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Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box8/Fold4/MMPr/AssortedCorres/FredPL/26 |
Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | Thursday 15 January 1914 |
Address From | Alassio, Italy |
Address To | |
Who To | Frederick ('Fred') Pethick-Lawrence |
Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 329-30 |
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. A typescript only of this letter is available. The transcription here follows this typescript and includes any uncertain dates, ellipses, mistakes and so on. Schreiner was in Alassio from mid January to the end of February 1914.
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1
Alassio
2 Thursday 15th 1914
3
4 After many wanderings to Mentone etc. I have settled down here at my
5beloved Alassio which I find still the most restful and charming place
6on earth: changes, more hotels & more villas, but they can’t spoil
7the peace & perfect rest of the place, with its olive trees, fresh air
8and sunshine. If ever you or your wife wants perfect rest come here.
9Its a place too to write & think in. I shall be here certainly for two
10weeks, probably for six, as I never can tear myself away. This is a
11very comfortable hotel; I have a tiny room, very bright and warm, on
12the third floor, but they have lovely rooms, and the hotel is
13splendidly heated.
14
15 I am looking forward so greatly to seeing your wife in Florence. It
16was good to see you dear old fellow. I hope you do quite understand
17that I am not a speaker. I have made two short public speeches in the
18course of my life; when the guns were pointed on us. I have never
19professed to be a public speaker, I’m a maker of good bread, and can
20cook and garden. Quite a useful person. Its a bit lonely here with not
21a soul to speak to now my boy Oliver is gone, but one can’t be very
22lonely when nature is so beautiful.
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2 Thursday 15th 1914
3
4 After many wanderings to Mentone etc. I have settled down here at my
5beloved Alassio which I find still the most restful and charming place
6on earth: changes, more hotels & more villas, but they can’t spoil
7the peace & perfect rest of the place, with its olive trees, fresh air
8and sunshine. If ever you or your wife wants perfect rest come here.
9Its a place too to write & think in. I shall be here certainly for two
10weeks, probably for six, as I never can tear myself away. This is a
11very comfortable hotel; I have a tiny room, very bright and warm, on
12the third floor, but they have lovely rooms, and the hotel is
13splendidly heated.
14
15 I am looking forward so greatly to seeing your wife in Florence. It
16was good to see you dear old fellow. I hope you do quite understand
17that I am not a speaker. I have made two short public speeches in the
18course of my life; when the guns were pointed on us. I have never
19professed to be a public speaker, I’m a maker of good bread, and can
20cook and garden. Quite a useful person. Its a bit lonely here with not
21a soul to speak to now my boy Oliver is gone, but one can’t be very
22lonely when nature is so beautiful.
23
24
25
Notation
Cronwright-Schreiner's (1924) version of this letter is different in various ways; it is not possible to tell if he worked from the original or this typescript.
Cronwright-Schreiner's (1924) version of this letter is different in various ways; it is not possible to tell if he worked from the original or this typescript.