"Olive Schreiner's birth certificate" Read the full letter
Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box1/Fold5/1898/22 |
Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 1 September 1898 |
Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Betty Molteno |
Other Versions | Rive 1987: 335-6 |
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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. The name of the addressee is indicated by salutation and content. Schreiner was resident in Kimberley from early August 1894 to November 1898.
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1
Dear Friend
2
3 I saw Dick Solomon last night, & he tells me your brother has failed
4in Tembu-land. It was a terrible blow to us all. We none of us
5expected it. Cron & Solomon however seem to keep up their spirits
6better under it than I do. I mean it seems to have shaken my faith in
7the native vote. Where there is still a heavy pure Dutch constituence
8we are still all right. For some reason to me quite unknown Rhodes
9seems to have a peculiar hatred for your brother & Jones, & he has
10kept them both out. Oh if dear old Innes would even now, openly leave
11the Rhodes Sivewright Sprig party openly & forever.
12
13 The doctor says I must go to "?Gower Bury" ^(I think that’s the name^
14near Port Elizabeth. Can you tell me 1) Whether the hotel is open
15still, since ?Beastons died. 2) what terms are. 3) Whether if I if I
16write they will be sure to send the cart for me. 4) Whether there are
17somes rooms larger & more airy than others which I could order. What
18you think of the place? I suppose you wouldn’t come up or Miss Green
19for a couple of days if I were there? I feel I need I need as much to
20see people I love as get sea air. Perhaps the best thing would be to
21come to Port Elizabeth first & then go up. Is it far from Port
22Elizabeth.
23
24 Olive
25
26 ^I know you’ll forgive my troubling you.^
27
28
29
2
3 I saw Dick Solomon last night, & he tells me your brother has failed
4in Tembu-land. It was a terrible blow to us all. We none of us
5expected it. Cron & Solomon however seem to keep up their spirits
6better under it than I do. I mean it seems to have shaken my faith in
7the native vote. Where there is still a heavy pure Dutch constituence
8we are still all right. For some reason to me quite unknown Rhodes
9seems to have a peculiar hatred for your brother & Jones, & he has
10kept them both out. Oh if dear old Innes would even now, openly leave
11the Rhodes Sivewright Sprig party openly & forever.
12
13 The doctor says I must go to "?Gower Bury" ^(I think that’s the name^
14near Port Elizabeth. Can you tell me 1) Whether the hotel is open
15still, since ?Beastons died. 2) what terms are. 3) Whether if I if I
16write they will be sure to send the cart for me. 4) Whether there are
17somes rooms larger & more airy than others which I could order. What
18you think of the place? I suppose you wouldn’t come up or Miss Green
19for a couple of days if I were there? I feel I need I need as much to
20see people I love as get sea air. Perhaps the best thing would be to
21come to Port Elizabeth first & then go up. Is it far from Port
22Elizabeth.
23
24 Olive
25
26 ^I know you’ll forgive my troubling you.^
27
28
29
Notation
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.