"Small Schreiner expected by Will & Fan, many London friends" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner: Mary Sauer MSC 26/2.11.12 |
| Archive | National Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | February 1891 |
| Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Mary Sauer nee Cloete |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 188-9 |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the National Library of South Africa (NLSA), Cape Town, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Special Collections. The month and year have been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
|
1
Matjesfontein
2
3 My dear Mary
4
5 Thank you so much for writing to me. I was feeling so depressed this
6morning, such an unusual thing with me, I am always so happy, & I was
7so glad to get your letter
8
9 My plans are all now uncertain. My nephew has come out, the son of my
10favourite brother the person I love best in the world, & if he hasn't
11any one else, I must take him about a bit to Kimberley, & Grahamstown
12to see my mother. This month if I have to go to Kimberley won't you
13like to come with us? Spend a few days here first, come up with my
14nephew? He's a boy of 19 who has come out here for a trip before he
15goes to Cambridge. Please do. I will write & tell you when he is
16coming, & the children can stay here ^in my house^ while we go on.
17
18 I am not sure of the time till I hear my nephews other plans.
19
20 I've not had asthma, but I've been working hard, & was tired but am
21all right again.
22
23 I shall have to be in Cape Town on the 10th ^of April;^ just for a day
24to see my sister off to England. Then I shall see you too. Some very
25delightful people have been staying here, a Mr Ellis an English MP &
26two friends.
27
28 ^I expect him to call on Mr Sauer when he is in town. Hope you will
29both like him. He has a letter of introduction. Olive.^
30
31 PS
32 I am going to pay Peter Naude's passage home to England when my sister
33goes, but I'm not sure that till next year I could pay all his other
34expenses. If when he is in Europe he paints pictures, say, copies of
35old Master's, would you try to sell them for him in Cape Town??
36
37 I have just heard that the woman I love almost best in all the world
38had to undergo a terrible operation (to have one of her ovaries
39removed). If I had had the least idea of it I should have gone home at
40once to be with her, but they completely kept it from me till it had
41been over for three weeks. If she should get worse again I shall go
42home at once.
43
44 ^I don't ?understand you thought I'd rather that ?stupid ?thing^
45
46 ^It will be so lovely to have the children here. I would like so to get
47to know Dorothy. But she has to be made friends with like a grown up
48person. Is Mr Sauer quite well still?^
49
2
3 My dear Mary
4
5 Thank you so much for writing to me. I was feeling so depressed this
6morning, such an unusual thing with me, I am always so happy, & I was
7so glad to get your letter
8
9 My plans are all now uncertain. My nephew has come out, the son of my
10favourite brother the person I love best in the world, & if he hasn't
11any one else, I must take him about a bit to Kimberley, & Grahamstown
12to see my mother. This month if I have to go to Kimberley won't you
13like to come with us? Spend a few days here first, come up with my
14nephew? He's a boy of 19 who has come out here for a trip before he
15goes to Cambridge. Please do. I will write & tell you when he is
16coming, & the children can stay here ^in my house^ while we go on.
17
18 I am not sure of the time till I hear my nephews other plans.
19
20 I've not had asthma, but I've been working hard, & was tired but am
21all right again.
22
23 I shall have to be in Cape Town on the 10th ^of April;^ just for a day
24to see my sister off to England. Then I shall see you too. Some very
25delightful people have been staying here, a Mr Ellis an English MP &
26two friends.
27
28 ^I expect him to call on Mr Sauer when he is in town. Hope you will
29both like him. He has a letter of introduction. Olive.^
30
31 PS
32 I am going to pay Peter Naude's passage home to England when my sister
33goes, but I'm not sure that till next year I could pay all his other
34expenses. If when he is in Europe he paints pictures, say, copies of
35old Master's, would you try to sell them for him in Cape Town??
36
37 I have just heard that the woman I love almost best in all the world
38had to undergo a terrible operation (to have one of her ovaries
39removed). If I had had the least idea of it I should have gone home at
40once to be with her, but they completely kept it from me till it had
41been over for three weeks. If she should get worse again I shall go
42home at once.
43
44 ^I don't ?understand you thought I'd rather that ?stupid ?thing^
45
46 ^It will be so lovely to have the children here. I would like so to get
47to know Dorothy. But she has to be made friends with like a grown up
48person. Is Mr Sauer quite well still?^
49
Notation
Rive's (1987) version of this letter has been misdated, omits part of the letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version of this letter has been misdated, omits part of the letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.