"Great pleasure to meet you, hope sincere friendship may follow" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box 12/Fold1/Undated/12 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | April 1898 |
| Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Mary Brown nee Solomon |
| 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 and the name of the addressee of this letter have been written on in an unknown hand, with ‘Mrs Brown’ written by Schreiner on the side of paper and visible when folded. Schreiner was resident at The Homestead, Kimberley, from mid 1894 to late 1898.
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1^Mrs Brown^
2
3My own dear Friend
4
5When I am awake with the asthma at night I am always thinking of you.
6I hope none of the letters you have got from the Cape have caused you
7pain Oh I never can understand why you two should have been caused to
8taste this bitter cup.
9
10It would be almost a comfort to me if I could feel “Well, they may
11perhaps need all this anguish to make them think a little of others,
12” but for you ^two^ whose whole lives have been devoted to others,
13whose sympathies are already so wide & tender; I cannot reconcile all
14this suffering with any necessity.
15
16Good bye my dear beautiful old friend
17Olive
18
2
3My own dear Friend
4
5When I am awake with the asthma at night I am always thinking of you.
6I hope none of the letters you have got from the Cape have caused you
7pain Oh I never can understand why you two should have been caused to
8taste this bitter cup.
9
10It would be almost a comfort to me if I could feel “Well, they may
11perhaps need all this anguish to make them think a little of others,
12” but for you ^two^ whose whole lives have been devoted to others,
13whose sympathies are already so wide & tender; I cannot reconcile all
14this suffering with any necessity.
15
16Good bye my dear beautiful old friend
17Olive
18