"Luebo"
Jan. 16, 1923
My dearest homefolks:
I'm writing a little more regular now, as I have more time. I'm not teaching this term because we are going on an evangelistic trip in February and I would not have anymore than gotten started in school than I'd have had to leave. I certainly am putting in my time to good advantage for I had put off so many things while I was teaching. Sarah leaves in about two weeks for home; she is leaving me her machine and I hope to get some sadly needed clothes made after we return from our trip.
They are also leaving their five R.I.R. [Rhode Island Red] chickens in our care; it's quite a responsibility, but someone has to do it. There are about forty baby chicks and they are so hard to raise out here in large bunches. Their victrola also is to be here. We have certainly been flooded with musical instruments since we have been here. I had Mr. Martin's organ first, then got the piano, and about a month ago, I pulled an old broken organ that no one knew was there out of the industrial school, got Mr. McKinnon to fix it up and now it plays very well and I'm going to take it on our trip to help us in our work. Steg gave it to me. I have offered the piano to Mrs. McKinnon and I think she is going to take it. It's not because I don't want it, for I like to play on it and can keep in practice, but you see, Mrs. McKinnon cannot pump an organ at all; she had one and sold hers to Mary just for that reason. She loves music and I think it would seem mighty selfish of me to have a piano, an organ, and a victrola all in my house and she have nothing.
As far as I'm concerned, I too would rather have the piano. I wish it were possible for me to bring my piano out with me next term, but it would be out of the question. I am crazy about my linen dress with the black ribbon. I think it looks better and I like it better than any dress I ever had, unless it was the pink sleeveless blouse. I still wear it sometimes!! ! Nearly every thing I have in the way of clothes will be worn out by the time I come home. Yes we will know much better how to plan for clothes when we come out next time.
I was so glad to hear that Livingston is to have a nice Presbyterian Church. They have needed it so long. B. M. and I have decided to put some of our tithe money in it. Oh! I'm so ashamed because I haven't written Mrs. Miller, but I haven't written to anyone lately but you, and you know how often that has been. Perhaps someday I'll begin writing again.
B. M. keeps well; he has had only two small attacks of indigestion since we got here. He isn't near so nervous as we once thought, perhaps that's the way love affected him at first! ! !
The last dress trimmed in blue that you sent me is so pretty and I have thought of saving that mostly for going home as I fear I shall be short dressed, but haven't decided. There isn't any danger of our having to stay over our term unless something very unusual happens. We will start in Jan. or Feb. 1924 if our health permits.
I am not a bit uneasy about my sugar and cream set, even if you should use it, for I know you would be much more careful of it than I would be. I think lots of it but I'm not always as careful as I should be, and out here, the boys are certainly "ruff" on dishes.
B. M. says tell you that there is very little danger in sending packages through the mail these days. I venture to say that not one in a hundred would get lost. We get more now than lots of folks and there is never anything wrong and they come in pretty good time also. Of course, I wouldn't send breakable things, though.
From Mr. Martin's letter of recent date, we are of the opinion that he may not come back for some time. It seems that he has some kind of throat or lung trouble. B. M. Says he has had a cough ever since he has known him. I would not repeat this outside the family. If this is true, it will be a mighty hard blow for us. Mr. Martin says also that
Mrs. Martin is just as nervous as she was when he saw her last and he is afraid she will not be able to return. Dr. Stixrud, though, doesn't seem to think it is very serious.
I do not agree with you that it will be especially nice to have electric lights out here. I suppose we will have them, too, but we have some such terrific storms out here until I hate to have my house wired. Just the other night, we awakened by a light and a strong clap of thunder--the nearest I have ever heard. I feared for a while it had struck out house, but found out next morning that it was a large tree in front of the McKinnons. Mrs. Mk. said she thought she must have been shocked a little as she was so unusually nervous for several days. It killed all of her flowers in front of the porch. Lightning has also struck a native house in the village behind us since we have been here.
I can't see how my being out here could change my attitude and love for my mother and father and my old home, even though Dr. Stixrud tries to make me think so. I believe about the maddest I have been at anyone since I've been out here was with him when he made the statement that home will not be the same when we go back. That everything will be so different now that I'm married. [Dorothy didn't understand just what Dr. Stixrud meant, I don't think. B.M.] Now I love my husband as well as any wife can, but I don't see why that should change my love for father and mother. I think I can explain about Dr. Stix. He hasn't had a home until he married since he was a child, I don't think, and she is the kind of woman who does not love her home, fusses when she is there and next term, she says she doesn't even want to go home, but wants to spend her vacation in Europe. She acknowledges all this. I believe I'd be ashamed to tell it.
We had such a nice time yesterday. B. M. and I went about an hour's ride away from Luebo to a stream in the forest and ate our dinner, lay down and had a rest, went wading in the stream and then B. M. went hunting for monkeys from about 3 o'clock until five. I tatted during that time, and almost finished it. I was working on some blue clover leaf tatting I'm making for Mary as her wedding present. B. M. killed one monkey and we got home in time to eat and go to the picture show that night. Don't you think it was a nice way to spend a holiday in the Congo? We had for our dinner, hard boiled eggs, canned sausages, pickles, peanuts, bread and butter sandwiches, jam sandwiches, hot cocoa we brought in a thermos bottle. I do love to eat in the woods, can eat twice as much. We carried the nicest kind of pineapple, but were so full we couldn't eat it, so gave it to the boys. Now wouldn't you have liked to have had it?
I am enclosing two pictures of myself; we all think them fine (as could be expected); we are getting other good pictures, and will likely send some negatives home before we come, as they go bad so quickly out here. One of these is taken in front of our house; the other to the side with two of our goats, and the sentry in the background.
Hope you are all well.
Lovingly,
Dorothy
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