Kijabe E.A.P. Feb. 2nd 06

Miss Cora Minch,
Hooppole, Ill.

My dear Krazy Kora:
        My ears rang many times the last few months and I could never make out why, but I imagine now it was because of the hard words you used because I did not write. Well never mind I thought of you just the same and that’s just as good as writing. My but that sister of yours is getting fat. Now I dont think that Pa of yours was fair with me I did’nt bargain for a little fat old woman and yet that is what he sent me. I sigh, sighs of sorrow when I think that in this country you must pay for clothing according to size I am afraid this great calamity will bring me down in sorrow to my grave and what is worse she is getting fatter every day. I suggested to her one day that we make up our living expenses by traveling with some circus. She as the fat woman and I as the tall lean man. Well that is the way we look anyhow. Well I dont care I am glad Florence has come anyhow. The natives here pay bigger prices for fat women and they say I am a big man for having such a valuable wife. So that fixes matters alright.

        Well you ought to see how we have been running around the last few days. Would you believe it that we went twenty miles one day. That is really a fact. Because we are up so high the air is very light and walking is very easy, and I thought I would try Florence and see if she could walk and she really out walked me. We went off to a bamboo forest and I tell you we did have a jolly good time. We roasted potatoes on the coals, and had roasting ears and sweet potatoes. We went to a village where native hunters live. They speak the Masai language and told us many interesting things. Pretty caves and waterfalls we saw by the dozens. I think Florence has seen more of the places about here than any one in our Mission. We usually take lunch along and I tell you it is grand fun. Dont I wish you and Alice could be here for a little while. If I could’nt show you a good time then you dont know what a good time is. But you’re coming out some day are’nt you? So Florence said, so we will just wait and plan for a dandy time when you get here.

        Say, why dont you plan to come here to stay. We saw a whole lot of dirty babies one day and Florence said How Kora would enjoy washing up those babies. I will leave here tomorrow for the Masai Reservation and dont I just wish you were here to go along and wash up a few of my Masai babies there. They are such a dirty lot of little chaps. Florence will stay here at Kijabe until the house is finished but I think she will go with me inside of six months. One of our missionaries here will go with me now to help do the building. Mr. Hurlburt said Florence could go with me as soon as the house is built so you can just guess there will be one busy fellow for the next few months. I think we are going to have a beautiful house and if you come out you had better come to help fix it up when it is finished. But I must close. It is late at night and I am very sleepy. Sorry I cant stay here a few days longer but a week off at the beginning adds a week at the end so I think I had better go. Well Good night, sleep well, and I will try to too.

        Yours as ever

        John.

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