1949 November 26th Daddy and Mummy leave the USA for India
A letter from Mummy to her Mother.
326 Dalphin St
Baltimore, Md
Nov 20, 1949
Dearest Mother,
Grandma Scott with 4 granddaughters born in the same
year.
Sharon Grace, Carol Crawford, Linda Scott, Rosemary Brown
I want to get a note off to you before we leave for
Elizabethtown tonight. We have been
busy here, but have certainly had a lovely place to finish up loose ends and
get things done. Have washed some things
here at Dorothy’s and a lady downstairs is ironing the shirts we did not get
done. Dorothy and I have been down town
shopping a couple of times getting little things still needed. Dorothy wanted me to pick them out. She has been so good to us. She met us at the station and we came home
here about 7 pm on Thursday. She has a
nice roomy place here and we have all had a bed to ourselves thanks to a couple
of her neighbors nearby. We have had a
good rest both nights. The train trip
here was so easy. We each had a seat to
ourselves to sleep that night. The Lord
prepared all the way. Kiddies have
enjoyed it here. Different friends have
taken them out and relived us. Did you
get the car key? I’m sorry we went off
with that, but I wonder we did not leave or walk away with more things.
Some of the cousins we were leaving:
Roger and Curt Mortimer; Sharon, Judy and
Rosemary Brown
We go tonight by bus to a town near here, and then get a
ride to Elizabethtown with someone from there.
That saves us about $10.00. We will have the services there
tomorrow. Dorothy goes with us. We expect to return here on Monday and go by
train to NY about mid-night, Monday arriving there in the early morning. That will give us a full day to do the rest
of our business there.
We have had word that the sewing machine, phonograph,
toaster, iron are all available and being delivered to the boat. Now if we have enough to pay for them all
will be well. The Lord knows. There was no bill sent to us. I don’t know why.
Love from us all.
Wonder if you got the letter from the kiddies written in the station in
Chicago. Anne is writing Sharon and Judy
now.
More and More and More love,
Eunice XXXXXXXX
Be near the telephone Tuesday evening. John and Dorothy want me to call. It only costs about $1.75. Till then much love, and kisses. John, David, Shari, Anne
A long long letter typed on carbon probably sent to both
families.
Aboard the “Queen Elizabeth”
Nov 26, 1949
Dear Ones,
Ps. 107:7, 8 He led them forth by the right way, that they
might go to a city of habitation. Oh,
that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to
the children of men.
Vs 23, 24 They that
go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the
works of the lord, and His wonders in the deep.
Vs 30 Then are they glad., because they be quiet; so He brings them unto their desired
have. Oh, that men would praise the Lord
for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.
FAITH has become sight, and we are really on our way at
last, being wafted along over the Atlantic on this gigantic ship which is more
like a great moving hotel than anything else.
It is too big and we are so far away from the water (at least in Tourist
Class) that we hardly feel we are on a boat at all.
However, before I take you all for a tour around the “Queen
Elizabeth,” let me first tell you of
some of the LORD”s doings all along the way since we left you all on Wednesday,
Nov. 16th at Baraboo, just 10 days ago.
The train trip from Madison to Chicago was a
speedy one on the Flyer; we were in Chicago by 7:30 pm. Just as we sat down in our seats, after
waving good-bye to you all at the station, a lady in the seat behind us spoke
to us. She said she had overheard that
we were on our way to India, and that she was also a missionary from India,
retired. So we had much in common with
her especially since she knew quite a number of people in India whom we
knew. Her name is Mrs. J. H. Wilkis and
she is now living in Vancouver; she was in Madison visiting her brother. This fellowship with her helped to keep our
minds quiet, when we were so full of thoughts of leaving you all. “He goeth before.” He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knoweth our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
We faced a real problem when arriving in Chicago with twelve
pieces of luggage, and the charge for a redcap fifteen cents for carrying each
piece. This would not be so bad if it
meant only one trip; but we had to change stations, and our next train did not
leave until 11 pm. This meant several
exchanges of location for our luggage.
