Boone University
Wuchang, China
Thursday, December 4, 1913Dearest Abby-Gail -
To think that after all these weeks I should be writing in a hurry and that in spite of my intention to be punctual this Christmas greeting will be an Epiphany one. However the glad Christmas era of good felling doesn't end until then and you'll know I love you in the same old way.
I can scarcely believe that I've not written since Katharine came and she a lively six-month-er! I suppose Elizabeth told you that I had to take her to Suling when she was only sixteen days old on account of the heat. It was a long time before I felt like doing much, and then a hot drought came and then in September I was just about reaching you on my list when we returned to Wuchang. That's eleven weeks ago, - weeks of wearing efforts to get our new house furnished and settled. I never have worked harder or with less results.
Wednesday, Dec. 10
Almost a week has gone by without my adding a word to this or any other letter, but we made heroic efforts, got the house settled and had our house-warming last Saturday and now I have hopes of being able to live a regular life. China is getting to be in its way as breathless as America. Indeed it now lacks but a few minutes of noon. I got up at 6:45 and this is my first pause, and there are so many things in my mind to say that they just tumble over each other without any orderly sequence.
To go back to the house. We moved into it before it was finished and after weeks of fussing with carpenters we discovered that all the flues were defective and we had a ghastly month with masons tearing out chimneys one day and being smoked out of the house the next day as we tented the masons' work. Then the Kemps with whom we lived last year returned from furlough and spent a week with us while their house was being put in order and that was Thanksgiving week and we had a big dinner and the Kemps have a two-year-old daughter and it was "hurrah, boys" generally. Our floors had all been ruined by the masons and last week we more or less perched like chickens while the floors were done over and then we did all the little things, hung the last pictures & curtains, made sandwiches & arranged posies and had a big house-warming tea, inviting every one both Chinese & foreigners that we know and ended with a very informal dinner for those who assisted.
I had a nervous head-ache Sunday after all the excitement and hard work and loafed all day, except for a walk on the city wall with party sandwiches and cocoa in a thermos bottle for "tea," - after noon tea is such a fixed meal here that we feel lost without it.
Monday I cut out a pink viyella nightie for Katharine and started my sewing woman on it and looked over some English compositions and guests dropped in for tea and I had all the Boone Review editors for dinner and we worked till 10:30 getting the new number ready to be posted. Yesterday was a similar day, only I spent the evening tutoring a young Chinese in English. This morning after Katharine's bath I inspected the house and jacked up the servants and helped Everard get off on a monthly shopping trip to Hanknow, - a trip Katharine quite effectually prevents me from making, - and now it looks as tho' I might really write to you.
As regard our new house, a new arrival said "It's the most civilized thing I've seen in China." It really is convenient, comfortable and cozy, tho' at times this fall I've eaten so much bitterness, as the Chinese say, that I almost thought I preferred a mat-shed on the river-bank. Your wedding present is in a corner of the living-room attended by a photograph of Barnegat Bay shores and a colored photograph of a beautiful Japanese water-fall near Nikko.
I was surprised to find out that Mrs. Kemp is an old acquaintance of your Elizabeth McKee. I had often heard her mention her Holyoke friend but had never dreamed it was any one I had any association with until she returned from America and told me that her friend was a friend of my friend.
Katharine is wearing your shoes these days, tho' she is such a tiny mite that they are much too big, but this is the proper age for them and she has no other suitable ones, hence -. She loves them and tries to eat them. Poor kiddie, she's teething and even her happy disposition suffers an eclipse. Ordinarily she's the happiest, tho' it bothers me to have her gain so slowly and stay so wee. The doctor thinks I want everything, for he says such a well, happy, pretty, bright, dainty baby ought to satisfy anyone. She is more than six months old now, but I inclose [sic] a picture of her [alas, no longer in the letter] taken in the summer. One of Everard's errands to-day is to get some films so we can get some picutres as she is now[.]
The ructions [?] at the foot of the Kuling hiss last summer were rather disquieting, but never in the least dangerous. We are all wondering what the wily old Yuan Shi-Kai will do next and wondering a bit uneasily now that he has at least persuaded the vice-president, - our own particular Wuchang hero - to go to Peking, for it is only he who has kept Wuchang so secure all this while.
I myself thought I'd be hopelessly awkward and even embarassed [sic] with a baby, but after my first scared effort at bathing her under the nurses's instruction the fact, so to speak, seemed to come of itself and people say "Why you act as tho' you had been used to babies all your life." I had no idea that from the very first day she'd be so absorbing to me. I thought she'd gradually grow into my heart, but ai ah! I was crazy about her from the moment I first saw her and knew she was mine. It's been absorbingly interesting also to watch her grow and develop. I didn't know they got intelligent so soon, or so soon learned to smile responsively.
I was delighted at the turn in Anna's affairs, and have often wondered whether it was you who threw the position in her way. She's not written me since my birthday and indeed it's nearly three months since I heard from Ellen whose time for letter-writing is so meagre, so my knowledge of the young lady comes wholly from Elizabeth.
Do tell me what you think of Elizabeth's knee and her prospects at getting another position suited to her strength. Her letters sound so bothered under the surface cher. Of course the parents' health accounts for part of it. Dr. Shearer must be a great trial especially to Elizabeth who has always venerated him so. And what is the real reason why they've given her warning at B.H.S.? The one assigned sounds trumped up.
I'm glad you told me something about Anna's Miss Hahn. Of course my feeling about Anna's study is largely colored by my moral certainty of an early marriage. She's wretched without beaux and is furthermore the kind that always has them. How odd that she should be teaching after all her protestations that she never, never would.
I wish you might have gone to Jamestown, even tho' I am not there.
Do you know that Tillie is the president of the new union woman's college in Nanking? She's capitally fitted for the position and I'm glad that '96 is again to the fore. Evelyn Sites writes quite often, but Grace Mather never.
Katharine has been vaccinated twice without effect. Sometime the doctor is going to try a hypodermic vaccination & then we'll know for sure whether she's immune or not. In all probability she is, as all the doctors say, but Dr. MacWillie thinks we must run no chances here in China where small-pox is always rife. As for the blindness, in most cases small-pox attacks the eyes of an unborn baby whose mother has the disease. I shiver every time I think of it. Her eyes are lovely, - great, big, deep blue ones.
Your letters are always such treats to me. Do write soon again - all the nice, interesting things you always write.
My Christmas gift started three and a half weeks ago. I was sorry to send it soiled, but we have no good cleaners in Hankow.
Remember me to your mother, Your loving Lucy Fish
I'm also sending a Boone Review. By way of local color, I must tell you that we had at least one vase of chrystanthemums in every room the day of our house warming at the total outlay of less than half a dollar gold! Also that one of the editors at my editorial dinner was so afraid of foreign food that he ate nothing but soup!