Congo (39) Luebo, Congo 8/13/1921 [BMS]

Belgian Congo Luebo August 13, 1921

Dear Mother and Daddy:

As I have had so many odds and ends to do today, I will not have time to write but about three lines. We got news this morning about ten that the mail would close tomorrow afternoon, which means that we must send our mail this afternoon, and today is Saturday. However, Dot has written you several pages, and I believe has given you all the important news. Everything is running along smoothly enough. We had a birthday, as you no doubt know, on the 7th inst. and celebrated by taking a little trip down to the farm and out in the woods, spending the afternoon that way; we had a pleasant afternoon, and that night we dressed up in our wedding clothes.

We are expecting some mail in the near future. So we will be writing you again in the very near future.

With lots of love to all.

As ever,

B.M.

Congo (38) Luebo, Congo 7/21/1921 [DCS]

July 21,1921

Luebo

My own dear people:

Oh! you know not how glad I was to get your first three letters after you began to number our letters; I think this is such a good idea for now we can tell when our letters are stopped. You spoke something of not writing so often. What would I do? If you only knew how we long for a steamer to come bringing mail, and how we all brighten up when we hear it blowing in. The more letters from you at once, the better. We have been so negligent with our correspondence that we don't get many letters from anyone else. I hear regularly from T.P.C. girls, got a nice letter today from a girl I used to sit at Miss Hallock's table with, she also enclosed her picture.

If I had to wait as long between mails as I did last time, knowing Mother was sick, I don't know what I would have done. It was just one week between mails. I have already written you a big letter for this mail, but after these letters today, I couldn't refrain from writing more.

You spoke, it seemed to me, like you were uncertain whether you would go back home or not. I hate to hear you even suggest such a thing, and some one else live in our little home out there, would nearly break my heart. I'd certainly think a long time before I did. You could live out there even if you didn't teach and I feel like no other place would seem like home to you. I so hope you'll be better after this treatment, and please take good care of yourself. I think it will be awful if you don't go to Marlin.

We have figured out how they got it that B.M. wrote and I didn't. He addresses all our letters and puts his stamp on them. I have decided these people out there, when they want anything a way, they make it that way.

So they have electric lights in Camden now, well an electric plant has been shipped out here, and before long, we will have electric lights also. Holliday must be getting better since George Barnes got put in the pen. He must have been the gentleman he feared.

Yes it would certainly be nice if I could have my piano here, but I have a nice folding organ to practice on. I played for church for the first time since I have been here last night, and I was very much frightened, but got through nicely. I am to play my "uke" for the native children at the close of school next week. Mrs. Cleveland has asked me to play while she beats time for the children to sing. They certainly need to be trained.

Hoping all are well by now, with bushels, and bushels of love.

Your daughter,

Dorothy

Congo (37) Luebo, Congo 7/18/1921 [DCS]

July 18, 1921

Luebo

My own dearest homefolks:

I can hardly believe my own mother has been sick in bed two months, that seems such a terrible thing to me, and to think by the time I got your letter, it is likely you were up and much better. Oh! how I hope so. It just seems awful to be way out here and not be able to do something, even some little thing to help. I have found that this is where the rub comes in Africa. You said something about being in bed in your letter before these, but didn't say what for or anything. Won't you write me all about it -- how you feel, what the Dr. says and everything? Don't you think I am just as much interested and ought to know just as well as if I were right there, if not more so? Can you realize how I feel? Mother, please, follow all the Dr.'s directions, a thing which you have never done before very much, for when I come back home, I want you to be in good health when I come home. A big fat lady. I'm so glad James is such a fine boy, wish I could see him right now. I know he has been lots of company for you since you have been sick.

I left out most of the second page. I was feeling blue when I wrote it, and things seemed worse than they really were. Now I guess I'm just blue this afternoon for I haven't said .hardly anything pleasant this afternoon. Speaking of B.M. washing his teeth, I also have the habit of brushing mine every morning and I have not gotten the habit of drinking coffee nor tea, only once in a while, now isn't that pretty good news. You remember you prophesied differently.

There has been a very sudden change here on Luebo station, owing to the poor health of Mr. Wilds at Bulape. Mr. Wilds asked to be changed there so he could receive medical attention from Dr. King, so Mr. and Mrs. Hobson were sent to take their place. They [the Wilds] got here last Saturday and live next door to us in the house the Hobsons had. They seem to be very pleasant people from all I've seen. B.M. knew Mr. Wilds when he was out here before. He is the man who went home with sleeping sickness, was cured, but is a nervous wreck. Nearly everyone thinks he'll have to go home. She is a pretty little woman and has such a sweet little baby about two months old.

Mother, I've been thinking about the way you all have been spreading our letters. Now I'm not getting after you, but there are lots of things in most of my letters that I wouldn't want anyone but the homefolks to see. I have a way of writing every thing I think in letters to you and some of those things would not be very good for me if they were spread.. I know you are careful, but you can't be too careful. Some people are easy to pick on missionaries and say they are getting more than they deserve, and only come out for the trip, etc. And people can't understand unless they were here. Now for instance our personal help. We are encouraged to have a good many boys in order to train them. People would think it terrible to have eight boys in your own yard to help you. Not counting water women and night sentry -- I have cook, cook's boy, sentrys two, table boys two, one house boy, and my wash jack. That sounds fine, but it takes lots and lots of patience to show them over and over again some little thing you want done. I have some mighty good boys under my care, though, and .especially one of my table boys is a smart little fellow.

Mr. Martin left this morning on a long itinerating trip, to be gone at least two months. We all hated to see him go. He's so kind and good to every one. One reason I hate to see him go is that owing to Mrs. Hobson's removal, and Mrs. Cleveland's condition, I will be expected to play for the services, which makes me tremble all over to think of such a thing; they sing in an entirely different song book than I ever saw before and many of the songs I don't know at all.

I can't help but feel that some of my letters from you were stopped at first. I don't suppose there was anything in that letter that concerned them any way, was there, the one they opened, you know?

I think it is likely we will send an order to Aunt Hon, to fill for us, I don't know what we will do about mail orders that we make unless we send them to some one personally.

I must stop now as B.M. has a letter to put in. My prayer is that Mother regains her health and that everything goes well with everyone at home. Love to Hickman, Nettie, and the baby. Father, you have been promising to write for a long time. Why don't you quit promising and write?

Lots and lots of love,

Dorothy

Congo (36) Luebo, Congo 7/?/1921 [BMS]

Luebo, July (?) 1921

Dear Mother & Daddy:

We had a mighty good mail today and like all mails, it was a great pleasure for us. We are always happy when we get our letters, for you know we don't get them every week. It's nearly always a holiday, or part holiday, on the station when the mail comes in. As the previous one was so long in reaching us, this one came very much earlier than usual, for it has been only a week since the last, due to the fact that a steamer came direct from Kinshasa (Stanley Pool) to Luebo. We certainly enjoyed your three letters of April 20, 25, and May 9-10th, even if they were written from a sick bed. And it was a relief to us to know that you were better.

People at home imagine that a missionary out here ought to have plenty of time to write letters, but after you get caught in the mash of work and the conditions here, it gets to be a problem to find a suitable time to write letters. It looks like I never get ahead with my work, so that I can take a little extra time and write something about our work and surroundings that I think would interest you folks. As I have to get out a monthly statement, that means towards the end of every month I have more work. And just now we are getting up orders for the next six months, and I am responsible for the ordering of supplies for the Luebo station, as I have a job with that just at present.

The natives are here just as our people there about a new song; it just takes the country and everybody is singing it. At this moment while I am writing you I hear them singing a new song that has come from the lower Congo. It has a catchy tune, and they sing pretty well and it is pleasant to hear them. Right now the moon is out in full and that is the time the natives love to sing and dance and they often sing far into the night; last night after we retired I could hear them in the distance still holding forth - for the moon is bright.

You were telling us in one of the letters that one of the Houston banks failed. This is the bank in which we had our money; however, it wasn't a fortune and I think we can outgrow it. But I am taking this matter up to (?) in Houston and we are pretty likely to get a good bit of it back. Fortunately, I drew out $250 in New York just before we sailed. Wish you would write us what news you have about it. It seems that a number of banks have gone down during the past year. I suppose the low price of cotton has injured many of them, as a good many are no doubt carrying cotton loans and with the slump in cotton, it leaves them in strait circumstances.

