"Everything so dark & mysterious, going to be a great European war" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box7/Fold4/Mar-Dec1920/24 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | September 1920 |
| Address From | c/o Standard Bank, Strand Street, 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. The month and year have been written on this letter in an unknown hand. 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.
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1
Address to Standard Bank
2 Strand Street
3 Cape Town
4
5 My darling Betty
6
7 Yesterday Mrs Victor Molteno & Mary called. Little Mary has grown so
8pretty. I think she is the prettiest of all the girls here. Its so
9hard the dear child is so deaf. I am still looking for a room. If you
10had been here you & I could have hired my sister-in-laws little
11cottage, it would only have cost us each 7 £7 a month. She has let it
12now for eight months. Of course you who would go up to Elgin &
13Miller’s Point & Gordon’s Bay would have no difficulty in finding
14rooms – but you might miss the life in Europe.
15
16 The last time I went in the train I met your brother Charly. What a
17dear fellow he is – they are all a beloved family. I wish I could
18see them more often. Little Lucy came to see me the other morning but
19I had gone to look for a room.
20
21 Ursula is expecting her second baby at the end of January. Perhaps Dot
22is not coming down after all. I hope you are keeping strong dear. Cron
23tells me Wynnie is married. Do you see the Indian times? Ruth
24Alexander showed me a page. The people in the great Indian congress
25would not allow her to speak. I am so glad that Ghandi got up & said
26they must hear her, that he disagreed with her as deeply as any one,
27but they were bound to hear all views. That is the only bit of news of
28the outer world Id I’ve heard for a long time.
29
30 Tell me just where your little house is, that I can look at it some
31day if I’m going past in the train. I’m sure you would find it
32much too lonely ever to live there.
33
34 Good bye dear. I’ll add a line if ev I have any more news.
35 Olive
36
37 I’ve not mentioned Alices name to any one since I came here. I have
38never discussed you are or your news with any one. Great is silence.
39
40 The first day I came some one who did not know Margaret, said to
41someone else, "I wonder if its true that young Mrs Murray is going to
42marry her husbands brother." As the remark was not addressed to me I
43needed to say nothing. I tell you this lest you should think I have
44been telling any one anything about Margaret
45
2 Strand Street
3 Cape Town
4
5 My darling Betty
6
7 Yesterday Mrs Victor Molteno & Mary called. Little Mary has grown so
8pretty. I think she is the prettiest of all the girls here. Its so
9hard the dear child is so deaf. I am still looking for a room. If you
10had been here you & I could have hired my sister-in-laws little
11cottage, it would only have cost us each 7 £7 a month. She has let it
12now for eight months. Of course you who would go up to Elgin &
13Miller’s Point & Gordon’s Bay would have no difficulty in finding
14rooms – but you might miss the life in Europe.
15
16 The last time I went in the train I met your brother Charly. What a
17dear fellow he is – they are all a beloved family. I wish I could
18see them more often. Little Lucy came to see me the other morning but
19I had gone to look for a room.
20
21 Ursula is expecting her second baby at the end of January. Perhaps Dot
22is not coming down after all. I hope you are keeping strong dear. Cron
23tells me Wynnie is married. Do you see the Indian times? Ruth
24Alexander showed me a page. The people in the great Indian congress
25would not allow her to speak. I am so glad that Ghandi got up & said
26they must hear her, that he disagreed with her as deeply as any one,
27but they were bound to hear all views. That is the only bit of news of
28the outer world Id I’ve heard for a long time.
29
30 Tell me just where your little house is, that I can look at it some
31day if I’m going past in the train. I’m sure you would find it
32much too lonely ever to live there.
33
34 Good bye dear. I’ll add a line if ev I have any more news.
35 Olive
36
37 I’ve not mentioned Alices name to any one since I came here. I have
38never discussed you are or your news with any one. Great is silence.
39
40 The first day I came some one who did not know Margaret, said to
41someone else, "I wonder if its true that young Mrs Murray is going to
42marry her husbands brother." As the remark was not addressed to me I
43needed to say nothing. I tell you this lest you should think I have
44been telling any one anything about Margaret
45