Therefore we decided, since we had plenty of time, to work by relays and
carry our luggage ourselves. Since our
cases were mostly small, this plan worked out all right. Anne, David, and Shari helped out with the
smaller ones. When we were getting on
the train at 10:30, though, Anne tripped on a step with a small case and a
redcap came along, piled all our belongings on a cart, including the three
kiddies, and pushed them along the long platform to the train, meanwhile saying
that he would not charge us for doing so.
We gave him something,, for he was surely a good sport.
There was plenty of room on the train so we
each had a full seat. This LORD provided
a sleeper, second class, but comfortable.
We missed all the scenery that night, but from early morning we enjoyed
mountain views of the Adirondacks. There
was some snow, and the picture was lovely.
The children enjoyed watching the mountain streams, and were thrilled by
the snow. It was probably their last look
at snow for a long time, unless we see a bit in England.
We enjoyed a good breakfast from the lunch-box. Mother, you and Edith surely planned a good
one. Along with the one Helen
Kirkpatrick gave us in Madison, we had an abundance for the three meals we ate
on this trip. The missionary friend whom
we met on the train from Madison gave the kiddies a box of candy, and this went
along nicely after meals.
We arrived in
Pittsburgh about 8:00 in the morning (Thursday) and were crossing Pennsylvania
all that day. The children had a good
rest in the afternoon, as there was plenty of room on the train. When we arrived in Baltimore at 5 pm, Dorothy
was there to meet us. It was surely
good to see her, and my how it helped to have her to guide as to the taxi,
etc. We managed the luggage here again
by relays.
When we arrived at Dorothy’s apartment, two of her neighbors
came down the steps to help us with the cases—up two long flights. While we were getting settled in Dorothy’s
comfy apartment (Simplicity Hall, she calls it), these two neighboring girls,
music students, brought in the supper they had prepared. Dorothy explained later that they had asked
if they might do this for her friends.
That night these girls went to sleep in another place, and let Dorothy
and me have their beds. Soon two other
young girls came in, neighbors also, and asked if Anne could sleep in their
room, since they had an extra cot. So,
with the assistance of the neighbors, Dorothy was able to care for us
royally.
While we were in Baltimore, we
went one evening to a Youth for Christ meeting.
Dr. Oswald Smith was the speaker;
he is the pastor of People’s Church in Toronto, which supports over 100
missionaries. He emphasized that the
whole church should bear the burden of the evangelization of the world, and
that such an enormous task should not be given alone to a small group of women
in the church. He said that Women’s
Missionary Societies are not Scriptural.
We were so glad to hear this thrilling missionary message—the last one
we heard in America.
Dorothy and I went
out shopping a few times, and picked up little things still needed. Dorothy added to the medical supplies which
Gladys had sent from Minneapolis for which we were so grateful. We found some good T-shirts for the kiddies,
size 10 for only 19 cents, and some fine summer underwear. Also some nylons, plastic table covers, and
a lot of other things from the dime store, including some children’s records
for the phonograph.
On Saturday evening, we took a bus to a point about twelve
miles from the city, where a Christian brother, Bro. Stippick met us with his
car and took us to Westminster. Bro
Heydt, President of the Lancaster School of the Bible, was in Westminster that
evening, and he kindly drove us to Lancaster, and then practicing the principle
of the “second mile”, brought us right to the Lefevers’ door in Elizabethtown,
PA where we desired to go that night.
It was a two hour drive from Westminster, and we did not get to
Elizabethtown until midnight. The
Lefevers had to be away that weekend, but had made every preparation for us to
occupy their home during our stopover there.
It was only about two years ago that we first met the Lefevers, and
other friends in Elizabethtown, but what these two years have meant to us. All was ready for us to turn in, which we
did in short order.
