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Show Lintsingchow, 6hantungf China. Apr.24th*08 My dear "Ellis girls"> . _. Bora,Alice, Hattie, Pet, Bessie, Mary, Hath, Flora, Susie,Mien, and several others from whom no letters have come' since last 1 wrote. Your^ letters have been very much appreciated even if my answers have not indicated that fact. , ~ First of all let me congratulate Bessie on the arrival of little Racnei ^ Miriam. In.my imagination 1 can see the pride of those parents. When she is a little older just tell her that she has a maiden aunt out here in China who would love to see her, and is counting on doing, so some day. May she keep well and be an ever increasing joy to all who know her. ^ Sneaking of Bessie one naturally thinks of Pet,too. You will all rejoice ~M with me that she is'talking of visiting me on her way home next spring.Of course a year is a long time,but with all that time for making the plans^ we ought' |© be able to have the visit oughtn't we? We hope after her visit here that she will be eae of our house-boat party down the river( grand canal) to Tientsin and then that I can show her something of Peking. Certainly by anticipation her visit is already giving me much satisfaction, and noone can. make roe believe that realisation will not be much more gratifying. The picture of Dorafs two little people,that came so as to be counted as a Christmas present.was and is much appreciated. Tell them please,£ora, tha-t the enclosed children1s letter is specially for them.Part of it will not be too old for thai. If they lived in China they would find that these little children make very good play-mates.Really they are quite like American children in most respects. There is a dear little brown-eyed, baby lying on W • couch this minuit. He is admiring his fingers and cooing soft talk to himself that sounds exactly like what you Hear from children of English-speaking parents. His mother is my dispensary assistant and he is my choicest ai-version^ rom one week1 s end to that of another there is no gratification that quite equals in pleasure that of giving him his Sunday morning bath. He take it as a "matter of course,but I venture" to say that in this city of 4S,000 ueople there is not another baby who gets a weekly bath. ""What Alice had to tell about her work at the Woman1 s College and about; so many. of. our home and college friends, was very good reading.I was more than £ glad to get Hattiess letter .from Sunnyside and to know that she is so much stronger than she was and that she is-enjoying her high-school work there. Washington must be almost as beautiful as California. Mary too writes of^ very enjoyable high school work. To have ones work so congenial ahd to live at home too is certainly a very happy combination of circumstances.I was especially glad to know that Mr. and Mrs,Fonda( Florence*s parents) are well.^ I hear indirectly of how Ruth is enjoying her.year of study kn Boston and of how much Flora's good work in the Manson schools.is being appreciated.Ellen's good letter about"her new home in Riverside and about their church work, deserved a real answer (as Sid all your letters) and that long ago. I hope the enclosed picture by a Chinese artist ,and the children's letter may be of. interest to the little girls who wanted to know more about China. Bear Susie, how do you get time for'the delightful,long,personal letters,such as that . you wrote me?Things of this kind' seem to be all I am able to manage.Even the members of my own dear family seldom get real letters. Your work there in Turkey must be quite as interesting as mTncHTTere in China, and that is saying a good deal.What volumes of notes we would have to compare if we could talk together! In fact I wouldn't mind talking to any one of you.Much of the time I feel as a very full and very tightly corked bottle may be imagined as feeling. And you would#tpo,l£ the only people to whom you could speak your native tongue were two others just as busy with their study and work as you with^ yours.But we are very happy in our work. The enclosed letters tell some of the things I would have liked to have told in personal letters if that had *««! possible. since the first of Jan. our dispensary room has been opened daily. We have given about 3,500 treatments to something over 900 different patient _ Almost daily numbers have-to be turned, away for lack of time {and strength as" . well! How I long fov better equipment and a larger ability to meet the needs^, physical and spiritual, of these friendly waiting crowds. Love to you each, |