"Pen dipped in blood, hasten union" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/65 |
| Archive | National English Literary Museum, Grahamstown |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | After Start: Sunday January 1911 ; Before End: February 1911 |
| Address From | Oudeberg, Free State |
| 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. Schreiner stayed in Oudeberg from the end of January to late February 1911.
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1
Oudeberg
2 Sunday morning
3
4 Dear Mrs Murray
5
6 I've been wondering how you all got back again! I got nicely to Graaff
7Reinet & after dinner had a most glorious two hours sleep in Mrs
8Crumps big, cool, airy, upstairs bedroom. I felt just splendid after
9it. She & Mrs ?Miller were so kind. At 4.30 the cart came for me, & we
10had a lovely drive up with delicious cool South Easter behind us. Mr
11Stretch has two wonderful mules that trot out the whole of this hill &
12want be held in!! I had a very good night. This morning is beautiful &
13cool, & fresh. I went for a walk before breakfast all along the foot
14of the mountain till you get along the to the top of that kloof you
15see from the nek at Portlock. When you come we must go that way. It's
16much nicer that the walks we went. I thought how the children would
17like it - big rocks & trees & hundreds of Baboons calling on the
18mountain side.
19
20 It is beautiful to think you are coming again. I feel quite a lump in
21my throat when I think of dear old Portlock. How can I thank you & Mr
22Murray for all your great kindness to me! I feel the richer for having
23got really to know you all.
24
25 Of course I can't say how this place will suit me when it gets hot;
26but today the air is splendid. Good bye. There is an opportunity in so
27I must get my letters all done quickly. Give my love to the dear
28children & to Miss Huxley. She's a very sweet girl, when I've "done
29the book" & got the ox waggon I'd like to have her as my companion &
30private secretary to travel about with me! Grand, ah?
31
32 There's a lovely little spring horse waggon here, that Mr Stretch goes
33about trading in with 8 mules I go & look at the waggon with loving
34eyes; but it's not so nice as mine. Its just a bare little tent waggon;
35 but still very nice.
36
37 Yours ever
38 Olive Schreiner
39
40 I send £2/00 because you knew it was a bargain before I came. And, as
41Kathie would say, "You know you must keep your pennies!"
42
43 ^Thanks so much for the lemons. I've just had one.^
44
45
2 Sunday morning
3
4 Dear Mrs Murray
5
6 I've been wondering how you all got back again! I got nicely to Graaff
7Reinet & after dinner had a most glorious two hours sleep in Mrs
8Crumps big, cool, airy, upstairs bedroom. I felt just splendid after
9it. She & Mrs ?Miller were so kind. At 4.30 the cart came for me, & we
10had a lovely drive up with delicious cool South Easter behind us. Mr
11Stretch has two wonderful mules that trot out the whole of this hill &
12want be held in!! I had a very good night. This morning is beautiful &
13cool, & fresh. I went for a walk before breakfast all along the foot
14of the mountain till you get along the to the top of that kloof you
15see from the nek at Portlock. When you come we must go that way. It's
16much nicer that the walks we went. I thought how the children would
17like it - big rocks & trees & hundreds of Baboons calling on the
18mountain side.
19
20 It is beautiful to think you are coming again. I feel quite a lump in
21my throat when I think of dear old Portlock. How can I thank you & Mr
22Murray for all your great kindness to me! I feel the richer for having
23got really to know you all.
24
25 Of course I can't say how this place will suit me when it gets hot;
26but today the air is splendid. Good bye. There is an opportunity in so
27I must get my letters all done quickly. Give my love to the dear
28children & to Miss Huxley. She's a very sweet girl, when I've "done
29the book" & got the ox waggon I'd like to have her as my companion &
30private secretary to travel about with me! Grand, ah?
31
32 There's a lovely little spring horse waggon here, that Mr Stretch goes
33about trading in with 8 mules I go & look at the waggon with loving
34eyes; but it's not so nice as mine. Its just a bare little tent waggon;
35 but still very nice.
36
37 Yours ever
38 Olive Schreiner
39
40 I send £2/00 because you knew it was a bargain before I came. And, as
41Kathie would say, "You know you must keep your pennies!"
42
43 ^Thanks so much for the lemons. I've just had one.^
44
45
Notation
Schreiner's 'when I?ve done the book' comment refers to From Man to Man.
Schreiner's 'when I?ve done the book' comment refers to From Man to Man.