Hackett Medical College for Women
American Presbyterian Mission
Canton, China.David Gregg Hospital
Turner Training School for NursesFeb. 17, 1923
Dear Abby Turner:-
The other day samples came of pongees from Chefoo, and there was a pretty blue one there, and I remembered that you said if ever I had an opportunity to get a blue one for you to do so. Hence I am to-day writing the China Crafts of Chefoo to send you a bolt like the enclosed sample. I hope it will be satisfactory. I cannot tell you the price yet, because I do not know the present rate of exchange from gold to Hongkong and from Hongkong to Chefoo, nor the postage from Chefoo to South Hadley! The piece should measure from 19-20 yards, and be 33 inches wide. Can you ever get rid of it all? I think the price without any postage or "commission" or anything, will be somewhere in the neighborhood of fourteen dollars, -"to the left or right," as the Chinese say. I am paying them for it.
Thank you for the dandy picture of Darwin. Isn't it a beautiful copy? Indeed I would rather have it than a Christmas card of a more conventional character! And thank you for the good wishes. Yes, I am coming back to the States this summer, coming by way of Peking and Manchuria and Korea and Japan. Nice? I've decided that at least I know what I do not want in a job, and that is responsibility and position. I want work but none of the other. I have no least scrap of ambition for place nor money nor honor nor such nonsense, - I want peace and work and a bit of beauty within reach, - and that will be quite heavenly enough for this mortal. My word, this life out here is too thrilling for me! I am no executive and do not want to be!
We are moving the students into the new dormitory in spite of the minor detail that it is "nowhere near" finished! The contractor has held us up several months now, and we will wait no longer. He can just cleverly finish with the girls under his feet. We are tired of having eleven in the reception room, seven in the office, etc. I understand you are all in much the same fix now because of the Rocky fire. It is a fortunate thing that they went ahead with the dormitory, is it not? Or does the Psychology Department find in the going ahead with it, a "suppressed desire" to have Rocky burn up?! I hope Mr. R. will want some of his relatives' names perpetuated again.
Yesterday was China New Year, and began one of the "unlucky years" which only come every hundred years or so. Noone dared wish anyone Happy New Year as that brings even worse luck! "There will be much plague this year." Yes, I fancy there will be if the strike of the garbage-carriers does not soon end! It is a lucky thing this is China where even a fly has hard work to find enough to live on in what the people throw away!
And still the soldiers sit about and we have no settled government. Oh well, none of the shops close, but the jade and pearl ones. By the way, do you want plain ivory beads, or some carved ones mixed in, and round ones or olive-shaped? I'll be delighted to get some for you, and also some more old embroidery.
There is a party on to-night and I must dress -
As ever -
Harriett Allyn.