"Women & marriage, Boer guns saved South Africa, Jameson Raid, Rhodes is over" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | HRC/UNCAT/OS-114 |
| Archive | Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 20 April 1887 |
| Address From | Alassio, Italy |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 115; Draznin 1992: 434 |
| 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 stayed in a number of hotels in Alassio in March, April and early May 1887.
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1I send you my card to Pearson, the last thing that will ever pass
2between us. I shall send back any p letter or paper he sends me.
3
4No I have not finished my sex paper. I was writing it for him. I shall
5never send him that or anything. In future years I may finish it.
6
7Yes work, work work if one only keeps one reason that is all in life.
8Then one can help other women from suffering as one has done oneself.
9
10Darling Harry boy, I don’t mean to be selfish to you. I haven’t
11power anymore to be otherwise than as I am.
12
13Write & tell me about your life, & work don’t talk about me.
14
15Olive
16
17My love for you has been perfectly pure & true on the unsexual side. I
18have never trusted anything as I trust you.
19
20
2between us. I shall send back any p letter or paper he sends me.
3
4No I have not finished my sex paper. I was writing it for him. I shall
5never send him that or anything. In future years I may finish it.
6
7Yes work, work work if one only keeps one reason that is all in life.
8Then one can help other women from suffering as one has done oneself.
9
10Darling Harry boy, I don’t mean to be selfish to you. I haven’t
11power anymore to be otherwise than as I am.
12
13Write & tell me about your life, & work don’t talk about me.
14
15Olive
16
17My love for you has been perfectly pure & true on the unsexual side. I
18have never trusted anything as I trust you.
19
20
Notation
Schreiner's 'sex paper' was intended for the Men and Women's Club but never completed. 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.
Schreiner's 'sex paper' was intended for the Men and Women's Club but never completed. 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.