"Work, isolation, getting away from people" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | HRC/UNCAT/OS-128 |
| Archive | Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 17 March 1889 |
| Address From | Mentone, France |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 156-7; Draznin 1992: 448 |
| 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 Mentone from mid December 1888 to mid March 1889.
|
1My Havelock, Will you please write to me. Never since I first knew you
2has my heart turned to you so much as in the last two days, but its
3not for a noble reason it’s because I’m in pain & I would like to
4lay my head against your knee. Something has happened that I can’t
5write about but that I will tell you of one day. It’s nothing to do
6with my beautiful friend at Hampstead or anyone you know. I am as soon
7as I’ve finished this going to write out a dream I made at the East
8End. I’ve tried to begin twice, but I’ve never been able to get
9the colour into my pen yet this dream has lived with
10
11^me for two years.^
12
13Your
14Olive
15
16^Don’t give up medical work. Perhaps if you are in Paris next winter
17I might spend part of my time there^
18
19O.S.
20
2has my heart turned to you so much as in the last two days, but its
3not for a noble reason it’s because I’m in pain & I would like to
4lay my head against your knee. Something has happened that I can’t
5write about but that I will tell you of one day. It’s nothing to do
6with my beautiful friend at Hampstead or anyone you know. I am as soon
7as I’ve finished this going to write out a dream I made at the East
8End. I’ve tried to begin twice, but I’ve never been able to get
9the colour into my pen yet this dream has lived with
10
11^me for two years.^
12
13Your
14Olive
15
16^Don’t give up medical work. Perhaps if you are in Paris next winter
17I might spend part of my time there^
18
19O.S.
20
Notation
The 'dream' written in the East End is 'The Sunlight Lay Across My Bed', published in Dreams. 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.
The 'dream' written in the East End is 'The Sunlight Lay Across My Bed', published in Dreams. 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.