Kijabe. B.E.A. Thurs. eve
Feb. 18 ‘09
My
dear Ones:
I’m
going to start this tonight tho’ I shall not stay at it long
for my
head is aching and I’m sleepy. I didn’t get much sleep last
night for Raymond was sick and needed attention so often. I
was
awake every hour for 5 or 10 min. and sometimes twice during
the
hour. Mrs. H. thinks it’s his teeth. His upper gums are quite
swelled. Then night before last we rested well until midnight
when I
was awakened by smoke in the room and light shining in the
window. There was fire somewhere at the back of the house. I
knew the
kitchen couldn’t burn as it’s all of iron. I wakened Alta, in
the next room, and seeing the lots of sparks & everything
so
light she at once said “Forest afire” and ran & called her
mother and the rest & then gave the native call for help.
We
soon found it wasn’t so bad after all. ‘Twas only an out
house. The natives often carry fire brands as a light and no
doubt that is
how it got started. A spark likely lodged some where near
& the
wind raised and it blazed up. The building was made of some
large
posts set into the ground. Then smaller ones on either side
about a
foot apart & little sticks the size of my finger woven in
&
out making two walls or a double wall. This had a roof of
grass. Very flamable you see. and you can perhaps understand
what a big
light & roar it made & being right in the bushes they
began
to burn and just the first glance looked as tho’ the woods
were
burning. This is a bad time of the year - just before the
rains. &
every thing is so dry and they have some very big
fires here
sometimes. Well, the water was near and it was soon put out
but
there was considerable excitement. There were some cedar poles
stored in it & of course they made a big fire. I was the
first
one that saw it and as it soon went down perhaps no one would
have
awakened if I hadn’t. I was sorry I made such a hollo baloo
about
it. but the wind blew the sparks under the edge of the roof in
onto
my ceiling cloth and that frightened me. Alta got so
excited. She has such a horror of fire - always has had since
she was tiny. After it was quite finished she came into my
room & sat down on
the bed with me and was shaking from head to foot. She is very
nervous any way.
Sat.
night.
If
you could feel for just a little while as I do tonight
I
wonder what you’d think has happened. Well, just this - a
telegram. The men come home very early Mon. morning. A train
goes
down about 4:30 A.M. That’s what they come on. I was at
Downings
when Mr. D. came home & told us & I trembled so I
could
scarcely get up the hill. I can scarcely believe it. one day
&
two short nights and J. is here. I’ve gotten so used to
thinking
only of myself I hardly feel as tho’ I had a husband. O how I
long
to see him again. This wont have to be mailed until
Wed. so I
can still add some after he gets here. How I wish you could
know
this now. It seems too bad you must wait a whole month
to
know it. But it’s a French boat so ‘twill travel very fast. My
it seems as tho’ I can’t control my fingers I want to write so
fast. I want to go down to meet them. Carl or some of the
people
here will go and it is so early that I think there will be no
trouble
with baby. I think I’ve never been so “trembling” to see him
as this time. They’ve been gone 7 weeks. Do you wonder I’m
eager to see him? He’ll see a change in the baby I’m sure. We
took a few pictures of him again today. Hope they will be
good.
Had
a nice letter from Lora today - the only foreign mail there
was. It
doesn’t seem that we get all our mail. There’s so little
foreign
mail come lately.
I
must hurry and write this letter pretty nearly finished for I
can’t
get much done after J. gets here.
Downings
have come down from camp as Herbert was sick last night. Guess
I
didn’t mention that they had gone onto the hill, back of this
station, to camp; intending to stay a month or more but
Herbert got
quite sick so last night they got so little or no rest
and
decided to come home.
Alta
had been up with them and she staid yet today and Carl went up
tonight too. They will no doubt both come home tomorrow. I
fear
‘twill be pretty hard teaching school on Mon; but two hours
passes
so fast that I spose I can stand it.
I
feel now as tho’ I’d like to go to bed. These days are so hot
that I am fagged by night. I know I don’t get out enough. I
don’t
take near the exercise that I do when John is here.
You
remember Mr. Scouten of our party and Miss Frazer of Mr.
Downings
party. Well they are to be married next Tues. Mr. & Mrs.
Riebe
are going and Mrs. Hurlburt intended going too but now she
will not
unless Mr. Hurlburt will go and that would give him no time to
rest.
School
is going on splendidly. I do enjoy it & baby is so good.
Sleeps
all the time I’m away.
I
think there are two letters that I’ve not answered. I’ve
written
Miss Weed. Also got a letter off to the Spath boys this week.
but
there are ever so many more I wanted to write.
I
did enjoy that New Year letter so much. None of you
can ever
realize what it means to get such a letter. We often feel as
tho’
we are quite alone and then to be reminded that so many dear
friends
are thinking of us - O it is helpful. What a nice time you
must have
had. Cora you are such a genius. I hope you wont over do so we
can’t enjoy you when we get home. Don’t work yourself to a
frazzle. Ruth Johnson writes nice letters. You must be quite
thick. Do you write oftener than once a week? haha.
Good
for you teachers. I would have helped you if I had been there.
I
hope Henry D. recovered without loss of any limbs.
Did
I mention there is an American here tonight? A Mr. Suffin or
something (“suffin”) like that. I don’t know his purpose only
that he knows Mr. Tjader. When I saw him coming with Mr. Riebe
he
looked so much like J. only not quite tall enough. He was
walking
with two canes. He has been sick.
I’ve
had no word from Alice for so very long. Raymond got a
Happy
New Year card & not another thing has come for so
long. There are quite a number of letters here for us to read
when John
gets back. Guess we’ll have to take a day off.
Cora,
when your letter of Dec 22 came, telling of Virgils death I
can’t
tell you how sad I felt. Then your speaking of how few the
stockings
are now just all made me feel so sad I had a good cry. I don’t
often do that but that morning nothing else would do. I can’t
imagine Virgil gone but just a jolly splendid young man as he
used to
be.
Perhaps
next Xmas we’ll all be there (I mean at house with you) and
then
such a bunch as there will be. You’ll certainly have to
drive in an extra nail or two.
You
Cora were fairly well remembered. We were too but they come at
such
different times that it doesn’t pile up like yours. If we had
been
at Rumuruti we’d have celebrated in a real way but we
were
so upset & mixed up that Xmas passed without much tho’t
for or
abut it.
But
it’s getting late. Have had several interruptions so it’s
later
than I want it to be. I wanted to go to bed early & sleep
late
so that the time would fly faster. You people don’t know at
all
what it means to expect someone. You have to come to Africa to
get
the full benefit & then get foolish about it like I do.
I
enjoyed uncle Aarons letter and want to write him soon. Wish I
had
gotten off about ten more letters before J. returned.
Goodnight for
now.
Tues.
eve. Feb. 23.
Tomorrow
is papa’s birthday. Mr. H. & J came. Quite a crowd of us
were
down to meet them. They have both been quite sick but are
better. John has fever and is quite weak but is staying in bed
today and may
tomorrow yet but will soon be up. Mr. H. is in bed too with
bowel
trouble. They are greatly pleased with their trip and the work
looks
encouraging. We will no doubt go home as soon as possible.
Raymond
is quite well but has been very cross today. His upper teeth
are
troubling much.
I
wanted to write so you’d get them on your birthdays but I
didn’t
think of it & can only hope that some letter will reach
you near
that time.
It
is so dry here and windy that the wind blows into the cracks
awfully. Can’t keep things clean.
Alta
is taking my school work.
The
men didn’t stop for their visit in Uganda. They felt too bummy.
I
must stop now. Must mail this early in the morning.
Your
own
Florence.
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