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| Letter Reference | HRC/CAT/OS/1a-xxxiv |
| Archive | Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Tuesday 8 July 1884 |
| Address From | Holly Cottage, Mount Pleasant, Aspley Guise, Woburn, Bedfordshire |
| Address To | 24 Thornsett Road, South Penge Park, London |
| Who To | Havelock Ellis |
| Other Versions | Draznin 1992: 86 |
| 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 an associated envelope and its postmark, which also provides the address it was sent to. Schreiner was resident in Apsley Guise in late June and early July 1884, leaving on 8 July and arriving in Wirksworth via Derby on 9 July 1884.
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1Tuesday Night.
2
3Have finished my packing, am so glad I am going.
4
5Olive
6
7Do you love that Saturday Reviewer?
8
9I am at Wirksworth all right
10-------
11Wednesday morning
12
2
3Have finished my packing, am so glad I am going.
4
5Olive
6
7Do you love that Saturday Reviewer?
8
9I am at Wirksworth all right
10-------
11Wednesday morning
12
Notation
The 'Saturday Reviewer' refer to a review of Schreiner's The Story of An African Farm as follows:
Saturday Review 21 April 1883: "The Story of an African Farm is clever, imaginative, original, and terribly dull. Yet it is only fair to say that the dullness is relative, or rather is the result of conscientious experiences during a comprehensive survey; for their are effective scenes and bright pieces of description which prove that Mr. Iron might be entertaining if he pleased. We own to a certain preliminary disappointment, for we fancied we should have a story of South African speculation and adventure on the borderland between savagery and civilization... so much for a novel which is a striking example of how a really clever and ingenious writer may overreach himself in ambitious efforts after originality."
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription.
The 'Saturday Reviewer' refer to a review of Schreiner's The Story of An African Farm as follows:
Saturday Review 21 April 1883: "The Story of an African Farm is clever, imaginative, original, and terribly dull. Yet it is only fair to say that the dullness is relative, or rather is the result of conscientious experiences during a comprehensive survey; for their are effective scenes and bright pieces of description which prove that Mr. Iron might be entertaining if he pleased. We own to a certain preliminary disappointment, for we fancied we should have a story of South African speculation and adventure on the borderland between savagery and civilization... so much for a novel which is a striking example of how a really clever and ingenious writer may overreach himself in ambitious efforts after originality."
Draznin's (1992) version of this letter is in some respects different from our transcription.