"Thrown away 10 years of my life to prevent inevitable" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Smuts A1/191/53 |
| Archive | National Archives Repository, Pretoria |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 1 December 1908 |
| Address From | De Aar, Northern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Jan Smuts |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the National Archives Repository, Pretoria, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Special Collections.
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1
de Aar
2 Dec 1st 1908
3
4 Dear Nief Jannie
5
6 I have just got your wire. Thank you very much, but I can’t leave
7just now. Perhaps in the middle of the month, when the heat gets too
8great to stand here I may be able to come down & spend a week with you
9as I shall have to go to Matjesfontein as I can’t do any writing
10here. I shall be at the station on Thursday to have a peep at Isie &
11the children. I feel I shall never see her again if I don’t take the
12chance of coming to Cape Town. You know my thoughts are often with you,
13 & Malan. It would break my heart if I had to part from either of you
14politically. You are the two men I look forward to doing great work
15for South Africa when we old figures have passed away. But can you do
16great work unless your thoughts & ideals are larger than those of the
17mere racial & party politician?
18
19 Your loving small
20 Aunt
21 Olive
22
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2 Dec 1st 1908
3
4 Dear Nief Jannie
5
6 I have just got your wire. Thank you very much, but I can’t leave
7just now. Perhaps in the middle of the month, when the heat gets too
8great to stand here I may be able to come down & spend a week with you
9as I shall have to go to Matjesfontein as I can’t do any writing
10here. I shall be at the station on Thursday to have a peep at Isie &
11the children. I feel I shall never see her again if I don’t take the
12chance of coming to Cape Town. You know my thoughts are often with you,
13 & Malan. It would break my heart if I had to part from either of you
14politically. You are the two men I look forward to doing great work
15for South Africa when we old figures have passed away. But can you do
16great work unless your thoughts & ideals are larger than those of the
17mere racial & party politician?
18
19 Your loving small
20 Aunt
21 Olive
22
23