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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box1/Fold3/1896/4
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date16 January 1896
Address FromMiddelburg, Eastern Cape
Address To
Who ToJessie Rose Innes nee Dods Pringle
Other VersionsRive 1987: 263-4
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 has misdated the year this letter was written in, which is clearly 1896.
1 Middelburg
2 Jan 16 / 95
3
4 I got your letter today, dear, & was so glad of its news. No
5progressive party has been possible in this country because
6progressive men would not follow Mr Sauer. If Mr Innes is going to
7stand alone he will surely gather a small but strong party about him.
8What you told me on this head is the best news I have had for a long
9time. My feelings are a curious mixture intense personal pity for
10Rhodes & joy that the power of the Chartered Company is broken. Give
11my love to Mr Innes & tell him there are many of us who will stand by
12him with head & heart, & pen, & word if he is standing on his own
13ground alone. We shall be here for at least another month. If we could
14afford it we would run down to Cape Town for a week. But Cron has his
15mother & sister to support, & we can’t spend any money needlessly.
16It would be very good to see you.
17
18 Olive
19
20^I don’t think Mr Innes will find his public life such a terrible
21strain physically or mentally if he were standing on his own ground &
22followed by his own loyal friends. ^
23
24 Olive
25
26 Do write & give me any news you can. I need not tell you that your
27letters & their news are for no one but myself & Cron.
28
29
30
Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter omits part of it.