Narok,
Masai Reserve, Kenya, Africa.
October
10, 1923
Dear
Nestlings:
I
had made up my mind to write to Miss Simpson tonight when I
suddenly
remembered that I better write to you people if I wanted to
continue
in the “Nest” - so here I am rather late again I fear but glad
to
be here once more.
John
has just gone at Mulungits summons, to fix the gun in the trap
as
there is another leopard around or perhaps the same one as we
never
got the other one we were after. But when he comes back he
will
likely be busy as he has about a dozen Masai songs to fix up
and that
will occupy him for awhile so I can write. Otherwise if he has
nothing interesting to do he goes to bed so early and then if
I don’t
come too I waken him and then he can’t sleep again.
Well
we got a big bunch of letters on Sat. One from you mama mailed
Aug.
15 and two from Lora and your nice big one Cora, as well as
one from
Sophy and one from Ben. Sophys has a “power of attorney” in it
so we have to go to the Gov’t station and sign up as we did
for
Chas. Course they told of Mothers death. In a way we were
surprised
and yet not greatly so because of your letters mostly. I don’t
suppose we will ever hear from anybody there now, tho they all
say
“You write sometime”.
Now
what have we been doing since I last wrote. I know I added
just a
bit to your letters just when Shaffers had come and now it is
four
weeks ago today that they left Kijabe to come here. We had
hoped to
go to Nairobi when the children went back to school but when
they
were so new here we thot we better not so had about given it
up. But
when they heard they insisted that we go anyway and let them
get on
as best they could which wouldn’t be very hard with Mulungit
here
and I had told the cook that he should go ahead and get the
meals and
bake when necessary and I guess he did.
I
think Shaffers got rather fed up with our social life the
first week
or so. They got here at suppertime Friday night. Course there
wasn’t much doing Sat and Sun but plenty of excitement with
the
four boys here. Then according to previous arrangements
Breretons
came for lunch on Mon and staid til about three. They had
hardly
gone when Rainbows came up and Mrs and Billy wanted to stay
here for
a week. I said I didn’t see where we could put them but we
finally decided to put up the tent but they ate here - we were
11
every meal. Course there was no school so I had more time for
in the
kitchen. Then the next Mon. was the time for us to leave and
Mr.
Rainbow had not come yet - I was somewhat put out about the
nerve
they had. However as we had to have the tent, they slept in
the
library on the floor. We went on Mon. noon and slept at
Ndulele and
the next morning when we left there we saw Mr. Rainbow
hitching up. He didn’t seem in very good mood, John said. We
didn’t talk to
him as were just passing at a distance. There were six of us
and
three of us rode at one time - so none got very tired and yet
all got
along pretty fast. We of course thot Mr. R- would come and get
her
and they would leave that day yet as we didn’t want Shaffers
troubled with them. When we got back we found they had brot
another
man along and all had staid two days. I was pretty near what
you’d
call MAD when we heard it. You see their place has been closed
and
they can’t get into the houses even altho since then we have
heard
that the Officer in charge offered them a place to stay at the
station and why they didn’t stay I don’t know.
(pg.
2) Their sale is to be next Sat. and then we hear the Officer
in
Charge is trying to get the Reserve closed to traders which
will mean
that they will have to get out. I think they are expecting to
anyway
pretty soon. I am awfully sorry for Billy for they have
nothing to
keep him in school with so he is gallavanting around with
them. They
will no doubt be back here as they left some things here.
