"Work, isolation, getting away from people" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Schreiner-Hemming Family BC 1080 A1.7/162 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 17 November 1913 |
| Address From | De Aar, Northern Cape |
| Address To | Marsh?s Homes, Rondebosch, Cape Town, Western Cape |
| Who To | Wynnie Hemming |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to Manuscripts and Archives, University of Cape Town, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscripts and Archives Collections. The date of this letter is derived from the postmark on the attached envelope, which also provides the address the letter was sent to. Schreiner was resident in De Aar from November 1907 until she left South Africa for Britain and Europe in December 1913, but with some fairly lengthy visits elsewhere over this time.
|
1
Wynnie dear
2
3 I am burning all my old papers as I have no one to do it after I am
4dead I thought you might like to keep this letter from my darling Leo
5to me, & a sweet letter from your Mother.
6
7 I arrive in Cape Town on the 21st ^of Nov^ & sail on the 4th of Dec if I
8am f well enough
9
10 Good bye dear
11 Aunt Ol
12
13
14
2
3 I am burning all my old papers as I have no one to do it after I am
4dead I thought you might like to keep this letter from my darling Leo
5to me, & a sweet letter from your Mother.
6
7 I arrive in Cape Town on the 21st ^of Nov^ & sail on the 4th of Dec if I
8am f well enough
9
10 Good bye dear
11 Aunt Ol
12
13
14
Notation
Schreiner has enclosed with this letter the birthday letter which had been sent to her by a very young Leo (Leoffric) Hemming; this is on the other side of a letter from her sister Alice, Leo and Wynnie?s mother, dated 20 March 1877.
X March 20th 1877
My dearest Olive
These crosses are X
Leo's own idea of embellishment and beauty, so I hope they will be duly appreciated by you, He is really very fond of you & never forgets you, I wish you many happy returns of your 22nd birthday and may next year find you happier than ever, and so on as long as youunreadable unreadable unreadable When I think of the little red faced baby Mrs Austen held for us (Ettie & I) to kiss this day 22 years ago, I feel I must be getting a very old woman indeed. I am anxious to hear again from you some detailed account of what Mamma calls her accident what was it? and how did it happen? please also tell us more of her life at Cadwalladers
X A letter from dear old Auntie speaks of her not being X
Comfortable there, and makes us very anxious. Goodbye dear O Take the will for the deed & believe
And on the other side of the paper is:
My dear Aunt Olive
Mama says that to-day is your birth-day and so I am go-ing to write you a letter. I am very sorry that I can-not see you to wish you ma my happy returns of the day. I hope you are quite well I send my love to you. Wyn-nie can-not write but she sends her love also and so would Baby if she could. Her name is Ethelwyn and she loves me very much and laughs when I talk to her. When will you come to see us again. I go to scholl every day I am very fond of writing.
Goodbye my dear Auntie
I am
Your little
nephew
Leofric Hemming
P.S.
I am going to send you one of my cards.
Schreiner has enclosed with this letter the birthday letter which had been sent to her by a very young Leo (Leoffric) Hemming; this is on the other side of a letter from her sister Alice, Leo and Wynnie?s mother, dated 20 March 1877.
X March 20th 1877
My dearest Olive
These crosses are X
Leo's own idea of embellishment and beauty, so I hope they will be duly appreciated by you, He is really very fond of you & never forgets you, I wish you many happy returns of your 22nd birthday and may next year find you happier than ever, and so on as long as youunreadable unreadable unreadable When I think of the little red faced baby Mrs Austen held for us (Ettie & I) to kiss this day 22 years ago, I feel I must be getting a very old woman indeed. I am anxious to hear again from you some detailed account of what Mamma calls her accident what was it? and how did it happen? please also tell us more of her life at Cadwalladers
X A letter from dear old Auntie speaks of her not being X
Comfortable there, and makes us very anxious. Goodbye dear O Take the will for the deed & believe
And on the other side of the paper is:
My dear Aunt Olive
Mama says that to-day is your birth-day and so I am go-ing to write you a letter. I am very sorry that I can-not see you to wish you ma my happy returns of the day. I hope you are quite well I send my love to you. Wyn-nie can-not write but she sends her love also and so would Baby if she could. Her name is Ethelwyn and she loves me very much and laughs when I talk to her. When will you come to see us again. I go to scholl every day I am very fond of writing.
Goodbye my dear Auntie
I am
Your little
nephew
Leofric Hemming
P.S.
I am going to send you one of my cards.