Y. W. C. A. Long Street,
Cape Town.
14th Dec. 1933.
My dear Mrs. Annie Bliss Lackie, -
I am staying at the above address for the first part of my summer holidays, and want to send off a few letters, although my Christmas greeting went some little time ago.
I have before me the Christmas card you and Mr Lackie sent last year and I hope you are both well and happy in your little home which you described so delightfully to me.
The newspapers talk hopefully of better times in South Africa, but there is still great need and many people out of work, although we hear of many plans to provide work for those with nothing to do. The many schemes of President Roosevelt do not seem to be altogether helpful, so far as one can judge from the newspaper reports. They say that prohibition is dead. If the whole country goes wet, it will not have a good affect on the morals of the rising generation, and I doubt what kind of an effect it has on business. If all the salloons [sic] are open, the safety of the general public will not be increased, I am speaking from the experience of many years ago.
I am not certain whether you receive the Huguenot News Letter now. If not you will be interested to know that on Oct. 25th, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the taking over of the first building and grounds of the Seminary, and it was 60 years on the 15th of November that Dr. Bliss and Dr. Ferguson, then Miss Ferguson and Miss Bliss, arrived in Africa. We had a very happy day on the 25th, quite a large gathering of past students and friends in the morning in Goodnow Hall, with addresses and special music, a luncheon to over 50 old students and friends in the old white House dining room, and in the afternoon a social gathering on the lawn at the College. This was a memorable day to all who attended.
Murray Hall, the second building to be erected in the Seminary, has been in the hands of the workmen, and extensive renovations and changes are being made. New walks, new floors and fireproof stairway are among the most important. While this is going on, we have been living in the white House and west building, but hope to get back into a renewed Murray Hall, at the opening of the 1934 School year. Another change is a swimming bath for the Seminary and High School students, and also to use for irrigation purposes, so there can be no reason why our garden should not flourish, as the boring for water some months ago, secured a supply of 2000 gallons an hour, and an electric pump has been installed so we are independent of the municipal supply of water which sometimes runs short.
As a birthday gift, Miss Callahan presented me with some snaps of myself standing in one corner of our rose garden when the Dorothy Perkins climbers were in their prime. Back of the College there is a little summer house which is covered with these same roses in their season and Dr. Bliss used sometimes to receive her friends on the 15th of November under this rose arbor. You have never seen my pictures, but perhaps, if you think it worth reciprocating, you will send me a little one of yourself and your husband.
Your cousin Frank D. has sent me two Christmas cards at different times, I think his own design. I do not think I have acknowledged them but the other day I found I had two addresses, one was APT. 4: 206 West 69th St. new York City. The other I have not here at the present time, but I am interested to know if I have the right address. I sent a card to each of the addresses.
With all good wishes for the new year,
Yours sincerely,
M. F. Baldwin