Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Congo (119) Kinshasa, Congo [DCS]

Kinshasa

April 28, 1925

Dearest homefolks:

It has been so long since I have written to you that I hardly know where to begin. B. M. has written you two or three times but I don't know what he has written so if there is a repetition, please excuse it.

The last train taking letters to the boat we came in on leaves tomorrow so I just must get some sort of letter written. We had a splendid trip out from Antwerp, only the 2nd and 3rd days were very rough and B. M. was seasick and I stayed in bed to keep from being;. The rest of the journey was fine and as soon as it began to get warmer I took the baby out on deck and at the last kept him out most of the time. He enjoyed it so much and we could just see him grow 'from day to day. He crawls, pulls himself up to things and has two teeth all the way through. We hardly knew he was cutting teeth until they were through ; he gave hardly any trouble and was not sick a day. The woman who took care of him at meal time was so good to him and he was crazy about her.

We had only one day in Matadi and stayed at the Mission (American Baptist). The trip on the little train was very hard and tiresome and the baby was cross on account of the heat, but we made unusually good time both days. When we reached the Mission house in Kin we found Mr. and Mrs. Shive and Miss Farmer waiting for a boat to go up the river; they came a whole boat ahead of us. So we shall have two nurses going up the river the part of the trip I dreaded without one. The Lapsley came in the next day after we reached Kin. So you see how fortunate we have been. We leave for Luebo on Friday after having been in Kin only one week. The Hobsons waited a month in Kinshasa.

When we reached Matadi, we learned that the Stonelakes could not stay at the Union Mission House on account of Mrs. Stonelakes health (she very nearly died not long ago and looks like a walking corpse), and we hear from every source that we are likely to be asked to take it over again, but I will not consider it at all.

We are going to-have to buy chop here to take up river as there is no telling when our chop will come from Belgium. We got some nice letters from Luebo welcoming us back, one a letter from Mrs. Stixrud; they say we are to get our house back.

The Wilds and ourselves went out to dinner last evening. It was to a single man's house--we met him when we were here at the Hostel. Nina Farmer kept the baby.

I will stop here and if I do not get another chance to write here--Goodbye.

Love

Dorothy

Please send me by the first missionary you can my hair switches and please pick out Lucille Wild's music. I think it has her name on it. Lucille has the piano in her home and wants her music. I was under the impression I left it here for her, but she says not.

Lots of love,

Dorothy

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