"On women, marriage, prostitution" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Letters/519 |
| Archive | |
| Epistolary Type | |
| Letter Date | 4 June 1913 |
| Address From | De Aar, Northern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Emily Hobhouse |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 327 |
| 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 E. Hobhouse.
2De Aar, 4th June.
3
4... I don't know, dear, what I said to make you think I was opposed to
5the suffragettes. I think Mrs. Pankhurst one of the greatest and
6noblest women the English race has produced, one whose name will never
7be forgotten. I myself could not be a militant because I personally am
8opposed to the use of force; I would never sue a person who injured or
9wronged me; but I can admire people like Cromwell, and Washington, and
10Mrs. Pankhurst, who have felt it right to fight. What is so superb is
11their courage. My one fear with regard to women has always been that
12perhaps they were not as brave as men. After sincerity courage is to
13me the highest of all virtues. I always admired you so much for your
14courage. I believe they (the suffragettes) have done more to rouse the
15spirit of women, to make them free and fearless-and that is after all
16the thing that really matters! - than anything else in the world could
17have. Do you see what I mean?
18
2De Aar, 4th June.
3
4... I don't know, dear, what I said to make you think I was opposed to
5the suffragettes. I think Mrs. Pankhurst one of the greatest and
6noblest women the English race has produced, one whose name will never
7be forgotten. I myself could not be a militant because I personally am
8opposed to the use of force; I would never sue a person who injured or
9wronged me; but I can admire people like Cromwell, and Washington, and
10Mrs. Pankhurst, who have felt it right to fight. What is so superb is
11their courage. My one fear with regard to women has always been that
12perhaps they were not as brave as men. After sincerity courage is to
13me the highest of all virtues. I always admired you so much for your
14courage. I believe they (the suffragettes) have done more to rouse the
15spirit of women, to make them free and fearless-and that is after all
16the thing that really matters! - than anything else in the world could
17have. Do you see what I mean?
18