In the morning, the
Lord’s Day, we went to Bible School and church, and met a good number of
friends again. In the afternoon,
everyone got caught up on lost sleep, and got ready for the evening
service. Of course, Dorothy was with us
throughout; we would not leave her behind!
John and I both spoke at the evening service, and then said good-bye to
all the folks after wards. The offering
that night was over $80.00. “The Lord loadeth us with benefits.”
We stayed the night at the Lefevers and went
the next day out to the “little cottage in the woods’ just to
see the little place again. Our visit
brought back happy memories of Christmas two years ago. Anne remembered the cottage, and David a
little. After brief fellowship with the
Keeners, who own the cottage, but have set it apart for the use of missionaries
while they are on the field, we went to lunch with the Hoffman Garbers, remained
at their home until three o’clock. We
delayed our return to Baltimore as long as possible hoping that the Lafevers
might return from their trip, but finally, with great regret, had to leave without
seeing them. Bro. and Sister Garber
drove us to Baltimore in their brand new “50 Ford.
That evening Dorothy gave us a large wooden box, and we
packed into it everything we had collected along the way; also most of that which was in the old
suitcases we wanted to discard. She also
gave us a nice steamer trunk, which took care of the rest of the things we
wanted in our cabin on board.
Just as we
were completing our packing, a friend of Dorothy’s called to say that Bro Eric
Frykenberg was speaking in Baltimore that night and would be coming to see us
after the meeting. We had planned on
getting on the train at 10:00 pm and put the kiddies right to bed, since
although the train did not leave until 2 am, people were permitted to get on
after 10pm. But now, with Bro Frykenberg
coming, we knew we could not get away so early, so put the children to
bed. We had a good time with him… he is
with the Conservative Baptist, and took over the Baptist church from John when
he left Bombay. He indicated that the
Indian government is clamping down on evangelistic missionaries, and that such
may have to take jobs of some kind in India;
so John may go back to printing and newspaper business—The Lord will
guide in this.
About midnight we all
went by taxi to the station, got settled in the train, and “went to bed” as
before—with a seat for each of us. We
were able to check all our things on Dorothy’s ticket, so did not have much
more lugging.
We all slept well except Dorothy. She said she was as wide awake as an owl.
(Oh, by the way, Edith and Rodney, Dorothy was surely glad for the apples from
you. ) When we awoke at 6 am we were
drawing into Jersey City. They said we
could stay on the train until 7:30, so we had our breakfast from the basket and
our devotions from the book. Then we got
off, and on to a ferry to New York City.
We could see the Statue of Liberty quite clearly from the train and the
ferry, but were on the wrong side of the “ Queen Elizabeth” to see her on the
way out. The ferry brought us and our
luggage to a point very near the Neptune Forwarding Co., with who we had
arranged to care for all the luggage
sent from Baraboo. Upon arriving at the
Forwarding Co., the first word we got was the the two largest cases sent by
Railway express had not yet arrived.
Having committed the matter to the LORD (we were then prepared to arrive
in India minus half our luggage), we got on with what was there.
They took us down to the baggage room, which
was very cold, and gave us the parcels that had arrived. The one from Bob in Chicago (for Carol in
India) was there; also the toaster,
iron, phonograph, a few batteries, etc. for India friends—but no sewing
machine.
We called the Evangelical
Foreign Missions Assn., which was caring for our major purchases, and learned
that we could not get a Singer in time, but that we might have a New Home if we
wished. (Our difficulty lay in getting
the correct voltage for Bombay, which differs from America) Although this machine took almost our last
dollar, we had prayed about the purchase with Dorothy and felt we ought to
order it.
But I was writing about our time at the Neptune Forwarding
Co. The employees in this company are
Christians, and what a difference it makes.
They were so nice and you felt they really meant it when they said they
would do all they could about our missing luggage. Just as we got all our boxes rearranged,
about 11 am (all the luggage was supposed to be on the Queen Elizabeth by
noon) we heard the glad news that our
largest trunk and folding bed had just arrived.
