Narok
Masai Reserve, Kenya Colony
East
Africa. Mar. 16, 1929
My
dear Aunty Annie:
My,
it has been long since I wrote to you - I really don’t know
when
it was but I do know that if I want this to reach you for your
birthday I better be about it.
I
hope you have a real nice day- I see it is on Sat. and just 8
weeks
from today so it ought to get there in time. This is Sat.
night and
John is hulling lima beans, ripe ones. He said he didn’t want
to
read any more but wanted to be busy. I started to say we hope
you
have a happy birthday and don’t feel any older than you did
last
year. Lets see, 69 isn’t it. I wish I could make you a cake
but I
know you have those nearer than I am that can do it far better
than I
but I don’t think they can put any more love and best wishes
into
it.
In
a letter from the boys there was a picture of the birthday
cake
Raymond baked for the Barnett twins and Claudon. It looked
very good
on the picture and the boys looked real happy over it. He used
12
eggs and nine cups of flour! so you will know about how big it
was. He bakes around 42 loaves of bread a week. I am glad he
enjoys it
for it never comes a miss for a boy out here to know how to do
those
things.
But
I must tell you the latest. We are here alone now for Shaffers
left
yesterday. They have about enough money but there is no boat
til May
23 and he just couldn’t stand it around here any longer so
they
left expecting to go to the coast and hoping they can get a
boat
sooner. There are sometimes sudden vacancies. There is always
plenty of time to get there but he was so restless that he
couldn’t
stand it. I am glad they are gone for he was getting very
annoying
to John. I don’t like to think of them staying at the coast
til
that boat and perhaps they wont need to. There is a rest house
there
that we A.I.Mers. use sometimes but while it is on the shore
and they
can go in bathing evenings that is about all they can do for
they are
across an arm of the ocean from the town and have to hire a
boat
every time they go in. I am afraid he will get more tired than
he
was here.
Mr.
Clarke is in Nairobi these days too so we are very by
ourselves. He
had us bring the phonograph up here and we don’t have many
evenings
here together. John works at Genesis translations when I go to
school and sometimes he spends the evening at the organ if I
am
writing. There’s always plenty for me to do but what if there
wasn’t? I would be miserable. John says I don’t only have a
lot
piled up for myself to do but for him too. Today it took most
of the
day cleaning up Shaffers house and putting away the things
that were
left out and taking care of a lot of stuff she left - mostly
old rags
empty bottles odds and ends of a hundred different things.
Sometime
ago she bought skins of animals from natives and cut out and
partly
made a fur coat and sent it to her sister in Kansas and so had
pieces
left which I think I will sew together and edge with a piece
of heavy
green material and have a nice rug. Then she left almost two
flour
sacks of all sorts of stocking materials: thin and thick but I
think
I will braid them - rather thick strands and make a thick rug
for by
the bath tub. We got Shaffers nice large one and with the
water
works so handy we will fix a shower too. The space for it is
not
very big and if I make the rug about two feet wide and four or
so
long it will be just the thing for on the stone floor.
We
had rain for several days this week so we think they are here
for
good. we hope so. Today it was clear and so windy again but
that is
not uncommon at the beginning of the season. Last Sun. the
elders
asked if we couldn’t have meeting Sun. P.M. rather than
evening and
we decided to try it tomorrow. Evening meetings are rather
unhandy
for them for they milk just before dark and they usually like
to eat
late and they can’t have time to eat before they come to
meeting
and to wait til they get back makes it too late. We always had
our
meeting by ourselves about 4 P.M. but we can have that in the
evening. When J and I are here alone we usually read some good
book-exposition of some book of the Bible. Just now we are
reading
Lectures on the Apocalypse by Seiss. We read them long ago
when we
were out camping and John has just read them again and is
giving
talks to the natives on Revelation - so we are reading it
together
again. I do the reading for it is hard for him to read loud,
he
says, but he reads louder than he needs to sometimes. But I
don’t
mind doing it. When it is Sun. I can’t do anything else
anyway.
We
had planned to go to a place about 14 miles from here and hold
meetings if I could arrange my school work so they would be
busy for
the week but if it is raining I think we will not go now. We
would
have to walk and take our loads on donkeys or Mr. Clarkes pack
mules. He has offered them to us and we may take them. The
little Ford was
sold to a man at Narok. We hadn’t the money and so decided the
Lord did not mean we should have it. It was old and no telling
when
it would balk and John is no hand to fix machinery and the
licenses
are still as high and a bit higher than ever and we would use
it so
little. But of course when we do need it we need it badly! But
the
Lord will see to that too. I said perhaps he wants us to have
something better than it was - I should much prefer something
new
that does not need fixing so much. Barnetts car was so nice
and tho
we went in some very hard places yet it wasn’t always needing
someone under it to encourage it to go.
