Narok, Masai Reserve, Kenya
Colony, E. Africa.
Nov. 14, 1928
Dear Chinesers in Calif:
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
And then some more.
Can’t work up much Christmas enthusiasm yet
but since you are so far away I’ll do what I can to make you
feel we love you a little more than ever before. I arranged
all my school work yesterday so I wouldn’t need to go over at
all and intended to write letters like 60 and then what
happened? Well, Tues. P.M. my head was troublesome and got
worse so that I had to go to bed early but thot of course I’d
get up feeling alright for I can usually sleep it off - not so
this time. It ached hard all night so I couldn’t rest and my
stomach was so sick too. I got up yesterday morning thinking
it would clear if I moved about but just couldn’t do a thing
hardly - I did finish a letter to Guithers I had begun before
but that was all. I didn’t worry about it and was glad I had
the school work off my hands so I could just lie around and
not do a thing. Couldn’t get up ambition to knit even nor work
outside in the garden with all the attractions there are
there. This morning I felt much better and have been at the
usual duties today. I don’t often get such a go so I shouldn’t
be very annoyed when I do have one. In fact I have not been
troubled much at all with headache lately. For awhile I got
them regularly on Wed. and I concluded it was just the
thinking of what had to be done for I always had to be sure to
be out of class by the time Dawsons came for language lesson
and tea and it rather bothered me - tho I wasn’t conscious of
it. I thank the Lord for the good health and strength He gives
us both. Colds once in awhile and of course my ears don’t seem
to get any better but every one around here know they have to
talk loud so I don’t have a great deal of trouble.
Well, Hurra for Hoover!!! You see some one
brot the paper Sun. P.M. so we knew it only about 5 days after
election - that isn’t so bad.
There are two or three lovely big letters
here to answer. Yours Cora was so good and newsy and just like
you and as you said will no doubt have to do for awhile but it
ought to. You do very well to write as often as you do and I
am grateful for them all tho it doesn’t look much like it
sometimes. These dim places are worn out places in the ribbon
but as they are not all the way along I try to use the places
between so as to finish all up - it is just the top half at
the ends that seems to be going.
We hadn’t had a letter from the boys for
what seemed such a long time and then when yours came Cora
there were two from them. They had written but somehow the
boats must have passed or something, so that mail was a good
haul. My its such fun to get letters and I don’t usually mind
writing if I get the time but perhaps if I had all sorts of
time I wouldn’t get any more nor any better done. I’m
wondering if this will get there by holiday time.
Guess I can’t make you feel envious about
flowers at this time of the year like I can Illinoisians or
Kansasites. I told them about how pretty the carnations are
and I have several stems of the lilies like those of Mothers
that were blooming when she went. A cream carnation is about
to open. I’m glad for that it is more rare than any others
that I have.
Is that pink of Loras made after an easy
pattern perhaps I could use the same pattern. Does one make
the slip straight & plain or like the dress.
Bed time - more tomorrow.
(pg. 2) This is next morning and as it is
monthly day of prayer and the meeting doesn’t begin til 10.
I’ll spend the time between jumps talking. We have to have
breakfast at 6:30 mornings when there is school but like this
morning we can be later but somehow I always awaken and am
ready to get up as we make little difference even on Sun
morning. We usually have pancakes such mornings as it takes a
little longer.
Am I to keep those pictures of the Plane
that Chas rode in. You said nothing about them. Twould take
more than the want of a thrill to get me up in one of those
things. I have always said if some one would guarantee that my
ears would work better after a ride, as I have heard of, then
I would be willing to go. Did I ever tell you how going up
Kilimanjaro affected John’s ears. On the way down he got quite
deaf and later something cracked in his ear and then he could
hear better than before, and I am sure I can notice a
difference in his hearing. We always say when the boys come we
are going to try it together but John doesn’t think Claudon
can do it without a good deal of trouble with mountain
sickness and I too would have trouble that way but we can at
least try it. Course the boys aren’t here yet.
So Cora you are a “paper woman”. Well
that’s not the worst thing to do. I think you are well fitted
for the job and your little write up about the L.T.L. [Loyal
Temperance Legion] was appreciated especially by Mrs. Shaffer
who was one when she was little in Kansas. And oil wells are
still burning. How fortunate those fellows must have felt and
why didn’t they say Thank God instead of saying it was Good
luck!
