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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner: Mary Sauer MSC 26/2.11.52
ArchiveNational Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date27 April 1892
Address FromMatjesfontein, Western Cape
Address To
Who ToMary Sauer nee Cloete
Other VersionsRive 1987: 204-5
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.
1 Matjesfontein
2 April 27 / 92
3
4 My darling Mary
5
6 I've nothing new to say to night, but I've had you so in my mind last
7night & today. How are you dear? Well & happy?
8
9 Did you get the papers I sent you? I went for a walk today, & lay down
10in the river bed to be out of the cold wind, like when you were here.
11I'm working very hard now. I want to be able to go home in April ^I may
12have to go to Mashonaland^, & I wont go till my work is quite done, & I
13am free to throw myself entirely again into practical work ^again^. I
14have an idea of starting in America & England when I go there a large
15womans society, whose aims shall be in no sense political, & for which
16it seems to me the time is now ripe in Europe. I shall never love any
17country so well as Africa, & when I die I hope they will bring my body
18back here; but beyond finding quiet to work & think here, I feel I
19feel I have nothing to give keep me. My real work it seems to me lies
20there; while my heart is here.
21
22 How are our little ones. Your children are so delightful Mary, there
23are very few like them.
24
25 Have you seen anything more of the Marriotts? I hear from them every
26day one or other; & Captain Marriott told me he had paid you a nice
27long visit. I thought when I left England & came out here I was
28leaving every thing I loved there, but if I stayed here long I should
29find as much here.
30
31 I don't know when I shall come down to Town; as soon as Captain
32Marriott
can find me a big sunny room to work in ^perhaps^, or the rain
33& wind drive me out of this. I'm getting so fond of my tumble-down
34little house, I should like to carry it about on my back as a snail
35does its shell.
36
37 Good night.
38
39 I don't know why I long so to see you
40 Olive
41
42 P.S. Friday
43 I've just got your letter. Didn't post this before because I had no
44envelope.
45
46 Thank you so much for your letter
47 Olive
48
49 I am very well indeed & working so hard, ^but^ I get tired of it after a
50bit & must have rest. I may come to Town. I don't know. For some
51things ^I should like Kimberley better, if the Marriotts would come there^
52
Notation
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.