"The prostitute friend, new friendship between man & woman" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold3/1900/71 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Monday 17 December 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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. The name of the addressee is indicated by salutation and content.
|
1
Hanover
2 Dec Satur Monday the ?17th
3
4 Dear Friend
5
6 I was so glad to get your letter today. I hope the Montague Baths will
7do Miss Greene real good. It will be a splendid thing when the summer
8is over & the cool weather comes again.
9
10 Some of Cron’s great friends the Rowntrees (great pro-Boers) are
11coming out this week to see what the condition of affairs here really
12is, & what can be done to help the Boers. They arrive in Cape Town
13tomorrow. I have not yet heard if Cron has got into a lawyers office
14in Cape Town. If he does he will have to live there permanently. I
15think if we knew the truth the Republicans are doing well. All is very
16dark here.
17
18 I can’t work at present & so the time passes slowly but my little
19Neta is a great comfort to me she lies on the bed by me all day. There
20is always some ray of light somewhere.
21
22 Give my love to Mrs Cartwright I hope she is better. It was some how
23such an unsatisfactory peep ^at you in Worcester. If only that little
24boy had not told you we were gone out we might have walked down to the
25meeting together.^ Some how it did not have the same impression on me
26as the Graaff Reinet meeting, but perhaps I was feeling too ill really
27to enter into it. And the Boven-landers never touch me as the
28Midlanders & the Transvaalers do. Oh I love the old sort of Boer,
29there is some kind of curious sympathy between me & them. If the
30Rowntrees come up here I am going to take them to Middelburg to see
31some of the dear old Doppers there if I am well enough.
32
33 Good bye dear. My love to both of you.
34 Olive
35
36 I often think if you ever thought of starting a school again. Here
37there is such a fine opening when all is settled again. But that may
38not be for years. I am so sorry I missed seeing Mrs Murray when she
39called.
40
41 There was a lovely description of our meeting in the South ^African^
42Review with illustrations. Fa My old dress & hat four years old were
43described as the latest store of Adderley Street ^& every thing else
44was about as true. You know I feel sure a reaction is going to set in
45in England.^
46
2 Dec Satur Monday the ?17th
3
4 Dear Friend
5
6 I was so glad to get your letter today. I hope the Montague Baths will
7do Miss Greene real good. It will be a splendid thing when the summer
8is over & the cool weather comes again.
9
10 Some of Cron’s great friends the Rowntrees (great pro-Boers) are
11coming out this week to see what the condition of affairs here really
12is, & what can be done to help the Boers. They arrive in Cape Town
13tomorrow. I have not yet heard if Cron has got into a lawyers office
14in Cape Town. If he does he will have to live there permanently. I
15think if we knew the truth the Republicans are doing well. All is very
16dark here.
17
18 I can’t work at present & so the time passes slowly but my little
19Neta is a great comfort to me she lies on the bed by me all day. There
20is always some ray of light somewhere.
21
22 Give my love to Mrs Cartwright I hope she is better. It was some how
23such an unsatisfactory peep ^at you in Worcester. If only that little
24boy had not told you we were gone out we might have walked down to the
25meeting together.^ Some how it did not have the same impression on me
26as the Graaff Reinet meeting, but perhaps I was feeling too ill really
27to enter into it. And the Boven-landers never touch me as the
28Midlanders & the Transvaalers do. Oh I love the old sort of Boer,
29there is some kind of curious sympathy between me & them. If the
30Rowntrees come up here I am going to take them to Middelburg to see
31some of the dear old Doppers there if I am well enough.
32
33 Good bye dear. My love to both of you.
34 Olive
35
36 I often think if you ever thought of starting a school again. Here
37there is such a fine opening when all is settled again. But that may
38not be for years. I am so sorry I missed seeing Mrs Murray when she
39called.
40
41 There was a lovely description of our meeting in the South ^African^
42Review with illustrations. Fa My old dress & hat four years old were
43described as the latest store of Adderley Street ^& every thing else
44was about as true. You know I feel sure a reaction is going to set in
45in England.^
46
Notation
The meeting referred to is one of the peace congressed. 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).
The meeting referred to is one of the peace congressed. 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).