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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold2/1909/17
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date24 February 1909
Address FromMatjesfontein, Western Cape
Address To
Who ToFrances (‘Fan’) Schreiner nee Reitz
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.
1 Matjesfontein
2 ?Sep Feb 24th 1909
3
4 Dear Fan
5
6 I’m afraid I gave you a lot of trouble, dear, about that air pillow.
7I’d written a note to Heyns Matthew to order one for him, myself;
8but they sent in up such a horrid warm water bottle costing 17/- When
9I wrote to them I thought I’d better let some one choose it, & as
10you had said I must let you know if he needed anything I thought I’d
11write to you, & you could get it at the chemists at Kalk Bay. I made
12sure he’d keep them. I evidently didn’t make it clear I only
13wanted a little pillow that would cost a few shillings. He always has
14very bad piles, so he will need an air ?chi pillow to sit on after he
15gets up. I am writing for one to town. He got up today for the first
16time for half an hour or so, & sat in the chair; but the doctor says
17he must not walk for some weeks.
18
19 Mentally he is quite bright & fresh. I shall be so glad when I know
20you have your old husband home again. I know how much you have felt
21this long separation, darling. It is my wedding day today: 14 years
22since I was married.
23
24 I hope I wonder if you could send me the address of a Mr "Ashby" – I
25think is the name. They came from Swellendam & I fancy he married a
26Miss Steytler: he’s a great man for tennis, I think; I know he’s a
27celebrated player of some game ^or other^. This isn’t a very clear
28description but perhaps you’ll know who I mean! I want to get his
29address, because I want to ask him for the address of his sister Mrs
30?Ensor. I’ve written to her old address in Johannesburg but the
31letters have been returned to me from the dead letter office. So she
32must have left. I’m not sure her brother’s name is Ashby, but
33it’s something very like that; And I think I’ve heard you speak of
34him.
35
36 Good night.
37 Thine ever
38 Olive
39
40 Give me any news you can of our Dot. Did she enjoy her time in France
41
42 ^& get on with her French?^
43
44 ^How is your brother Frank? Is he keeping well?^
45
46