Narok,
Masai Reserve,
Kenya
East Africa.
Dec.
20, 1934
Dear
Folks:
I’ll
start this but can’t say when it will get finished. We’ve had
no
home mail for some time. 2 wks. I think, and no boat in til
next Sat.
so we wont get the mail til a week from today.
We
are going to be very quiet this Xmas. Mr. Clarke will come up
and
that’s all so far as we know now. The Stephenson family from
Nairobi were coming out but they sold their car - so have no
way of
coming now.
Tonight
Andersens are here on their way back from Kijabe where they
went on
Tues. to get Lucile. They were here Mon. night too, on their
way in. They always sleep over in the guest house and as it’s
8 P.M. Mrs.
has gone to get the girls to bed. Earl is out on the veranda
with
Jno. They got here about 2 oclock so Earl & Jno had a good
fish
down river.
Miss
Norton - one of our nice maiden ladies - pure white hair - is
coming
here soon after the New Year. to stay til Conf. time, then we
will
all go to Conf. together. She comes from Ukamba country -
there the
work was first started. She will think she is in the wilds if
she
gets out here. Mrs. Guilding says “it’s so perfectly African”,
out here. and she’s quite right for the Masai are not very
progressive. In Ukamba the people plough & some live in
burned
brick houses etc! They are very progressive.
Am
sending you some snaps of the Andersen children. Choose one
Cora &
return the rest to me. XXX And now it’s Christmas day “in the
morning” with you but here it is P.M. Yes, it is kinda
Christmassy
but not very for we are alone; but we fixed up a stuffed
chicken
yesterday, & Mr. Clarke & we went out about 25 mi. to
a
pretty spot along a river & had lunch and then, he was to
have
Xmas dinner with us tonight with plum pudding etc. but we are
all too
full for another feed and as he has the nice gramaphone &
heaps
of records he has asked us down there for a fruit salad, bread
&
butter & cheese supper and then music. so we’re going.
Wish
some poor people could have some of our lovely meat. Mr.
Clarke sent
us half a “tommy” that’s about like half a sheep - & we
were to roast the back leg for Xmas then he sent us another
this
morning. I mean another back leg but of an oribi, this is. but
as
large or larger. Lois has just come & started up the fire
for I
must boil these both or they wont be good. Then we got a
basket of
vegetables from Kijabe & Mrs. Probst sent a tin box of
plums and
also sent me 7 pyrex custard cups. and a nice picture of
Grandma
Myers taken on her 80th birthday. Mrs. Dawson the
D.C’s
wife - they now live at Kisii about 100 or 120 miles from here
- sent
a cross stitched linen center piece. I’m sure it’s Chinese
make
tho it’s heavier linen that they use.
[pg.
2] So you see even in Africa we are having Christmas.
We’ve
received a number of cards & letters tho I think the mail
this
next Thurs. will bring more home letters. We had no word from
Claudon last Congo mail day but a Xmas card from nurse Smith
at
Bell’s station says they were expecting him in for his
birthday &
for over Xmas. I don’t just know what date their Conf. is but
suppose he will stay there til after that. They have to go 200
miles
or more to Rethi where they will have it this year.
We
are hoping we will get the report of the wedding by this mail.
and
then soon the probable date of their sailing - I hope they can
get to
Calif. Sara would enjoy the trip so much. and ‘twould be so
nice
to have her know the relatives & Mission friends.
Now
Lora, don’t laugh when I tell you what my “pick up” work is
now. You know I never did get those crocheted blocks finished
for a
bed spread. I have enuf blocks but am now putting an edging
onto
those that are along the sides. Then I’ll get it all made up.
Have some sewed together now. Just finished a crocheted rug of
old
dresses and want to make one of burlap that you pull the rags
thro
with a hook but I’ll wait til I get the hook if one of you
girls
will get one & give it to Raymond to bring out. Lora,
here’s
another laugh. You remember your white Chinese linen dress
with X
stitch down both sides of the front panel. I hauled it out of
the
trunk the other day & tucked it - making it narrower -
&
shortened the sleeves & lo, I have a nice dress. It may go
to
the coast with me if we go down to meet Raymond. It’s so warm
these days that one feels like using white. And Alice, here is
one
for you. You remember the brown corduroy velvet jacket you
gave me. I made a coat of the brown dovetin [duvetyne?] dress
I had - you made
it for me. and used part of the velvet of the jacket with it,
then
the lining was left. I had a cotton machine-knit sweater -
sort of
flimsy thing Mrs Shaffer gave me. With the lining of the
jacket I
made a skirt to it & dolled it up with a bit of green
ribbon &
the white leather band from my old helmet - which band I don’t
use
now - as a belt - finishes the outfit I gave Lois for her
present. A
white calico with tiny black figure bungalo apron - don’t know
whose it was formerly, but one of you girls gave it me. I
touched it
up with a bit of yellow and Lois bot it for her Mother. I took
the
picture of Mulungit & family - there you’ll see these
productions of my brain. After I took the picture he asked
when they
would be finished. I said not for a month. then he said. I
want
Cora to have one & the lady that sent the Testament.
“That’s
all”. You remember how he always said “That’s all” so much.
Translating their word “basi” which means “finished”. Now
that the picture is taken he is going to have his hair cut
& I’ll
send you some. tho he says it’s gotten very coarse &
straight
like a Somali’s hair. He’s bald some too.
[pg.
3] Thanks Cora, for your letter via Raymond & all
enclosures. It will go on to Claudon next mail. When I get
Mulungits pictures
I’ll send you a couple as there may be use for ‘em.
