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
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