"The baby's holy little life" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold3/1900/60 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 17 October 1900 |
| Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Betty Molteno |
| Other Versions | |
| 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 name of the addressee is indicated by salutation and content.
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1
Oct 17 / 00
2
3 Dear Friend
4
5 I went to see Mrs de Villiers last night. She said she would be very
6glad to see you for a few days as guests, but evidently doesn’t want
7to take boarders. They charge £9 a month here at the hotel or £16
8for two sharing the same room. I believe its a clean, nice place. I am
9going there this afternoon to see if they have rooms, & will write
10tomorrow. I can’t get a room anywhere else in town. If Mrs Johnson
11gives us notice we shall have to leave & go to a farm in the Richmond
12district. I am so go glad Miss Greene is a little better. Did you
13notice that Rhodes attacked Merriman & others but not Sauer. I believe
14the
15
16^Republics will yet keep their independence. I wish you were here. ^
17
18 Olive
19
20 Tuesday
21
22 I went to see Mrs de Villiers yesterday afternoon to see if I
23couldn’t arrange about her taking you as boarders, but she was out.
24I’m going this evening. Cron & I are both looking forward so much to
25your coming. This air is not a bit like the air at Beaufort West.
26
27^Tell me what you & Miss Green think of my Somerset letter. I wish I
28had time to write more to the papers but I am revising Stray Thoughts.^
29
30Olive
31
2
3 Dear Friend
4
5 I went to see Mrs de Villiers last night. She said she would be very
6glad to see you for a few days as guests, but evidently doesn’t want
7to take boarders. They charge £9 a month here at the hotel or £16
8for two sharing the same room. I believe its a clean, nice place. I am
9going there this afternoon to see if they have rooms, & will write
10tomorrow. I can’t get a room anywhere else in town. If Mrs Johnson
11gives us notice we shall have to leave & go to a farm in the Richmond
12district. I am so go glad Miss Greene is a little better. Did you
13notice that Rhodes attacked Merriman & others but not Sauer. I believe
14the
15
16^Republics will yet keep their independence. I wish you were here. ^
17
18 Olive
19
20 Tuesday
21
22 I went to see Mrs de Villiers yesterday afternoon to see if I
23couldn’t arrange about her taking you as boarders, but she was out.
24I’m going this evening. Cron & I are both looking forward so much to
25your coming. This air is not a bit like the air at Beaufort West.
26
27^Tell me what you & Miss Green think of my Somerset letter. I wish I
28had time to write more to the papers but I am revising Stray Thoughts.^
29
30Olive
31
Notation
Between Schreiner's first sign off and 'Tuesday' is a note from Mrs de Villers:
'Dear Mrs Schreiner,
I am so sorry I missed you yesterday afternoon. I went for a short drive with Mr & Mrs ?Vyimpeany, and it has done me so much good. I had a nice night's rest, if you are out I will be so pleased to see you should you walk our way. What is the name of the place where Miss M. and Miss G are staying. I have no idea when or whether they will come, I can quite make out her letter. I hope both you & Mr Schreiner are keeping well. Will be so pleased to see you again also Mr S.
With love, Yours sincerely,
E de Villers'.
Regarding her 'Somerset letter' comment, Schreiner sent written addresses to some of the Volkskongresses and peace congresses and she spoke at others, as follows: Graaff-Reinet Volkskongres, April 1900 (spoke); Cape Town women's meeting, June 1900 (spoke); Somerset East peace congress, October 1900 (a letter of address); Paarl, November 1900 peace congress (a letter of address); Worcester Volkskongres, December 1900 (spoke).
'Stray Thoughts’ refers to Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays. These were originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa.
Between Schreiner's first sign off and 'Tuesday' is a note from Mrs de Villers:
'Dear Mrs Schreiner,
I am so sorry I missed you yesterday afternoon. I went for a short drive with Mr & Mrs ?Vyimpeany, and it has done me so much good. I had a nice night's rest, if you are out I will be so pleased to see you should you walk our way. What is the name of the place where Miss M. and Miss G are staying. I have no idea when or whether they will come, I can quite make out her letter. I hope both you & Mr Schreiner are keeping well. Will be so pleased to see you again also Mr S.
With love, Yours sincerely,
E de Villers'.
Regarding her 'Somerset letter' comment, Schreiner sent written addresses to some of the Volkskongresses and peace congresses and she spoke at others, as follows: Graaff-Reinet Volkskongres, April 1900 (spoke); Cape Town women's meeting, June 1900 (spoke); Somerset East peace congress, October 1900 (a letter of address); Paarl, November 1900 peace congress (a letter of address); Worcester Volkskongres, December 1900 (spoke).
'Stray Thoughts’ refers to Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays. These were originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa.