"First real letter to Ellis, Spencer's First Principles" Read the full letter
Collection Summary | View All |  Arrange By:
< Prev |
Viewing Item
of 1895 | Next >
Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold2/July-Dec1899/5
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateThursday 9 July 1899
Address FromCradock, Eastern Cape
Address Toc/o Mrs Blenkins, Cradock, Eastern Cape
Who ToBetty Molteno and Alice Greene
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 has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. The names of the addressees and the address this letter was sent to are provided by an attached envelope, from which the stamp and postmark have been removed.
1 Thurs-day night
2
3 Dear Friends
4
5 I have just heard that J.H. Hofmeyr is coming over tomorrow at ten
6o’clock. I am going to the station just to shake hands with him.
7There is to be a dinner in the evening to which Cron is going - just a
8private dinner got up by a few friends. If I were a man I would go too.
9 I got such a delightful letter just now from my brother Will’s wife:
10 the nicest I ever had from her. It is wonderful how this national
11struggle is stirring the hearts of women & waking them up to an
12impersonal interest they never had before.
13
14 My darling Husband seems more depressed than I’ve ever known him
15here; & it’s strange I feel more hopeful today as to the possibility
16of staving off the war for the present. The future long fight of the
17years with capitalism nothing can save up us from. But if we can only
18enter on it Dutch & English together, & not divided as now, the gain
19will be great. I will write tomorrow & tell you about Hofmeyer’s
20visit. If you see Mr Lloyd in Port Elizabeth, give him a copy of my
21pamphlet to read & urge him to come on at once. There are those here
22who don’t want him to return because they fear his fearless spirit.
23
24 I am so happy when I think of Miss Greene eating & her old self again.
25Wouldn’t you like to go out & spend a day at the farm Krantz Plaats?
26You would love my dear old John Purseglove so & I think you would love
27the strange old place. If you write & tell him you are my friends he
28will be delighted to see you.
29
30 Olive
31
32 Mr Purseglove’s address is
33
34 J Purseglove
35 Krantz Plaats
36 PO Halesowen
37
38 You can see the house from the Railway.
39
40
41
Notation
Schreiner has written 'Please forward' on the envelope. The pamphlet referred to is An English South African's View of the Situation, originally published in the South African News over three successive days; see 'Words in Season. An English South African's View of the Situation' South African News 1 June 1899 (p.8), 2 June 1899 (p.8) and 3 June 1899 (also p.8). It was also reprinted in a number of other newspapers. It then was published as a pamphlet, then as a book. A second edition of the book was ready but withdrawn from publication by Schreiner when the South African War started in October 1899, so as not to profit from this.