"Small band desire peace, far future is ours" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceHRC/CAT/OS/3b-xxv
ArchiveHarry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date24 December 1884
Address FromAlexandra House, Denmark Place, Hastings, East Sussex
Address To24 Thornsett Road, South Penge Park, London
Who ToHavelock Ellis
Other VersionsRive 1987: 61; Draznin 1992: 266-7
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, the University of Texas at Austin, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscript Collections. The ?address to? is supplied by the envelope associated with this letter. Schreiner was resident at two addresses in Hastings from the end of November 1884 to the end of April 1885.
1Xmas Eve.
2
3I do answer your questions! How don’t I? I am sitting in my bedroom
4at the foot of my bed. I have had such a wasted day. I have been
5packing & posting cards. I am very much better this evening, because I
6could lie down a little & sleep last night I took a lot of chlorodine.
7Miss Müller came to see me yesterday, we had a long argument on the
8woman question. She thinks we will have to rule over men in the future
9as they have ruled & trodden on us in the past. She says she can’t
10see that I have or can show any ground for believing in the likeness &
11equality of men & women, that no sane person can doubt that women are
12infinitely superior in intellect to men!!! I have just got a black
13dress from my brother & his wife for a Xmas present.
14
15I haven’t any letter from my boy, nothing since Monday evening. I
16will get it tomorrow.
17
18I hope I shall sleep tonight. Write me that sonnet of Myers if you
19know it. I want to get into my little bedroom
20
21I will see you perhaps before very long.
22
23What do you think does cause those marks on the legs? I feel so
24dissatisfied with myself. I would like to put my head down near by you,
25 & talk, & talk, & talk. My otherself, my sweet other self. I’ve
26been writing to Mrs. Walters about you. You are
27
28^are just to me like what^
29
30^Montaignes friend was to him^
31Isn’t that essay glorious!
32Olive
33
Notation
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription. Rive's (1987) version omits part of the letter and is in a number of other respects incorrect.