Dorothy wrote you about the changes made here at our station, the Hobsons going to Bulape and the Wilds coming here. We are hoping that Wilds will be able to recuperate here at Luebo under the doctor's care there is no doctor at Bulape where he has come from.

Along with my other duties, I now have charge of our garden - truck garden; Dot, I think has also told you this fact. This garden is for the sole purpose of raising vegetables for the missionaries. During the rainy season it isn't very difficult to raise vegetables, but during the dry season it takes a great deal of care and attention, for they must be continually watered and cared for, for you know we get practically no rain during this season. At present we have in our garden young cabbages, tomatoes, beans, celery, lettuce, mustard, peppers, okra, sweet potatoes, the most of which are still in their youth. We are getting now lettuce, parsley, greens, and a few egg plants; however, the prospects are that in a few weeks things will be humming. Our garden is in a low plane near a swamp about a mile from our station; the ground seems to be fairly good, is near the water, and easily worked.

Trusting this finds mother doing well and NOT trying to do much work. I feel sure that she just worked herself down. Also, that Daddy Short Legs is as spry as ever, and that some of these days, he will actually sit down and write us a letter, after he gets thru washing and drying the dishes.

With lots of love to all,

B.M.

Congo (35) Luebo, Congo 7/6/1921 [BMS]

[The following contained in the collection of letters to Dr. and Mrs. Chambers.

At the end of the letter, Dad explains its original purpose. Max Schlotter, ca. 2000]

Luebo, CONGO BELGE, Africa

July 6, 1921

Dear Friends:

There are numbers of things we might write about, but it is not always easy to determine just what would be of most interest to those at home. After having been out one term we don't see our surroundings in the light of the unusual.

Our mission has just had the pleasure and profit of a visit from a member of the Phelps-Stokes Fund Commission, and we had the privilege of entertaining him in our home during his stay of ten days, Dr. H. S. Hollenbeck.

The Phelps-Stokes Fund was established by a lady in New York for the purpose of helping the poor of New York, and for the education of negroes in Africa and the united States. At the request of the American Board of Foreign Missions with stations in West and Equatorial Africa the trustees of the fund agreed to send out this commission for the purpose of making a complete study of the fields and to assist the Mission Boards in formulating plans to meet the education needs of the native races. They have just about completed their study of the missions and are on their way back to Europe to get out their report. Dr. Hollenbeck, who visited us, came up from Capetown through Rhodesia and as far as the railroad comes, and then overland by porters to Luebo. He gave us many valuable suggestions, and also much light as to how the various missions are propagating their work. One of the greatest impressions that the Commissions had received up to this time regarding the needs of the natives is that of industrial education-including agricultural and industrial. We shall no doubt hear more from this Committee in connecting with our Foreign Mission Boards.

At present all of our so-called native churches, that is the buildings, have been nothing more than sheds; our large church here at Luebo, and the same is true of our other stations, are only sheds. A few months ago our church shed here was blown down by a strong wind, leaving us with no place sufficiently large to accommodate the Luebo Sabbath congregation so we had to use one of our smaller school buildings as a temporary house of worship until a new shed could be built. We have now planned to build a brick church as soon as brick and the tile for roofing could be made and burned. We have had our hearts and hopes set for a long time on a suitable church building, but one thing after another has prevented us from realizing our plans. It seems now, though, that necessity is going to force us to build a real church to replace these substitutes. We sometimes wonder if the Lord is ashamed of the church we had, when we might do better. We are working and praying for a better one in the near future.

And along with this, the native church here at Luebo is going to keep up with us, for one section of our village already has the funds in hand for putting up a brick church; they have already purchased a brick and tile machine and are at work under Mr. Hillhouse’s direction making brick for this church. If these plans are carried out, and they are certainly well on the way, it will mean quite a new departure for the natives in two different very important lines. First, they are supplying the means for building this church entirely among themselves and without any aid from the missionaries. Second, the building will be erected by the natives, for they are supplying the labor. But this does not mean that there will be little expense in its erection, what it does mean is that the natives are giving liberally.

On the evening of the Fourth of July, we had a "tacky party'" or rather as it turned out to be, a "character imitation" party. We had quite a good time ourselves, but the natives certainly enjoyed it immensely. One missionary represented Queen Elizabeth in her costume, another Charlie Chaplin, another farmer Cy Brown, another Uncle Sam (and it is needless to say this was fine), and so on, but when Mr. Martin came in dressed and made up as a colored valet, black face and kinky wig, the uproar was tremendous.

It was like vaccination, it certainly took. However, we all agreed that Farmer Brown took the cake.

There are no doubt many questions in your mind about the work and surrounds here, and all we need is your question to start us. So let us hear from you with plenty of them.

With best wishes. Yours in the Master's service.

(And a note penned in Dad's handwriting:

Dear Mother and Daddy:

This is a copy of letter we are sending to several people. I have also written an article for one of the church papers, which I'll send next mail. I haven't time to write you more this time. Love, B. M.)

Congo (34) Luebo, Congo 6/12/1921 [BMS]

Luebo, Belgian Congo

June 12, 1921

Dear Mother and Daddy:

We have had quite a bit of excitement for the past few days, all of which is due to the fact that our long expected party of missionaries arrived on Friday night. This is always an important, as well as exciting time with us and a memorable occasion. (As Dot and I are both writing at the same time we may both write the same things, so just remember this item.)

Those who came in this party were: Rev. and Mrs. Vinson and little 21 months old son (this is a brother to the President of Texas Univ.), who are returning from furlough, Mr. Hillhouse, builder, who is returning from furlough; Dr. and Mrs. Kellersberger, M. D., returning from furlough, and two children; Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Anderson, coming out for the first time, and who will go on to Lusamba in a few weeks, and who are new folks; and Miss Black, business lady, coming out for the first time, and who will remain here at Luebo. Dr. and Mrs. Kellersberger, I forgot to say, will go to Bibanga, and the Vinsons will remain here.

As Dot is writing you about Mr. Hillhouse stopping with us, I'll leave that to her. We enjoy his company, as he is a very interesting talker and well informed; he is over 50 years old, but in no way decrepit. Dot has been getting along fine with her little white class. The Stegalls certainly appreciate what she is doing for their little girl, as that is about all the training she gets, for Mrs. Stegall teaches in the school. Perhaps it doesn't sound such a high honor for one to be doing out here on the field, but after you see the surroundings of our white children you realize it means a great deal more.

Our day school work comes next to our directly evangelistic work, or rather it is a part of that branch. What we have to do with the natives in this respect compares very much with what you have to do with the Indian children in teaching them English, altho we have less to start on, for you at least have some civilizing influence around them, and here they have the converse surroundings and influence. Very fortunately we do not have to teach them grammar, for that is instinctive, and you can imagine what a deal of trouble as well as years this saves us -- the years our English children have to wrestle and fight with this old English tongue. Of course this has its disadvantages too for it is often extremely difficult to express our ideas in their language which is so limited. The great advantage is that it is easily learned and read by the natives. The children learn very quickly up to a certain point, no doubt fully as quickly as our own children. In from one to two years they acquire a good knowledge of reading, and the most apt learn in less than a year. Our school hours here are from 9 till 11 in the morning, and some special classes in the afternoon, but the bulk get only two hours a day, and this is true of our outstations. Of course, our great aim is to teach them to read in order that they may have the Bible in their own hands.

It's well on toward bedtime, and both of us will have something to start on in the morning. In the near future I want to write a letter and send it to our Correspondence Department of our Committee with a list of names; they will in turn send a copy of each of these parties. So if you get one of these letters you will know its origin and cause.

Well good-bye and good night. With much love to all. As ever,

B. M.

Congo (33) Luebo, Congo 6/19/1921 [DCS]

Luebo

June 19, 1921

Dear homefolks;

I have so much to do these days that I don't get to write many letters. At present I have two boarders, one for only a few days, perhaps, but the other, Mr. Hillhouse, is to be with us all the time. Of course, I did not want to keep him much, but I could not refuse. Since the Lapsley came in bringing so many new people everyone has to do her share. I have an extra good cook now -- Mr. Martin's old cook, and so I don't have any trouble, only planning the meals, but that's no easy job. The biggest trouble is that Mr. Hillhouse has to have his breakfast and dinner sent down to the brick yard to him & of course, I have to fix these as the boys have no idea about fixing them. You know, that's one of my weak points. I hate to fix a lunch. I am going to train one of the boys to fix it soon. I had seven at my table at dinner today. To my usual number were added Dr. and Mrs. Kelly and their little girl. They are going to leave tomorrow for their station at Bibanga and I had not paid them any attention since they came. They are fine people and Dr. is very enthusiastic over his new hospital. Shall I tell you what we had for dinner so you can have some idea what I have to eat out here? Chicken and dumplings, (my cook is especially good on them), rice, mashed potatoes, sugared sweet potatoes.

