"Thrown away 10 years of my life to prevent inevitable" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold2/July-Dec1899/21 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | Saturday 28 August 1899 |
| Address From | Johannesburg, Transvaal |
| Address To | Girls Collegiate School, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape |
| Who To | Betty Molteno |
| Other Versions | Rive 1987: 375-6 |
| 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, which also provides the name of the addressee and the address it was sent to. Schreiner was resident in Berea, Johannesburg, from December 1898 until late August 1899.
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1
Saturday
2
3 Dear Friend
4
5 We are just leaving. Thank you for your wires. I don’t think or feel
6any more I suppose I shall when I can get in the train & rest.
7
8 I don’t think there can be war now the Transvaal have offered the
9five years they can’t be so mad & wicked, but every one here expects
10war in a fortnight the heads of Cron’s office are all gone so there
11is no use in his staying on. I will send you a card from de Aar.
12
13 Olive
14
15 Kran Kuil Monday morning
16 We are just starting for the 10 hour drive to the farm. Oh the quiet
17of the country is so beautiful.
18
19
20
2
3 Dear Friend
4
5 We are just leaving. Thank you for your wires. I don’t think or feel
6any more I suppose I shall when I can get in the train & rest.
7
8 I don’t think there can be war now the Transvaal have offered the
9five years they can’t be so mad & wicked, but every one here expects
10war in a fortnight the heads of Cron’s office are all gone so there
11is no use in his staying on. I will send you a card from de Aar.
12
13 Olive
14
15 Kran Kuil Monday morning
16 We are just starting for the 10 hour drive to the farm. Oh the quiet
17of the country is so beautiful.
18
19
20
Notation
Schreinerwrote the body of this letter in Johannesburg and its PS on arrival at Kran Kuil en route for Karee Kloof. Rive's (1987) version has been misdated, omits part of the letter, and is also in a number of respects incorrect.
Schreinerwrote the body of this letter in Johannesburg and its PS on arrival at Kran Kuil en route for Karee Kloof. Rive's (1987) version has been misdated, omits part of the letter, and is also in a number of respects incorrect.