Tant' Alie Of Transvaal

A good copy of the diary of 'Tant' Alie' (Alida Badenhorst, died April 1908), whose detailed writings bring to light not only the day to day struggles of life between the two Boer Wars, but also the depredations and hardships of the concentration camps, as well as the raids on Mafeking; with a preface by Emily Hobhouse and foreword by F.J. Badenhorst (Tant Alie's husband) and son Wessels; 319 pages.

In Hobhouse's words: "I send forth this little book, earnestly hoping it will do its bit to help strip the war of the fine words in which historians have too long bedecked it. It is but a peep behind the scenes, but I can vouch for the truth of the picture. I met nearly all the people mentioned in its pages, visited nearly all the places, and, excepting military events of which I have no first-hand knowledge, the facts agree with my experience... It is just twenty years since I visited Klerksdorp and Hartebeestfontein, and met Alie Badenhorst; and already for fifteen years she has been at rest. Small, fragile and sadly invalided, she was a woman with force of character and rare spiritual qualities. Her influence in the limited area within which her shortened life was passed arose perhaps from this "fragrance of holiness" which enveloped and characterized her. She spoke to me of the journal which, though written primarily for her family, she much wished should be published for children's children, desirous that future generations should know and avoid the cruelty of war. I have long tried to fulfil her wish, but the manuscript was not easy to decipher or translate and when at length completed, on the eve of the European War, had of necessity to be laid aside. It is a sad loss that Olive Schreiner has passed hence before she could fulfil her spontaneous offer to contribute a preface. She wrote: 'It is a human document, as the Americans call such a revelation of human nature; I think it is wonderful.'"

Condition: the green boards are in good condition, with a little fraying of the cloth at both head and foot of spine, edge wear, lightly bumped corners. The page edges are lightly foxed, and the front pastedown has two owner inscriptions at the lower right corner (one in very thin pen, the other in thick felt-pen); light, scattered foxing affects the half-title and title page, as well as the rear fly-leaves, and the binding is in good condition, except for pp. 96/97, 160/161 and 240/241 where the gatherings are cracked, but not badly so. Occasional finger-smudges and light foxing occur throughout the volume.