"Mingling races, my articles, not my husband" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold3/1914/53 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Monday 31 August 1914 |
| Address From | 30 St Mary Abbotts Terrace, Kensington, London |
| Address To | |
| Who To | William Philip ('Will') Schreiner |
| 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in St Mary Abbotts Terrace for some weeks during August and September 1914.
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1Monday
2
3I have got news of Dorothy von Moltke though Dr Jacobs. Return card:
4the Russians were still being embarked last night They are not all
5gone yet.
6
7Your letter was fine & very interesting, but the only secret the
8Germans have got hold of is the secret of the value of intellect, & a
9great peasantry England has been killing herself during the last 100
10years by her devotion to wealth & luxury among her rich classes, & the
11grinding down her poor into mere machines of production. Germany would
12have gone the same way ultimately if this war had not stopped her.
13
14To me it seems a mad thing that England is sending out all her
15fighting men. She has done no good by sending them – she has not
16saved Belgium nor will she save France! They might have been of use
17here! Perhaps she is going to keep some Russians here?
18
19Good bye, dear. I hope you keep well. I am still alone here, Alice I
20think returns tomorrow night. I’ve been feeling much better the last
21few days.
22
23Olive
24
25^I thought of you yesterday. I hope you had as nice a day as was
26possible under the conditions.^
27
2
3I have got news of Dorothy von Moltke though Dr Jacobs. Return card:
4the Russians were still being embarked last night They are not all
5gone yet.
6
7Your letter was fine & very interesting, but the only secret the
8Germans have got hold of is the secret of the value of intellect, & a
9great peasantry England has been killing herself during the last 100
10years by her devotion to wealth & luxury among her rich classes, & the
11grinding down her poor into mere machines of production. Germany would
12have gone the same way ultimately if this war had not stopped her.
13
14To me it seems a mad thing that England is sending out all her
15fighting men. She has done no good by sending them – she has not
16saved Belgium nor will she save France! They might have been of use
17here! Perhaps she is going to keep some Russians here?
18
19Good bye, dear. I hope you keep well. I am still alone here, Alice I
20think returns tomorrow night. I’ve been feeling much better the last
21few days.
22
23Olive
24
25^I thought of you yesterday. I hope you had as nice a day as was
26possible under the conditions.^
27