So
much about them!!! Now to continue with our trip. We expected
to
meet Mr. Probst at Quarantine but instead he sent some men and
a
saddled donkey for the boys to ride. We had told him that we
wanted
to go a lower road toward Nairobi so that some one would have
to meet
the boys. We all left the next morning the boys expecting to
meet
Mr. P who was coming out shooting and would meet them. We
found out
afterward that he didn’t go out and that the boys went the
whole
way alone, just with the two porters. When we four are by
ourselves
we can all ride nicely and we had a lovely drive down across
the
Kidong valley and then we made a bit of a short cut toward the
Nairobi Kijabe road and when we got to the road we found we
had lost
the tent. O dear we had had such a nice time and then to have
it
spoiled. Raymond had been sitting on it in the back and then
got off
to walk and after that it fell off. He and John hiked right
back to
the road and looked for it - they were gone two hours and in
that
time I think Claudon said 20 times “I wonder when they will be
back”. They were terribly tired as it was just over noon and
they
didn’t find it - that was the disappointing part of it. We
went on
and when we got to the stream we stopped and had lunch - and I
thot
it was time to have all the treats we had so I got out a tin
of
peaches canned, and they were a real treat. Course as we had
no tent
we slept without - John and I under the cart and we have a
huge
blanket that we put over the boys as a bit of protection but
how the
wind did blow. It was lovely moonlight so we didn’t need much
of a
fire but it was cold and we would have liked a bit of fire but
we
were afraid to have a very big one for we were afraid it would
get
away for us and we were on a settlers land. The road runs
along the
hills gradually going up and up and we had gotten a good ways
along
before we camped so the next day we soon got to the top. It
was well
we did for that was the day set for an auto race from Nairobi
to
Nakuru - not a race for speed but to see who could do it
consuming
the least gas. We met 18 cars in about half an hour.
Fortunately we
were where there was plenty of room to pass and we let them
have the
road.
That
day we got to Ngong. That is the Gov’t post at the very edge
of
the Reserve and some Masai boys are living there and they have
a
school. Mulungit was very interested for a time and helpt them
to
get a good building up and there is a teacher there altho
there are
only 7 coming to school, it is a start. We staid in the school
building. They were all very glad to see us and brot all sorts
of
eats. The next day Fri. we went to Nairobi. Drove in. It is
about
12 miles. We took a boy along to stay with the mules and cart
and we
went into town and spent several hours as well as several
shillings. The boys did enjoy it. They hadn’t been there for
almost two
years. Among other things they had ice cream - such a treat -
probably because you only get enough to make you realize that
a
decent amount would be pretty good. At least there was enough
to
have a bit of memory to it and that makes it seem good. The
boys
each had two dishes. Even so they weren’t sick. Get
what
you get for a small 5 cent dish and we paid 20 cents for it.
(pg.
3) On Sat. we slept til 9 A.M. as we were awfully tired, then
we
walked for an hour and a half to see Miss Blakeslee. She has
begun a
new work for girls - sort of a reformatory. There are nine
girls
there now. She is doing real well. She gave us a bumper tea
and
showed us all the things she is trying to do or getting the
girls to
do. They have a loom and make rugs like carpet. Then they
weave
baskets and bags of rafia and sisal. Everything is done very
carefully and kept very clean.
We
got home just at dark. Sun. we had A.M. service and evening,
and
Mon. we left for Kijabe. We knew just where we wanted to camp
-
There was a nice stream of sort of warm water and we thot what
a
place for a bath! I had a bad head when we got there and after
looking over the place with Raymond while John and Claudon
took care
of the mules, I lay down in the shade and left them to build a
little
dam so as to make the water deeper. I slept and John watched
them
when all at once here crawls a big black momba snake up the
bank
right beside them. They backed away and having nothing better
Raymond took his slingshot and fired hitting it when it turned
and
came toward them puffing its head out big. They backed away
still
further and R hit it again but of course couldn’t hurt it
much. We
cleared out - moved our camp up into the sage bush away from
the
river. There wasn’t so much wind here as we had had at the
other
camp going up the hill. We kept fire all night with big logs
and the
next morning there was a bit of stump left unburned and
Claudon was
poking his knife blade into the cracks when he unearthed a
fair sized
scorpion. I said I would rather have snakes than scorpions but
as we
went on we knew we need have nothing to do with either one.
Got to
Kijabe in good time for dinner and had it at R.V.A. then went
to the
house that Leasures used to live in and fixed up for ourselves
as we
thot we were staying Wed. for they had said there was to be a
School
Board meeting. Then we found they had had it on Mon. so we
decided
to get out for home on Wed.
