"Plan for 'woman book'" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Mary Gladstone (Mrs Drew) Add. 46244, ff.195-197 |
| Archive | British Library, Department of Manuscripts, London |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | After Start: 1 June 1915 ; Before End: 15 June 1915 |
| Address From | Kensington Palace Mansions, De Vere Gardens, Kensington, London |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Mary Drew nee Gladstone (m. 1886) |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the British Library for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Special Collections. The date of the letter has been written on in an unknown hand. The letter is on embossed headed notepaper.
|
1
Kensingston Palace Mansions & Hotel
2 De Vere Gardens
3 London
4 Telephone: 3675 Kensingston. Telegram: Apartment, London
5
6 Dear Mrs Drew
7
8 I've read your little notice of your mother. It's quite charming &
9leaves a very distinct picture of her. That little story about the
10woman she met in the 3rd class carriage is good - but it was much
11better when you told it the other night - it's not perhaps easy to
12make things a vivid in writing as in telling!
13
14 I can't remember if I ever told you about my first meeting with your
15father, & how wonderful he was? No portrait or bust statue of him, &
16nothing I've read of him seems ^to give^ quite the true impression of
17him - the fire the life that was the essence of him. He was a
18politician & he was a clever man - but the real thing about him was
19that he was a "child of genius" - thats why he couldnt grow old.
20
21 I should love to hear you play. I wonder if you are going to that
22concert on the 16th. I don't think I shall go, I'd like to hear
23Ravelle, but I'm so afraid of hearing the singing. Bad singing can be
24so agonizing - the least strain or effort on the part of the singer
25destroys all pleasure for me. It's like being with an insincere person!
26 I like to hear the Italian girls sing in the trees when they are
27picking the olives, just from mere joy & fullness of music.
28
29 Yours ever
30 Olive Schreiner
31
2 De Vere Gardens
3 London
4 Telephone: 3675 Kensingston. Telegram: Apartment, London
5
6 Dear Mrs Drew
7
8 I've read your little notice of your mother. It's quite charming &
9leaves a very distinct picture of her. That little story about the
10woman she met in the 3rd class carriage is good - but it was much
11better when you told it the other night - it's not perhaps easy to
12make things a vivid in writing as in telling!
13
14 I can't remember if I ever told you about my first meeting with your
15father, & how wonderful he was? No portrait or bust statue of him, &
16nothing I've read of him seems ^to give^ quite the true impression of
17him - the fire the life that was the essence of him. He was a
18politician & he was a clever man - but the real thing about him was
19that he was a "child of genius" - thats why he couldnt grow old.
20
21 I should love to hear you play. I wonder if you are going to that
22concert on the 16th. I don't think I shall go, I'd like to hear
23Ravelle, but I'm so afraid of hearing the singing. Bad singing can be
24so agonizing - the least strain or effort on the part of the singer
25destroys all pleasure for me. It's like being with an insincere person!
26 I like to hear the Italian girls sing in the trees when they are
27picking the olives, just from mere joy & fullness of music.
28
29 Yours ever
30 Olive Schreiner
31
Notation
Mary Drew's 'little notice of her mother' was perhaps a manuscript; she later published a memorial book. See Mary Drew (1930) Catherine Gladstone London: Nisbet & Co.
Mary Drew's 'little notice of her mother' was perhaps a manuscript; she later published a memorial book. See Mary Drew (1930) Catherine Gladstone London: Nisbet & Co.