"Marriage, can't read ordinary novel" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Letters/147 |
| Archive | |
| Epistolary Type | |
| Letter Date | 1885 |
| Address From | na |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Louie Ellis |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 89 |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
When Cronwright-Schreiner prepared The Letters of Olive Schreiner, with few exceptions he then destroyed her originals. However, some people gave him copies and kept the originals or demanded the return of these; and when actual Schreiner letters can be compared with his versions, his have omissions, distortions and bowdlerisations. Where Schreiner originals have survived, these will be found in the relevant collections across the OSLO website. There is however a residue of some 587 items in The Letters for which no originals are extant. They are included here for sake of completeness. However, their relationship to Schreiners actual letters cannot now be gauged, and so they should be read with caution for the reasons given.
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1To Miss Louie Ellis.
2
3Thank you for your nice long letter. I've been dreaming about over my
4work all day but haven't done much that's visible. I somehow feel
5stupid. I got a nice letter from Roden Noel this morning, and I had
6written to him last night. He asks me if J. A. Symonds has written to
7me about S.A.F. I should like to know him (Symonds) because his tone
8of mind is so sympathetic to mine, and to Havelock's too I always
9think. I shall be quite sorry if you leave that old house because I
10can picture you all so nicely there. Yes, I wish you and I could be
11together for at least a week; you don't get to know people really from
12just being with them a few minutes. I should go to have my likeness
13taken, but then I'd have to sew lace into the neck and sleeves of my
14dress. I feel so weak the last few days; like Mrs. Dombey, “I can't
15make an effort," but I can sit and scribble and think well enough! I'm
16very glad Havelock's going to have his taken but he'll put on his
17visitor face and then it won't be worth anything. He ought to be taken
18smiling, but then one never wishes to smile when one's undergoing that
19suffering. I'm going to go to Pevensey Castle next week one day to
20walk about in the ruins and wake up.
21
22With my love,
23Olive.
24
2
3Thank you for your nice long letter. I've been dreaming about over my
4work all day but haven't done much that's visible. I somehow feel
5stupid. I got a nice letter from Roden Noel this morning, and I had
6written to him last night. He asks me if J. A. Symonds has written to
7me about S.A.F. I should like to know him (Symonds) because his tone
8of mind is so sympathetic to mine, and to Havelock's too I always
9think. I shall be quite sorry if you leave that old house because I
10can picture you all so nicely there. Yes, I wish you and I could be
11together for at least a week; you don't get to know people really from
12just being with them a few minutes. I should go to have my likeness
13taken, but then I'd have to sew lace into the neck and sleeves of my
14dress. I feel so weak the last few days; like Mrs. Dombey, “I can't
15make an effort," but I can sit and scribble and think well enough! I'm
16very glad Havelock's going to have his taken but he'll put on his
17visitor face and then it won't be worth anything. He ought to be taken
18smiling, but then one never wishes to smile when one's undergoing that
19suffering. I'm going to go to Pevensey Castle next week one day to
20walk about in the ruins and wake up.
21
22With my love,
23Olive.
24