We saw it as it was unloaded. So
with thankful hearts, and a sort of tender feeling towards these wayward
pieces, we completed all details for them to be transferred to the ship.
Upon returning to the office, we found that,
during all the time we were below, Dorothy had been playing school with the
kiddies in an effort to keep them reasonably quiet in that business
office. However, one or two of the men
assured us they had little ones of their own worse than ours.
We took the subway to the great Pennsylvania Station from
where we would have to leave that night for the Missionary Home where we had
arranged to spend the night. We put all
our bags, etc. into lockers in the station, then we went empty handed and happy
into an Automat restaurant to get a bit to eat.
The kiddies were thrilled with the process of putting in nickels and
taking sandwiches, milk, etc., from the containers. Having Dorothy with us helped so much. Each one of us took a child, and in that way
were able to make headway through the awful noonday crowd in the Automat.
After leaving this exciting but stuffy place,
we went to Macy’s department store across the street, going by the escalators
to the fourth floor. Dorothy and I did a
bit of shopping , while John made telephone calls to New York friends for a
couple of hours. The kiddies got very
tired, but were able to tag along all afternoon with out rest. We could not find any sort of restroom where
we might put them to sleep.
About six o’clock we started for the Missionary Home. It was a ride of over an hour on the subway
and bus. The children loved it at first,
but soon all were rocked to sleep except David—he stuck it out, and enjoyed the
trip to the end, asking innumerable questions.
After leaving the subway, it was still a good half-hour’s trip on the
bus, but we were brought very near our destination. This Missionary Home is sponsored by the
Metropolitan Church Association – a group of evangelical churches following the
old-time Methodist line of Scriptural understanding. We had been recommended to the folks in New
York by their Deaconess Home in Minneapolis, where we had enjoyed sweet fellowship. This present fellowship proved to be likewise
vital and good. It was worth the long
trip out just to meet the folks. They
had supper all prepared for us, even though it was two hours after the time of
their own meal. Immediately afterwards,
we put the kiddies to bed; but the girls
made much over the kids, bringing them toys, etc. that Anne, David, and Shari
got so wound up that it was very late when they finally went off to sleep.
It was after the kiddies got asleep, Mother, that I called
you. I was surely glad to be able to
say Hello to you too, Dot. Dorothy urged
me to call, and it meant a lot to me.
John called his brother, Harold in Perth, Ontario, and also Bro. Lafever
in Elizabethtown. It was past
midnight again before we got to bed, and we had to be up at 5:30 to prepare for
breakfast at 6:30 and to get off at 7:00 for the boat.
We had a lovely time at breakfast with the
entire missionary family. Bro Sammis
asked Shari to sing, but she turned temperamental for the moment; then he asked Anne to pray, and she prayed
very sweetly. Before we left the girls
gave Anne a plastic toy telephone, David
a helicopter to run on deck, and Shari a baby doll; also to each a Bible story book. We told them we would carry greetings to
their co workers, the Fordhams, in India for whom we are bringing quite a bit
of material.
Bro. Sammis drove us to the subway station, so we did not
require the bus again. At Pennsylvania
Station we met Regina Hansen,
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whom we had intended to meet the previous evening but had gotton our wires crossed. At this point, John and I hurried out to a nearby store and made our last purchase in America – more dried milk and eggs for our English friends; (insert from Shari… this is just at the end of WWII and England had severe rationing) then we all took a taxi to the boat.
whom we had intended to meet the previous evening but had gotton our wires crossed. At this point, John and I hurried out to a nearby store and made our last purchase in America – more dried milk and eggs for our English friends; (insert from Shari… this is just at the end of WWII and England had severe rationing) then we all took a taxi to the boat.
