Huguenot Seminary,
Wellington - March 13, 1935
My dear Annie Bliss Lackie, -
I received your long and most interesting letter dated Nov. 30th '34, on the 2nd of Jan. 1935. The Christmas mail was very good to me as I was staying in the Y. W. C. A. in Cape Town, as the Seminary was closed, one of the buildings being colour washed and painted inside and out. You may remember this was our long summer holiday and we only returned to Wellington the 26th of January. There were so many changes in staff, new Principal in High School, new house mothers and new staff [...], and so many new girls that it seems to take quite a time to get everyone initiated and we old folks used to the new ones. It has been very, very hot until a few days ago, but the nights are cooler. I have not yet met the new Principal in the High School, but I have no shorthand students this year as they have cut that out of the syllabus, and I think I am to[o] old to teach, so ought to keep up my correspondence better than I do. I was very pleased to get that snap and think you look in a general way much like your "Aunt Anna," our dear Dr. Bliss. I think I have told you of our swimming bath erected a year or two ago, in the hot weather the girls enjoy it very much. I never go in it as my knees are stiff, they have had two gallas this quarter, our Gym. mistress seems to know just how to teach them to swim, dive and other fancy tricks. The bath is sixty feet long, by thirty broad, seven feet deep at one side, three at the other.
What a wonderful trip you took in your motor. I do not think motors were so common 36 years ago, I never had very many long drives although on my various holidays I have been to Chantangua, N. Y. Niagra Falls and other shorter trips. out here to Durham, Natal once and Victoria Falls at another time. Friends have told me of the exceptionally beautiful Autumns colouring last year. Storms and blizzards; my niece living in Arlington wrote me in a recent mail of six feet of snow in their front yard. I wonder if that included what was thrown up in clearing paths. Have I told you that I am a member of the World's Executive of Christian Endeavor? I think you used to be interested. Very special prayer is asked for the two great conventions, one in Philadelphia in July, and the 9th Worlds Convention in Budapest in August. Dr. Poling and the Secretary of the Budapest C. E. Union have asked me to ask all Endeavores interested to remember these great gatherings, so I am trying to let Societies know. I have made copies of the Budapest letter which is quaintly worded. Unfortunately the C. E. which Dr. Bliss started here, the first one in Africa, has given place to the Students Christian Association and one of the Lady Secretaries is here this week working among the girls.
The College reopened on the 8th of March and I hear they expect a few more students than last year. Each College in the South African University has their own Graduation ceremony. Huguenot is expecting to have theirs on March 28th, the diplomas given are from the University of South Africa. All the Colleges used to have their graduation ceremony together, but the expense of travelling so far made them change. We used to celebrate the 9th of May as Founders Day but now the two functions are all in one, because of expense. We usually have one long week end when the girls have the privilege of going out from Friday night to Monday morning[.] Next quarters holidays will be Good Friday and Easter Monday, Kings Jubilee, Union Day and Ascension Day, so the quarter will be well broken up.
Is your cousin Frank D. Still at the same place in New York? I wanted to send him a card but thought his address might have changed.
It is good to hear from you again.
Sincerely yours,
M. F. Baldwin