Now
I must go at your letter of Nov. 12. I see you address us all
and
Mulungit and family too. Well I better stop right here and
tell you
of our disappointment in him. Last Feb. he was appointed as
headman
and at that time there was a very reluctant agreement that the
elders
would pay some of his money and we the rest and most of the
time we
were paying most of it. In Sept. when we had those good
meetings he
was very troubled about something - he confessed to sin but
there
seemed to be something else for he looked ill for days and
when I
talked to him I told him if he confessed his wrong and made it
right
he would again be forgiven and be happy. He said “I don’t know
that I can make it right”. After the meetings closed he got
indifferent and would be gone most the whole month and always
come
for his pay and I would not give him all and that made him
spunky. And so after Conference when we came back and tried to
get the
members into line for communion, he and most of the others
were still
on probation and only three were able to take it - I mean
three of
the elders, there were several women. He had been away all
Dec. and
all Jan. and then had the nerve to come and ask for his pay
even
after doing some sneaky business in going to the Scotch
Mission and
asking them for a teacher for here without saying a word to us
about
it. Then John said he could be head man if the elders still
wanted
him but he would get no pay from us. That made him cross and
he has
again gone away, we don’t know where. His wife and family are
here
and she is trying hard to do right. I had a talk with him
before he
went and tried to find out what he had against us and why his
heart
stays so bad but he wouldn’t answer me a single word. When we
met
in the gardens he was friendly but never came up as he used to
-
hasn’t for several months. He is very proud and it is hard for
him
to be humble and confess to wrong. He is very jealous too
lately.
(pg.
2) This is Syabei on the air! The post came while we were at
supper
and now we have just finished reading all the letters - but
none from
Congo. Mrs. Cook says in hers that she is writing you as soon
as she
finishes mine - so you will have it by now or soon. Nothing
from
Calif - but I am sending you Claudon Aunt Coras last and you
send it
on to Ray- One from Mrs. Guilding saying she had one from
Agnes to
say they would try to get there, so it looks like they aren’t
going
to be in too big a hurry. We have been afraid they would want
to go
right thro with the rest of the folks. Pauls and Buyses and a
single
lady asked to stay at Miss Slaters but she said she could put
up only
Buyses and the lady and asked the rest to go to the Sal. Army.
She
said she wanted much to see Agnes and Mrs H- and hoped they
would at
least call if not stay a night there. Mrs. Shaffer wrote Agnes
at
the coast just how to get to Lasit and wrote that Kuyoni would
fix
them all up for the night if they could get there - but that
they
could stay at Lanys too if they found Lasit too far. But I
think
Mrs. Lany is at the coast just now - perhaps Mr. L- takes care
of
folks.
Guess
Harriet will be getting pretty excited now for Ruth sailed the
17th
of June and will be here the end of July. Edith has been
helping
over at the Girls home but Harriet stays alone nights. I think
they
put in a telephone finally. I sent you the paper Ray - you
will see
the girl’s school got prizes at the Nakuru Show - best corn
and
also spinning and weaving wool. That will please Dr.
Blakeslee.
I
guess we will have a pretty full house most of the time while
we are
in Nairobi - but I don’t mind; I’ll show Miss Slater that
there
are some others who can take care of folks as well as she can.
Scudders are coming for the month of Aug. and Mr. Bryson for
most of
the time and the two ladies from Ogada: Misses Rees and Staley
from
mid Aug to mid Sept. Perhaps Mrs. Bryson and she said there
would be
another young couple - but she didn’t say who. When we were
there
she was saying that there would be a good many - and I said
she
should leave room for Scudders - but if all was full perhaps
we
better not invite any more. She said so snappy “I never
invite anyone!” So when she wrote the other day about the
extra
couple I said if all rooms were full we’d not invite others -
just
to tease her. She says after she gets away to the coast she
wont
give the Home a thot - it is up to me to see to things- I said
I’m
not afraid to tackle it if she is gone - but I can’t mix with
her
so very well. Miss Capelin seemed to have a grand time while
out
here and wants to come again and whats more she said, when she
heard
us talking about going to the Congo SHE wanted much to see the
pygmy
work. Got my foot in it proper - but now Dad thinks it will be
better to go by bus or train than with anyone as they wont
want to
stay as long as we will - I’m not coming back til I get my
moneys
worth - I mean I want my board back from you Ray!!!
Now
remember you have quite a lot of credit here and while we are
in
Nairobi we can get anything you want us to. Those cheques were
Sh.
84.67 and the Sh. 5. so you have almost another Sh. 100. but
the
things we bot for you were: each hat Sh. 4 and each pair of
shoes Sh.
