"Will Schreiner's death, first time in 50 years not writing to him on his birthday" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold2/July-Dec1899/27 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 12 September 1899 |
| Address From | Karree Kloof, Kran Kuil, Northern Cape |
| Address To | Girls Collegiate School, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape |
| Who To | Alice Greene |
| 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. The name of the addressee and the address this letter was sent to are provided by an attached envelope. She stayed on the farm Karee Kloof from the end of August to early November 1899.
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1
Sep 12th 1899
2
3 Did you see that the Standard & Diggers News of the 4th of Aug took
4over the whole of your letter about Butler & called it a fine "manly"
5letter!!
6
7 I am so much better & feeling happier & happier here, as one always
8gets to love these Karroo places better & better the longer one stays.
9The rocks about are covered with Bushman etchings, & in little
10"skerms" where the Bushmen used to live one can of pick up any number
11of their little arrowheads & other flint instruments.
12
13 Every evening I go a long long ride on horse back by myself, miles &
14miles over the velt: & come back after it is quite dark & all the
15stars are out, about seven or half past. Cron plays tennis with the
16two young men who live with his cousin. You would enjoy it here, you
17could play as much tennis as you liked. I keep thinking how you would
18love it all. We counted the dogs yesterday there are 25, colleys &
19fox-terriers.
20
21 There is no reason why human creatures should not be happy in this
22world unless they like first to produce an artificial Hell like
23Johannesburg & then go & live in it!
24
25 I am sorry that taxation bill has been thrown out in the Cape
26Parliament. It is one of the finest measures that has ever been
27proposed in this country. Cron is looking so fit & just like he used
28to look. I am revising another article.
29
30 My love to you my dear friends.
31 Olive
32
33
34
2
3 Did you see that the Standard & Diggers News of the 4th of Aug took
4over the whole of your letter about Butler & called it a fine "manly"
5letter!!
6
7 I am so much better & feeling happier & happier here, as one always
8gets to love these Karroo places better & better the longer one stays.
9The rocks about are covered with Bushman etchings, & in little
10"skerms" where the Bushmen used to live one can of pick up any number
11of their little arrowheads & other flint instruments.
12
13 Every evening I go a long long ride on horse back by myself, miles &
14miles over the velt: & come back after it is quite dark & all the
15stars are out, about seven or half past. Cron plays tennis with the
16two young men who live with his cousin. You would enjoy it here, you
17could play as much tennis as you liked. I keep thinking how you would
18love it all. We counted the dogs yesterday there are 25, colleys &
19fox-terriers.
20
21 There is no reason why human creatures should not be happy in this
22world unless they like first to produce an artificial Hell like
23Johannesburg & then go & live in it!
24
25 I am sorry that taxation bill has been thrown out in the Cape
26Parliament. It is one of the finest measures that has ever been
27proposed in this country. Cron is looking so fit & just like he used
28to look. I am revising another article.
29
30 My love to you my dear friends.
31 Olive
32
33
34
Notation
The particular article Schreiner was revising cannot be established.
The particular article Schreiner was revising cannot be established.