"Luebo"
July 17, 1922
My own dear homefolks:
This is the longest I have ever gone without writing to you in my life, and it may look like I have just forgotten you entirely, but if you knew how often I really do think of you, you would change your mind. Our trip, getting back and getting settled has kept us pretty busy. And you know I'm teaching school and keeping a boarder also. Not just at present but I have been. The school closes in about two weeks, but I get the club again in August. It seems to come around to me pretty often, but I ought to be glad I am well enough to keep it as so many, I mean several, have not been. There are only two [in the club] at the present time, but they are expecting Mr. Morrison any day. He is our new missionary, a Scotchman, who was with a trading company out here and asked to be taken in as a member of our mission. Dr. Smith appointed him a member while he was here, as Mr. Craig needed an assistant at once and the mission had elected him, but it had to go to Nashville, so under the circumstances, Dr. Smith took it upon himself to answer for the Committee. This is perhaps not interesting to you, but after I had started I couldn't stop. (Mr. Morrison is an earnest Christian, an elder in his church, and bears an excellent character as well as ability.)
McKinnons are here, came while we were away. I find them very likeable people indeed. We (B. M., Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon and I) played croquet together today. My first game since we used to play out on our lawn at home. I imagine our game for a while, at least, will be croquet as Mrs. McKinnon is very fond of games and she can't play tennis.
The Dr. decided all of a sudden the other day that Mrs. Wilds had to be operated on at once, so they did. It was a very serious operation and everyone was uneasy about her, but somehow through the goodness of God she pulled through all right and seems to be getting along fine now, only very nervous. They let her put her foot to the floor for the first time today. They and Mr. Martin are going to leave for home as soon as she is able. I think they plan in about two weeks now. Owing to their early departure and Lucile's not being able to wait for her going home things, we, the ladies of Luebo station, gave her and baby Ann a shower. I gave her a piece of very pretty voil for a dress, which I got in New York coming out. Have one more piece left, but it's not so very pretty. Certainly hate to see Lucile leave as she is one of my best friends on Luebo station now.
Mary and I gave Georgia a Fourth of July birthday party combined the other evening. It was at their house, but I helped Mary prepare for it. We followed the color scheme of Red, White, and Blue. Everything went off very nicely and every one seemed to have a good time. There were only twelve invited.
The Steagals are planning to leave early for Mission Meeting, going by Mutoto and Bibanga, in all they will be gone two months. Their furlough is due in December, but on account of the winter weather they want to wait until spring to go with the children. Sankie is growing fast, and I suppose learning fast,too. She has a new teacher, Mrs. McKinnon. Mrs. McKinnon by Doctor's direction will not be assigned any station work, though is fat and looks well. They say she will be an invalid all her life.
I have never written you about our vacation as I had planned, but took some notes which will cover it pretty well. I'm going to send you a letter from Rowena which we got about two hours from Bulape. I think it was a very sweet welcome, also a drawing of the lakehouse where we stayed. I made this drawing from Rowena's drawing.
Sun. July 23
We are still expecting mail. It has been over six weeks since we have had any mail from across the ocean. My but that seems like a long time. you see this is dry season and they say the river is lower than they have seen it in years and years.
