Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1895-12-25

ers would probably
place Tasma and .
Rolf RplGrewood b. her side. The way /
in which she is regarded is the more
curious. when We consider that heF
fame has been entirely won by one |
book. The 5 DRY OF an African Farm,
written when tie authoress was only |
Il. and tale SO strangely simple in It's
language that the youth OF the writer |
seems to shine out from every sentence.
Olive Schreiner. as most peop.a would /
guess from her name. is OF German eX-
traction; but her mother was Miss Lin
dali. the daughter of an English clergy
man. The future novelist spent her
childhood IN Cape Town, and in the
wild karoO -thos4 sandy plains sur
rounded By mountains-where she laid
the scene of her book.
Although she was one OF several chill
dren, including much loved elder
sister and a brother. now dis
tinguished South African barrister.
Miss Schreiner seems to have lived a
singularly absorbed life, communing
with herself ana nature. and noting all
that went on in the Dutch farmhouses
round her home with Il child's pitiless.
though often correct judgment. The
story Of her adventure. as yet unpub-
lished writer. is vcritable romance.
She came to Eng. and With the man
uscrpt of "ThcAfrican Farm" in her
trunk, with no literary friends to help
her with advice. Some happy inspira-
loJ No. 10 bo- 70
Chapman & Hall, the publishers. In
due course the Ms. found its way irto
the hands of one Of their then readers
George Meredith, and he. himself in
many peoples estimation the greatest
English novelist of modern times. UNI
hesitatingly declared his high apprecia-
ton Of the work, Nay, more. he sent
for Ralph Iron" as the young lady
, then styled herself and discussed the
story with her, giving her the benefit OF
his long experience and knowledge. The
| book. although only consisting OF one
| short volume, created an immediate i'm
| preston, and in a few weeks Miss Olive
| Schreiner became famous. But success
! did not spoil her She refused to be
| lioDized. and was only to be seen among
! her small circle of friends, where her
solid, thoughtful mind was much appre-
ciatcd for, unlike many authors, she
! can speak as we'll as she can write, and
| she is even more admirable as woman
| than as writer. Then followed some
years OF comparative inaction. Miss
| Schreiner wrote constantly, but pub
| lished nothing and her known and
countless unknown friends and admir-
ers had the disappointment Of seeing
her go bacl, to the Cape without having
published a second book.
Quietly and unostentatiouslv She then
set up her household gods at Mat;esfon-
tein, a small village situated nearly
200 miles from Cape Town. Her life
was simple in the extreme. and entirely
spent in reading. writing, and riding,
for as is always the case with woman
| brought up in the colonies, she is a
splendid hor5cwoman, and is never so
happy as when in the saddle. \ slight
description OF her home as seen in hose
now distant days, before she became
Mrs. Schreiner Cronwright, gives, as
nothing else can do, q glimpse of her
character and manifold interests. Fine
photographs and mezzOtints of Dore's
paintings ard of Watts Love and
Death, hang in her s;tIing-r study,
an apartment utterly devoid of all liter
airy apparatus and paraphernalia. She
wrote at large square table, and al
though in some ways & reciuse. was al
ways pleased to see any globe-trotter
who made his way from Cape Town in
order tospa1 haNaespects to the author
ess OF An &sInrm''
Dreams" 80 Schreincrs second
book. a EsAeetIe8 q short stories and
allegores as<Ibhshed after her re-
turn to X1rfea, ~ although it has not
in any sd 10 her great reputa-
ton. it cA1k Md to have detrac,ed
from it. sse sas1sss
Shortly aiaar fiae publication OF this
her nAsAapks her friends were sur
prised 70 AeasH0 her marriage to a
young Sop4hIAnpAn1 3 entleman farmer
whom stG Ha1ss 4anwn for some time
and who had takeN a great interest in
all her lfjsslt3 work. Mrs. schreiner
Cronwrighk, - she i now called. lives
in a charmioH Dulch homestead. an
localized Afrteapsfarm. She writes BY
fits and ssarts. and at times. in the in
tervals ofswosk. she goes for short
brisk wa lin the broad, silent Karoo
coming back with hef thoughts fresh
and collected.