I
40am regretting now I did not by buy myself a warm cloak &c in England.
41Food is much much cheaper & very good here Bana’s 20 for 1/- fine
42oranges also; but clothes are fabulous.
43
44^Good bye dear one. ^
45 Yours ever
46 Olive
47
2 but address c/o Standard Bank
3 Strand St
4 Cape Town
5 Sep 15th 1920
6
7 My darling Betty
8
9 I was not able to write last week I have seen none of your people
10since the day after soon after I came when Lucy & the girls came to
11see me. Dear Lucy wrote & asked me to come & visit them, but I can’t
12go anywhere till I have found quarters for some kind. I have addr
13advertised in the papers for a room in Tamboers Kloof &c but got no
14replys. Tomorrow I am going to go & try to find a boarding house at
15Sea Point. I don’t like boarding houses or Sea Point "but there
16seems to be more chance there than anywhere else.
17
18 Edna Oliver’s wife has got appendicitis: she has gone to the Monte
19Rosa nursing home & was operated on there today. All has gone well so
20far. Poor Oliver looks awfully bad. The baby & nurse & he will be
21staying on at my sister-in-laws for some time & then she is leaving
22for the sea side on the first of Oct November so I could only
23spend a few days with her at most.
24
25 I wonder so what you are doing, if you have been again to Cornwall if
26you has seen our beautiful Margaret. I long for next Mondays post. You
27said you were going to see Barkly before he sailed. Where is he going
28to? It your brother Percy coming out with the others? You could quit
29much more easily find rooms here, because you could walk, but I have
30to be close to the tram or train, as I cant can walk much less here
31than in England It has rained & rained without ending – but it must
32surely be over now. It is colder here than in England at this time of
33the year.
34
35 I have seen Anna Purcell a couple of times. It is a joy to see her
36dear face, but it looks sad & aged. Perhaps if if I find a nice place
37to stay in you might like to come & find rooms there too. I do long to
38see you, Betty. Love to dear Mrs Murray if you are near her & to Mrs
39Molteno. Freddy & May were very wise not to come out till October. I
40am regretting now I did not by buy myself a warm cloak &c in England.
41Food is much much cheaper & very good here Bana’s 20 for 1/- fine
42oranges also; but clothes are fabulous.
43
44^Good bye dear one. ^
45 Yours ever
46 Olive
47