9. What do you think of that for child’s shoes. We should have
asked first - but we didn’t. At any rate you don’t pay for
them
until you know if he can wear them for if he can’t we may be
able
to exchange them. And now do send for things you need for the
house
- we can bring things along when we come, for we are coming.
I’m
pretty dead set on that. Tho I don’t think we’ll get to go on
furlo yet, seeing there’s no hopes of getting anyone here for
awhile yet.
Shaffers
have gone to Kilgoris now but they’ll be back before we go to
Nairobi - then they’ll be leaving here about the time we come
back. I think we’ll get each of us a good net while we are in
town so
that will be ready. And please send me a list of the things
you want
for Christmas. Sara you tell me what Ray needs and Ray you
tell me
what Sara needs and Claudon you’ll just have to tell on
yourself. And all of you tell on Johnny.
(pg.
3) You know we could take the lorry and go to the Kijabe cross
roads and get a Kisumu Bus and there get a Kampala Bus and
there get
a Fort Portal Bus and Claudon could meet us there and I’ll bet
it
wouldn’t cost us much for traveling but perhaps the hotel
bills
would be more. Dad thot to take the train to Kampala and you
Claudon
meet us there - but if we could take a Bus to Fort Portal it
would be
much nearer. We’ll see what we see. Shaffers want to go to
Congo
next year - for your Conf. That is, he wants to but Mrs.
Doesn’t
at all.
Ray
I got Goforth of China today in the mail so you may get it ---
well
sometime. Say, you take a pair of Ray’s khaki pants that fit
him
and send them to me and I’ll see he gets some. Wards nor no
one
else in U.S.A. has good khaki like we get here in Kenya - for
this is
Indian make. Dad got two pairs of trousers and a coat when we
were
in town. Claudon take the measure of your foot: from your heel
to
the tip of your toe - just a strip of paper and send it to us
for Dad
has a pair of shoes that he got from Mr. Shaffer - too short
for Mr.
S- but alright for Dad and he thinks you, Cl- can wear them.
So if
you can here’s a chance for a perfectly good pair of shoes,
Indian
make - they got hob nails in the soles but they will come out
if they
are worn around here for I don’t want these floors dug up.
Arthur
Fords expect their next baby now soon and then when she can
travel
they go to Chillsons where they are going to work.
I’ve
been fixing up some of the dresses the girls sent - the
enclosed
sample is Aunt Alices new lace one - isn’t it pretty? I pretty
well ripped that black and yellow of Aunt Coras all apart and
cut it
over it seemed so huge. Have it all done and it will be a very
serviceable one. Also shortened the red and white of Aunt Al.
and
now I’m working at a white coat. I think she was trying to
make
the sleeves larger - one is pieced and the other ripped and
she never
said what she was doing with it. I’m going to finish it and
wear
it in Nairobi instead of my tan. I’ll wear my khaki in and
pack
the white. We will write Devitts that we are coming and
perhaps he
can arrange to take us in by auto otherwise we’ll go on the
train. If there is no other way of getting there. Clarke is
moving out
about that time and perhaps we could go in by the lorry that
brings
his things out. By three weeks from tonight we will be there
and
will no doubt have a line up on things - for Miss S- leaves
the next
day.
Dad
has suffered quite a lot with his jaw - where the one was that
was so
hard to get out. He tries to chew on his front teeth but that
goes
pretty slow. We had fish for supper and will have more for
breakfast
and those need very little chewing. Mrs. Scudder is planning
on
having fish in Nairobi because they will be very good for
Godfrey. She said he was balancing himself sitting up for 1 to
2 minutes. He
is to have another lot of treatments that’s why they are glad
we
are going to be in Nairobi.
I
got the prints I want from your films and will return them. I
wanted
to send Johnny and Maria film to Aunt Cora this week but it
hasn’t
come back from Peters yet - I sent for several more
enlargements and
will send you some post card size in black and white for only
50
cents and they are very nice. I expect them any mail.
Did
I tel you Mr. and Mrs. Leonard and the two ladies were here
over Sun. Came in about 9 Sat. night. A whole lorry load of
natives and
Indians and STUFF - they were coming from Nairobi and among
other
things they had a piano. They staid over Sun. Leonards slept
in
Shaffers house as I had the big bed up over there. The two
ladies
slept in the East room upstairs. Now I think I am about run
out of
Talk so I’ll say good night again and perhaps add a P.S. if
anything happens tomorrow Hope all are well.
Lots
of love - will send the next by Agnes.
Mother
[Bottom
of letter trimmed. Partial sentence remaining: “…
disappointed. Wrote his folks about it.”]
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