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Show CURTIS, NEBRASKA, JANUARY 13, 1913. DEAR FRIENDS:- It is very pleasant to write to you again from such close quarters. Some of you we have seen, and some of you we expect to see. We have made up our minds to think long and often of the old friends seen and the new ones made, for we are sure to carry back with us a keen sense of disappointment and loss as we recall those of you whom we have been unable to see. We left our station June sixth, a few days earlier than we had planned, because the baby was not well. The church members, our neighbors, some of the gentry, official ladies, an old beggar woman with a little present for the baby, the school boys and girls, all were on hand to bid us God speed. It was a great surprise to us. and as we left, our hearts were full of joy because His church has such a place in that community. We spent about two weeks in Tientsin, anxious days some of them, because of Preston's health, but on the twenty-first, Mabel having joined us, we felt he was enough better to warrant our leaving. We sailed directly across to Japan, where we were to trans-ship, which we did both at Kobe and Yokohama. We had chosen the northern route because we thought it would be cooler. It averaged 50° at noon for one week, and we found the decks too stormy for comfort. The boat was small, but there were a few congenial souls and we had plenty to read and letters to write, and the baby to care for, so the days passed quickly and pleasantly. A day in Victoria, some sight seeing, and then we went on board knowing our next stop would be Seattle. The very first faces we saw at the pier were those of our own dear ones. We had had a hint that Mother and Gladys might be there, but it seemed almost too good to be true, because Nebraska is a long way from Seattle. Besides these, there was a score of our Plymouth people-Plymouth Congregational church that supports the Eastman's and ourselves-and their greeting was so warm and cordial. We saw in their faces what we had read in their letters these eight years. We Ellises-Mother, Gladys and the four newly landed-were all taken to the home of an uncle and aunt and we spent the greater part of ten days together. After that, Mother and Gladys returned to Nebraska, and we devoted ourselves to the beautiful task of trying to know our church better. Some we had met before we went out, but there were many new ones to get acquainted with, as well as the beautiful new church, the finest we saw on the Pacific Coast, the best equipped Congregational church in the United States, others have said. We spent a month with relatives, with our church and with friends, and then turned our faces toward Los Angeles, where Preston's mother counts her home. Visits at Centralia, Wash., with friends; Forest Grove, Ore., Berkeley and Morgan Hill, Calif., with Dr. Tall-mon's people, at San Jose with Dr. Wagner's family, the annual meeting of the W. B. M. P. at San Francisco, brought us joy and blessing by the way and we finally reached Los Angeles September sixth. The two months there were largely spent resting, getting acquainted with the nephew and nieces we had never seen, talking over old times, looking over old treasures, and-sewing. This last is not so much an anticlimax as it sounds, for the sewing consisted mostly of the fascinating business of helping a dear aunt put the boy in Buster Brown suits. We took a few days off and went on a pilgrimage to Dr. Henry D. Porter's home. A Sunday at Pomona College, Claremont, visits with friends and relatives of dear friends in China, a district meeting of the W. B. M. P., and we were so close to the time when we had promised to be back in Seattle that we could accept only one *g the many invitations we had had to "come and see us on your way north.', We did stop at San Jose to see Dr. \^gner's family again, so J;lad that we could have such sympathetic help in our physical examinations for return to China. Our second visit with Plymouth church was much like the first. The members were all back from their country homes and the work all going, so we filled our Sundays with talks at various places, and our week days with visits in the homes, not forgetting to reserve Thursday night for the supper at the church. One of the first evenings the Sunday School had a Christmas tree. They had music and exercises, and the next morning the Christmas fruit was picked, put in a box and sent to China. The one thing we shall probably value most was the visits in the homes-a meal, a night, a day or two-it wasn't the length of the visit but the look we had deep into the hearts of friends who are praying for us. We planned only two stops on our way to Curtis, one at North Yakima, Wash., and another at Nampa, Idaho, where the Stephens live. Mr. E. F. Stephens, who has been so loyal in his support of our work because he felt so keenly the great opportunity for doing good through the hospital. Father and son showed that their interest had not waned. We stayed as long as we could, but Christmas was coming and so we hurried on. We spent Sunday in Denver and by chance went to the First Congregational church to worship. There we found the pastor's wife is a sister of Miss Mead of our own North China Mission. They made the day beautiful for us. We found home here, and the village in fact, with just one thought in mind-Mabel's wedding. Every one here knew her, by reputation if not otherwise. They had seen her grow up, go off to school, fade off into a misty region known as China, and suddenly she flashes comet-like upon their view, a returned missionary, a bride-to-be and a daughter of their own town-all in one. They arose to the occasion and gave her showers, decorated the church and smiled with tears in their eyes at her wedding, and listened with interest to her talks about school girl life in China. They approved of her husband but stood a little in awe of his mother-they did not have the chance we did in the home to know and admire the all-roundness of her character. And at the last, they, with us, bade the young couple "Goodbye" at the railroad station as they went on to Oberlin where Mr. Hubbard is taking the last year of his theological course. The last letter that came from them told of their cosy quarters and also of the fact that they had received their appointment from the American Board to the North China Mission. Conditions are such that they can not go to Lintsing where Mabel has worked with us these years, but she will not be far away. Some of you, I think, noticed the special significance of the date of this letter and all of you, I am sure, will wish to know about Preston. We had his hair cut and he looks very boyish in spite of his fair skin. He is thirty-three inches tall, weighs twenty-four pounds, and has a vocabulary of three hundred fifty words, knows fourteen letters and can count to five. This may not be up to the average but it all seems very wonderful to us. He has grown stronger since we have been in the United States. We thank the Lord for letting him live with us these two years and pray that we may know how to train him. We hear from Lintsing often and we find ourselves looking forward to September when we hope to be back there. Dr. Tallmon's furlough is due this spring and she may reach America before we leave. This brings up the immediate question of some one to take her place next year and the larger question of the great need of a man physician at Lintsing. The movement toward this end has begun. We need the man and the money. His salary, if married, would be about twelve hundred a year and three hundred dollars would be needed for medical supplies. These amounts would be called for yearly and besides it would take about one thousand dollars for outfit and passage money. This sounds large but the resources of His treasury are great. You will at least help us by prayer that it may be accomplished. |