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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner: Mary Sauer MSC 26/2.11.86
ArchiveNational Library of South Africa, Special Collections, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date23 February 1895
Address FromThe Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape
Address To
Who ToMary Sauer nee Cloete
Other VersionsRive 1987: 248
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. Schreiner was resident in Kimberley from early August 1894 to November 1898.
1 Thank you, my darling, for your sweet gift which came today. One of
2your little dresses I will put out in the basket to be the first the
3little one puts on. They are so lovely. I am not so fit as I have
4hoped to be the last months, but I suppose the terrible heat accounts
5for it.
6
7 My nurse is coming to see me tomorrow. She seems to me a sweet, strong,
8 sensible person; quite unlike most hospital nurses in her gentle
9sweet manner. The doctor says there is no need for me to think the
10little one will come before the 28th April: & it may be a week or ten
11days after that date.
12
13 Cron goes down on Wednesday. Do try & get him to stay a day after the
14congress is over & go up Table Mountain it will do him such good & I
15want you to see more of him. He seems to fear the baby may be born
16while he is away, but there is not the slightest need to fear that.
17
18 I got a letter from Maud White today. She is taking her terrible fate
19in a very noble & strong spirit. My great fear was lest she should
20fail under the burden, in-stead of rising up to bear it as she is
21doing. I do hope Ella Shippard is not going to make a mistake in her
22marriage: I always feel so anxious when women especially those with
23very sensitive natures marry. I believe my husband is the only man in
24the world I could have been quite happy with.
25
26 Do you know why Sir Henry Loch has resigned? Your answer will be
27strictly private I won't even tell Cron if you care to answer, & know.
28^the reason.^
29
30 I shall be glad when the little one comes, & then I can settle to hard
31work. Now I can't do much, in fact nothing but trot about my housework.
32 I never seem to have the strength to work at my books.
33
34 Good bye, dear.
35 Olive
36
37 Feb 23 / 95
38
39 I shall take your wire as coming for tomorrow.
40
41 OS
42
Notation
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.