Butiaba,
Uganda, Africa. Apr. 21, 1913
Dear
Miss Young:
Enclosed
is a note you sent concerning an addition to the Code book but
didn’t
send what is to be added.
I
know you are very busy and it’s no wonder things are
overlooked
sometimes - the wonder is that not more mistakes are made.
Once
before you sent additions and they were on an extra slip -
perhaps
the extra slip this time slipped out.
(In
the last mail we got - a month ago) Mr. Palmer wrote he was
sending a
draft enclosing moneys for all of us - but he didn’t enclose
the
draft & as we got no mail - or rather the boat didn’t come
over
two weeks ago we may have it alright this time. I’m sure there
will be such a stack of mail this time that I’m trying to get
some
letters off before it gets in.
We
can’t imagine why the boat went straight down the Nile &
didn’t
call here but such was the case on Apr. 7 & you may
believe there
were some disappointed people on Gasengo Hill.
Mr.
Stauffacher and Mr Gribble left early this morning on their
way to
the Gov’t station but expected to visit villages on the way
and
will camp tonight at Api Hill where we first started work.
Then in
the morning will go on to the station & meet the boat. I
hope
the boat wont disappoint us this time and since we have a
Gov’t
mail bag I don’t believe they dare - don’t quite see how they
dared the last time but an unaccommodating captain can do most
anything. The present Capt. Ferris running the “Samuel Baker”
is
the limit when it comes to making things unhandy for us. It
would be
useless to complain for he’d only double his efforts then.
We
are 15 miles or more from Mahagi and it’s an awful trip for we
are
so much higher than they are and so it’s not always possible
for
some white person to go and what’s more it wouldn’t be
necessary
if the Capt. was at all accommodating. But we are grateful
that we
can get our mail as often as we do and really don’t mean to
complain, only as we contrast our position with what it might
be if
every one was what they should be it makes us feel badly.
I
wonder if we have written you since we are in our house. We
occupy
only two rooms as yet but the other one is almost finished. We
are
more grateful than we can say for the iron roof and
comfortable stone
walls that shut out the winds so well. We moved in Mar. 19
& the
next evening had our house warming - a swell affair you may
believe
with muslin table cloth & enamel dishes.
Our
goods from Kijabe hasn’t reached us yet. Eleven months to the
day
from the day we came into the Congo. I think that’s very good
after all the experiences we had. and yesterday it was a year
- only
last year it was on Sat. and as we wanted to celebrate - for
it’s
my birthday too - we celebrated on Sat. All had dinner here.
Mrs.
Haas & I got it ready and the girls had P.M. tea served
here too. Had the phonograph for entertainment. We do enjoy it
so much. Mr.
S. gets the records & they are fine. None of the trashy
kind -
just the best solid sorts that get better with use. - - and
here Miss
Harland came & as the teakettle was boiling we had tea and
sent
for Dr. They are always so good to me when Mr. S. leaves. It
is
painfully lonely without him & they feel they must help
me. Miss
H. is going to stay with the children tonight while Dr. &
I go to
some villages by moonlight.
I
wanted to ask you if you knew anything about “Pat”. I’ve been
watching all the letters coming from the Home to see if
“A.G.P.”
wont have done the writing but haven’t seen any yet. He wrote
us
such a lovely letter: & if it’s possible I’d like to write
him again.
Now
I’ve been writing as tho’ I’d always known you and really this
is the first letter I’ve ever written you but I feel as tho’ I
knew you because of associations. I’ll not ask you to answer
this
for I know how busy you must be but I should appreciate any
thing you
could tell me of Patten’s whereabouts. I’ll not write more now
but will wait for the mail.
Later
-. The mail has come and still no draft. I mean the draft that
Mr.
Palmer said was coming - he had put all together into one
draft. Of
course before this he knows that hereafter he will put ours in
with
the B.E.A. moneys as we get it quicker that way & you then
send
to us the individual amounts so we know how to divide it. That
will
be much less work all the way around.
We
are now expecting Mr. Hurlburt either on the next boat or in
another
month. We are all so anxious to see him.
Now
I’ll not write more. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for
us and are doing. May God bless you in your work.
Very
sincerely
Florence
Stauffacher.
This
is the best way to address us:
Butiaba,
Uganda,
via
Mombasa,
B.E.Africa.
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