"My arms stretching out to Alice Greene; if I could put my love into words, must feel it coming to you across the miles" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box2/Fold4/1901/8 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 15 February 1901 |
| Address From | Hanover, Northern Cape |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Betty Molteno |
| 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 is indicated by salutation and content.
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1
Hanover
2 Feb 15 / 01
3
4 My dear Friend
5
6 I was so glad to get your note. I wonder if you’ve gone to Caledon
7yet. I am feeling better in health.
8
9 We live in perpetual war scares. Last night the whole town was aroused
10by the firing off of guns in the kopjes round & the ringing of the
11church bells. There were few people slept in the town last night. This
12morning it turn out one of the guards in the kopjes thought he saw a
13Boer creeping towards him, & fired, & roused all our defense forces;
14this morning a donkey was found lying dead, whom the guard had
15evidently mistaken for the Boer.
16
17 There may be these thousands of Boers surrounding the town, but anyhow
18I won’t believe in them till I see them. I’m something of the
19nature of Thomas I don’t believe in things till I see them. But its
20marvellous the state some people work themselves into. We could hear
21the cannon firing yesterday but don’t know where. The worst of it
22all is it wastes ones time: one cant think, one can’t read, one
23can’t write! One’s always waiting for one doesn’t know what.
24Typhoid is raging there. Sometimes there are as many as four funerals
25in a day. The doctor’s wife here is dying of typhoid, & other white
26people I know personally are down with it; & I don’t know how many
27besides. Good bye, dear friend. I’m going to bed. I’m able to lie
28down again which is a great blessing. I hope Miss Greene is better.
29
30 Yours lovingly
31 Olive
32
33
34
2 Feb 15 / 01
3
4 My dear Friend
5
6 I was so glad to get your note. I wonder if you’ve gone to Caledon
7yet. I am feeling better in health.
8
9 We live in perpetual war scares. Last night the whole town was aroused
10by the firing off of guns in the kopjes round & the ringing of the
11church bells. There were few people slept in the town last night. This
12morning it turn out one of the guards in the kopjes thought he saw a
13Boer creeping towards him, & fired, & roused all our defense forces;
14this morning a donkey was found lying dead, whom the guard had
15evidently mistaken for the Boer.
16
17 There may be these thousands of Boers surrounding the town, but anyhow
18I won’t believe in them till I see them. I’m something of the
19nature of Thomas I don’t believe in things till I see them. But its
20marvellous the state some people work themselves into. We could hear
21the cannon firing yesterday but don’t know where. The worst of it
22all is it wastes ones time: one cant think, one can’t read, one
23can’t write! One’s always waiting for one doesn’t know what.
24Typhoid is raging there. Sometimes there are as many as four funerals
25in a day. The doctor’s wife here is dying of typhoid, & other white
26people I know personally are down with it; & I don’t know how many
27besides. Good bye, dear friend. I’m going to bed. I’m able to lie
28down again which is a great blessing. I hope Miss Greene is better.
29
30 Yours lovingly
31 Olive
32
33
34