"We thought Milner was our new George Grey" Read the full letter
Collection Summary | View All |  Arrange By:
< Prev |
Viewing Item
of 397 | Next >
Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner: Mary Sauer MSC 26/2.11.49
ArchiveNational Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date26 February 1892
Address FromMatjesfontein, Western Cape
Address To
Who ToMary Sauer nee Cloete
Other VersionsRive 1987: 200
PermissionsPlease 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 date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
1 Matjesfontein
2
3 My darling Mary
4
5 I don't know why I feel I must write to you this afternoon because
6I've got nothing to say. It's such a beautiful still heavenly day, I
7wish you were here. Have you been having a good time lately? What have
8you been doing? Are the little ones flourishing? Are you going to
9Aliwal with Mr Sauer?
10
11 I am very well & strong & working hard all day long; only late night
12when I come over from the station after dinner I sometimes feel a
13little lonely. I am tired then of working, & can't think any more.
14
15 I am going home to Europe on or about the 30th of March next year.
16Then I shall have been exactly the three years I said I would stay
17here. It will be very beautiful to see all my friends again. I begin
18to feel I need intercourse with other minds to rest me. But dear, I
19shall never forget you, nor how beautiful you have ?helped to makde my
20stay in Africa to me. In many ways it has been a hard time but I am
21glad I came. I hope to have all my work, even the big sex book done by
22that time to take home.
23
24 There is no one at Matjesfontein now except my self & a Mr & Mrs Rhys
25Thomas from Kennilworth: even the Logans are away for a week. The
26Marriotts
are coming here on the 15th of March, & on the 30th I shall
27go g down to Cape Town with them, but shall only stay for three days.
28I am going up Table Mountain by myself. It must be so beautiful to be
29up there quite alone. Someday you must come up with me. It would be so
30nice to lie & talk there.
31
32 Did you see Mr ?Boyle before he went? He is so sweet, & beautifully
33sincere.
34
35 Good bye, my darling. I shall leave buying Dorothy's present till I
36come.
37
38 Good bye
39 Olive
40
Notation
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.