July 2, 1921 Saturday morning.

Dearest homefolks:

Here is where I left off and now I have forgotten what I had, so I'll have to wait until some other time to tell about our meals. We have very good eating as a rule. My big trouble is planning different ways of fixing what we have, for it is generally the same thing every day. I know I can write to you better with a pencil. B.M. hates to see me do it, but I do write most of the time with a pencil. I want to write a long letter this time for I have lots to tell, at least I did before I started, but always forget half of what I want to say.

They have made other arrangements about the single men on the station, so I don't have Mr. Hillhouse all the time. The way they are doing now - starting yesterday - the three single gentlemen, Mr. Hillhouse, Mr. Gilliam, and Mr. Craig, the new businessman, (Mr. Martin will be on the path most of the time), will stay on one month at each home. There are eight homes now - on the mission - but Mrs. Cleveland is "expectant" and sick most of the time so she will be counted out. This will make about twice a year for the three to go round. I think this is much better than to have them all the time, still I pity them when their turn comes to be here a month. We worked hard for the club, but the single ladies would not take it. Mr. Martin could not be here.

Have just received a notice of a Fourth of July party to be given Monday night here on the station. I'm going to send you the notice as I think it's rather cute. Sarah Stegall wrote the part in ink & others added the rest. The Rotary Club is where the men are being entertained. That reminds me. I had a party for Rowena Kemp Hobson last Saturday night as it was their wedding anniversary. We certainly had a fine time, even though there were three people sick on the station and it rained the whole time after the people arrived. The rain spoiled my plans considerably, as I had intended to have everyone on the porch. Had some lanterns decorated very pretty in tissue paper and hung around the porch, but the wind blew -- so we had to bring them in. People and lights, also. It was a surprise party, or supposed to be, but Miss Rowena found it out before time and donned her wedding dress, and quite a pretty one at that. We had decided not to dress up as she wouldn't be, but you see, she stole a march on us. We played shadow games, and everyone joined in heartily. The sheet was hung between my dining room and front room, making a fine place for such a game. I had intended playing other games also, but all the time was taken with this one. Mr. Cleveland presented Mr. and Mrs. Hobson with a basket of mail containing packages and congratulations from everyone on the station. The first year is paper, some just wrote letters, some rolled tomatoes up in paper for them, some one dressed up a stick of candy, some one else gave a box of stationary. I made, or rather Dorothy Anderson and I together, made them some caps, mine was a dunce cap for Kemp. After the laughter about these things a cake decorated beautifully with ferns and white and pink roses was set in front of Mrs. Hobson. The cake itself was white with one pink candle in the center, and it was just as good as it was pretty. Along with the cake was served punch and plenty of it, too, as we had expected about five or six more people to come, but there were sixteen people as it was, just enough to have a good time. I have dealt with this subject at length but thought you would be interested in hearing about my first big party. Even though I had plenty of help, I certainly was tired that night and decided not to have any more such "blow-outs" soon. It reminded me of how you and I used to plan for parties, but Mother these people know how to have a good time and appreciate things.

I'm going to ask you something, when it is very nearly time to come home, if I send my measurements, will you send me one or two pretty dresses. This is what some of the people have done. I have decided not to get hardly anything until I get to New York as the styles in England are so far behind ours. I have found that I did not bring out enough shoes to do until I could get more, but Stegall makes right nice sandals, and is going to make me some. They, the Steagalls, seem to feel very much indebted to me for taking Sankie and teaching her. I can't see how the word method could work out at all, but am trying it out. This method does not teach a child to spell, not even her letters, until the second grade. I have had her about two months and a half. A month of that time was spent on the letters, before I decided to try this other way. She can read about six or seven pages in her primer, a number of rhymes used for teaching the words, and counts to one hundred. How do you think that does? Truly, I think the best thing she has learned is to mind which she didn't learn at home.

The piano, on which I had planned to practice when my music came, I find is not worth a thing the way it is now. In the first place, it is "very" tinpanny, and it is so out of tune it makes even hymns sound wrong. I had not tried it until day-before yesterday, and I was very much disappointed for you know how I hate to play if there is something wrong with a piano, but really and truly. I have been lonesome without my music, it seems like an age, since I've played any; of course, I play hymns on the organ, but that does not count very much. There has been some hard feelings on the station about that piano, but it's not worth fussing over. The people who work up in the big shed want it to help lead the singing -- well, I assure you, the singing is bad, but when it comes to taking a piano out into an open shed in a damp country like this, it would mean only a few months, for the instrument wouldn't hold out. I know how much trouble we had at home, and in the dry season, the dew falls like mist in the morning.

B.M. has more work put on him all the time. The last two weeks the farm and the produce dept. have been turned over to him. The produce dept. consists in buying eggs, chickens, etc., for the missionaries and division of garden vegetables. This was Mrs. C's business before she got sick. Poor old man, he certainly has his hands full. B.M. is going to put his letter under separate cover as my letter is so long. He is also writing a circular letter which he will enclose with his. Lots and lots of love.

Dorothy

Congo (32) Luebo, Congo 5/30/1921 [BMS]

Luebo, May 30, '21

Dear Mother and Daddy:

It is hard for me to realize that a year ago I was still in Houston, dreaming of the time when my bachelorhood would be over, and also of this very time - when we would be in our Congo home and busy out here. It doesn't take a twelve-month long to slip by - perhaps not so long to us who have had so many changes during this period and so many events and of such a variety.

We shall be expecting the arrival of another bunch of missionaries this week or the next, not another one, but the people about whom we have been writing in our last letter or two -- the Vinsons, Kellersbergers, et cetera. This will mean somewhat more to us personally, for we are expected to take care of some of those coming, two of them about which Dot has no doubt already written you.

Another chicken tale. We have a new lot of chickens, this time five little pure bred Rhode Island Reds, and we are going to make a special effort to raise these for they are so much superior to the native chicken, which is somewhat smaller than an average Brown Leghorn, many of them just a bit larger than bantams.

To a newcomer, these people appear to be of the same tribe, and it is a long time before one learns to distinguish between some of the tribes. Our main two tribes are the Baluba and the Lulua tribes~ then the next in importance, or rather in numbers, is the Bakete (Ba-ke-ty) tribe [Desc of tribes from 1912. Warning: it is a long one –Ed.], and these are more easily distinguished for they have a more distinct form of clothing, and have little hats (like the one I think I had out there)~ then, too, they are a smaller people. The Baluba are the most industrious, and it is from them that we get most of our workmen and the best and it is to this tribe that we owe most of the native produce (the food the natives themselves eat). Out of the eight boys who are around us here at the house there are five of them Baluba boys. One of them, Cisuaka (Chi-swa-ku) was asking me just before supper if I was going to write to America soon, telling me to give you folks his "kindest regards," or as he would say "to throw you many greetings." Cisuaka was my personal boy when I was out here before, and although he sometimes fails to do all of his work just right - not that he isn't worth much but just every now and then he leaves something undone - still he has two very commendable qualities, he is faithful and honest.

And while on this subject, a little of his own affairs may give you some idea of native customs. Of course you know that a native has to pay for his wife. This doesn't mean in advance, and it is this credit that often gets the husband into deep waters. He pays a part of the price, takes his wife, and for good or bad reasons fails to finish the debt; his father-in-law returns what he has paid and takes back his daughter (and her children, if any). Cisuaka didn't have sufficient to pay his dowery, which happened to be 35 pieces of cloth (a "piece of cloth" is 8 yards long by one yard wide), and just now Cusuaka's "heart is surpassing in sorrow" because "father-in-law" wants some of his cloth and he (Cisuaka) hasn't the cloth on hand. So he has come to me with his tale of woe. I suppose we'll be able to pacify parent's dissatisfaction. Now 35 or 40 pieces-of-cloth is quite a burden for one man to secure, unless he happens to have some means, which is rare, and the way they generally manage at least a part of this, perhaps one or two installments, is to go to their relatives near and far and get from each a little. This cloth may also be paid in other coin, such as goats, sheep, a gun, dogs or other chattel. While this relative who helps him doesn't set a price nor demand anything for the present, yet he keeps this in mind and some time in the future he is coming back to this same party, either on his own account or the account of some near relative who is trying to secure the purchase price of a wife, and state that he needs some assistance. In other words, it is just a loan that he is expected to pay back some day.