There at
the pier we got into a behive of activity and excitement, but directions were
so simple and plainly marked that we had no real difficulty in finding our way
about. As we had come near the pier in
the taxi, we saw the ‘Queen Elizabeth” for
the first time and marveled that any ship could be so BIG! In spite of the fact
that about 2500 passengers were embarking between 8:00 and 11:00, the task of
getting on board was comparatively simple-much more so than we have ever
experienced before. Within 15 minutes
from the time we arrived at the pier, we were walking up the gangplank with
Dorothy and Regina – and of course with the three kiddies with their
exclamations of surprise.
On board we were directed to our cabin. We went down several sets of stairs, walked miles,
it seemed along corridors, until we finally found our little nook. We were all interested in looking around the
cabin, all so neatly and comfortably arranged.
There were two double decker bunks, and a crib for Shari. Even though she graduated from the crib stage
long ago, she was delighted with this all though the voyage.
Soon Bro. Procter Davis, director of a
Jewish mission in New York City, and a long time friend, came to visit us. We had prayer together, commending one another
to the grace and guidance of the Lord, then we went searching for an outside
deck where we might take some pictures.
We hurriedly took some pictures, since the stewards were clanging bells
and shouting that all visitors must go ashore.
As we rushed toward the gangplank, Dorothy remembered that she had left
her overnight case in the cabin, so John made a dash through the crowds, and
finally returned with the case in good time.
We said fond farewells to Dorothy and Regina.
As we were standing at the gangplank, on board, wondering
which way we might go to see Dorothy and Regina from the deck, a man stepped up
and asked us if we were the Buffams. It
was Mr. Kelly of the Kelly Travel Agency in New York. He had cared for all our travel arrangements,
and had come on board looking for a needle in a haystack; but he found the
needle before he came to the haystack:
We had a good visit with him, until he was urged to leave by the
gangplank attendant.
After finding a deck facing the pier, we sought to locate
Dorothy amongst the crowds waiting to see the ship sail. Regina had to get back to work, so had
gone. Finally we saw Dorothy, but were
too far away to talk back and forth.
Later, on board, we saw a photograph, taken by the ship’s photographers,
showing Dorothy in the group with her had raised in sign language! Soon the gang planks were removed and the
“Queen” began to move slowly away from the pier. In just a few minutes we lost sight of
Dorothy. It was good to see her there
as we sailed, especially since none of our families was there.
The kiddies waved good-bye long after their efforts could be
seen by Dorothy. Then we realized, for
the first time, that the good old “Queen Elizabeth” was HOME for us, at least
for the next five days.
Our hearts were deeply thankful, as we returned to our
cabin, for the long furlough in America, but even more so that we had actually
set out on the long 12,000 mile trip to our little home and labors among the
Jews and gentiles of Bombay.
Much Much love to all,
John and Eunice, Anne, David and Shari
Personal written letter sent along with the printed one?
Cunard White Star
R.M.S. “Queen Elizabeth”
Nov. 27, 1949
Dearest Mother,
I have just put the children into the playroom, so I can
write you a note from the boat. We have
had a lovely trip. The weather has been
fine until today, Sunday. It has rained
most of the day, but we would not know it down here. We went up on deck this morning and were
nearly blown away so haven’t ventured up again.
When we first got on board we spent a lot of time
sleeping. Then getting ready for 3 meals
a day –
pretty lazy life. We have had
ample clothes and oh, the best of all have been the long corduroys. The kiddies have worn them every day. No ironing allowed so I was glad for Corduroy
and t- shirts that didn’t have to be ironed.
Dorothy got Shari and Anne 3 t- shirts in Baltimore so that filled the
bill fine. The little skirt you made looks
so nice with a white T shirt. She wore
it for Sunday School on the boat today.
We had Sunday School for the children on board.
Most of the news is in the long letter. Hope you can read this, the pen is bad and
the boat is rocking.
Love Love to you my dear dear mother,
Eunice
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