"Cronwright-Schreiner is a child" Read the full letter
Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box1/Fold3/1896/33 |
Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | December 1896 |
Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Address To | |
Who To | Frances (‘Fan’) Schreiner nee Reitz |
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. Schreiner was resident in Kimberley from early August 1894 to November 1898. She was in Britain and Europe from January to September 1897.
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1
Dear Fan,
2
3 I’m not sure whether you owe me a letter or you owe me one.
4
5 All is going well with us Cron arm is getting quite strong, but he
6can’t get it straight.
7
8 We are sailing for England on the 6th of January by the Dunvegan
9Castle My great chums Miss Molteno & Miss Green are going with us so
10we shall be a nice little party. I am learning to ride the bicycle.
11You ought to start one, I’ve got a beauty, a Singer, which was given
12me by one of Cron’s friends.
13
14 A When is Nelly Devenish to be married? Have you seen the man she is
15to marry?
16
17 The heat here is very terrible now, today & yesterday especially but I
18have had a ventilator put on over our house, which makes it
19beautifully cool, - as cool as anything can be in such weather.
20
21 It is the beginning of Dec, & there is not yet a blade of green grass;
22it is as barren as mid winter. We have no milk on account of the
23disease, & no butter, but tinned Irish, & tiny potatoes are a penny
24each, bigger ones a penny-ha’penny! But now the rains have come down
25country things must get better here soon.
26
27 Give unreadable my love to the small people. I am so glad to hear your
28brother Frank is better.
29
30 Get a bicycle & make Will get one.
31
32 Your little sis,
33 Olive
34
35
36
2
3 I’m not sure whether you owe me a letter or you owe me one.
4
5 All is going well with us Cron arm is getting quite strong, but he
6can’t get it straight.
7
8 We are sailing for England on the 6th of January by the Dunvegan
9Castle My great chums Miss Molteno & Miss Green are going with us so
10we shall be a nice little party. I am learning to ride the bicycle.
11You ought to start one, I’ve got a beauty, a Singer, which was given
12me by one of Cron’s friends.
13
14 A When is Nelly Devenish to be married? Have you seen the man she is
15to marry?
16
17 The heat here is very terrible now, today & yesterday especially but I
18have had a ventilator put on over our house, which makes it
19beautifully cool, - as cool as anything can be in such weather.
20
21 It is the beginning of Dec, & there is not yet a blade of green grass;
22it is as barren as mid winter. We have no milk on account of the
23disease, & no butter, but tinned Irish, & tiny potatoes are a penny
24each, bigger ones a penny-ha’penny! But now the rains have come down
25country things must get better here soon.
26
27 Give unreadable my love to the small people. I am so glad to hear your
28brother Frank is better.
29
30 Get a bicycle & make Will get one.
31
32 Your little sis,
33 Olive
34
35
36