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Letter ReferenceHRC/UNCAT/OS-144
ArchiveHarry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date11 February 1894
Address FromMiddelburg, Eastern Cape
Address Toc/o Miss Ellis, Claremont Studio, St Mary?s Terrace, Paddington, London
Who ToHavelock Ellis
Other VersionsCronwright-Schreiner 1924: 213; Draznin 1992: 475-6
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 this letter was sent to is provided by an associated envelope.
1Middelburg
2Feb 11 / 94
3
4Havelock my beautiful old Havelock, who has loved me so much better
5than anyone else ever has or will, I’m going to be married on the
624th of this month less than two weeks from now. I am not going to
7have a wedding, just go to the magistrates office & sign our names. We
8have had the contract drawn out which is to make us monetarily
9independent of one another. Physically I am quite well. All the
10doctors say there is no reason I should not have a child at once.
11
12I am going to sort out all my papers & nail down the box that is to be
13yours. Havelock though I may never say it I shall need your love more
14than ever: give it me, you & Edith too.
15
16We shall go straight to the farm after we are married leaving this at
172 o’clock in the train, & arriving at the ^Halesowen^ station at 7,
18from there we have a twenty minutes drive to the farm house.
19
20Goodbye, Havelock
21Your little sister Olive
22
23I shall keep my name of Olive Schreiner, address P.O. Halesowen, Cape
24Colony
25
Notation
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription. Cronwright-Schreiner's (1924) extract includes material from a different letter and is also incorrect in other ways.