"Meeting, you are large enough to take me impersonally" Read the full letter
Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box6/Fold3/1917/26 |
Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Wednesday 1917 |
Address From | 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 year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was in London in 1917, initially at Adam Street and then she was resident at Porchester Place from early April 1917 until August 1920, when she left Britain for South Africa.
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1Wednesday
2
3Dear Old Man
4
5Thanks, I shall any how like to meet Miss Goodall.
6
7I had several letters from Joseph Lyndall many years ago, & a
8photograph. He was more ^like^ Ursie – expressive features & all –
9than one would think it was possible for a man to be like a woman. He
10was then I think a widower with two children but I may be mistaken
11about that. He was in India when he wrote to me. He was a highly
12cultured man, a railway Engineer building railways in India.
13
14I heard through our second cousin Dr Charles Whitby of Bath that he
15was dead. I might write to Charles Whitby & ask him if Joseph Lyndall
16left a wife & children & if he knew anything of them. I certainly
17would not reply to her, till you know more of her – after our
18painful experience with that family! The other sister of Joseph is
19married to a well-to-do business man in Ireland. She wrote to me some
20time ago asking me to write & state I was her cousin; as when she told
21people so they doubted it. She seemed to think being my cousin
22reflected some kind of honour on her.
23
24The only other member of the family I know of is a Miss Lyndall, a
25grand-daughter of Uncle Oliver’s, who from her letters seems a very
26nice, simple sort of woman. ^She lives in Brighton.^ I’ll write her a
27line too, if I can find her address, & ask about Joseph Lyndalls
28family – of course with out mentioning you.
29
30Where does Mrs Joseph Lyndall live? Please be sure dear to return that
31Johannesburg man’s letter I enclosed in an addressed & stamped
32envelope in my letter to you.
33
34Its too bad to give you an extra line to write when you have so much
35to do.
36
37Olive
38
2
3Dear Old Man
4
5Thanks, I shall any how like to meet Miss Goodall.
6
7I had several letters from Joseph Lyndall many years ago, & a
8photograph. He was more ^like^ Ursie – expressive features & all –
9than one would think it was possible for a man to be like a woman. He
10was then I think a widower with two children but I may be mistaken
11about that. He was in India when he wrote to me. He was a highly
12cultured man, a railway Engineer building railways in India.
13
14I heard through our second cousin Dr Charles Whitby of Bath that he
15was dead. I might write to Charles Whitby & ask him if Joseph Lyndall
16left a wife & children & if he knew anything of them. I certainly
17would not reply to her, till you know more of her – after our
18painful experience with that family! The other sister of Joseph is
19married to a well-to-do business man in Ireland. She wrote to me some
20time ago asking me to write & state I was her cousin; as when she told
21people so they doubted it. She seemed to think being my cousin
22reflected some kind of honour on her.
23
24The only other member of the family I know of is a Miss Lyndall, a
25grand-daughter of Uncle Oliver’s, who from her letters seems a very
26nice, simple sort of woman. ^She lives in Brighton.^ I’ll write her a
27line too, if I can find her address, & ask about Joseph Lyndalls
28family – of course with out mentioning you.
29
30Where does Mrs Joseph Lyndall live? Please be sure dear to return that
31Johannesburg man’s letter I enclosed in an addressed & stamped
32envelope in my letter to you.
33
34Its too bad to give you an extra line to write when you have so much
35to do.
36
37Olive
38