Well, its high bed time, and Dot has already closed her papers, so I'll have to do likewise.

With love and best wishes.

Sincerely,

B.M.

Congo (31) Luebo, Congo 5/6/1921 [DCS]

May 6, 1921

My dearest homefolks:

A boat leaves this morning, so only a few words, so you will know we are well and happy as ever. I seem to be in better health than usual and neither of us are ever sick. This is the end of the rainy season and they say the weather will be much more pleasant now for a while. I have not found it unpleasantly warm but very few times here.

The most important thing that has happened lately is that they put the piano in the room where we have our English service and sent the organ that was in there to me. I enjoy it very much and play the songs for my morning prayer meetings.

I am sorry I haven't written more, but haven't time now.

Lots of love to all,

Dorothy

Congo (30) Luebo, Congo 5/8/1921 [BMS]

Luebo, Belgian Congo, May 8, 1921

Dear Mother and Daddy:

As it so often happens we are writing on the day the steamer leaves with the mail. A boat came in yesterday afternoon and we were expecting some mail, but none came. So we want to write you just a note. It has been a long time in between the last boat and of course we can't mail a letter till the boat comes.

As I am up at the office and Dot is writing down at the house, we may write the same things. Saturday we took a little trip in the hammock, or rather Dot rode in the hammock and I went on my wheel. We went to a place about an hours journey from Luebo, had a picnic dinner, and after dinner I went hunting for a little while and Dot stayed in the shade and read. We had a right nice little outing and enjoyed it very much. Just as we got back, a hard rain came up, but as we were already on the edge of the village, we stopped in a native house till the rain slacked up.

Last month was vacation month in the schools, so they opened up again Monday morning. Dot is teaching now, has a class of one; she is teaching Mrs. Stegall's little girl her A-B-C's et cetera. Then she also has charge of the other children when school is in session, 9:00 till 11:00.

We'll write you more next time. With love to all.

B.M.

Congo (29) Luebo, Congo 4/17/1921 [BMS]

Luebo, Belgian Congo, April 17, '21

Dear Mother and Daddy:

While we are having a beautiful summer day, I suspect you are having a beautiful spring day there, with the trees and other green things putting on their spring clothes. The temperature today is 85 in the shade -- or rather 84.2 (29 centigrade). We kept a record of the temperature during March and I want to send you this when I have time to write it out. It is hotter now than it will be in a month, for this is the end of the rainy season, and when the dry season begins, it doesn't get so hot. From 80 to 86 is the way it runs on hot days on the porch, and in our bedroom from 68 to 75, being of course lower on cool days - Dot had to get out her sweater last evening when we went over to Miss Larson's.

Rev. and Mrs. Anderson, two of our missionaries, came in yesterday morning. They are both right young people, can't tell you much more about them as they have just come. Their pictures were in the "Survey" a few months back. They will be stationed at Bibanga.

Our chickens and garden are progressing fairly well. We have planted the following: beans -- about 8 or 10 inches high, tomato plants - just transplanted, and then we have some turnips planted in a box just up. We also have some popcorn coming up. Stegall also has quite a bit of it up and almost ready to gather. Our chickens are beginning to lay, with two hens sitting, and the one hen with little chicks about which we wrote you.

As your school is out and it isn't long till summer, I suppose you are already planning to go to Terrell. You also said you had not given up hopes of going to Marlin, and we are hoping that you will see your way to go. I believe you said Hickman and Nettie were also planning to go with you. I am inclined to think you made a mistake in not going sooner; of course I know it is easy enough to say people ought to do so and so, but that it isn't always for that person to find the way and time to go. Have you made a decision as to what you will do about teaching school during the coming fall? It will be about July when this letter reaches you, which isn't so very long till fall, you know.

April 26th

We now have an organ in our house. We are both glad to have the use of it. It belongs to the station, and as they have a piano in our Library, where we gather for our prayer meetings, etc., this organ is not specially needed elsewhere. It is one of these small folding organs, but Dot gets quite a bit of sound out of it.

We are having quite a bit of rain now, as the end of the rainy season is at hand and I suppose it is trying to do its best before it stops. The dry season is due to start somewhere about the middle of May.

We took off another hen with bidies but were not quite so successful so have four chicks out of seven eggs; one of these was broken and the other two just no good. Then we have two more hens sitting. We now have two goats from which we get a little over a pint of milk a day. This is almost as much milk as we ordinarily need, except when we make soup with milk and dessert with milk.

We have goat meat about once a week here. A goat is killed and each family chooses the part they want. Goat meat makes a good dish, and of course, we always select a young one. Last week we had a nice fish weighing about two pounds and very nice. A few weeks ago they brought one in weighing -- his head weighed fourteen (14) pounds - altogether 35 pounds, and he was as fine as he was big. This, of course, furnished enough meat for all on the station. As soon as the dry season comes, we ought to have fish quite often.

We have started playing tennis some lately, and Dot has been learning. This is very good exercise, and very good for her, if we will just keep it up. We have a good court and there are several of us who play. The only trouble about these sports, which we ought to indulge in more regularly, is that we take them up and then drop them all too soon.

We want to get this off in the next mail. With much love and prayers for you.

B. M.

Congo (28) Luebo, Congo 4/10/1921 [BMS]

Luebo, Belgian Congo, April 10, '21

Dear Mother and Dad:

Dot was just saying last night (Sat.) that she wished she had a letter, and this morning mail came with two letters from you, one from Aunt Hon, one from Hickman & Nettie, and one from Stella. No doubt it seems to you that what you write is "commonplace" as you say, but your letters are certainly a pleasure to us and we enjoy every bit of news you give regardless of how it appears to you; so just remember this when you are afraid it will not fit your readers.

Note what you say about the presents and your choice of the pyrex ware. I like that ware very much and wanted to bring some with us, but it being so expensive coupled with the fact that it would be used almost entirely by the natives, we decided to wait until we found out just what we would like best. Our experience leads us to the conclusion that it isn't well to get too expensive kitchen utensils. Also your picture frame. We have made a guess as to whose pictures you put in the frame, but of course, we are not sure our guess is correct. However, this always brings us a little resentment towards two certain people -we haven't the pictures we would like to put in such a frame; where are they???

Our choice of clothes for this country was pretty good, and there are very few, if any, important things we failed to get, and also our proportions seem to have been right good; of course, on some things we can only tell later for our goods are all still new. Dot will write you more about her clothes. It is needless to say that we are both glad to be apprised of the fact that Daddy is "coming out." I wouldn't be surprised if we see this suit when we come.

You both were talking about your little chickens; we have a brood of eight little biddies hatched out Thursday and Friday. Then we have another hen sitting on seven eggs. Altogether now we have twenty home grown hens with several half-grown chickens. Am building a chicken house in which we shall also have a pigeon loft, and one end of the house for a goat house, as we already have one goat from which we are getting about one cup of milk a day. Haven't decided yet whether or not we shall go into the goat business on a large scale. Some of our folks are getting four, five, and six cups of milk a day from their goats, which is a paying business for its nice, fresh milk.

We are both very much interested in your kodak book. Wish we had some more pictures to send you, but we have taken none since we left Kinshasa. At Kinshasa we took some, but very few were good, and one of our friends developed them and was to send them to us, but so far they have failed to arrive. We want to take some pictures soon, but want to warn you not to expect too many, for it isn't quite as easy here to get them out as it is there. Haven't experimented any more lately with pictures, but want to do so some time soon. The fact is we don't have much time as it takes all of one evening and there is nearly always something to do here in the evening. Saturday, last night, we had a little social for Miss Setser who is leaving tomorrow for Lusambo. Next Tuesday night we have a station meeting, then wednesday night prayer meeting, then no telling what next. Last Friday night we had the Clevelands for supper, or dinner, if you please; last Tuesday evening we took dinner with Miss Larson; and so it goes.