The
children were nicely settled in school and were having studies
so it
made little difference to them and I was eager to get back as
school
had begun here and it was the first time since Tagi isn’t
here. So
I knew the sooner I got back the better. We had a hard time to
get
away as there were so many things to see to but we finally got
off
about 12 but we made Quarantine before it got dark so we were
alright
and got hme here the next day.
When
John and Mulungit were going over for the Shaffers they left
Quarantine just at daylight and met 5 lions beside the road
just a
little from there and John was so frightened for fear the
mules would
run but he whipped them awful and they didn’t go very fast
then. They do not seem to know what lions are. Some mules get
perfectly
wild when they smell a lion. So he was rather nervous about
lions
this time. When we went over we saw tracks very near the
building
but this time we only heard some way off. Quite a number have
been
shot there lately, but the boys there said they still come
every
night.
When
we got here we found Mr. Shaffer had been hard at it and had
almost
finished the walls of a very large cook house. Mulungit helps
him,
but they did work hard. They are hoping to get some iron from
the
Rainbow stuff and then they will be pretty well fixed. They
are
living in the two room house we lived in before this one and
may not
build another for they will live in here when we come home.
She had
canned two quarts of strawberries. John has gone to bed and I
seem
very sleepy so goodnight.
(pg.
4) Fri. P.M. I do want to get this off tomorrow so instead of
mending this P.M. I will talk to you. Mrs. S- is having
teachers
class at school and it isn’t quite time for language class
yet. I
go to the class too tho just now they are still having rather
easy
work but I do want to brush up a bit on the grammar. They have
decided to build a house. We would rather they wouldn’t at
least
not so big but they seem determined and as they are doing the
work I
guess it is their affair.
Did
I tell you she is a fine violinist. You remember Cora how John
found
some old Etudes someplace in a “junk” shop and took the music
out. Now as there are some violin pieces among them they have
been
practicing them together and it goes fine. We do enjoy it. She
gave
Raymond a few lessons before he went back to school and will
give him
lessons again when they come home. He was in France for quite
a
while and was bugler of his division and so as the bell is not
yet
fixed he calls the people for meetings. He plays a few hymns
too. Harry Daniel (you must call him by both names) is such a
very active
boy he keeps everybody after him with “don’t, don’t, don’t”.
Ruth Marie, 7 mos. is troubled with eczema so she is rather
cross
sometimes. Drs. told her it would get better when she changed
her
food and she is gradually putting her onto a food called DRYCO
a
dried milk. They brot a phono along but I haven’t seen it tho
they
have given us the records they had to play on our machine.
They have
only 10.
We
have been having such a lot of strawberries. At the Gov’t
school
they are trying Dairying and have a separator so get nice
cream -
when they watch the milk very carefully so it isn’t smoked.
then
when they want to come over they let us know and say they will
bring
the cream if we get the shortcake and so we have good eats.
The very
best of the season is past but we still have twice a week.
I
thank you all for all the stamps for Raymond. He is so
interested
and many of the boys are. Last term he answered an
advertisement in
the Am. Boy and when we got to Kijabe he had a letter there
with 200
different stamps. He was tickled about it. And they want some
more
so he will likely send them more.
O
shucks now it is the next day. We do live in such a “whirl” of
society that I get little writing done. I wanted to finish
last eve
but they came over for some music and first they all played -
he the
cornet and she violin and John organ - just hymns, then when
he
stopped she and John kept up til bed time. She took lessons of
a
very noted teacher in Chicago and I guess had some thots once
of
doing nothing else so she plays very well.
They
have a gas lamp like that one you were going to send us also a
lantern and last night they used the lantern and it was so
much
brighter than our student lamp that we put ours out. They are
fine
and if ------- just here was a rap at the door and Rainbows
walked
in. They staid for supper and slept at their wagon and then
came up
to breakfast and were around til most dinner time when they
went
again. Their sale was to be yesterday but for some reason has
been
postponed and they say it is because the sellers want to sell
the
land with the place and he says they can’t do that as he has
paid
the rent and it is his so he is going to take action against
the
Officer in Charge when he comes in from safari on Wed. John
thinks
that they wanted to stay here til Wed. but I didn’t encourage
them
much so they have gone.
