Kijabe E.A.P. Feb. 14 ‘05
Miss
Florence Minch
Hooppole
Ill.
My
dear Florence:
I
have just received your letter written while at Geneseo.
Thanks for
those pictures. They made me feel jolly. Well you have written
some
many letters to my one this time, that I shall have to try and
write
a long one. I wonder if you dont think some times that I am
almost
going crazy. Almost every letter has a different plan and I am
at a
different place, so again this letter has its plan. Dont you
feel
some times as though you ought to come out soon, and steady me
just a
bit. I am trying to do my best however and believe that
finally we
will be located permanently at Kijabe. Although at times it
seems as
though it would be best to settle elsewhere it usually turns
back
again to Kijabe. Did I ever tell you about it or did you ever
hear
of it, that Mr. Hunsperger is planning to come out here soon.
If he
comes and it is almost certain now, then he will join me in
the Masai
work. I expect him some time this next summer. And now what
will
you give me if I tell you when you are coming out. At a recent
meeting of the Field Council we decided that Mr. Hurlburt
should go
home the middle of April. He will stay only a few months and
then
return. He has promised me that he will bring you along. There
will
be a large number coming at that time and you could not wish
for a
better time to come out. And Oh how glad I am that you can
come with
Mr. Hurlburt. I dont think I should feel that you were safer
even
with your own father. You cant imagine what a grand old fellow
he
is. I have learned to love him and trust him as though he were
my
own father. I am very sure you will be well pleased with him.
This
will likely be his last visit home. He is not as strong as he
used
to be and will no doubt soon be forced to retire. He says
however
that his old days will be spent at Kijabe. Mrs. Hurlburt does
not
expect ever to go to America again and their children will
likely all
stay here. I am so glad that now it is beginning to seem as
though
finally you will get here. It seems as though from a natural
instinct I knew you were coming, and the last few months I
have been
longing more than ever to have you here. I often think how
grand if
you could plan with me for the work. As it is I feel rather
selfish
sometimes. You know it sort of seems as though I want
everything for
my own self, and have it in my own way. I hope you will not
find me
crabby or selfish about anything and yet sometimes I am afraid
it
will be so. So you will just have to study your dictionary
well and
charge yourself heavily with all sorts of scary words and then
let
fly when you get here. Perhaps in that way you will succeed in
scaring me into the right way. Oh I do hope you will find
nothing in
me to disappoint you. You know we hardly know one another yet,
and
they say to know one, you must live with him for some time.
But
remember Florence love overlooks many faults. I hope we shall
very
quickly understand one another thoroughly. I shall try to do
my very
best, and I know you will do all you can to please me, but
they say
murder will out, so any fault we may have is bound to come out
sometime. I hope it will be, if ever at all, only at a time
when we
thoroughly understand each other so that we shall be able to
deal
with one another only in tenderness and patience. I dont think
you
would care to say “Oh John will never find a fault with me”,
but
I should judge from my own feelings that you rather fear that
he will
only discover them too soon. Oh I do hope that you will think
so
much of me, and I so much of you that our faults shall only be
a
means of drawing us closer together. I confess to you now
Florence
that much as I should like to I am afraid I shall not be able
to
please you always and I suppose I am almost too old to change
much
now. But we will likely have some time to talk these things
over
when you get here so I need say nothing more about it. I hope
however that when you get here you will be ready to open up
your
whole life to me and tell me about those things which you
think I
might not like, and if I am ready to do the same we will at
once
learn to understand each other, and there need be none of
those
unpleasant experiences which so often take place. May God help
us to
be very true to one another. It is only by opening up our
lives, so
that we know each other thoroughly that we shall be able to do
this. It is as our relations to our Master. Only when we let
him see all,
then are we happy in Him. But you may think I am preaching
quite a
sermon. You wrote once that I always seemed so dignified to
you. Well I must confess that I do feel serious at times, but
you must
admit that there was at least a few times when I was real fond
of
fun. I dont think too much fun is best for a person, yet I
should
hate much to be always sober and serious, but you will
understand
that better when once you run up against some of the difficult
problems and awful temptations of a missionaries life. But I
have
almost reached the limit allowed me, and have’nt told you
anything
yet.
