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| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box6/Fold4/1918/2 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Wednesday 9 January 1918 |
| Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
| Address To | Trevaldwyn, Llandrindod Wells, Wales |
| Who To | May Murray Parker nee Murray |
| 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 of this letter is derived from the postmark on an attached envelope, which also provides the address it was sent to.
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19 Porchester Place
2Edgware Rd
3Wednesday
4
5Dear May
6
7Thank you for the callendar.
8
9Just now Betty came back from Palace Court. Alice Greene & I were
10sitting by the fire in my room. Betty looked very solemn & sat down, &
11said she’d had very bad news at Palace Court. She said, “It’s
12about Freddie”, & sat still. Of course what could I think but that
13it was your Freddie, our Freddie! I felt a stab in my heart; I
14couldn’t move or speak. I seemed to see him coming in at the door of
15the dining room at Llandrindod with that sweet patient quiet smile on
16his face. Then Betty went on, & it turned out she was talking of a
17young ?Selon a son of an old ?Selon who is said to be missing at the
18front. But Ive felt quite bad all the afternoon. One never knows how
19much you love people till you think of evil coming to them!
20
21Now Betty & Alice have gone out to get some papers. Betty is going to
22dine at Palace Court & Alice Greene is having supper with me here. She
23is going back to Berkhampstead tomorrow. Betty had such a delightful
24time at Parklands. She has come back looking so fit.
25
26It’s very nice about George & Margaret, isn’t it? I am sure they
27will be of much help to eachother & to others too.
28
29The cold here is bitter. The snow is thick on the ground. I had a
30letter from Lucy a little while ago, but she didn’t give any special news.
31
32Good bye, dear.
33My love to you both
34Olive
35
2Edgware Rd
3Wednesday
4
5Dear May
6
7Thank you for the callendar.
8
9Just now Betty came back from Palace Court. Alice Greene & I were
10sitting by the fire in my room. Betty looked very solemn & sat down, &
11said she’d had very bad news at Palace Court. She said, “It’s
12about Freddie”, & sat still. Of course what could I think but that
13it was your Freddie, our Freddie! I felt a stab in my heart; I
14couldn’t move or speak. I seemed to see him coming in at the door of
15the dining room at Llandrindod with that sweet patient quiet smile on
16his face. Then Betty went on, & it turned out she was talking of a
17young ?Selon a son of an old ?Selon who is said to be missing at the
18front. But Ive felt quite bad all the afternoon. One never knows how
19much you love people till you think of evil coming to them!
20
21Now Betty & Alice have gone out to get some papers. Betty is going to
22dine at Palace Court & Alice Greene is having supper with me here. She
23is going back to Berkhampstead tomorrow. Betty had such a delightful
24time at Parklands. She has come back looking so fit.
25
26It’s very nice about George & Margaret, isn’t it? I am sure they
27will be of much help to eachother & to others too.
28
29The cold here is bitter. The snow is thick on the ground. I had a
30letter from Lucy a little while ago, but she didn’t give any special news.
31
32Good bye, dear.
33My love to you both
34Olive
35