The “Lapsley” is leaving Tuesday morning for Kinshasa, and Mr. & Mrs. Daumery who are in charge of it are moving from Luebo to Busambo.

I suppose you would like to hear something about the religious part of our work sometimes, but my part of the work is nearly all along material lines that my thoughts naturally run that way. Then having been here a term and having written all these things several times it is somewhat harder for me to write about them now. Our work is progressing about as usual, except just at this moment we have a few very difficult problems to settle. Our work in many ways is very similar to yours, except that we come in contact with the natives along more lines than you for it is to him that we have to look for all of our help, both along industrial as well as religious lines; the native carries our transport from one station to another, builds our houses, as well as does the bulk of the preaching of the Gospel. In getting the natives to do our work, we accomplish a two-fold end, that is the manual labor, we use him to work and use the opportunity to train, teach and influence him. We don't look on our help as "servants” but rather as “pupils”.

Must close for this time. The "Lapsley" leaves in the morning, and we have other letters that ought to go with it. With best wishes and love.

B.M.

Congo (27) Luebo, Congo 4/6/1921 [BMS]

Luebo, Belgian Congo, April 6, 1921

Dear Mother & Daddy:

It's just as hard to find a time to write letters here as it is there with you, and you know what that means. I have been busy every evening for the past week at Committee meetings, as we generally have our station and committee meetings at night. We don't often have that many meetings at night on a stretch, but had some figures that we had to get up for the Executive Committee at home.

We have just had a wireless stating that another party of missionaries would arrive in Matadi about the 25th of this month; Mr. & Mrs. Vinson, who is returning from furlough, Mr. Craig -- a new business man, Rev. & Mrs. Anderson -- new folks, Miss Black -- a new clerical worker and teacher. That means they will reach Luebo about the first of June.

Everything has been moving along O.K. at our house. You no doubt are aware of the fact that we have a birthday in our family this week, someone reached their twenty-first birthday last Monday. Mrs. Stegall sent her a nice cake all covered with icing, and on top she put in pink, "Dot" and "21." We of course appreciated this very highly. Dorothy and

Mrs. Stegall are great friends, "chums" I suppose.

We told you not long ago that we started our chicken yard. Tonight we have a hen with eight eggs which are just beginning to pip, so we should have some little chicks in a day or two. Then we have another hen sitting on eight eggs. Then we have started our garden too; there are some runner beans a few inches high, tomato plants a week old, and a few other things planted, including some popcorn. Talking about eggs, I must tell you about our night sentry. We ordered some china nest eggs from Montgomery Ward, and they came in our order. So the other evening, the sentry came to me and said the chickens had laid a worthless egg; I told him to bring it in to me, and he came in bringing this china egg and holding it as if he were afraid it would break in his hands. The other boys who had seen us unpack these china eggs all had a good laugh at him.

The Bedingers at Lusambo recently had a very exciting experience. One afternoon about two weeks ago the lightning struck their house, and Mr. Bedinger was so severely shocked that he was rendered unconscious and fell to the floor, although after quite a bit of work he was brought to again. The roof, which was grass, was set on fire but the natives extinguished it before any damage was done except a small hole in the ceiling and roof. Just a very few minutes before he was shocked, he was holding their little baby in his arms, but she had just gone into the kitchen with the boys and was playing there.

Goodbye for this time. With love, as ever.

B.M

Congo (26) Luebo, Congo 3/27/1921 [BMS]

Luebo, Belgian Congo, March 27, 1921

Dear Mother and Daddy:

This is Sunday afternoon, and we are generally at Sunday School but are staying home today. Sunday is usually our busiest day. We go to a service in the morning, 9:30 till nearly 11:00, then Sunday School in the afternoon till almost 5:00, then at 5:00 we have our English service for missionaries.

The Lapsley came in Wednesday afternoon, with two new missionaries for us. You no doubt remember us telling about Mr. Gilliam in Brussels; he stayed there after we left to study French; he and a Mr. Shive, also from Texas, came on the Lapsley. Then a very important event to our household in the coming of the Lapsley was the fact that our Montgomery

Ward order came on it, too, and we had a big time opening it yesterday morning and afternoon. There were 10 boxes in all, so you see we had quite a lot to unpack. We had 20 boxes ordered, but so far only 19 have come; however, we are not bothering about this one as it contained a spring and mattress and these we do not need as we have some. But it may show up later, in which case we shall no doubt turn it over to the Station. Practically everything came in good shape, one tin of milk out of two cases, spoiled, three tins of canned fruit out of three or four dozen, no jars broken and there were four or five dozen bottles. Now our store room looks good, and we wish you could come in and have a look, then you wouldn't mind stopping in to dine with us. We have another order coming from England that will no doubt be here in a few months. I suppose a good deal of this we shall dispose of to others-there is no trouble in selling standard articles out here.

We have just recently begun to have company in our home, and while our supply of silver, and other ornaments, isn't so large, still it makes a nice looking table. And we think our set of dishes, tho not elegant, are neat a gold band border. As our curtains are all up and things in general in fairly good order we feel a little more at home.

Your nice letter, dated Dec. 31, came on the Lapsley, too. We enjoyed reading about your trip to Camden, and your gathering out there with Hickman, Nettie and James. We are glad you liked the pictures; we wanted to have some taken before we came out here, so we could compare "before and after" on our furlough. No, it will not take a few years long to slip away; when you get this letter, it will have been pretty close to a year since we left. The weeks certainly slip by out here, and the days--they seem almost too short. We have both been well; Dot has had but very few and very slight touches of her nettle rash. This is hard to understand; ever since leaving New York, it has almost disappeared.

(The following is not for the public, but personal. We have to be careful about what we write as our letters and articles are very often misinterpreted, so when you let others read what we write you, please remember this, not that we don't want other people to know, but often statements without explanations are misunderstood.)

There is a law at this time forbidding steamers to bring gunpowder up to the Kasai District--which is what Luebo district is called--and the crew on the Lapsley on this trip decided to smuggle quite a bit of powder. About half-way up several of the crew were gathered around and arguing about a little sack of powder, about 1/4 lb., and in some way

(it was at night) the powder caught fire, or blew up, and burned several of the men, three of them were very badly burned, one had more than 2/3 of his entire skin burned off and he died later; the other two were very badly burned, but are doing fairly well now. Of course, as the powder was in open sack it was merely the fire and not an explosion, but the serious part is that it might have set fire to the steamer. The men seem to realize the seriousness of what this breaking of the law meant, and it will no doubt serve as a warning to them along this and other lines in the future. Our steamer means so much to us now that its loss could not be estimated in dollars, for it would be difficult to replace it at all in any reasonable length of time. We were certainly glad that we came up on it rather than on one of the trading or state steamers. The Sunday School children who contributed their nickels (and I was one of them) toward giving this steamer gave a great and useful gift. [Ed – see story of the building of both (there were two) Lapsley steamers – you may need to scroll down]

(Dorothy also wrote you about this. Please do not let others read same.)

April 1st --Your nice letter of the 6th of January has just reached us this afternoon, and we enjoyed it -as usual. Dorothy was taking a nap and I woke her up when the mail came. Usually she doesn't wake up with a start, but when I held your letter up to her she didn't take long to wake up.

We certainly are grieved to hear that Dr. Taylor is to have another operation. From what I know of the case, it looks rather serious, but trust he will recover as well as he did the last time he had an operation.

As mail closes at 4:30 we must get some other mail written. Trusting this finds you both enjoying your usual health plus, and with lots of love.

B. M.

Congo (25) Luebo, Congo 3/10/1921 [BMS]

AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN CONGO MISSION

Luebo, Belgian Congo, March 10th, 1921

Dear Mother and Daddy:

We had notice this afternoon that the mail is to leave in the morning, so here we are just after supper to write to you first. There is a small steamer that comes about once every three weeks or month. However, we don't get mail that often.

Everything has been running along smoothly enough during the past two weeks; we have been quite busy and that means, as you know, that time gets away without your knowledge. We have gotten the house in fairly good shape, and are now turning our attention to the grounds. Dorothy is very much interested in her flowers and gets quite a bit of pleasure out of it. She has someone in Mrs. Stegall to help her as she is both interested in flowers and an expert in getting them to grow. Mrs. Cleveland also likes this kind of work.

We had a little diversion Wednesday afternoon in the way of a hammock trip to the sawmill and farm; the sawmill is about four miles from the station and this makes a nice little trip. We both enjoyed the trip, and this was Dot's first time to see the sawmill and the farm.

