"The prostitute friend, new friendship between man & woman" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box1/Fold5/1898/3 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Sunday 27 March 1898 |
| Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
| Address To | Girls Collegiate School, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape |
| Who To | Betty Molteno |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 327 |
| 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 has been derived from the postmark on an attached envelope, while the name of the addressee and the address it was sent to are on its front. Schreiner was resident in Kimberley from early August 1894 to November 1898.
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1
Sunday
2
3 My darling Friend
4
5 I have got so silly, crying all day & all night for nothing, that I am
6going to the Kowie no place has the same tonicing effect on me. I am
7always strong there. Can’t you & Miss Greene come for a couple of
8days? We always go to Coles Hotel. There is a little separate building
9that used to be a billiard room, now divided into three bedrooms I
10have wired down to them to keep the middle bedroom for us, it’s the
11one one we always have; there’s another larger & much nicer next to
12it. I am asking him by letter to reserve it for you till he hears from
13you. If you are coming wire & ask him if he can keep for you the large
14end bedroom ^next to mine^ in the billiard room little house. It will be
15so nice if we can have the place all to ourselves. I think you will
16like the Kowie. I made Peter Halket there, & it’s the last place I
17was well enough to do any work in, & it seems I shall be quite well
18again if I get there. The breakers are so big & lovely. Bring your
19bathing dresses of course.
20
21 Olive
22
23 We start from here on Monday the 4th unless we change our plans.
24
25 Mr Lloyd arrives on Tuesday to spend a few days with us.
26
27
28
2
3 My darling Friend
4
5 I have got so silly, crying all day & all night for nothing, that I am
6going to the Kowie no place has the same tonicing effect on me. I am
7always strong there. Can’t you & Miss Greene come for a couple of
8days? We always go to Coles Hotel. There is a little separate building
9that used to be a billiard room, now divided into three bedrooms I
10have wired down to them to keep the middle bedroom for us, it’s the
11one one we always have; there’s another larger & much nicer next to
12it. I am asking him by letter to reserve it for you till he hears from
13you. If you are coming wire & ask him if he can keep for you the large
14end bedroom ^next to mine^ in the billiard room little house. It will be
15so nice if we can have the place all to ourselves. I think you will
16like the Kowie. I made Peter Halket there, & it’s the last place I
17was well enough to do any work in, & it seems I shall be quite well
18again if I get there. The breakers are so big & lovely. Bring your
19bathing dresses of course.
20
21 Olive
22
23 We start from here on Monday the 4th unless we change our plans.
24
25 Mr Lloyd arrives on Tuesday to spend a few days with us.
26
27
28
Notation
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.