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Letter ReferenceEdward Carpenter 359/33
ArchiveSheffield Archives, Archives & Local Studies, Sheffield
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateSunday 1888
Address FromAlassio, Italy
Address To
Who ToEdward Carpenter
Other VersionsRive 1987: 144-5
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to the Sheffield Archives, Sheffield Libraries, Archives and Information Services, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Archive Collections. The year has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner stayed in Alassio from late October 1887 to February 1888 and from early April to May 1888, where she met and corresponded with Mary Drew in the early part of 1888.
1 Sunday night
2
3 My dear Edward,
4
5 I was glad to get your letter. You must get away to the sunshine if
6you can. We’ve had rain here for three or four days but the sun is
7sure to come out soon. Today has been a day of great anxiety to me. I
8have told someone to telegraph tomorrow if any of our people are
9killed. but I don’t think it will go so far.
10
11 I am working pretty well here. I cannot do very much in the day but
12what I do is good. I have just finished off a dream tonight. Mr
13Gladstone’s
daughter said she would like to see it: when she has
14done with it I’ll tell her to send it to you. I am writing a long
15dream on socialism which I am going to publish in the Fortnightly. I
16think it will be good, but writing it nearly kills one with excitement.
17 I am living quite alone here, never see or speak to anyone except
18about food at meal times. I shall stay here till summer then go to
19Venice for a few months & return here next winter. Give my love to
20George Adams. I hope your soul grows strong.
21
22 If you should see Karl Pearson will you write and tell me. If you
23should see him anywhere without speaking to him. I have not heard from
24anyone who has seen him for a very long time. You would never mention
25^me to him if you met him? I am going to try & get my novel off my
26hands next year.^
27
28^Rather a good published Fischer Unwin 26 Paternoster Square. If you
29can’t make arrangements with another you might go to him with the
30song book. Write to me soon if the spirit moves you. ^
31
32 Goodbye my old Chips.
33 Olive
34
35
36
Notation
The 'long dream on socialism' was in fact not published in the Fortnightly Review because of its length. See "The sunlight lay across my bed: Part I - Hell" New Review Vol 1, no 11, April 1890, pp.300-309; and "The sunlight lay across my bed: Part II - Heaven", New Review Vol 1, no 12, May 1890, pp.423-431. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.