Wednesday night is our prayer meeting night, that is, our English service for missionaries. Our Sunday services are as follows: morning service at ten, Sunday School at 3:30, these two services being for the natives; then we have our English service for missionaries at 5:00 P.M. About seven the natives have their own prayer meetings on Sunday afternoon, and you often hear hymns coming from a half-dozen different directions at the same time about that hour. Dorothy and I do not go to the main shed on Sunday mornings, as I have charge of a service in one section of the village and we both go there at the hour for morning service and also for Sunday School in the afternoon. Where we have our service, there is no shed as yet, so we have a nice shady place under a thick clump of palms and have our service there, the attendance for the last two Sundays having been a little over nine hundred for the morning service. Having no roof, this means that the missionaries must keep their helmets on during service but one soon becomes accustomed to that. So you can imagine us sitting on chairs, our helmets on, and about nine hundred natives seated on logs, there being a few benches and a few scattered home made chairs, in the shade of a palm grove. This place is about twelve minutes walk from our house.

There are three motorcycles on the station, and they certainly are a great help, especially to Mr. Stegall, as he runs the sawmill -- four miles from the station, and the brick yard--about a mile and a half from the station. I am using a bicycle which I find quite a help as I have to run about on the station quite a lot.

Our cook is doing fine, and is certainly a big help to Dorothy, for she doesn't have much to do but to give him orders what to have and to give him the materials and presto! the meal. Our lunch today was as follows: roasted chicken, steamed rice, fried sweet potatoes, tomatoes and lettuce, corn bread, also lightbread, gravy and muffin cakes. While

I'm at it I'll give you an idea of what other articles of diet are on our menu from day to day: fried plantains, bananas hanging on the porch at least one bunch and often two bunches, pineapples, pai-pais (a native fruit on the order of canteloupe and fine breakfast fruit, Irish potatoes, peppers stuffed with egg plants, goat meat, native peas (very much like our cowpeas), greens (we had this today. I forgot to put above), shallots (onions), radishes, cabbage, and a few other items. You can see from this that we ought to fare pretty well. Then for breakfast, we have plenty of eggs and cornmeal battercakes, and coffee in our new percolator (however, I must add that I drink coffee only once a day).

I realize there are many things we might write you about our work, etc., that you especially wish too know, but it isn't so easy for one on the ground to pick out just what would interest others most. So we are hoping that you will ask plenty of questions, for this will give the information you want and like best and that is what we want to write.

In one of your recent letters you were writing us about some of the things that might come up in our life, giving advice and warning. You need not be afraid that I am going to take this in the wrong spirit, for I appreciate it and realize that you are in a position to give us quite a bit of help along that line, so anything that you feel would help us, just write it.

With much love to you both.

B.M.

Congo (24) Luebo, Congo 3/2/1921 [DCS]

Luebo, Africa

March 2, 1921

Dear Sarah:

I got your letter a long time ago, but I have many letters to write and not much time to write. I am teaching in the native school. Do you know what native means? We call the black people of this country natives; they learn very well; and I like to teach them. I have only girls in my class; there are sixteen in all.

The people in this country are very different from ours, as they do not speak our language, and they do not wear many clothes, for this is always a warm [climate]; we never have winter, so they do not need many clothes. In many ways, Africa is different from America.

Even the animals are different from ours. I will send you a picture of me and my little pet monkey, he is a very nice pet and I want to bring him home with me when I come. It is not a good picture, but I thought you would like to look at it. My husband goes out into the forest and kills monkeys sometimes, only the ones he kills are much larger than this one. They are about the size of possums at home.

I hope you will be at Kiam when I come home for I would like very much to see you then. I will go home about two years from now, I suppose. Do you like where you are living now better than Polk Co? I think the Indian Village is a mighty good place to live.

Write to me again sometimes. Your friend,

Dorothy

Congo (23) Luebo, Congo 3/25/1921 [DCS]

Luebo March 25, 1921

My own dear homefolks:

The Lapsley arrived yesterday. This is a great event not only for the missionaries, but for the natives, and this is the first time I had gotten to watch the old boat roll in. The last time we were on it. This time it brought Mr. Gilliam and Mr. Shine. Mr. Shine will go on to Mutoto and Mr. Gilliam stays with us. If you will remember, he is the man we met and learned to like in Brussels. There was talk for a while of his staying in our extra room, but there is another place where he will be able to have more room. Then we did not feel that we could board him just now. You see, I am new on the job of housekeeping, and feel that Mrs. Steagall could do better by him. Of course, we would like to have him if it wasn't for that.

Besides the people who came on the boat, there was also lots of cargo for Luebo. We got our order from Montgomery Ward and Co. and several others got their orders, too, so this means we won't starve for quite a while yet.

They had lots of trouble coming up on the Lapsley. The natives had smuggled on a great deal of gun powder. They are not supposed to bring powder on any of the boats. The state prohibits it on account of war between tribes, which is going on somewhere above us, and to think they would try to bring it on the Lapsley and so much, too! In fact there were very few who did not have some.

The way they found it out, two men were quarreling over some one night and in some way it caught fire, burning three men very badly; one of these men died a day or two afterwards. The others are getting along very well; as soon as the Lapsley came they took them to the hospital. They certainly do look bad. Two of the men had powder of their own, but so far they have been unable to find that one of them had any. This accident caused the search. They found powder everywhere, down in the hold, in salt sacks that had been sewed up again, in trunks, and even found some in a hollow log, which might have been put at any minute into the fire. Oh! it is just a wonder that the whole boat wasn't blown to pieces. God must have just been with them. Mr. and Mrs. Daumery had to stay on board the steamer last night as there is more powder on the boat that has not been found. We are pretty sure that this has been going on for some time and I suppose there was lots on the steamer when we came up. Mrs. Daumery found about a hundred franks worth that belonged to one man. The natives just can't stand temptations.

Luebo is certainly not a quiet station. There is something going on--I think there is entirely too much inviting around to meals. We took both dinner and supper out yesterday. There is something to do or somewhere to go every evening. B.M. is gone all day, gets up at five thirty and sometimes before, and is away until breakfast time, then as soon as breakfast is over, he is off again. He stays home until two in the afternoons, and comes home for a few minutes at three for tea, and Mr. Martin always comes then. He works till five or generally six, so you see I don't get to see him much alone, and we hardly have time to read or study together. He is almost as busy Sunday as any other day. We go to church three times a day, generally twice to native service and at 6:00 P.M. to the English service, and Sunday evening seems to be the favorite time to invite people to dinner; however, we don't do it, and don't believe in it. I haven't invited many people to meals yet. Mr. Martin and Mr. and Mrs. Steagall are all I have invited; we are not expected to do much inviting yet though. I think we are going to cut out lots of our going. We are trying to read "In His Steps," but don't find much time to spend on it. It is certainly good. Have you ever read it?

Mrs. Steagall and I have gotten to be very good friends. Whenever I need any advice or help, she is always ready and willing to give it. She has given me several things for my yard and porch. The Clevelands and Hobsons are very close friends, owing to the fact that they are both from the same place, San Antonio. Mrs. Cleveland is quite nice to us, also. She sends us a pretty bouquet of roses for my table every other day.

Some boys are at work on our yard now; we are going to try to have a b’____ [?] lawn. It was once all planted, but it had not been taken care of. We planted some things in our yard several days ago, but the things haven't come up yet. They may be planted too deep. We have fourteen chickens and one hen lay seven eggs, then went to setting. We made some soap yesterday and it looks so nice. The boys use so much soap we just can't afford to buy so much. I have to furnish my table boys with soap to wash their clothes. They are small boys from the fence and do not get full pay. By the fence, I mean Mr. Martin's academy boys, not from the village. I also had one of the boys some clothes made and have been working the buttonholes in them today.

We got a long letter from Miss Buse where we stayed in Brussels; she sent me some more bulbs by Mr. Shines. Evelyn sent me the prettiest scarf and pin cushion cover for my dresses. It was supposed to be a Xmas present.

We had quite a nice time at a Texas Dinner at Mrs. Cleveland's yesterday at noon-the Clevelands, Hobsons, Mr. Martin, Schlotters, and the ShadeIs. If you will remember, they are the people we met at "Leo" from the Methodist mission. They were having a ship built at "Leo" and Mr. Shadel is captain. They came here to build the cabins, as they could not get wood at Kinshasa.

