"That I may finish that book, 'From Man to Man', being of some use, tragedy & bitterness of woman's fate" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold3/1900/50
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date24 September 1900
Address FromHanover, Northern Cape
Address ToRozelen, Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape
Who ToBetty Molteno
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. The name of the addressee and the address this letter was sent to are provided by an attached envelope. The name of the addressee is also indicated by content.
1 Hanover
2 Sep 24 / 00
3
4 I am so glad Miss Greene is a little better. I am sure she ought to
5get away to Caledon for a time. Does she take enough food.
6
7 Cron left Cape Town last night, taking his mother as far as de Aar on
8her way to Hope Town where she is going to visit her daughter, & will
9come on here tomorrow.
10
11 The people here are very nice & kind. A nice old man called Mr De
12Villiers died here this afternoon & I am going to the funeral; & after
13that to a very sweet woman Mrs Du Toits who is lying very ill.
14
15 The people all seem so friendly & kind, except of course the jingoes
16who never call on me or notice me except by staring. It’s better
17than Beaufort because there are not so many. The old man who is to be
18buried this evening is a free-thinker. There are a good many among the
19farmers in this district. Burgers used to be the minister here. Do go
20to Caledon they say its so splendid for asthma ^rheumatism^ We are for
21the present going to go on boarding with this lady, because we can’t
22get any other place, there are no boarding houses here or places to
23stop at except the Hotel.
24
25 Good bye. Isn’t it strange there is absolutely no news of De Wet.
26Did you see Merriman’s remark about Rhodes?
27 Olive
28
29 Cron has done a lot of writing lately, he has earnt more than I have,
30he got £20 for that article of his on the North British He is going
31back to his work at Johannesburg as soon as he can get through. I am
32sure that will not be for some weeks yet. Perhaps months!
33
34 No I don’t need any money. I’ve got plenty to go along with in a
35cheap place like this. I am only sorry I’ve not yet given you the
36dar £200 because I’m sure my darling friend you must be in need of
37it. I could easily get that sum for my little house in Kimberley, I am
38only not selling it now because my nephew says I shall get more for it
39when things are settled.
40
41 Any how its a comfort to me to know you can’t lose it even if I die
42tomorrow. It’s the most strange thing, I cannot write or think. My
43brain absolutely refuses; perhaps it will come right in time, & after
44all I have only been able to lie down for one week, so I must not be
45impatient. But you know how distressing it is to try & work & you
46can’t.
47
48 My body seems rested, but not my mind. I fancy it is ^in^ a greater
49state of suspense than one knows of, about the war. All Mr Fred
50Centlivres relations are up here his mother & sisters. Charming ^people.
51 His mother’s a picture of an old lady.^
52
Notation
Cronwright-Schreiner's article on the 'North British' cannot be established.