"Mill's Logic as most affecting OS spiritual life, her debt to Mill can never be repaid" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box1/Fold5/1898/18
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date22 August 1898
Address FromThe Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape
Address ToGirls Collegiate School, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
Who ToBetty Molteno
Other Versions
PermissionsPlease 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 has been derived from the postmark on an attached envelope, which also provides the address it was sent to. The name of the addressee is indicated by salutation and content. Schreiner was resident in Kimberley from early August 1894 to November 1898. The final insertion is on the envelope.
1 My dear Friend
2
3 I am very ill, I seem to have no life left & can do nothing. The
4doctor says is only my heart; but I believe if I could have the joy of
5seeing you & the sea, & the bright good life at your school & your
6dear teachers it would do me good. If I do wire to you in a few days
7time that I am coming could you get me a bed somewhere on the hill in
8a boarding house or better if you can in a lodging house where I would
9only need to have the room & could go out for my meals if I wanted any.
10 I only want to lie still & rest now. I am so glad my brother had such
11a complete victory. It seems the only thing that has really pierced
12the circle of pain with which I am surrounded. I believe he will do
13good work in South Africa if his health holds out. And the little
14birds are such a comfort to me. There is one little brown bird so full
15of life & joy & vigour who always walks up & down on the verandah
16posts every morning. I some how seem to keep my unreadable hold on
17life though them. All the birds I like so.
18
19 Good bye, dear. Just send me a wire "all right", & I shall know that
20if I feel I must come you will be able to get me the room.
21 Olive
22
23 Give my love to dear old Lloyd too if you see him. He’s been very
24unwell too.
25
26 I think both your brothers are sure to get in & dear old John X. But
27you know it doesn’t matter whether we in now or don’t; in the end
28right must conquer; through the ages if not in our time.
29
30 ^Perhaps Cron will be coming down with me if his election work is over
31& then we shall want two small room or one larger.^
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