(pg.
5) So now it is Sun. P.M. and time for our meeting - last Sun
just
as we were ready for it the wagons drove up with the Shaffers
goods
and of course til we had it all unloaded and she must see a
few
things right away to see if they were alright as they hadn’t
seen
their goods since they left America, then it was supper time.
I
know the Bible says we should be all things to all men but it
is
rather hard to carry out with some people. Rainbows can’t talk
of
anything but their difficulties and how they are going to get
things
back on those who have wronged them. John is much more patient
than
I am - I get sick of their talk and I show it while he may be
sick
enough of it yet he lets them ramble on. The sale is none of
their
concern only she wants to bid on one of the mill stones and
then too
the buildings will be unlocked and she can get her things. It
is
awfully tough on them but they have no one to blame but them
selves.
Your
one letter mamma was written July 28. That was the day we got
home
with Miss Rogers and found Tagi dead here. Yesterday the Sept.
Inland Africa came with a write up by Miss Simpson and a
letter of
his and by this time they are no doubt printing the writeup
John got
ready for the paper after his death. Yesterday too came the
first
bound copy of the Masai Testament - a lovely copy a gift for
John
from the British and Foreign Bible Society. Others will no
doubt
come very soon.
You
told mamma of the family that drove from Annawan to Moline and
met
873 cars - I’d get tired counting that many. It was easier for
us
to count the cars we met as we went to Nairobi or rather Ngong
- It
was 18 and a race on at that.
We
have had word from Wards that they are sending the parcel so
it
should be here soon. Sat. a letter from Aunt Annie came
telling
about it too. We will be very glad for all the things but I
wish you
would pay it or part of it from the money you may have for I
fear it
is too much for Aunt Annie to do since the well drilling is
bringing
nothing. She says in her letter they are disappointed to hear
that
we can’t come home but as things look now we may be able to
get
there before Coras leave which I would like to do very much.
By that
time Shaffers will have the language well enough to get on and
Raymond will be needing more than he can get at R.V.A. But
that is
some time ahead as yet and many things can happen before that
time. If it wasn’t for the boys education we wouldn’t consider
furlough
yet. And sometimes when we read in the papers of the things
that are
taking place at home in the churches and out it makes us
wonder if
there is any place where they could be educated as we would
like them
to be. Course we wouldn’t think of leaving them and we
returning -
but we’d do as Downings are doing.
You
ask what is done with zebra when they shoot them. Some hunters
take
the hide which is quite thick, and then porters usually eat
the meat. Hunting parties usually get the porters or carriers
from a tribe
north of here, Kavirondo or else Kisii and both of those
tribes eat
any kind of meat they can get a hold of. Our boys didn’t do
anything with what they shot but practiced target shooting on
them. They are almost vermin so that when you get any sort of
license you
can shoot any number. Hunters usually shoot them and take them
wherever they can fix up a place to watch for lions as lions
are very
fond of zebra.
Mon.
P.M. as Mrs. Shaffers little girl didn’t come today to look
after
the baby I was going over to do her school work at this hour
but
found her already gone and before I could (pg. 6) turn around
here
was a white man who proved to be Mr. Bailey from Kijabe. You
perhaps
remember I wrote about them coming to Kijabe and buying a farm
but
before they got settled there they staid at the Mission for
quite
awhile. They live just below the hill and their children come
to
R.V.A. They have 8 all together. Mrs. Bailey’s health is very
poorly and she has to stay at a lower altitude much of the
time so
they are thinking of going home and I think he has come out
here now
to have a hunt before going. He is only stopping an hour or so
and
while he and John are on the veranda talking and the teakettle
is
getting hot for tea I’ll talk thro “Corona”.
