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Letter ReferenceT120 (M722): W.T. Stead Papers/15- pages 86-7
ArchiveNational Archives Depot, Pretoria
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date23 November 1891
Address FromMatjesfontein, Western Cape
Address To
Who ToWilliam Thomas Stead
Other VersionsCronwright-Schreiner 1924: 206-7
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to the National Archives Repository, Pretoria, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Micofilm Collections.
1Matjesfontein
2Nov 23 / 91
3
4Dear Friend
5
6Thank you for your letter. As always it was refreshing. I have no news
7to give you. I have not been out of my little house for a day for four
8months.
9
10I am more than satisfied with the late numbers of the Rev= of Rev=. I
11too, still always dream of the ideal newspaper.
12
13What you have s-aid lately on South African affairs ^in the Reviews^ has
14not been very much to the point: but at your distance it cannot be
15other wise
. The most enlightened & advanced paper in South Africa, &
16wh one which takes up at the same time a judicial & impartial stand
17point is the Cape Times. St Leger the Editor has one of the most
18independent, as he has one of the most impartial minds in South Africa.
19 I shall now & then send you a cutting from it, but I fear to one not
20on the spot the point will not be visible.
21
22You will be glad to hear that Rhodes has returned safely from Mashona
23land as I see from this evening’s papers. Perhaps in no country has so
24much ever hung on the life of one man. It is a bond of sympathy
25between us that you share my view of his genius.
26
27All best wishes for you & for the review for next year.
28Olive Schreiner
29
30^The other four numbers of Stray Thoughts will appear some time soon. I
31am so busy with other work I can’t bother about sending them off just yet.^
32
Notation
The ‘other four numbers of Stray Thoughts’ refers to Schreiner’s ‘A Returned South African’ essays. These were originally published in a range of magazines and intended to be reworked in book form, as Stray Thoughts on South Africa. A dispute with a publisher and then the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) prevented this, and they were in the event with some additional essays published posthumously as Thoughts on South Africa. Stead’s articles and commentaries about South Africa appeared in the Review of Reviews in a variety of formats, including extracts from things by other eople (including Schreiner) published elsewhere. Cronwright-Schreiner’s (1924) short extract from this letter is incorrect in a range of ways.