I have to stop now. I owe so many people letters. Now Mother, please don't you all forget me. You told about having such a good time Xmas and did not say a word about missing me. However, I am so glad you had a good time.

Love to all,

Dorothy

Look at the date. I have just happened to think that this is the baby's birthday. [Refers to Hickman's baby son, James.]

Congo (22) Luebo, Congo 2/20/1921 [DCS]

Letter No.2.

Luebo, Feb. 20, 1921

Dear Mother and Father:

Have gotten better settled than when I wrote you last, and like my house even better than I did. The boys are fairly good workers, but need a good deal of training, most of them. My cook makes things taste good, but uses lots of grease of which we are not very well supplied until our order comes, and he is not as neat and clean as he should be, but he seems willing and ready to learn, so I have hopes of training him better. He learned what he knows by cooking for the state people across the river, and I heard that his employer over there made several threats to try to keep him. This means that they consider him a good worker. You see, some people try to frighten the natives into doing things. I have a fine table boy, one that Mr. Martin has trained and prizes very much. The house boy is fairly good. B.M. had him last time, so of course knows a little about housekeeping. We have a very good wash jack but haven't found a single one that would press the pleats in my white linen and checked gingham dress without my telling them. I forgot to mention the cook's boy. He's supposed to get the wood and help the cook in the kitchen. This is the way they train their new cooks.

Feb. 23. I have gotten my curtains put up in the front room and it certainly improves the looks of the room. If I don't forget it, I want to send you a sample of the good I made them out of. It is certainly a good thing I got plenty of curtain goods as my windows are so tall they take lots of cloth. I haven't made the curtains for my dining room and bed room yet, but hope to get at it soon. I had the boys scrub the front room and dining room this morning and had it so nice, then a storm (wind storm first, then rain) came and the rain blew in the dining room and ruined the floor again.

Talking about wind storms, we certainly had one this afternoon and they come up so suddenly out here. I was not even thinking about wind, when all at once the wind started to blow and before I could get the windows closed, things blew off the table, blew the door to the cupboard, where I keep my dishes, off. I suppose the boy had left it unfastened. After it was all over, they told us that the church and also the school shed had been blown down. Nearly everyone was glad for they need a new church badly. The thing is, where are they going to teach and have services until the new one is built?

Mrs. Cleveland entertained us with a George Washington birthday party last evening. She played the victrola, then we played games until refreshments were served, then came home. There is somewhere to go nearly every evening, but I don't like this, for we hardly ever have an evening to ourselves. This is prayer meeting night. (Wed.), but it is raining so they did not have it.

I have been intending to mention my clothes for some time but forgot to. I like all my clothes and have had all I needed. My smocks have been about the most catching thing as five or six people have gotten the pattern to make some. I have only worn my organdy once or twice since I left home. Everyone likes my pink gingham that you made for me just before I left. In fact, several people have said I just like all your clothes. It seems like I had lots to tell you along this line, but I can't think of them now.

Today has been such an exciting day for us. A boat came in this morning bringing mail for the mission. We got our usual papers and three letters--two from you and one from Stella. This is the first time I have heard from her since I left, but the ones I enjoyed were from my "own" dear mother and daddy. O! how happy I was and am. I am so glad you are all well, at least you were when you wrote, and I hope still are.

And so George Barnes has at last gotten put in the pen. That is just fine, but I only wish it were for a longer period. I am surprised at Douglas and Mr. Elbert. You did not say what side Edd was on, but I suppose he was neutral as usual.

It's time to go to bed, but I want to tell you about the addition to our family -- don't get excited or let your mind be disturbed by fears -- for it is only a little monkey. It's about as large as a little kitten, and just as cute and playful as can be, but it is very young and will take a good deal of care to keep him. This is the way we wanted him though, so we can train him.

This is about as much as I should write in one letter, so when I write more, I'll put it in a separate envelope. We had a chance to mail some letters yesterday, but had only a half hour to prepare them and didn't have any quite ready, so we missed one mail. I was very sorry. We are preparing another letter on the typewriter and are going to make several copies; in fact we've already done it, to send around to people who may be interested in us. We will send one to Aunt Lutie and Aunt Dora together, to Uncle Kent, Aunt Hon and Aunt Nennie, and to you. You may send yours to Grandmother if you think she is not too angry to want it. There are more but can't decide who to send it to.

Dorothy

Congo (21) Luebo, Congo 2/20/1921 [BMS], [DCS]

Feb. 20, 1921

Luebo, Congo Belge, Africa

Dear Folks:

Just a few lines to let you know that we have reached the end of our journey and are now getting settled in our home here at Luebo. We arrived at this place on the 10th of this month. The last stage of our trip was made on our own steamer, the S.S. "Lapsley" [Also see story of building the Lapsley –Ed.] from Kinshasa (also called Stanley Pool as it is situated on Stanley pool) to Luebo on the rivers. This trip took us eighteen days, although ordinarily it takes only about twelve days, the extra time we took being occasioned by alterations made on the steamer; then too, our steamer does not run on Sundays so that our crew can observe the Sabbath. This part of our trip was very pleasant and interesting, as the scenery is beautiful and always changing, and just at this season, every -thing is fresh and green as this is the midst of the rainy season. We saw a few animals as we carne along, a number of hippopotamuses, a few crocodiles, monkeys, and a number of various herons and cranes.

On our arrival at the beach at Luebo, there were about fifteen hundred natives waiting to welcome us, as they had heard when we were expected, and as our boat drew near, they all began to sing a hymn. The coming of the "Lapsley" with new missionaries is always a great event here at Luebo; there were five new missionaries and one returning in our party. Of course, the missionaries here at Luebo station were very glad to see us, for there were six here doing the work of ten or twelve. That night we all gathered together for a special service of Thanksgiving.

We would like to give you a picture of our station, for it is a beautiful place, the grounds well laid off with well-kept paths or walks, a number of beautiful palms are scattered about over the grounds, also many mango trees which make an attractive addition to our grounds and also make splendid shade trees which also furnish us with their fruit. We now have replaced most of our old mud dwellings with comfortable brick houses. Our compound is situated on the top of a hill overlooking the valley and the Lulua River, and the view is always a pleasing one. We are about a thousand feet above sea level. Around us on the two sides of our compound and at the back is the native village, all laid off in order according to our American ideal, this having been done by our missionaries and the natives are glad to follow the plan, so instead of finding the native houses grouped about in confusion, you will find them all properly placed according to streets and blocks. Part of what is called Luebo is on one side of the river and part on the other; on our side there are something over ten thousand natives, and a little less than that number on the other side; so we have here at Luebo quite a large number of natives. When our mission was first established here there were less than a hundred natives in the immediate vicinity, but they soon began to gather around the mission until we soon had quite a village and now a large city. Of course the natives here at Luebo are a very small per cent of those whom we reach, for the largest part of

our work as regards numbers is in our outstations where we have placed native evangelists.

Luebo is our largest station and our headquarters for our mission; there are now four other stations, that is places where we have missionaries, the other stations are: Mutoto, Lusambo, Bulape, and Bibanga. Here at Luebo we have our Industrial Training School where we have about seventy-five boys learning various industrial arts, such as carpentering, brick masonry, tailoring, shoemaking, and others. This has grown to be quite an important as well as large department. Then we have our printing plant here in which we print all our own school literature and also quite a lot of other work both for ourselves and for others, as we have over 20,000 pupils in our day schools, you can see what it means to print school material to supply them. The hospital here has grown to be one of the largest in the Congo, but the equipment and medicines were practically all lost in a recent fire which destroyed the roof and the interior woodwork; this was quite a severe blow to us but we hope to have the loss replaced in the near future, at least the medicine which we need very badly. The exterior of the hospital, which was of brick, is in good shape and leaves us in position to rebuild with little delay. The Mission Treasurer, the business man of the entire station, is situated here. We also have a farm here where we raise most of our own vegetables and fruit; pineapples as fine as can be found anywhere, bananas, plantains, pais-pais (a native fruit and very delicious), and some other native products.

