[2 pg. letter, approx. 5-1/4" x 8-1/8", dated at Diarbekir, Turkey, Dec. 7, 1865, from Eliza Mercy Harding Walker (signed "E"), to her "dear Nannie and Will". Paragraph marks added for ease of reading.A scarce American missionary letter from Diarbekir, in Southeastern Turkey, on the Tigris River, with great content from Eliza Mercy Harding Walker (1826-1906), wife of missionary Augustus Walker, (1822-1866), who graduated from Yale in 1849, and from Andover Theological Seminary in 1852, and after being ordained that year, he and Eliza sailed for Diarbekir, where he devoted his life to Missionary work until his death at age 44, from Cholera, a year after this letter was written.
Great content, written about a month after Eliza and her husband arrived back in Diarbekir, after having made a long overland journey back to their station, writing of how most of their boxes of "goods" haven't yet arrived, being held up by Customs House Officials at Aleppo, who treat their boxes "most unceremoniously", and also being delayed by a war between the mountain men of Iskanderun and Aleppo, which keep caravans from passing. She also writes of their Thanksgiving dinner, and much more.]
Diarbekir Dec. 7. 1865.
My dear Nannie and Will,
How are you and how are the dear children? We are thinking often of you, and longing to hear because Mother wrote to us that little Bell was very sick. I hope God has spared her to you and that you are enjoying your new home. I have no time to write letters, but I have been determined to not to
letthave to-morrow's past leave without a letter from one of us more especially for Dr. Bliss. I hope Augustus will write, but he is constantly occupied and may not get the time.We are very comfortably settled though not as we hope to be a few weeks later. Our goods which we worked so to get off some six weeks before we left are not here yet. A few boxes (the lighter ones) we found here, but the larger part of them have been detained in Aleppo. The Custom House Officers have treated them very unceremoniously, and made a great deal of trouble - and there has been a war between Iscanderoon [Iskanderun, Turkey] & Aleppo among the mountain men which has kept caravans from passing but we hope somewhat, to see them tomorrow. The Custom house men in Aleppo poke into everything. Mr. Williams had a box
ofcontaining a tin box of crackers, which latter was cut open and half the crackers, taken out. We have to learn to take joyfully the spoiling of our goods.Last week was Thanksgiving with you, but we here did not turn aside from our hard work. Mr. Williams was in Mardin, but returned tuesday. [sic] Yesterday we all went to Cutterbul, & spent the day, an annual custom. Our host sent over three horses, one for Miss West, one for Mr. Williams, & one for Freddy and Dr. Annie. Augustus hired a horse for himself and Hattie and for me a white donkey. We had a "good time", a good dinner, all seated on cushions around a great round copper tray, and gave our attention somewhat to the establishing of a girls' school, to be taught by one of the graduates of our Kharpoot girls school, a native of the village.
Today we had our Thanksgiving dinner, a stuffed & roast goose, (a pair was presented to us last week by one of our people) Potatoes, Onions, beets, pickled quinces, plum pudding, and a good lump of butter churned from our own cow's milk, but more another time.
Good night,
The three children are in perfect health. Hattie is rosy & fat and maid of all works. I expect to begin a regular school with F. and D. next week.
[Eliza's three children, mentioned in the postscript, were Frederic Williams Walker (1857-1931), Dean Augustus Walker (1860-1914), and Harriet Eliza Walker (1863-1948).]