"Going with me to England, think it all over carefully" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/64 |
| Archive | National English Literary Museum, Grahamstown |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 1913 |
| Address From | na |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Minnie or Mimmie Murray nee Parkes |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please 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. This letter has been approximately dated by reference to content.
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1
Dear Friend
2
3 I'm very ill. ^They^ I want ^me^ to go to England in December to see if
4the doctors can't do anything for me. I doubt whether I shall be here
5then, but it may be the height here that is making me so bad.
6
7 Would you do something for me. When you are down at ?Bedestrom & are
8quite settled & have time, would you try to find whether I could get a
9nice sunny room with a fireplace or a tiny cheap cottage on the left
10right hand side as you come into Graaff Reinet from Oudeberg, that
11high part you know I liked. Or is there a double story house a little
12lower where I could get a room by the week. I'm too ill to stay with
13friends; & its no use my going to a Hotel or boarding house because I
14can't eat ordinary food any more. I would hire a coloured or white
15girl to stay with me. Graaff Reinet is much lower than this, & I might
16get better there. Perhaps Dr Kegan who was always so kind to me might
17know of a place. Would you send this on to him. I have great
18confidence in him as a Doctor & perhaps he might know of a place where
19I could get a room. I would like it by the week because if I get worse
20there or am as bad as here I'd rather be in my own little home.
21
22 Olive
23
24 ^Don't take the room till I wire I am coming. I may not be able to. It
25there a nursing home at Graaff Reinet? It's my heart that's so bad.^
26
27
28
2
3 I'm very ill. ^They^ I want ^me^ to go to England in December to see if
4the doctors can't do anything for me. I doubt whether I shall be here
5then, but it may be the height here that is making me so bad.
6
7 Would you do something for me. When you are down at ?Bedestrom & are
8quite settled & have time, would you try to find whether I could get a
9nice sunny room with a fireplace or a tiny cheap cottage on the left
10right hand side as you come into Graaff Reinet from Oudeberg, that
11high part you know I liked. Or is there a double story house a little
12lower where I could get a room by the week. I'm too ill to stay with
13friends; & its no use my going to a Hotel or boarding house because I
14can't eat ordinary food any more. I would hire a coloured or white
15girl to stay with me. Graaff Reinet is much lower than this, & I might
16get better there. Perhaps Dr Kegan who was always so kind to me might
17know of a place. Would you send this on to him. I have great
18confidence in him as a Doctor & perhaps he might know of a place where
19I could get a room. I would like it by the week because if I get worse
20there or am as bad as here I'd rather be in my own little home.
21
22 Olive
23
24 ^Don't take the room till I wire I am coming. I may not be able to. It
25there a nursing home at Graaff Reinet? It's my heart that's so bad.^
26
27
28