Butiaba, Uganda, Jan. 21,
1914.
Dear Bro. & Sister:
Was yesterday your birthday, Bessie or is
it tomorrow. I tho’t I knew but I can’t just remember. Anyway
we wish you many more of ‘em. I wouldn’t wonder but you’ll be
awfully surprised when you get this and I’m awfully ashamed
for not writing more often but somehow the time between boats
slips around so fast, I just can’t keep up with it. Yesterday
was the day to send our mail down & we expected the man up
tonight with the mail bag of mail for us but he hasn’t come.
It’s a day earlier than usual but the Capt. said he was coming
earlier but its been a very bad day.
‘Twas bright this morning so I started to
wash but didn’t get any dry & by noon had to stop entirely
as it was raining very hard. and its kept it up most all P.M.
This is supposed to be the dry season but the rains have come
a month sooner than last year. Suppose its because we were
trying to get the ladies house up while it was dry. The walls
are half up and another ten days would have seen the roof on.
Hope after this explosion it will clear up & dry it out
again before the roof is on. We have fire in the fire place -
first since Xmas eve. It’s been so warm. It even hailed today
& has turned so cold.
Mama wrote that your $25. was there again
& fearing it might go as last years went we told her to
hold onto it. You see we are due home next year (1915) and we
sort of tho’t we’d like to try going by way of China - if it
isn’t too expensive - so told them to hold it for us &
perhaps it will help out then. If we went that way we’d be apt
to call on you folks before we went home, see? Better be
getting ready now. Thanks so much for the money. I’m afraid
you think us rather unappreciative but we just heard in last
mail that you had sent it. We are having rather a tough pull
just now. It happens there are a good many demands all at
once, but then we ought to have a little rest afterward. When
one is head of a station there are a lot of things that fall
on you & others don’t know about it. But we’ve always met
them and can again only it’s a little stiff just now.
Mr. Morris & Mr Clarke of that English
party we took to Dungu have returned. Mr. C. expects to go
home soon & Mr. Morris came back to get Miss Hurst who is
staying here, but there is some hitch at home - Mr. M’s mother
is interfering. Don’t know just what will happen but we are
expecting Mr Hurlburt up here soon and no doubt he’ll
straighten things out some. Hope you’ve had my diary letter
before this. Spose you’ll have to shut up shop for a day or
two & read it.
Don’t suppose you are going to see your
Mexico land these days are you? “Plenty, plenty troubles” our
Belgian Official would say. No doubt things will be settled
some how.
You mentioned, Chas, in your letter that
you had been unloading coal & felt it in your back. After
Jno lays stones about two or three days he gets awfully stiff.
This spell of stone laying hasn’t been so hard quite as he
lays only forenoons and then only 5 days out of the week for
we take Sat. as our rest day. as Sun. has more meetings than
any other day & really isn’t so much of a rest as it ought
to be. so we take Sat. and when he gets two days he gets
pretty well rested up only last Mon. he started to work but
felt so miserable he had to lie down but thot that was fever.
Has doped up with quinine & feels alright again. All three
of the men are working pretty hard but have good appetites and
are getting fat.
I had my first fever New Years day. We left
here on Mon. between Xmas & N. Year & took a little
trip for 3 days & two nights. I felt miserable most of the
time but New Year morning felt pretty well & got up &
helpt with the dinner but about 4 I went back to bed and soon
had a temperature of 105. It staid up some all next day &
Sat. morning was way down. Sun. I was up & have felt very
well ever since. I didn’t mind the fever so much
but it spoiled my good record for the Congo. But I’ll be more
careful hereafter for now I know I can get it.
Must tell you of our Christmas fun. Xmas
eve all had supper here on our veranda & Jno & the
children had gotten the tree fixed up & every body had
brot their things to give to others. I slipt in after every
one was shut out & put the children’s things around and
after we’d finished eating Jno came in & started the
phonograph on “Holy Night Silent Night” & I lit the
candles. Then everyone was allowed in. It did look awfully
pretty. Then we had the new phono-records while we ate candy.
Next day we killed an ox to give the
natives a treat - and wanting to make it fair for every one,
just after it was all cut up we gave out slips of paper to
every one and as they bro’t their paper they got a piece.
Every thing went pretty well until about all the slips were in
when a crowd who had stood off to one side made a mad rush at
the pile and altho the 3 men sent some sprawling the crowd was
too much for ‘em. however the neat had been pretty well
disposed of so they didn’t get much except those who got the
thumps. Jno sprained his thumb so it is still a trifle lame.
But every one seemed to take it as sort of a joke. They
weren’t of our people here on the hill but some who had come
from away.
The ladies gave the Xmas dinner - and in
the afternoon we had races & sports for the natives. They
entered into the spirit of Xmas quite well & many brot
gifts - a chicken or eggs etc.
Now I think I better ring off. Hope we’ll
get a big bunch of mail tomorrow. Yes could even stand a
letter from you folks again.
Lots of love
Flo & family
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