"In losing the friendship of the Republics, England has blown away one of the bulwarks of Empire, when England stands where we stand today let her remember Soouth Africa" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceHRC/OliveSchreinerUncatLetters/OS-TFisherUnwin/66
ArchiveHarry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date26 September 1898
Address FromThe Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape
Address To
Who ToT. Fisher Unwin
Other Versions
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. This letter is by and from Olive Schreiner, with Cronwright-Schreiner acting as her amanuensis or secretary.
1The Homestead
2Kimberley
3Cape Colony
426th Sept. 1898
5
6Dear Mr Unwin,
7
8Mrs Schreiner’s article appeared in “Cosmopolis” for April. The
9agreement with Mr Ortmans (which she has here, duly signed, as well as
10his accompanying letter) is that payment shall be dispatched to her
11not later than the day on which the article appears in Cosmopolis. Mrs
12Schreiner has repeatedly written to Mr Ortmans, but he has not paid,
13nor has he so much as acknowledged a single letter, or given any
14explanation whatever of his unexpected conduct.
15
16Mrs Schreiner feels sure you will not mind her thus writing to you on
17the subject again, & ^as^ but as she got to know Mr Ortmans through your
18medium., & she would like you to know how he so far has failed. You,
19of course, have no responsibility in the matter, but she feels that,
20under the circumstances, if you would write to Mr Ortmans, your letter
21would be efficacious. It would almost seem as though Mr Ortmans did
22^does^ not intend to pay until Mrs Schreiner resorts to means which
23would be most distasteful to her.
24
25I am this week writing to Mr Ortmans (to your care: please forward the
26letter) telling him to pay the money to Mr F. Schreiner, Eastbourne
27(my wife’s brother), and to Mr Schreiner to obtain the payment at
28once, giving him all the facts of the case.
29
30I trust this will induce Mr Ortmans to pay promptly, & that no similar
31trouble will arise occur with the next article, which, of course, Mrs
32Schreiner will not send until she receives payment for that other
33already published. Mr Ortmans’ non-payment has delayed the
34publication of the second article, much to Mrs Schreiner’s
35inconvenience & annoyance.
36
37With kind regards from us both,
38Yours very sincerely,
39S.C. Cronwright Schreiner
40
41T. Fisher Unwin Esq
42
43
Notation
Schreiner’s article in the April 1898 issue of Cosmopolis is ‘A Returned South African no. 3: The Boer woman and the nineteenth-century woman’s question’. On 18 October 1898 Fred Schreiner also contacted Unwin about payments, as follows:

‘New College Junior School,
Eastbourne.
Oct. 18 / 98

Dear Mr Unwin,

Thank you for your letter. I have also heard from my brother in law.

I am surprised at Mr Ortman’s action, or inaction, for he agreed to send the money not later than the day of publication in the “Cosmopolis”. The article appeared in the spring. I have written to Mr Ortmans & hope he will reply to me in time for me to write by this week S.A. mail. He has not replied to one of my sister’s letters, & has caused her much worry, a thing which in her state of health she could well do without.

With kind regards,
Yours very truly,
Fred Schreiner’

This was followed by him writing again to Unwin on 20 October 1898, as follows:

‘New College Junior School,
Eastbourne.

Oct 20 / 98

Dear Mr Unwin,

I wrote to M. Ortmans & also wired, reply pd., but have heard nothing in response as yet.

Yours very truly,
Fred Schreiner’

F. Ortmans was the editor of Cosmopolis, which folded in November 1898.