Mamma
why don’t your ivys bloom. Mine are such a comfort and joy to
everyone who sees them. While we were on our Nairobi trip they
were
so well watered that they are doing fine altho it is quite dry
all
around. We left a boy to look after them and some grenadilla
vines
and he is sort of a half-wit and I don’t like him around much
and
he knows it so tried to keep things nice according to my
orders in
order that I would be willing to have him work longer.
We
are going to Narok on Wed. to sign up as we did to make Chas.
Power
of Attorney, and at noon a letter came from Mrs. Brereton to
say they
would be over for lunch on Wed. So we told them to come on and
we
would be back in plenty of time for lunch so nothing will need
to be
changed. I should have liked to see your flowers mamma, I
suppose
they were pretty for several have mentioned it.
In
a way I am glad you could go to Warrens if you didn’t work too
hard. You can’t do anything but visit next summer when Cora is
there and maybe I’ll be there the next summer and I’ll see
that
you sit and talk to me - It will likely be a case of you yell
at me
and I at you, then everybody will clear out because of the
noise and
we’ll have things our own way!!! Doesn’t it sound exciting?
As
I said before, Sophy wrote and sent the forms to be filled out
and
Ben wrote one page. Sophy said Ben would write and Ben said
the
others were no doubt writing and there you are - we couldn’t
even
get the date of mother’s death from any of their letters til
we got
it from yours. Sophy had no date to her letter and Ben said
“laid
mother away last Tues”. and he wrote on Wed. so we didn’t know
if
he meant yesterday or a week before. I don’t know why Albert
doesn’t take it upon himself to write. It isn’t so hard for
him
as it is for the others.
Of
course with Father and Mother both gone there is not so much
for us
to come home for any more. Georges, or Sophy has offered us a
place
to stay with them when we come, but when we get there we will
be
wanting to get settled wherever the boys are to go to school
so wont
likely be hanging around long any place. I prefer Wheaton, so
far as
we know anything now - I think John would like to be in a
milder
climate, and rather thinks we might find something just as
good in
Cal. I’d just as soon be in Cal. but have my doubts about
something as good as Wheaton.
Now
Lora two from you. and both in the same mail. Wasn’t it funny
yours and Coras each written with pen came in the same mail,
the
first in months. I was so glad for both, tho I never object to
the
other kind. You will have had my little short one written with
pen,
by this time, Lora. I have about 50 that ought to be written
this
month or early next to get to their destinations by Christmas.
And
then I have to write up the lives of 12 “Great Americans” not
more than 600 words each, and plenty (pg. 7) of
interesting
things and noble so as to stir the hearts of these boys to be
brave
and courageous!!!! Well I’ll make a stagger at it but all this
must be done before the next vacation for I want a real
vacation
during holiday time.
Have
not yet received the roll of church papers but they will come
along
soon I suppose. O mamma while I think of it I had some shoes
made in
Nairobi by an Indian and while they are very good - I suppose
they
would outlast the store kind yet they are pretty large and not
so
very nice looking so, unless you have already put the gift
money from
the lame girl into other use I think you better get shoes - 4
and a
half usually fit and I like those dark brown better than the
black. They can be low shoes if you find something nice as
most people wear
low shoes and these will probably be in use still when we go
home. Thanks Lora for the promise of Bringing up Father - they
are always
welcome, and with all the different ones that are sending none
have
been alike.
You
say we don’t work much P.M. and I take the womens sewing class
at
that time then at 3 we have language and after that try to
have an
hour for Bible and prayer and by that time it is supper time
and a
short walk makes it dark and then somehow the evening is gone
before
we know it. The men don’t go at their work til two oclock and
then
often they put the boys to work and they don’t do anything til
class time.
I
suppose Mr. Shaffer studies and John works a bit at preparing
lessons
but I mean don’t work out of doors.
