24th January, 1954
Dear Mom,
I guess it is the 25th now. I wrote the top last night then decided I’d better get to bed.
Today school begins and not all of the pupils are here but quite a few have arrived. I wish that we still had another week yet before the grind begins but we don’t. The last two weeks were taken up by Teacher’s Institute so I haven’t had many free moments.
There is talk, but whether it will come to anything I don’t know, that I be a teacher in the Teacher Training School when we begin that. We are supposed to begin next year at the station where the Blooms are. I’d be the Methods teacher. Anyway it is just talk so far. Maybe Conference will decide something about it. I would certainly like it.
The Brutons went into town last Tuesday. Lois was going to stay and wait for her baby which was to be born the first part of February. Warren was coming back with school supplies and then planned to go back into town after registration of pupils. However, the baby was born the next morning after they got in there – a little girl. The nurses and doctors didn’t think the trip had a thing to do with its coming. The child seemed healthy and O.K., but later in the day they had to put it in an oxygen tent and it didn’t respond and it died the next morning. It seems the lungs just didn’t function. We felt so sorry for them as they lost twin girls before Pamela was born, and Lois has been wanting a baby for a long time.
Warren and the men who were in town of our missionaries came out here with the body. They started Friday afternoon and got here Saturday morning around seven o’clock. They had had car trouble. So we found a burial place and had a little service, inviting all of the Africans here on the place. Then the men went back to town in the afternoon. Warren and Lois are going to stay in for a month for rest and a holiday.
Mary just came and said that I must come down to school now to register. I don’t particularly want the job as she and I don’t agree about demanding school fees. She always listens to their excuses of why they didn’t bring enough. They always have some sort of excuses. One has to be a bit hard. The African will take you for a ride every time if you show softness. That is always hard for new white people to learn.
The parcels, Lois’ and also Tillie’s, came in the last post. That slip Lois sent is so lovely and just what I needed for that dark dress Ila made me. I didn’t know what I was going to do for one. Then Till’s box was nice. I’m waiting for yours now. Aren’t I awful?
My birthday passed without much ado, yet in the afternoon Marie came up with a big bowl of popcorn. I immediately sat down and ate it all. It was certainly delicious. Then around four she and Mary came and they had a coffee cake so we had coffee.
Well I guess I must go. I trust that you are well and getting along O.K. Has anyone sent me the newspaper clipping of the account of the funeral, etc.? I would certainly appreciate seeing it.
This is all for now. Much love. I guess Jim has to leave now.
Love,
Eunice