P & O CORFU
Tuesday morning, Sept 6, 1938
Dearest mother,
Well, I’ve been on this grand big boat since Saturday noon.
Every day has been a wonderful joy. I was so glad to leave Hong Kong
because of all that had happened (I wonder what happened? Shari) - this
has indeed been a joyous journey in comparison to the one across the
Pacific. Altho, I enjoyed it, to, in spite of the difficulties.
This is an English boat – not quite so large as the Coolidge, but much
finer in many ways. The service is Indian and English and oh, so
different – they seem to just anticipate your wants and delight to serve.
Britishers are interesting people. You see this boat is now on its
return trip to London and most of the passengers are English and Scotch.
The Scotch are the nicest – I love to hear them talk.
My cabin is very nice – There are not many passengers on board, so I have
it alone.
We are sailing right down the China coast with no stops between Hong Kong
and Singapore. We get to Singapore in the morning. The Purser said
I could stay on board this ship the Wed. night that I have to be in Singapore
to get my next boat. There is a missionary Home there, too that I’ve
written to and Fordhams may be there so I guess I’ll have plenty of places to
stay but my easiest way will be right on this boat, I think.
The B. I. (British Isles?) boats are smaller, but I hope it will be
nice like this. They are run by the same company so very likely will
be. It takes 8 days from Singapore to Madras but there are some
stops. Penang and then some Islands along I think.
Dottie is coming to Madras to meet me. I can hardly realize that
I’m this near my journey end. Almost 3 months since I left home.
I suppose all the others have left by now, too. Did Ede begin
the 4th? And Dot and Gilbert and Marj and baby I’m sure
have gone. Am anxious to hear what kind of house they get, and how Dot
gets along with that school and all. Did you get to go up with
them? I sure hope you can go often – especially if she has to leave
Baby with someone else. I know it will all work out some way, but I
just hate to see Dot tackle so much. It seems like she has always
had too heavy a load and I just hate to see her try it again, but I’m praying
the Lord will undertake for her.
How is Per? I suppose there is no way for him to go on this year, but my
how I wish he could try it again. It seems a shame for him not to take
advantage when there is a High School as near as Ithaca.
I suppose Ede has only a few kiddies again. I’m glad she has for
she’ll have so much more time for other things. The second year is always
easier than the first, too.
Conference is not far away, is it? I suppose it will be over by the
time you receive this. I surely hope Tanners come back. Don’t
forget to write me all this news.
I hope you haven’t sent all my letters to Calcutta, but I’m afraid
the first ones have gone there. I’m going to write them to forward
them to Bangalore. I don’t know how long we’ll be there yet, but I
feel it will be some time. I’m so glad to be going where Dottie has been
instead of to Calcutta first. I had a cable from her in Hong Kong telling me how to book from Penang
on. She will take care of everything from that end I’m sure.
I know you must be head over heels in work since all your help left.
I do hope you can get someone to help you you through the worst of this fall
rush. I tell you when I saw the poor Chinese people in the city of
Hong Kong – many of them looked like they didn’t ever get enough to eat – and
all the food in the market looked so dirty – I was thankful that my loved ones
had good clean fresh vegetables and things to eat and can.
There is a police detective, a Scotch man, with whom I’ve had the best
visits on this boat. He is a police in Hong Kong and returning now
to Scotland on Furlough. He says he doesn’t even eat eggs in Hong
Kong because you never know when they are infected. They have just tiny
eggs – no big ones like ours. He says they have no breeds, just all a
mixture – except for a few Poultry farms which are recently being started by
Chinese who have come to America and returned there to raise chickens. We
talked about other things too, besides chickens. I had such a good
opportunity to talk with him about the Lord. He has a Christian Father
and Mother in Scotland but has wandered far way I’m afraid. But the Lord
is able to bring him back and he’s surely thinking seriously.
I’ll try to add another note to this when I get to Singapore. I got
my topee in Hong Kong, also got a hold-all for excess luggage. Just a big
heavy bag with loops and a lock at the top
.
Love to all,
Eunice
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