If every one would consecrate their time
and talents to the work as you do there would be more
accomplished. I believe too that time spent in prayer and
Bible reading makes the rest of the time go much farther and
accomplishes more and surely is far more restful and
satisfying. You are quite right in not letting other things
crowd out home duties for first of all you are a Mother and
for a few years you are still needed in that capacity and as
many other things as you can be. Sometimes one feels they are
needed to mother other children who have only half mothers or
none at all but surely first duty is at home.
So even reporters are apt to get their foot
into it - well look out so you don’t have to give up your
profit in fines. You must have missed Lora and Faylon
especially at such a busy time. I know how Lora can make
things hum and we all hummed along with her - - somewhat, I
mean and now when I move quicker than usual abut something
John will say “You go at things just like Lora”. With these
slow natives about it makes one feel like pushing or we’d
never get done. The boy we have in the kitchen is such a slow
coach - he is growing fast and is awkward to a finish. I have
only one cup left with a handle on it and yet he tries to go
carefully. Just now for a week he has been at the hospital -
he and Shaffers boy, for circumcision we were glad they were
willing to go there for we like them to get away from the idea
of going to their native doctors - they were to be back in a
few days and I don’t know why they don’t come but every time
we ask they say the next day. Etta has been helping me and she
works so very fast and gets things done so quickly but not so
well as the boy.
Do you remember that gray sort of plaid
dress of mothers with the dash of pink in a large gray block?
That has gone to pieces and as I think I’ll make a rug of it I
wanted pink with it and that one you sent me from China I
think you said it had a flower in it at one time but you sent
me pink dye and I colored it and wore it quite a bit at home
and now it was quite faded but still good so I ordered bright
pink but they sent salmon and I colored it again and will wear
it out now so I can get at the rug. If it was bright before it
is even more so now. Meeting time -
(pg. 3) Just been out measuring a snake
they brot up - killed in the garden, measured one inch less
than six feet. A black momba. We give them 2 shillings bounty.
Last Sat. night they brot a leopard up that
had been shot in a gun trap. The skin is now up stairs getting
thoroly dried and the head is out on the roof bleaching after
boiling so all the meat came off. The cats do get so wild when
a leopard is killed and skinned here. Even yet they start at
every little sound and are very nervous.
Now next I want to say a big thank you for
the roll of magazines. John does enjoy them all. Did Lora tell
you how he and the boys used to enjoy the Touring Topics? Well
that was the first thing he picked out and Mr. Shaffer too.
But I like the China’s Millions and the others too. Glad for
the Messenger with Wahls letter in and to know he got there
all right. Then the Institute picture of Glee Club was good -
you pointed out Leland Green and just behind him and to the
right is Lawrence Allen - son of the Allens that live across
the road from Hurlburts. By this time you have the list of the
papers we get - not a big variety and most any of yours are
different.
Say, Woolworths will soon be setting up a
branch house near you. $3. a month to spend !!! What a fortune
all your own. Never mind I’ll bet you will have fun. First
send me one of these small size pianos - I prefer the Steinway
make. Then I’d like an orthophonic Victrola and then a
Rolls-Royce sedan and enough gas to run it. Pshaw I’m using up
valuable space and time. I do thank you very much for your
offer and I have told you in that list the things that are
mostly needed. I’ll wait a while before I tell you of any
more. I wonder what you think of me when I tell you that when
I wrote Mr. Lanning to send you the check I forgot to give him
your name and address - just said “My sister” - If I had said
your name I think he has your address but stupid that I was.
Just put it down to old age. However I hope it gets to you now
before this gets to you.
Cora, did you meet that Miss Johnson that
was staying at Proctors across the side street from Browns -
she has been a missionary in India. Last Christmas she sent me
a pair of brown silk stockings - very pretty and I hadn’t
heard from her all year now here comes another package
containing a lovely dress and slip - I mean materials for both
- I’ll enclose a sample. I think she called it Celanese crepe
or something like it, it is beautiful but how can I make it? O
for a Cora neighbor. I have wondered if quite a straight waist
and full skirt wouldn’t be pretty. I imagine it will be hard
to work with as it is so wirey. I have that one from Mabel
Zeller to make for Conference and so I don’t know that I will
make it up for this year. She said she would send me a pattern
if I wanted one and sometime ago I asked Alice to sometime
send me a plain pattern. I don’t want to try and fail for want
of a pattern.
My flock is not at the interesting age to
“speak” about. However in R’s last letter he said that he and
Romeyn would have to be finding another school by the middle
of the year and it is rather disappointing to me for I thot
they give three years but it seems only two is all they have
reached. I have no idea what Westervelts will think is best
but I am sure that what they decide for Romeyn will be alright
for R. too.