Did
I tell you that Mr. Roth who used to be a student at the
college has
undertaken to support Mulungit. Mrs Owen sent money for him
for a
time but says she will be glad to let Mr. Roth have him as his
own
boy, and she will help in other lines. You remember him as
having a
lame arm. He was in the Commercial Class when I was at
college. Mr.
Strahler and Mr. Geiselbrecht both correspond with me and will
likely
some day turn this way. So you see old N.W.C. is turning out.
I do
wish I could persuade Mr. Zeller to come too. He writes
however very
favorably. And now without letting her know that I said
anything
about it, do you think that your sister Cora is much
interested in
Missions or was she only joking in her letter. Please dont
mention
to her that I said anything about it but I should just kind a
like to
know.
Well
what about the future. Mulungit went to Naivasha today to take
part
in a conference between the Masai and the Government which I
think is
the ultimatum. I am very anxious to know all about it. Perhaps
he
will return tomorrow and I can then tell you about it in this
letter. Some of the Masai have gone to the Reservation through
fear, but
most of them have not as yet made a move. I am going myself,
starting next Saturday. I will spend Sunday at Naivasha, and
then go
on to the Reservation for an extended tour. There are several
things
I shall attempt to do. First I shall see the Government
officer
there, and find out if there will ever be an opportunity to
locate on
the Reserve. If so then I will explore most of it, and choose
a
location so that when Hunsperger gets here we can go in and
take
possession at once. Of course this only, if after a careful
exploration I think the Government will be able to carry out
their
plans with the Masai. From what I know now they cannot
possibly
succeed. This not because I think I am wiser than the
Government,
but a plan which they had before this one, and which Mr.
Hurlburt
knew thoroughly, he said not even an idiot could plan worse.
The
Government has no regard whatever for native rights, and the
harder
they can press them the better they like it. They cannot do
the
impossible however, so it will be wise for us to move
carefully. Then whether we go to the Reserve or not, Mr.
Hurlburt has given me
permission to get if possible ten boys paying $25 a year each,
and
bring them back with me and stay here with the boys until I
get help. When once we get this number and I feel confident
that I can, they
will surely gradually increase, and that will give me a
permanent
work at Kijabe, and leave Hunsperger for the Reserve. If then
with
the boys, there should be an equal number of girls, I think
you would
be well pleased. This you remember was my original plan and
somehow
I feel that it is God’s plan. I have two new boys now one of
which
I believe will soon be able to take Mulungits place. His name
is
Mugwani. I am teaching all three steadily now. I felt very
sorry
for Mulungit. He was learning so fast but so many changes, and
being
away as much, I had very little opportunity to teach him for
the last
six months. Could I have kept at it, he no doubt would be able
to
read much by this time. How glad I shall be when you get here
that
when I am gone you can do this for me.
Your
mother wrote that your parents would pay for anything I needed
or
wanted, and that I should’nt bother about money. This I dont
think
is quite fair, and I shall only consent to it on condition
that I
reserve an equal amount for your special comfort when you get
here. I am afraid it will keep me from asking for a few things
which I
might otherwise. One thing however I cannot refrain from. I am
so
very fond of reading history. Mr. Hurlburt has a number of
good
books on the Life of Christ which of course I am free to read
but I
can find nothing on the early history of the Jews, which I
have been
looking for for years. I find advertised in Fleming H Revells
Company’s Catalogue a Bible history which has almost set me
wild. The author is Alfred Edersheim whose life of Christ is
excellent. It
is however in seven volumes and costs $6.00 which to me seems
like an
enormous sum of money. Although I am very anxious to get it
yet I
can only suggest it and leave you to do as you think best. The
title
of each book is given and I feel sure it is just what I have
been
looking for. I have both Humes and Macaulays history of
England, but
should there be any others you could get easily please bring
them
along. History is my favourite reading. But I must close this
and
give you Mulungits report in another envelope. I want also to
send
you some pictures and a short letter for your cousin Oneida. I
do
enjoy immensely to hear from her. I hope she will continue to
remember me til I bring her the zebra. Perhaps you had better
bring
a box along to put it in.
With
much love I am John
|