"Studying defence act, moral story about boy and knife" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold3/1914/73 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 12 October 1914 |
| Address From | The Windsor, 61 & 62 Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park, 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. It is on embossed headed notepaper.
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1The Windsor
261 & 62 Lancaster Gate, W
3
4My darling Will
5
6I have a strangely interesting letter from Cron which I will show you
7if ever you come to me. There is a God, there is a God, who rules &
8judges! That is - there is a judgement which falls on injustice, greed
9& ambition, whether it be in Berlin or London or Paris or Pretoria.
10Johnny Smuts will not play his game for ever, he & Botha will pay -
11one day.
12
13Ollie our little dog is dead.
14
15Bessie Reitz came to see me to-day. The dear child looks ill & tired.
16She is going back to Africa. She told me that Alice Corthorn told her
17that Ursie was to be in town to-day to have her tonsles cut out. Give
18the darling child my love if she is back with you in Cambridge. If she
19is still here let me know her address. My beloved Adela has gone to
20Mrs Earle for a few days. The old lady is quite broken by her son
21going off to the front. She ^Adela^ has been unspeakably good to me. All
22my heart is in Africa only my wretched ^good for nothing^ body is here.
23
24Good bye, dear.
25Olive
26
27I see my Ollie Boy’s beautiful mouth, looking so sensitive & fine as
28he sat in Alice Corthorn’s room that last day. When I told Bessie he
29had joined the army she burst out – “Oh Auntie that can’t be.
30Oliver is one of the men I am looking for to save South Africa when
31the power of Smuts & Botha has been ^broken &^ passed away.” That’s
32what I always feel about him. He’s precious to the world, not only
33to us. How you feel this too, I know.
34
35There seems so intensely bitter feeling in South Africa about sending
36the young boy of 16 & 17 off ^up^ to the front. What are they food for
37powder, to wet the sand with.
38
39^I am so thankful not to be at Kensington.^
40
261 & 62 Lancaster Gate, W
3
4My darling Will
5
6I have a strangely interesting letter from Cron which I will show you
7if ever you come to me. There is a God, there is a God, who rules &
8judges! That is - there is a judgement which falls on injustice, greed
9& ambition, whether it be in Berlin or London or Paris or Pretoria.
10Johnny Smuts will not play his game for ever, he & Botha will pay -
11one day.
12
13Ollie our little dog is dead.
14
15Bessie Reitz came to see me to-day. The dear child looks ill & tired.
16She is going back to Africa. She told me that Alice Corthorn told her
17that Ursie was to be in town to-day to have her tonsles cut out. Give
18the darling child my love if she is back with you in Cambridge. If she
19is still here let me know her address. My beloved Adela has gone to
20Mrs Earle for a few days. The old lady is quite broken by her son
21going off to the front. She ^Adela^ has been unspeakably good to me. All
22my heart is in Africa only my wretched ^good for nothing^ body is here.
23
24Good bye, dear.
25Olive
26
27I see my Ollie Boy’s beautiful mouth, looking so sensitive & fine as
28he sat in Alice Corthorn’s room that last day. When I told Bessie he
29had joined the army she burst out – “Oh Auntie that can’t be.
30Oliver is one of the men I am looking for to save South Africa when
31the power of Smuts & Botha has been ^broken &^ passed away.” That’s
32what I always feel about him. He’s precious to the world, not only
33to us. How you feel this too, I know.
34
35There seems so intensely bitter feeling in South Africa about sending
36the young boy of 16 & 17 off ^up^ to the front. What are they food for
37powder, to wet the sand with.
38
39^I am so thankful not to be at Kensington.^
40