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| Letter Reference | Edward Carpenter 359/51 |
| Archive | Sheffield Archives, Archives & Local Studies, Sheffield |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 4 September 1890 |
| Address From | Matjesfontein, Western Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Edward Carpenter |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 176-7 |
| Permissions | Please 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.
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1
Matjesfontein
2 Sep 4 / 90
3
4 Dear Edward
5
6 You seem to have got very far from me some how Bob says he won’t
7come with me up country, but I dropped the last half of his letter
8before I had read it & couldn’t find it. Perhaps he said he might.
9 I am really seeing my way to the end of my work, & not long after Xmas
10I shall be able to give up all my time to working getting things ready
11for a start. That will take a couple of months.
12
13 Oh the heavens are such a clear, lovely blue here. You can’t think
14how near Heaven one feels when one looks up at it. I hope you will see
15it some day. Those people you want won’t come to you, and those you
16don’t, will.
17
18 I am going to have a great joy next week, perhaps; my brother is
19coming to stay two days with me. He’s such a noble fellow. Not a
20socialist in theory, but more of a socialist in practice than any man
21I know. Very broad & willing to let everyone go their own way. He’s
22a barrister.
23
24 I wish you could see the wonderful little plants here. Do you know
25I’m beginning to feel I should be quite
26
27^Have you heard anything of my dear old Friend Karl Pearson lately? Is
28he married I’m sure he’ll be very happy & have the best of all
29possible lives. ^
30
31 Olive
32
33 Address Matjesfontein
34 Cape Colony
35 South Africa
36
37
38
2 Sep 4 / 90
3
4 Dear Edward
5
6 You seem to have got very far from me some how Bob says he won’t
7come with me up country, but I dropped the last half of his letter
8before I had read it & couldn’t find it. Perhaps he said he might.
9 I am really seeing my way to the end of my work, & not long after Xmas
10I shall be able to give up all my time to working getting things ready
11for a start. That will take a couple of months.
12
13 Oh the heavens are such a clear, lovely blue here. You can’t think
14how near Heaven one feels when one looks up at it. I hope you will see
15it some day. Those people you want won’t come to you, and those you
16don’t, will.
17
18 I am going to have a great joy next week, perhaps; my brother is
19coming to stay two days with me. He’s such a noble fellow. Not a
20socialist in theory, but more of a socialist in practice than any man
21I know. Very broad & willing to let everyone go their own way. He’s
22a barrister.
23
24 I wish you could see the wonderful little plants here. Do you know
25I’m beginning to feel I should be quite
26
27^Have you heard anything of my dear old Friend Karl Pearson lately? Is
28he married I’m sure he’ll be very happy & have the best of all
29possible lives. ^
30
31 Olive
32
33 Address Matjesfontein
34 Cape Colony
35 South Africa
36
37
38
Notation
'My work' refers to the articles Schreiner originally published pseudonymously from 1891 on as by 'A Returned South African', intended for publication in book form as 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'. Most of these essays were written or drafted while she was in Matjesfontein. Although later prepared for book publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War prevented this. They and some related essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. Riv'?s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
'My work' refers to the articles Schreiner originally published pseudonymously from 1891 on as by 'A Returned South African', intended for publication in book form as 'Stray Thoughts on South Africa'. Most of these essays were written or drafted while she was in Matjesfontein. Although later prepared for book publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War prevented this. They and some related essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. Riv'?s (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.