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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box7/Fold3/Jan-Feb1920/9
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateFriday 16 January 1920
Address From9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London
Address ToTrevaldwyn, Llandrindod Wells, Wales
Who ToMay Murray Parker nee Murray
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. The date of this letter is derived from the postmark on an attached envelope, which also provides the address it was sent to. Schreiner was resident at Porchester Place from early April 1917 until August 1920, when she left Britain for South Africa.
1Friday
2
3Darling May
4
5I had meant to wire to you as soon as I got news. Alice must be very
6bad as her sister Polly who is ill & has not yet been allowed to see
7her has come down to Trevone for two days. Betty is so much stronger
8than I am physically, but mentally & nervously she can’t bear what
9you or I could bear. That’s what you or I could bear. The dear
10beloved Greenes would be most kind to her, but it wouldn’t be like
11having you or me. We understand her so. I’m so glad dear Mrs Molteno
12is coming to you it will be nice for you both. She must be lonely
13without her husband when she lives so, & Margaret. How splendid &
14generous she your Uncle Percy have been in giving away money. Did you
15see they had given £1000 to the Stop the Famine cause?
16
17Oliver’s wife’s baby is expected in about 4 weeks time. I am
18expecting soon to get letters from Dot telling me about her arrival in
19her new home in^at^ Talora.
20
21Oh I am so sorry Freddie’s asthma troubles him He had enough to bear
22without that. I am finding so much help from a system of deep
23breathing which I have taught myself. I wish I could see Freddie &
24show him what I do.
25
26If Betty does want to go to Llandrindod, & would like me to come with
27her for a couple of days I’ll come.
28
29Oh if only Freddie & you could have got out to the Cape or to the
30Riviera. I still have the feeling that the Riviera is the place for
31him – but perhaps its because it’s the one place on earth that
32suits me, the only place where I might get really better.
33
34You will laugh at my giving Freddie advise – but has he tried Vichy water.
35 It helps me more than any thing else. I take a bottle a day: its very
36expensive now 1/6 a bottle, but I must take it.
37
38My love to you
39Olive
40