Kijabe E.A.P. March 24 ‘06
Mrs.
John Minch,
Hooppole,
Ill.
My
dear mother:
I’ll
bet you’ll say “Hello, John back at Kijabe again. Well he must
be bad off”. But I can just tell you I did’nt come all this
distance only to see Florence. I dont know but it seems
Florence has
a bad influence over me for I have been down with something
nearly
the whole time since she has been here. We no more than got to
Laikipia when I spent two weeks in bed. I got some better and
Mr.
Hurlburt advised me to come back here. I felt real good for a
while
and walked the entire distance from Laikipia to Nakuru 60
miles in
three days and a half but it seems it was a bit too much for
me and
when I got here I was taken down again. I was in bed most of
yesterday, and today but am feeling much better this evening.
I
think I need to be laid aside for a month or two, and then I
will be
ready for good hard work again. I tell you if anybody is glad
Florence is here that somebody is myself. I am afraid another
year
of the kind of life I have been living would about do me in. A
few
days here and a few days there, eating whenever I could get
something, and drinking all sorts of water. I couldn’t very
well
help it but it is beginning to tell on my health, although I
think
with very good care a few months will bring me out alright
again. I
have been troubled for some time with bowel trouble, and at
Laikipia
I was taken down with a very violent form of dysentery. I dont
think
I ever suffered in my life as I did those two weeks, and while
it has
now passed away my old bowel trouble still remains. The
doctors tell
me it is nothing serious at all if I am only very careful, and
I
believe Mr. Hurlburt has about decided that I shall not go
back to
Laikipia again unless Florence goes along to take care of me.
Of
course I dont object to that only I wish things were a bit
better
fixed. Still Mr. Ridler is there and he will get things in
good
order before we are ready to go back. He is working at a small
house
and when it is finished we will have a decent place to live
until the
big house is finished. Of course if I am alright again later
on
Florence will stay here until the big house is finished.
Florence
seems to be getting on nicely here and seems to enjoy her work
very
much. She has quite a bad cold just now but that is getting
better. The people here at Kijabe are fixed now for good work
since nearly
all the building is done. Wish we were as well fixed at
Laikipia but
then some one must start and while it is rather disagreeable
work I
suppose in after years we will enjoy looking back to the
starting of
things. [Florence’s handwriting - letter in poor condition -
very
unclear] XXX Sat. A.M. J. stopt. so I’ll continue. I forgot to
tell you (J wanted his pen) that when I unpacked my trunk I
found my
family picture way in the bottom of my trunk. So I have two
now but
I haven’t our old family picture. What will I do with the
extra
one? Say please send out a pair of scissors: if my box of
books
doesn’t come we wont have any. Think my big ones are in there.
Lost my little ones somewhere. There was something else I
wanted but
I cant think of it now. Say send two napkin rings [illegible]
or
something. Many of the bulbs are up. No freesias up yet.
Gladiolas
& spotted callas. You might send me a pair of low slippers
for
house wear. J’s are thro’ - put in a pair for him. Mrs. H has
a
blue hyacinth open. Rains every day. [illegible] go up the
valley
some of these days its fine. I thot this was to Lora but I see
he’s
written mother. Alright it’s all the same. The mail is late so
we
could finish this.
Your
own J. & F.
Caught
another big rat last night. Three now. Guess that’s all. I
feel
better but can’t hear well.
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