"Half-dead but into action" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold2/July-Dec1899/4 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Tuesday 11 July 1899 |
| Address From | Johannesburg, Transvaal |
| Address To | Lyndall, Newlands, Cape Town, Western Cape |
| Who To | William Philip ('Will') Schreiner |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 368-9 |
| 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 of this letter has been derived from the postmark on an attached envelope, which also provides the address it was sent to. Schreiner was resident in Berea, Johannesburg, from December 1898 until late August 1899. 'Personal' is written on the front of the envelope, and the final insertion is on its back.
|
1
Tuesday
2
3 Dear Laddie
4
5 Yesterday the news was about the town that Milner had disch damned you
6all, & sent for Innes. I believe of course it is only a Johannesburg
7lie; but for a time it quite collapsed me though I didn’t believe it.
8
9 I saw dear old Hofmeyr for a moment. It went to my heart to see him so
10broken in health. He has at least done all he can for Africa. I cannot
11help feeling that we now have right so completely on our side that
12nothing that comes can hurt us much. If I could afford it I would go
13over to Pretoria again to see how things are going there. I wrote a
14few weeks a lo ago a long letter to John Morley. If I receive his
15answer this week, I will send it you.
16
17 Olive
18
19 If war breaks out we ^you^ must send home a deputation of women to see
20the Queen & hold meetings ^in London^. My friend Miss Greene, Miss
21Molteno’s partner would be a very good one to send she is pure
22English, has been only 9 years in Africa, her brother is very high in
23the Admiralty service; & such women would be listened to where
24Africanders would not. She feels almost more strongly than we do.
25
26 Whatever happens the future is with us, though we personally may not
27live to see it. If you meet Miss Molteno ask her to tell you about the
28man in the train who cursed & swore at us as Africanders. It will show
29you how mad feeling is here. I have received a number of anonymous
30letters, some threatening. I wrote a letter of 16 sheets to Milner
31yesterday, but have not sent it not knowing ^enough where he stands. If
32in writing or wiring to me you mention Milner call him Smith.^
33
34 ^Tell Fan she hasn’t sent me the photograph of the house^
35
2
3 Dear Laddie
4
5 Yesterday the news was about the town that Milner had disch damned you
6all, & sent for Innes. I believe of course it is only a Johannesburg
7lie; but for a time it quite collapsed me though I didn’t believe it.
8
9 I saw dear old Hofmeyr for a moment. It went to my heart to see him so
10broken in health. He has at least done all he can for Africa. I cannot
11help feeling that we now have right so completely on our side that
12nothing that comes can hurt us much. If I could afford it I would go
13over to Pretoria again to see how things are going there. I wrote a
14few weeks a lo ago a long letter to John Morley. If I receive his
15answer this week, I will send it you.
16
17 Olive
18
19 If war breaks out we ^you^ must send home a deputation of women to see
20the Queen & hold meetings ^in London^. My friend Miss Greene, Miss
21Molteno’s partner would be a very good one to send she is pure
22English, has been only 9 years in Africa, her brother is very high in
23the Admiralty service; & such women would be listened to where
24Africanders would not. She feels almost more strongly than we do.
25
26 Whatever happens the future is with us, though we personally may not
27live to see it. If you meet Miss Molteno ask her to tell you about the
28man in the train who cursed & swore at us as Africanders. It will show
29you how mad feeling is here. I have received a number of anonymous
30letters, some threatening. I wrote a letter of 16 sheets to Milner
31yesterday, but have not sent it not knowing ^enough where he stands. If
32in writing or wiring to me you mention Milner call him Smith.^
33
34 ^Tell Fan she hasn’t sent me the photograph of the house^
35
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.