I hope you did write Mart Luther. It must
have been hard on them to have Gene go so suddenly. And you
say Nellie Martin has gone too - well one never can tell.
You’ll see I did write to the teacher already so just destroy
it.
I don’t see why Stacy will hang on and try
farming when he is so poorly and Milton is no good in that way
- and if he does take the farm will Lora and Aunt Annie ever
get their money? Course it looks pretty bad as to getting rid
of it at all, but he and Lynn ought to both be retiring
instead of going into such heavy indebtedness now. However
that’s their affair and I believe Chas and you folks will do
the best you can however it goes - I only hope it goes soon.
And nothing more about the Canada land? Seems to me that was
rather a funny way of doing business that Zeller did with us -
perhaps I don’t understand it all. Just had a card from Alice
that they were going to Sterling but I expect to hear soon. I
hope Elmer will make good and that they can keep out of any
more debt. Don’t suppose there is any chance of their paying
off any of what they still owe.
(pg. 4) Now to yours Lora. Thanks for the
one from Mrs. Cook. It was interesting. Then did Mathil and
Martha get to Cora’s? She was expecting them and you. Does
Martha get on better with Mathils husband now? She was not
satisfied much with him when we were there that time. How is
Merle and family?
I don’t understand about Mabel Schnauffer,
is she a widow? I had forgotten. By this time you are home
again, I suppose and hard at other things. You get no winter
let up any more than we do out here.
And Prof. Miller has gone too. Another case
where the invalid wife holds out longer than the robust
husband. Did you know Mrs. Campbell had gone - about Sept. 28
- the wife of our Sec. at Brooklyn, you know. And course you
heard of Dr. Torrey - he was Pres. of our Mission. Wonder who
will fill his place. And so they go but sometimes it seems
there is a regular army goes all at once. I suppose Grandma
Ranck will be going one of these days.
Seems funny to think of McNeils of
Institute going to England on account of health - from Calif.
I don’t see how she can be well in England if she can’t be in
Calif.
You must study up the philosophy of things
if you undertake to bring up children. Even if you are a
College graduate you can’t always answer a child.
Mr. Shaffer just brot the old Ford around
into what we call a garage and it came so quietly I didn’t
hear it so he said it runs just like a big Buick but I told
him I think it has Rolls-Royce glands. Don’t you remember how
Albert used to enjoy telling that story? It was good and he
always told stories so well.
So Mrs. Dreblow is married. Does Ida Mae
approve? What will she do when she finishes school? Does
Gretchen work down town? It will surely make it much better
for Mrs. Dreblow. She always seemed to be the clinging kind
that find it hard to stand by themselves.
I now have the sponge made for white bread,
brown bread, buns and coffee cake. Sun. P.M. is my turn to
have all here for supper and I want buns and have a few
oranges of Mr. Clarkes which I will make orange pudding. We
have been using the wonderberries for pie and the other day I
used some in sauce. John is very fond of them and I like them
but not as he does. The big tomatoes are about finished. Some
were whoppers. The largest 2 ½ lbs. and 19 ½ inches around. A
good many were two lbs. We sent several oil tins full of them
to Kijabe.
A week ago last Sat. Mr. Clarke took John
and me for a joy ride in his new Ford light truck. We left
about 10 A.M. and got back by 8 P.M. and had gone about 115
miles, and had lunch and P.M. tea. It was a grand day and we
enjoyed every minute of it. He goes home in June for a few
months and wants us to look after his car for him and use it
as we need it. He would rather do that than to store it some
place. It has shifts like the Chev. and John hasn’t gotten
onto that yet, tho he does run the Ford.
Now I must stop and give this to the boy
tonight to post so it goes out in the mail tomorrow or I am
afraid it will be late for holidays. The Dr.s boy comes over
for school work three nights out of the week and I teach him.
Our boys came back this P.M. and are ready for work.
I think I have said all I intended to at
any rate it seems to be enuf. No there is one more thing. I
remember you had maps - small ones of China from the pub.
house, not? and can you get small ones like that of say,
Paul’s missionary journeys. If I could get one I’d be glad. I
can use those in my Bible but [scan truncated] … whole class
to look at. Did I tell you to look for red letter 2nd
… Mulungit and any time you can get 2nd hand small
Test. get a few. Those Jnos are already in use. Reading book
in school.
Thanks too for the happy lady for Uncle
John. We all get a smile from her. The children think she’s
very funny. Very many wishes for Merry Xmas.
Yours with heaps of love
Flo.
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