"Half-dead but into action" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | HRC/UNCAT/OS-153 |
| Archive | Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 4 August 1920 |
| Address From | 9 Porchester Place, Edgware Road, Westminster, London |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Cronwright-Schreiner 1924: 368-9; Draznin 1992: 515 |
| 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. Schreiner was resident at Porchester Place from early April 1917 until August 1920, when she left Britain for South Africa.
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1Aug 4th 1920
2
3Dear Havelock
4
5I hope you will have a happy holiday in Ireland. It will be so
6interesting. I am so sorry I shall not be here when you return. I am
7sailing as I told you on Aug the 13th.
8
9I had hoped you might have been able to come & see me before you left.
10I am feeling worse than I have yet done & do not know bow I shall get
11through the Tropics, but perhaps I will get better in the drier
12African air. It has been very beautiful to have my darling husband
13here for this little time. I feel more willing to die now I’ve had
14this great happiness He’s been so sweet & tender to me. I dread the
15going to Africa but it may turn out better than I think. It is such a
16bad climate for ?Ap asthma & for the heart. It seems sad to be leaving
17Europe just when the day of Labour freedom is beginning to dawn after
18those long years of capitalist darkness. You are so cut off from books
19& papers in Africa. Good bye dear
20
21Olive
22
2
3Dear Havelock
4
5I hope you will have a happy holiday in Ireland. It will be so
6interesting. I am so sorry I shall not be here when you return. I am
7sailing as I told you on Aug the 13th.
8
9I had hoped you might have been able to come & see me before you left.
10I am feeling worse than I have yet done & do not know bow I shall get
11through the Tropics, but perhaps I will get better in the drier
12African air. It has been very beautiful to have my darling husband
13here for this little time. I feel more willing to die now I’ve had
14this great happiness He’s been so sweet & tender to me. I dread the
15going to Africa but it may turn out better than I think. It is such a
16bad climate for ?Ap asthma & for the heart. It seems sad to be leaving
17Europe just when the day of Labour freedom is beginning to dawn after
18those long years of capitalist darkness. You are so cut off from books
19& papers in Africa. Good bye dear
20
21Olive
22
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.