Kijabe E.A.P. May 16 ‘05
Miss
Florence Minch,
Hooppole
Ill.
My
dear Florence.
Every
time I write now, I think well it will only be a few more.
Then one
task will be over, I hope for always. My time set now for your
arrival is not later than Sept., and here we’re nearly on to
June. Why it will hardly give me time to slick up as we boys
used to say. When you get this letter Mr. Hurlburt will
already be in America, and
since his stay will be only a short one it gives you little
time for
more visiting. He arrives in England today. I am so glad you
have
had a year at your home. It gave you time to settle down a
bit. I
was also glad to hear that you made good preparations as far
as you
yourself was concerned. Having your back fixed, and your eyes
and
teeth. These things are hard to deal with here although Mr.
Hurlburt
really does good work at dentistry. Mrs. Downing also does
real
well. She has a brother who is a dentist, and she has learned
from
him. Mr. Hurlburt filled three teeth for me, and they are
holding
beautifully. You cant imagine how many different things Mr.
Hurlburt
can do. He’s a good doctor, dentist, carpenter, bricklayer and
almost anything needed in a man on a mission station. My but
how it
does rain! I never saw anything like it. For nearly three
months it
has rained almost continually. If it keeps on much longer you
will
find Kijabe in all its glory when you get here. This country
is so
pretty just after heavy rains. I am now for once getting just
a bit
of a rest. It rains so much that very little can be done
outside. My Masai boys are all gone for the present. Their
expenses became so
heavy, that I had to dismiss them. So I am practically left
alone. Mulungit is still on the Reservation, and really I am
homesick for
him nearly all the time. Sometimes so much so that I should
just
like to sit down, and cry for hours. You can hardly imagine
how
great a hold he has on my heart, and since he has left I have
only
seen him but once, and that in the dark. If I were sure it
were Gods
will to bring him back again I should pray day and night that
it
might be so, and yet it sometimes seems to me that God has
sent him
out among his people to prepare for my work when I shall be
permitted
to go. I feel quite sure that he preaches Gods word wherever
he
goes. The other boy Josiah I am afraid has given me the slip.
He
went off to visit some of his friends and I have’nt seen him
since. He said he would only stay about 3 weeks and now it is
nearly two
months. All his things however and some of his money are still
here. So I am still hoping he will return. Oh if I could only
go and see
the boys. For some reason God seems to have shut me in here so
that
it is almost impossible to get away. I have however a class of
Kikuyu young men under my charge, and I enjoy much working
with them. I have the Kikuyu language so that I can help
myself nicely. This
makes it very handy for me to have both languages, and I think
in a
few years I can easily handle both nearly to perfection.
Have
you heard anything yet from Phila. concerning your coming.
Florence
if I am not the happiest man on earth when you get here, you
just
take me on to Lake Naivasha and pitch me in. I shall deserve
it. We
will have the prettiest little home on earth, and I should
have the
smartest little wife living and we shall be engaged in the
grandest
work there is. An unhappy man in such a position ought to be
pitched
into the lake, even if there is danger of an hippopotamus
getting
him. I just looked up and saw old “Onconvenience” on the wall,
and it made me madder than ever to think that I am an old
bachelor,
and by the way getting pretty old too. Oh I forgot
what you
wrote in your last letter concerning my age. I was just
thinking
this nonsense may make you think I have already reached the
childish
period. By the way Florence what made you so sassy in your
last
letter. Is it because you are beginning to practice on
handling me? I shall tell your father if you get too bad.
Are’nt you afraid of
him!
Mr.
Hurlburt will have very sad news in store for him when he
reaches
home. Mrs. Bartholomew one of our missionaries took sick very
soon
after he left, and died in just a few days. Poor old Mr.
Bartholomew. It has almost broken him up. He is all alone now
at
Kangundo. They were married only a little over two years. They
were
getting on very nicely at Kangundo, and it seems hard to
understand
just why the Lord has taken her away just now. Her sister one
of our
missionaries died here about two years ago, and one of their
sisters
died about a year ago at home. Three grown up daughters within
two
years in one family. It must be very hard for their poor old
mother.
I
dont know much about the Masai this time but I think they are
settling on the Reservation. The old chief Lenana had a long
Conference with the Government Officials at Nairobi and
declared that
he and his people would absolutely refuse to go to the
Reservation,
but an Officer and some soldiers went out and burned a number
of huts
and took large numbers of sheep and cattle, and it seems now
the
people feel that they must go. I feel very sorry for them yet
it
evidently must be the final fate of all the natives. There is
even
talk of driving back the Kikuyu who have done practically all
of the
white mans work. There is I think little doubt now of your
even
going to the Reservation. Mr. Hurlburt seems to insist on my
staying
here. If he does as he says he will I think I can easily
manage to
stay. He hopes to establish a special fund for Masai work,
which
will make it possible to keep a number of boys and girls at
Kijabe. One lady has already promised to keep one boy, and
another has
subscribed $40 a year for Masai work. There will no doubt soon
be
others to help in this work, and their lot will be to go to
the
Reservation to prepare boys to be sent to Kijabe. Of course
then one
man must be here who understands the Masai language, and Mr.
Hurlburt
says it will no doubt be me. These have been Mr. Hurlburts
plans
from the beginning and I expect I will have to buckle down to
them. But I must close. Dont let anything frighten you. You
will have a
very pleasant journey, and at least one will be waiting very
anxiously for you here. May God bless and keep you is the
prayer of
Yours
John
|