"Victoria Falls fill one with joy" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | G.W. Cross MS 14, 462/13 |
| Archive | Cory Library, Rhodes University, Grahamstown |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | April 1896 |
| Address From | na |
| Address To | |
| Who To | G.W. Cross |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 274 |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the Cory Library for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of their collections. The letter has been dated by reference to content.
|
1
Private
2
3 My dear Friend
4
5 Please be careful not to say anything to my dear little mother that's
6about my political views. I never answer her letters on the subject or
7refer to the matters she dis-cusses. I fear my articles will very much
8anger her as they are sympathetic towards the Boer. Curiously enough
9Ons Land the leading Dutch paper has a leader attacking me & my
10articles right & left! I can understand that Jingo Englishmen should
11attack me saying it was too sympathetic to the Boer, but that the Boer
12should attack me, gives me the same sense of surprise that one would
13have, if you went to help a little man whom a big one was knocking
14down, & he were to start up & give you a blow between the eyes!!!
15
16 It was a great pleasure to us both to see you. Tell me what you think
17of the books.
18
19 My friendly greetings to your wife I wish I had met her. Tell her she
20is very rich with five sons. But I expect she knows that.
21
22 Olive Schreiner
23
24 ^ I liked your friend very much indeed.
25 OS ^
26
27
28 ^I send you the rough copy of my article please return it, & tell me
29what you think of it. Do you see why it should enrage the Boer?^
30
31 ^Private^
32
2
3 My dear Friend
4
5 Please be careful not to say anything to my dear little mother that's
6about my political views. I never answer her letters on the subject or
7refer to the matters she dis-cusses. I fear my articles will very much
8anger her as they are sympathetic towards the Boer. Curiously enough
9Ons Land the leading Dutch paper has a leader attacking me & my
10articles right & left! I can understand that Jingo Englishmen should
11attack me saying it was too sympathetic to the Boer, but that the Boer
12should attack me, gives me the same sense of surprise that one would
13have, if you went to help a little man whom a big one was knocking
14down, & he were to start up & give you a blow between the eyes!!!
15
16 It was a great pleasure to us both to see you. Tell me what you think
17of the books.
18
19 My friendly greetings to your wife I wish I had met her. Tell her she
20is very rich with five sons. But I expect she knows that.
21
22 Olive Schreiner
23
24 ^ I liked your friend very much indeed.
25 OS ^
26
27
28 ^I send you the rough copy of my article please return it, & tell me
29what you think of it. Do you see why it should enrage the Boer?^
30
31 ^Private^
32
Notation
The 'attack' on Schreiner in Ons Land concerned her 'Returned South African' essays and occurred on 18 April 1896 in connection with her essay on 'The Boer', part of which had been published a few days previously in the Cape Times. Rive's version omits part of this letter and it is also in a number of respects incorrect
The 'attack' on Schreiner in Ons Land concerned her 'Returned South African' essays and occurred on 18 April 1896 in connection with her essay on 'The Boer', part of which had been published a few days previously in the Cape Times. Rive's version omits part of this letter and it is also in a number of respects incorrect