Kijabe
- B.E.A. Feb. 4 ‘09
My
dearest Mother:
I’ll
start this tonight tho’ I’m so sleepy already that I can
scarcely
keep my eyes open. I was too busy this noon to take my usual
rest
and we usually get to bed quite late so my eyes want rest.
Raymond
is quite sound asleep. The last three nights he has slept all
night
without awakening. Then at 5 when he awakens I take him into
bed
with me and we both have a little nap until 6. Then he sleeps
all
A.M. while I’m at school. and a little P.M. nap. The rest of
the
time he plays & laughs. cries a very little.
O
dear this is torture. I’ll have to finish some other time. but
I
want to get it off for Sat. mail catches a boat. Goodnight.
Fri.
eve.
Here
again. Raymond is again asleep and the native girls and Alta
have
gone to meeting. I had a little nap this noon so I shall
finish this
as well as one to Fathers. They both leave here by 7 o’clock
in
the morning. Then I’m writing J. again but that doesn’t leave
until 1 P.M.
I
have had but the one letter and one post card from J. They
will not
be back before the first part of March; so Mr. Hurlburts last
letter
stated.
I’m
sending a few pictures. The largest one is taken from the
front
door. and is a very good view of the path which leads to the
chapel
and to Mr. Downings and on across the valley to the R.R.
Station
marked X which is at the foot of the hill in the distance
called
Kijabe hill. Opposite that hill where is Mt. Longonot and
beyond
them both is Naivasha and Naivasha Lake. At the bottom of the
2nd
terrace is the ox road where our wedding picture with the oxen
was
taken. In the left hand corner notice the stump of a crooked
tree
which is all dead but a cluster of little twigs at each end.
That is
so pretty. The terraces are all clover. The upper terrace is
such a
solid mat of white clover. It gets all the water from the roof
and
so stays very nice. You can get a little idea of how nice this
place
is. I know you’d enjoy spending a few months here and just
wander
around in the woods with Mrs. Hurlburt. She is so
observing. Those big trees are cedar. That white flaw was
caused by a little
piece of grass on the plate.
The
one of Paul & Raymond was taken the day R. was 6 months
old. The
little blue ging. suit he has on Mrs. Riebe gave him. It was
sent in
her box. He looked so cute in it. I want to have it on him
when J.
returns. All around the veranda Mrs. H. has two rows of bricks
laid
up & dirt filled between and has little things planted.
You can
see a little daisy just below baby’s right hand. The big thing
back of them is a fushia or fusia. It is such a monstrous one
and
just loaded with flowers. Harry H. was shaking the rattle and
that
made baby look so interested. It is quite good of him.
The
other picture is two of the girls here: Nthoki holding Kenneth
Downing and Ida holds Raymond but he moved so you can scarcely
tell
what he looks like. Ida is a Zulu girl from South Africa who
was
with some American Missionaries at the Lake who have gone home
on
furlough and left Ida here. She is such a nice girl. Awful
short
and fat but so jolly and good natured. She helps the other
girls to
be good. We all think very much of her. So much for the
pictures.
I
don’t know why I am so stupid as to forget your birthdays - at
least forget them until it’s too late for birthday letters.
Well,
perhaps next year we will be with you for them. I can’t
realize it
tho’.
Well
Mama where shall I begin to thank you for all you are sending.
You
are the most tho’tful people in all the world. to send
such
nice useful things. Perhaps when you hear we are quite sure to
come
home you will wish you hadn’t sent but I shall be glad for
every
thing for most all I shall need on the way - one needs so much
on
ship board - and the rest will pack away nicely until we
return.
Mrs.
Hurlburt is so busy now making muslin underclothes for the
girls. With babies and all they have just 20 who stay right
here at the
house. It takes a great deal of sewing to keep them. Calico
wears
out so soon it isn’t worth while to make it up.
Shirting or
denim is the best. That lasts a little while.
Thanks
so much for the new dress. it will be very very nice and
useful.
I
want to write Beth but don’t know where to address her. Guess
I’ll
send it to Hooppole and they can forward it.
There
was a fansy post card with a 09 calendar on it sent us for
Christmas. No name signed and the post mark can’t be made out
so I can’t
imagine where it came from. Can you help me out? I can’t
acknowledge it until I know who sent it.
Cora
I can almost imagine how you felt that day you started your
letter -
frosty & bright. O dear what a time we’ll have if we stay
for
winter.
So
you get $45 per month. That’s more than either Lora or I got
but
you deserve more for I’m sure your kids are taught more than
ours
ever were.
“Acha”
(no) Cora one is still poetic etc etc even tho’ married - if
you
ever were so before - and perhaps if you weren’t married life
might
seem like a poem or at any rate make things seem poetic. I
always was so very poetic tho’ that several married
lives
would scarcely change me so perhaps I can’t speak for the
ordinary
married people. a ha ahem. I have a bad cold so just lately
life is
not so much of a poem. So has Raymond a bad cold. Most every
body
here has. - - The boys I have to teach are terrible some days
so I am
thankful when Fri. comes. Today Mr. Downing came in and talked
to
them and told them if they did not obey my orders they would
not only
be expelled from school but would be sent off the place too.
The
worst one in school is one who has been in the mission since
it’s
start and is just real mean in school - disobeys just ‘cause
he
wants to. so you aren’t the only one that has hard times.
I
have only 11 boys but it’s quite enough.
I’ll
try to write Miss Weed, but dear me what shall I tell her?
“The
Work” is a pretty broad subject. I hope Lora wrote to that man
on
the Greatest question of the times or something like that for
I
didn’t nor don’t intend to just now. I’ve correspondence
stacked way up now that I don’t know when ever I will
finish. Have several letters to write to strangers on “The
Work”
besides the regular letters. Well, I spose I’ll get finished
some
time.
Think
I must stop for this time. Glad you got the things O.K. A
little
boy from another station is here and is very sick with
pneumonia. The Dr. has gone to Rhoads where they expect a
little one.
Lots
of love to you all. How we should enjoy seeing you all again.
Ever
Yours
Florence
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