How
nicely Faylon writes - and draws. What a fire you had. I think
fires are awe ful. One is so helpless when fire gets
started. I even make a fuss when Jno burns brush for fear some
tree will get
scorched.
For
his outside work these days he is ridding the hill of stones -
and
it’s some job as it is just a stone pile. but he is making it
look
very nice. Also clearing more brush away which will keep
vermin away
and where the stones are cleared away grass will grow when it
rains. Yes, when it rains. Last Fri. we had a good
down pour &
if there had been a few more showers grass would start. It has
started in spots but now these days are clear & the sun so
hot it soon dries things up again. We keep a little garden
going but
there are so many enemies - it’s a struggle to keep things
agoing.
I’ve
covered one peach tree with old nets. and we are getting a few
nice
peaches - just for eating fresh otherwise the birds have taken
all. They don’t wait til the fruit is grown even. The trees
are full of
peach stones many of them very small.
Lora,
your last written Oct. 11. is the only one we’ve had from you
but
no doubt Thur. will bring another. Do tell me if Cora Beth saw
Ma
Rilling & Mabel. I so often often think of them. Just
yesterday
I said to John what a wonderfully beautiful day it was &
he said
quoting Freddie’s Aunt, with whom we boarded - “Yes, it’s nice
enuf today but we’ll catch it next week for this nice
weather”. I have even forgotten the Aunt’s name. Was it
Freddie Straus? Oh
no that was a Freddie out here!! Thanks for Loises letter.
she’s a
typical Am. girl I should judge. Am so glad she is liking it
at J.B. Guess I told you Chas Probst was in Whittier, Cal. but
do not know
if he is still there. His mother heard from him but forgot to
mention in mine where he is now.
Say,
the writer of that book - Alex Powell, was about right.
“hanker
unreasoningly to return”. That’s it. There’s something
about it - it draws folks back. Not only missionaries but
Gov’t
people have said the same. And some how I’m getting so I don’t
care much about leaving at all. John says we’re pretty well
African as we’ve spent more time of our lives here than in
U.S.A. The next big thing we are looking for’d to is
when Ray’s
come. and Claudon. We hope Rs will be here for their birthdays
in
July. After they get here & are settled in their work then
I
don’t know what we will look forward to. Maybe we’ll
think about U.S.A. then.
Erik
Barnett & Emily have arrived but we’ve not seen them. Mrs
B.
is in bad shape, from all I hear. She has never recovered from
her
operation a bit over a year ago. I mean nervously - and all
the time
they were at the coast she was troubled with gatherings in her
ears &
then took a heavy cold. Emily had a year of nurses training
she can
try it out now on Mrs. B. We’ve just had word that Earl
Andersen
has been accepted as an A.I.Mer. We’re so glad as it will help
to
settle him. Mrs A. is going to live at Kijabe for a year as
Margaret
is not well but starts school next year.
Must
stop now. Hope you are having a happy time together.
Love,
Flo.
[from
margin:] Our Xmas this year is quite a contrast from last year
when
we were 3 deep around the table.
[pg.
5] Thur. eve.
I
hardly thot I should put in another sheet but I must just to
say how
happy we are, for a letter from Claudon dated Oct. 10 says he
was
booked to sail Nov. 9. So by this time he is in Eng. and
likely will
be out here for Xmas. Now, course you know all about
it. long
ere this & by the time you get this he’ll be here. Say,
boy!
wont we have a gay time? A letter from Mrs Shaffer says, if C.
is
going to be here she wants to come too for Xmas. We can’t make
very definite plans til we know when he arrives. We should
have an
air mail from Eng. in a week or 10 days. It is good to think
of him
on the way.
Cora,
your letter started at W.C.T.U. Conv. and written at during
School of
Missions, and finally posted in Oct. came this eve too. Were
glad
for it & to hear how fine Lois is getting on at J.B.C. And
by
our paper this wk we know the 18th Amend. has been
repealed. and we too asked, now what? Have the people in Am.
gone
mad? It seems like a good number have lost their heads, at
least.
After
reading Claudons letter I told Dad my plan is to drive to
Nairobi to
meet him. He didn’t reply so perhaps he’s considering.
I’m sure he wont let me go without him - at least I hope he
wont -
but he hasn’t driven for a long time. and has never ridden
when I
drove - but I think we’ll be able to manage between us.
Thanks
so much Cora for what you are sending by Claudon. And thanks
much
too for the lavendar kerchief. I’ll give it to grandma Myers
for
Xmas. What a pretty dress that is. In your next, tell me how
you
made it up. You’ll hear more about that parcel when it gets
here
but I know something of how fine your parcels always
are. I’ve been fighting a “head” for 2 days. ached all night
last
night. I’m going to take some M.I.S.T. and see results
tomorrow. It is better than at supper time. I was so hungry so
I ate in spite
of what the Dr. said in Nairobi “don’t eat” anything but 15 or
20 grs. of asperin! I ate 10 grs. last night but have taken
none
today.
How
can any thotful parents, say nothing about them being
Christian send
their children to that Fullerton Hi School? Isn’t it shocking?
Spose
Lois will be home for Xmas. and you’ll have a happy time but
it
wont be any happier than ours. My, how we wish Raymond could
be here
too. but maybe that would be just too much. At any rate we are
hoping he will get here for a year from Xmas. If they all came
at
once we might just “ferblatz” with joy.
We
do hope you will all have a very happy time. Don’t forget to
tell
us all about it. Byrd don’t go & get sick like you did
last
year.
Thanks
for both your letters telling of the School of Missions. Must
have
been very interesting.
Very
much love to you all -
Flo.
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