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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/33
ArchiveNational English Literary Museum, Grahamstown
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date6 July 1912
Address FromDe Aar, Northern Cape
Address To
Who ToMinnie or Mimmie Murray nee Parkes
Other Versions
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to the National English Literary Museum (NELM) for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscript Collections.
1 De Aar
2 July 6th 1912
3
4 Dear Mrs Murray
5
6 It seems so long since I had any news of you all.
7
8 My sister Ettie passed away after seven months of the intensest
9anguish I ever saw a human being suffer. When I went down to her
10funeral my Husbands mother was very ill & died also suffering much.
11She was buried the same day as my sister. I saw Mrs ?Muller in town
12for a moment & wanted very much to come ^go^ & see her, but was not able.
13 My heart has been very bad ever since I came back, but the last three
14days I am better.
15
16 Write & tell me your news. My husband has just been up for a trip to
17the Victoria Falls, & enjoyed it immensely. My niece Lyndall is now
18studying law. She has to get up in the dark every morning & to have
19her bath & breakfast to be in time to be in town by 8 o'clock when the
20first lecture begins. I shall be very glad if she gets through. Oliver
21my nephew has just come out from England for the long vac - but little
22Ursula wished to remain as she is only going to be there three years &
23he four. She is doing so well at college, but she has set her heart on
24being a nurse, for which I am sorry. But she may change her mind
25before the time comes.
26
27 We have had a big hail storm here, the biggest but one I have ever
28seen in my life. It entirely destroyed all my flowers. Are you down at
29the lower farm. I wish I could come & see you in the winter Graaff
30Reinet must be lovely. So different from the endless cold cutting winds
31we have here. But asI don't like to leave in the winter, because I
32can't stay here in the summer. I have promised if I am well enough to
33go to Bloemfontein in the October to attend the dry farming Congress.
34Can't you come too? It would be so lovely to have you with me dear
35friend! I've never heard from Miss Hyett since she was with you,
36except one short note. Can you remember her address? I want to write
37to her.
38
39 Lady Constance Lytton is terribly ill. The last time she was in prison
40& force feed seems to have broken her for-ever. A particle from the
41worn-out heart has got into one of the arteries in the brain - she had
42a stroke & has not been able to speak for a month, all her face is
43drawn on one side, & she cannot move the arm & leg on one side. Its
44very terrible for those of us to whom she stands as the noblest purest
45woman-soul we have ever known. The doctors say the particle may be
46absorbed in time & she may be able to move about but she will never be
47able to stand the least excite again, as there will always be the
48danger of particles from the worn out heart breaking off again &
49getting into the circulation.
50
51 I saw much of dear Jessie Innes when I was in town. Her daughter
52Countess Von Molke with her husband & three lovely children are
53spending some months with her. Her daughter is so sweet & simple &
54unchanged, just as she was when a little girl.
55
56 Give my warm love to the darling children
57 Yours ever & ever
58 Olive
59
60 Dear old Minnie de Villiers has gone to visit her mother Mrs Drummond
61at Somerset East. It was so hard that I wasn't well enough to get down
62to the station as she passed to see her. She was here an hour. But I
63hope I shall see her when she comes back. Do you still see Votes for Women?
64
65