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Letter ReferenceSchreiner-Hemming Family BC 1080 A1.7/23
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date16 July 1891
Address From57 Grove Street, Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape
Address To
Who ToHenrietta ('Ettie') Schreiner m. Stakesby Lewis (1891)
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.
1 57 Grove Street
2 July 16 / 91
3
4 My darling sister
5
6 I was so glad to get your letter this morning. Your joy makes me very
7happy. I believe the two years rest will entirely restore you. Try &
8read; it rests one so. Get Ruskins Modern Painters. The small two vol
9new edition, which is practically re-written & much improved.
10
11 I am so happy when all I think of your happiness dear. It seems one of
12the few quite beautiful things, I have to think of just now.
13
14 Seymour Fort has gone for good to Mashona-land. He quarrelled with the
15Lochs about Sir Henry niece with whom her was in love. She is a very
16sweet girl, & very fond of him She has gone to England now. Sh I loved
17her very much.
18
19 Will & all his are very well & flourishing. Dot grows beautiful, & so
20does Baby.
21
22 Maggie is still with them. (Private) She seems very unhappy &
23depressed, & she seems a great tie on Fan too who is very sweet &
24unselfish to her. They haven’t asked her to stay there, but she stays
25on & on. I can see it adds great pressure to Will’s life. I can’t say
26any thing to her, but couldn’t you suggest to her how well it would be
27if she got a situation at some Dutch farm, did something to make
28herself independent. She can’t stay with Emma, she doesn’t get on with
29Earp. I think something you said would be more likely to rouse her. If
30she does marry, she ought to marry at once, or break it off.
31
32 I have seen the dear old Baas & Katie once. I feel much nearer them
33than I used to be. You will They are so much broader.
34
35 I am well physically have had no asthma since I came down. I am have
36been two months in these lodgings & shall perhaps stay two more. I
37can’t tell you much about myself dear. I feel torpid & not able to do
38much. I will send you a little story I have written the Buddhist
39Priests Wife, & an article & another little story. I have not spoken
40to Mr Rhodes for two months except once for an instant. He is I had to
41oppose him on the native flogging bill, but I think that is not really
42the reason. What ever it may be I feel able to take it quietly Nothing
43is ever really taken away from one that one really has a right to;
44however much it may seem so.
45
46 Seymour Fort will be up in Mashona-land for some years. I am anxious
47for him.
48
49^My darling you will understand this letter & not think it cold & hard.
50I have plenty of power to think of & love other people & help them if
51I can, none to express anything. I send you a beautiful letter I got
52from old Lilly this morning.
53
54 Good bye dear. Love to the children. Do you ever go to Ventnor. I
55spent a long terrible winter there. That is why I thought you would
56not like it, I suppose.
57
58 Your little sister
59 Olive^
60
Notation
'The Buddhist Priest's Wife' is in Stories, Dreams and Allegories, while the article mentioned in likely to be the first of those originally published pseudonymously from 1891 on as by 'A Returned South African', intended for publication in book form as 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'. However, although prepared for publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War prevented this. They and some related essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. The 'little story' mentioned cannot be established. The book referred to is: John Ruskin (1885) Modern Painters London: G. Allen.