As to our trip, I haven't finished telling about that yet. We got into Bulape about 2:30 in the afternoon before anyone was expecting us, because our men were hungry. Hadn't had any food all that day, so we did not have the reception that they had planned. Rowena was going to have her fence girls come out to meet us and welcome us in and several other nice things--I can't remember them all. Anyway soon after we got there, here came Mr. Wharton, and close on behind Mr. and Mrs. Edmiston and Bope, and we had some nice tea and cake, no, I believe it was grape juice and cake, I'm so used to having tea almost forgot. Kemp did not get in until late as he was working on the lake house so that it would be ready to live in. Mrs. Wharton had had a bad spell with her back and had to be carried to her bed just at noon before we arrived, so she couldn't be there. But anyway we seven had a very enjoyable time. Ate supper at the Edmistons and breakfast at Rowena's. The Hobsons had planned to go on down to the lake that morning to get things ready, and we were to stay at the Wharton's for dinner, but as Mrs. Wharton got sick, we went on with them and all made camp together. I was glad to, of course, sorry Mrs. Wharton was sick, but I think we would have missed one of the nicest parts of our camp life. We were fixed up mighty nice, had everything we needed and oh! what a good time we did have rowing, bathing, playing games, and even just sitting and watching the trees, birds on the lake, and listening to the different sounds in the forests. I took books, sewing, and letters to answer, but read one book, wrote one letter to you, and sewed not a stitch. Weren't we industrious? That's all right; that's what we went for--to rest-and I gained five pounds on the trip. Mrs. Edmiston and Bope came and spent one day and one afternoon with us. After a week and one day, we went up to BuJape and stayed a day, and from there with Mrs. Edmiston & Bope to Muxenge. Mr. Edmiston was already there. I suppose about fifty natives, men and women came out to meet us singing and hollering at the top of their voices. It was very dusty and I almost choked several times, but it would never have done to stop them. I suppose they came about two miles with us, but this was their sign that they were happy to see us. These people are of a different tribe with different customs and language than ours (Baluba) so it was all so interesting.
The next day we visited the King's courts; it is the same King whose picture is among the pictures we are sending you and of whom I'll tell you later. Muxenge is a real capitol city, everything closed in and everyone not allowed to enter, in fact only a select few. I am somewhat mixed here; it is only the king's courts where everyone is not allowed to enter. Lukenga is the only real native King I have ever seen; he is said to be very wealthy as far as native wealth goes, and a large part of his wealth is in wives. It has been said that he cannot count them, he has so many, but I don't know how true this is. The whole visit was interesting and we were allowed to go where don't very many other people go. He has just recently become a friend of the Mission and asked for a Missionary. The mission has tried for years to get into Bakuba territory, but former kings have been enemies of our mission. We saw the grave of the king before this one; he was the one who tried to drive out all white people from this part of the country, because he said we were weakening his power and authority, and it was he who burned Ibange, I mean our whole mission station at Ibange.
He was buried in his house and the house is still standing. Their custom is that when a king dies, he's buried in his house and the rest of the village moved to another spot. Bakuba houses are built so that they may be taken apart piece by piece and moved very easily.
After an enjoyable visit of two days, we left for Luebo, coming home by way of Ngalikoko; the rubber plantation is there, and it is very interesting to see how the rubber is gathered and the process gone through before it is rubber as we see it. The sap from the rubber trees, which has the appearance of fresh milk and foams like it, too, runs out from about six in the morning until ten, and they have lots of little native boys who gather it. It is carried to the factory and chemicals are used to harden it, then run through rollers and hung up to dry for two months.
I love the trail and do not get tired as lots of people do, but I have not been on what one would call a long trip yet. I was struck during my whole trip with the absence of wild flowers in the forest. There are practically none, and vines, colored leaves, and many kinds of delicate ferns take their place. The woods are beautiful, but when you are walking, you long to be able to stoop and pick some stray flowers as you pass. I don't know why, but I always imagined Africa full of pretty wild flowers, didn't you?
I have decided not to send the picture of the lake house now, as I want to copy it, but hope to send it in one of my next letters.
These pictures we are sending are some taken at the time of our last mission meeting by a Mr. Room who was visiting here. They just got to us the other day, because he sent them to Europe to be finished. We think there are none of them very good of B. M. and I but as a whole, they are very good.
I had intended to bring up the subject of clothes in this letter, but my! I've written such a long letter already, if I start on clothes I might never stop.
I was very sorry to hear of Mr. Dicken's death and am writing to the family as a whole in this mail. Everything will certainly be changed when I come home. Who is living in the old Sam McKee house now?
This coming week is examination and closing week in the native school, and I imagine it will be a very hard one for me. But we are looking for the mail, so that will lighten things a lot.
Give my love to the people in Terrell for me when you write. It's a shame the way I've treated them. I hope they are not out with me.
Lovingly,
Dorothy
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