"Details of wedding day" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | HRC/UNCAT/OS-69 |
| Archive | Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Friday 4 September 1885 |
| Address From | 16 Portsea Place, Westminster, London |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 80-1; Draznin 1992: 378-9 |
| Permissions | Please 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. This letter has been dated by reference to information written onto it by Ellis. Schreiner was resident at Portsea Place from mid August to late October 1885.
|
1Friday Night
2
3My sweet companion, isn’t there anything I could do or say that
4would make the heart feel not so empty. That empty, empty feeling is
5so terrible. You are so much younger than I sweet treasure, life will
6bloom over & over & over again for thee. Sweet comrade, you mayn’t
7think so, but your life isn’t begun yet. My personal life ended a
8few years ago, & nothing matters very much now.
9
10I am working.
11
12It is so nice to know anything about your new home. You know I am
13beginning to realize you there in that little room & somehow, it seems
14nice. I went to the London this afternoon & while I was there Huxley
15came in. He’s a jolly old fellow with the “bright eyes” of
16genius, & such a funny humourous nose.
17
18This afternoon Sandwith, the man Donkin brought to see me called, &
19stayed some time. I am trying not to see any one. If we have time when
20you come to me we must go to Hampstead. I must be hard. You don't
21
22^mind?^
23
24Olive
25
2
3My sweet companion, isn’t there anything I could do or say that
4would make the heart feel not so empty. That empty, empty feeling is
5so terrible. You are so much younger than I sweet treasure, life will
6bloom over & over & over again for thee. Sweet comrade, you mayn’t
7think so, but your life isn’t begun yet. My personal life ended a
8few years ago, & nothing matters very much now.
9
10I am working.
11
12It is so nice to know anything about your new home. You know I am
13beginning to realize you there in that little room & somehow, it seems
14nice. I went to the London this afternoon & while I was there Huxley
15came in. He’s a jolly old fellow with the “bright eyes” of
16genius, & such a funny humourous nose.
17
18This afternoon Sandwith, the man Donkin brought to see me called, &
19stayed some time. I am trying not to see any one. If we have time when
20you come to me we must go to Hampstead. I must be hard. You don't
21
22^mind?^
23
24Olive
25
Notation
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription. Cronwright-Schreiner's (1924) extract is incorrect in various ways.
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription. Cronwright-Schreiner's (1924) extract is incorrect in various ways.