The house in which we are living at present is a brick building, well built and arranged, with a grass roof and double wood ceiling which make it quite comfortable. The floors are of wood and walls are plastered, the doors and windows the same as you have there except that we are at present using wooden shutters until the glass arrives for the windows and which we expect soon; however, the wooden shutters are satisfactory as we keep the house open during the day. The rooms are as follows: one large sitting room, one dining room of good size, one good sized bedroom, a clothes closet for the bedroom and a nice pantry for the dining room, a small hall connecting the bedroom, bathroom and

back porch; this is the main house, then the kitchen and store room are built about twelve feet back of the house and connected by and with the back porch. There is a large veranda around three sides of the house. The furniture was made in our Industrial School here, but could do credit to a European factory, and we have found a tree here that makes splendid lumber for furniture, light red ,something like cedar and it takes a good polish.

B.M's work was already assigned to him before he arrived as he has already been out here one term. He is Station Treasurer which includes the keeping of the books for Luebo station, paying all local employees, and other like financial matters connected with the station; then he also has charge of the Printing Office. Dorothy has of course not taken up much regular work as it will take her a few months to learn enough of the language to take up regular work. However, she has already taken up some work in connection with the children of the missionaries as there are five here at Luebo station; so she has arranged to have a kindergarten while the mothers are at school. A part of Dorothy's time is spent in studying the language; as we had lessons on the way out, she already has a start. A person can get a fairly good hold on the language in about six months, although it takes two or three years to use it freely; several of our missionaries have begun preaching in the native tongue after six month's study. While it is more regular and complete than one would expect for these people, still you can see from the above that it is not difficult to learn.

This letter is not complete, as there are numbers of things we could write about, but we just want to let you know that we arrived safe and sound and are getting along fine. Then, too, we are quite busy, Dorothy is getting the house in order as there are many things to do in beginning housekeeping; and B.M. is busy getting started in his work. The days never seem long enough. But if there is anything any of you would care to know about our work, the people or the country, we shall be glad to write you. And as mail time comes only about once a month, we shall always be looking forward to letters, and you may rest assured that your letters will be appreciated. So let us hear from you as often as you can.

With best wishes and love to you all.

Sincerely,

B.M. and Dot

This is just a copy of a letter we are sending to some of our friends, and thought you might be interested. I'm sorry we can't write you a personal letter this mail, but the boat leaves in about an hour.

Dorothy

Congo (20) At Sea (Anversville) 12/19/1920 [DCS]

"Anversville"

Dec. 19, 1920

My own dearest homefolks,

Still alive and feeling fine. The boat doesn't roll much now-either that or I don't feel it anymore.

We spent several hours on shore yesterday and enjoyed it very well. It was so different from anything I had ever seen before, but I can't say I would like to live there or even spend one night in Tenerife. It is absolutely a filthy place, both the place and the people. There are mountains around the coast that are very beautiful. Most of the time we were there there were clouds between us and the mountains which made it still more picturesque. There was a rainbow, too, that stayed for quite a while and made a complete semicircle in the sky. It looked as if it came quite down to the water's edge, and shining on the mountains looked so pretty. They looked much prettier at a distance, I thought. Some took a ride up to the top of one of them, but we preferred looking around in town. The land on this island does not seem to be very rich as they have to work to make what shrubbery there is grow, and the mountains are almost bare. The inhabitants of Tenerife are mostly Spaniards and their mode of travel is on burros with a few cars and horses. I saw my first three horse shay while on shore. Of all the beggers, I never saw the like. Crowds of children followed us through the streets begging for "one penny." I suppose this was the only English they knew. There were also people crippled, blind and covered with sores. It was all pitiable to see. I said at the first of my letter that I "enjoyed" my stay on the island; I don't believe that is just the word to use, but instead I will say I did find things very interesting, for I never dreamed of there being such a place as this. B.M. says he has seen worse conditions than this on some of the other islands he has visited, but I can't see how it could be much worse. We saw both men and women barefooted walking through the streets, and bad odors coming from all directions, flies swarmed everywhere. They carried heavy loads on their heads with flat topped hats made for this purpose. We got some real good fruit there--grapes, bananas, oranges, etc, but I was careful to wash it before eating. They had lots of pretty table scarfs and the like to sell, but all I got was some little doilies, a dozen for five francs, about $.40 in our money. They are all hand made and I think very pretty. I am going to send you one to see in this letter if I don't forget it. I believe I have all of Tenerife out of my system now so I can start on another subject.

We stop at Dakar day after tomorrow and will mail this letter there. I don't know whether we will go ashore or not.

I am wearing my summer clothes again now, have on my tricolette suit today, and wear my tam on deck. We put on our helmets at Dakar.

I saw my first porpoise this afternoon. We struck a school of them and three or four kept up with the ship for about a mile and a half. We are expecting to see some flying fish later on. B. M. says they are numerous further on south.

Mon. afternoon.

Will finish this now as we have to mail it before five, rather six o'clock so that it will be put off at Dakar.

Have just had a nice hot salt water bath, am indulging in one every day and hope they will do me good. The only thing about them -you can't use soap and I don't feel very clean afterwards.

Is the telephone working? Do you ever talk to town? If so, the first time you talk to Mrs. Miller and Miss Cassie, give them my love. Have been sending them cards along. Have sent cards to nearly every one I had on my list now I think.

I have to close for this time.

Lots of love to all,

Dorothy

A Brief Note From Your Guide

At risk of interrupting the flow of these letters, I wanted to post some links that you may find interesting.  I may add some from time to time to help enrich the content.  I found a series of photographs hosted by the Smithsonian taken by a passenger on the Anversville, the passenger ship that for many years serviced a route from Belgium to the Congo, in the 1910’s and early 1920’s.  I’m posting a few examples that I think help give a sense of what it was like on the boat.

Photo Series Main Page and Description

List of Thumbnails of SS Anversville Series (Individual JPEGS below)

Dakar circa 1915

Dakar circa 1915

Dakar circa 1920

Dakar circa 1920

0-On Board the SS Anversville circa 1915

1-On Board the SS Anversville circa 1920

2-On Board the SS Anversville circa 1920

3-On Board the SS Anversville circa 1920

4-On Board the SS Anversville circa 1920

5-On Board the SS Anversville circa 1920

6-On Board the SS Anversville circa 1920

7-On Board the SS Anversville circa 1920

8-On Board the SS Anversville circa 1920

9-On Board the SS Anversville circa 1920

I will post some other similar links later.  Hope you are enjoying the journey!  Mark

Congo (19) At Sea (Anversville) 12/19/1920 [BMS]

"Anversville"

19 Dec., 1920

Dear Mother and Daddy:

Yesterday we stopped at Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, and went on shore. We anchored there about 7:00 A.M. and left at 1:00, so you see we had several hours. After being on the boat for some days, one is always anxious to get out on land for a bit.

These islands, as you know, are Spanish territory, although the natives are not from the mainland of Spain, but a dark skinned race on the islands. There are quite a number of foreigners here, English, French, etc., as well as many people from Spain. Dorothy has described the people as being miserable looking and filthy, which is the case with the poor class (or natives), while the higher class, of course, look and dress as Europeans. They have a very poor idea of cleanliness. This island seems to be a clump of mountains jutting right straight out of the water, with very little shore or beach. This makes it quite picturesque. It is really much more attractive from the boat as you pass than from the shore. But I have been on a number of these small islands and find them all more or less filthy and its people nearly a century behind the present civilization.

There is a goodly number of Protestant missionaries on board, about twenty-four, so we have lots of company. Sunday, we had our English service at 10:00 A.M. The Catholics also have their Mass Sunday mornings; there are about 20 or 25 priests and nuns on board, and of course the majority of the passengers are Catholic. There must be over 150 first

class passengers on board, most of them Belgian, of course, although several English, and two very nice, seemingly young Americans whom we like.

Dot was writing you in her last letter about being seasick; she had no bad case of sea sickness, but merely felt the motion a little; the same with myself. In fact we have both been enjoying our trip. Dot has a good appetite most of the time now, which was not the case very often on the "Caronia." I have felt the "mal de mer” less this time than usual, for I have not had a bad attack yet, while last time I had some hard times. Then I am finding my trip such a pleasure this time-all because of one little person. It certainly is different from traveling alone. She seems to be enjoying it, too --anyway, we have many good times together.

We are going to have a little Xmas party amongst our own crowd, each is going to give the others some small present and you may be sure we shall be thinking of you both on that day.

We are due to land at Dakar tomorrow in French Senegal, on the coast. Don't know whether or not we will stop long enough to go on shore.

With love to you both.

B. M.