It
is evening and raining. We are very glad for the rain but
Shaffers
have nothing but an old canvass over their kitchen and they
scattered
all the things around so that they have had to cover
everything up
and eat supper over here. Guess they will find out it takes
more
than four walls to make a house. They had wanted to get the
Rainbow
iron but the sale has been postponed twice and so now they
think they
will send to Nairobi for roofing and get it out as soon as
possible. My just now it is coming down. We had wanted to
clean out one of the
water tanks that has been empty for a while but have put it
off and
now it will be filling up so we can’t but it wasn’t so bad
only
thot it well to do as it was empty.
Thanks
for the stamps. I think the 25 cent one is quite new. Then you
put
such a lot and such a variety into your letters that Raymond
is very
popular. He got a good joke on one of the Hoyt boys who had a
very
rare stamp and every body was trying to get it, after
everything else
had failed Raymond finally promised him his piece of pie
whenever
they had pie for the rest of the term and he got the stamp and
then
they never once had pie!!! R- thot that a good joke on Howard.
We
are so glad for every word of Alberts improvement. You surely
could
have it worse and if you can’t be at work you are fortunate at
being in such comfy quarters and such little expense.
How
nice of the U.Es, to have the meetings where Bert could
attend. Will
you dress Berts wound when they all go? We had read in our
paper
quite awhile ago about the Japan earthquake and the last
Digest has a
lot more details in and a letter from Bertha Simpson but no
one yet
has written anything about our people there and how they
fared. We
are so eager to know. It would be strange if there were not
some
fatalities among our number there. Dear me how fast this sheet
fills!!!
Thanks
Chas. for the clipping about the lion. I don’t blame him for
making good when he got out.
(pg.
8) Cora you offer peaches and cream and I offer strawberries
and
cream - I think we better cut it out or we’ll get no pity when
we
come home. What a nice picture of the Feb. group that is. Lora
you
old fatty. You wont get much sympathy either.
How
funny these youngsters are. That prayer was so funny we all
had a
good laugh several times. Those pictures of you and the girls
is so
nice only Lois moved but her face is very good in the one with
Miss
Roloff. Thanks for the S.S. lesson, Can you read that “Stuff”
as
Mulungit would say. He calls everything that he doesn’t know
the
name of, stuff. Yes Cora I am saved a lot of sewing by having
boys. This last vacation I never even made pyjamas for them as
their outfit
was pretty good. I did do something tho and that was made R- a
pair
of knee pants from Johns old pair. They had split straight
across
the knees and by cutting above there and using the bottoms for
patches on the seat I got out a pretty good pair and he
declared he
would wear them on Sunday with his new khaki shirt from Alice.
Guess
he will be glad when his suit comes and I do hope it will be
large
enough. When we got to Kijabe we went to the Indian tailor and
had
them measured for khaki shorts - each two pair and with the
shirts
they have that will do them nicely til Christmas. They cost
Shillings 7 a pair that is $1.75 a pair. I don’t try to do any
khaki sewing for them any more. It is such heavy work and then
the
machine is not strong enough.
I
had intended to wear that white dress just as it is but since
you
suggest making it long waisted I may do that but I don’t think
I
will dye it at least not that rose color, it’s too bright for
me. Why didn’t you send me something tamer. Mrs. Brereton has
a rose
colored dress and she looks so nice in it but I think its too
bright
for me.
Now
I think I’ll stop and add a bit to each and call my letter
done. Course you will each need to take a week off to get it
read. I do
think now it wont be so long again til I get at it. The future
looks
fairly bright so far as evenings are concerned and that means
letter
writing. And still the rain comes down gently but surely. If
it
keeps on like that our tanks will be full and the water
carriers will
be happy. We have just last week put in a lot of garden seed
Mr.
Shaffer in his corner and John in his and this is fine for
them.
Goodnight!!!
[handwritten] I guess you’ll need to lay
off a day for this alright. I’ll try
to reinforce the envelope so it holds. I’ll not put in any
pictures. Haven’t the last lot developed yet. Your frame will
be
late for Xmas I fear, but you’ll get it some time.
Sweet
peas from Mr. Clarkes garden & maiden hair fern are the
center
piece today.
With
heaps of love to you all
Florence.
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