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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box3/Fold5/1906/25
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateMonday October 1906
Address FromHotel Milner, Matjesfontein, Western Cape
Address To
Who ToWilliam Philip ('Will') Schreiner
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 month and year have been written on this letter in an unknown hand. The letter is on printed headed notepaper.
1 Hotel Milner,
2 Matjesfontein
3
4 Monday night
5
6 Dear Laddie
7
8 Yes, it was hockey not golf!
9
10 Don’t trouble to return Holyland Cron can get it when he comes down.
11
12 I’ve not got a letter from Cron since Thursday coming to these
13washaways & break downs.
14
15 Of course Will will pass; though he mayn’t do so in honours.
16
17 Have you been reading that story of Eden Philpot’s in the Fortnightly?
18I miss out all his descriptions of scenery (which seem to me tall
19talk) & a great deal of the chat between the country folk; but the
20character of Sarah Jane interests me; there is something personal &
21new about her, she’s not just one of the stereotyped types of fiction;
22I’ve read it all but the two last chapters, but I can see he’s going
23to make it fail at the end. Only the great writer of genius can rise
24to the height of the great moment in tragedy. The second rate writer
25may be quite a good in the beginning of his story, & almost as good
26all through, but when he comes to the great moment, he stops – just
27like the second rate horse who goes splendidly till he comes to the
28high hedge - & then stands stock still. He has worked up the material
29to a tremendous ending, if he knows how to manage it.
30
31 Good night dear Laddie. Think of me sometimes Olive.
32
33 ^Love to all the dear folks, above all the littler mother.^
34
35 ^I hear regularly from Pethick-Lawrence. He writes me that Mrs Lawrence
36has been very ill & had to go to Italy but is returning soon.^
37
38
39
Notation
The Holyland reference cannot be traced. A serialised story by Eden Philpotts, "The Whirlwind", appeared over five issues of the Fortnightly Review during 1906.