[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]Bibby Line
Estd. 1821S. S. Lancashire
Private
Belogedest:-
Never was I so glad to see anything as your letter in Marseilles. It did not occur to me that I should have any mail there. And there was your letter & two copies of Time. I do thank you. L.P. sent me a box of things for every day of this trip. Think of that. She must have spent hours over the preparation of it. I shall write to her from Madras. If you see her, please thank her[.] Woody mentions Miss Searles. I hope she is gaining. I am so glad you had that lovely trip to the Molly Stark Trail. I thought of it so many times while taking the ride to Bandol. All your news is very acceptable. And there seems to be so much of it. Many things happening I mean.
I am so glad you are liking your new assistants. Life will be much easier for you. Miss Butcher has just been having tea with me and has been telling me about her sister who is in charge of a little hospital at Port Sudan. All her nurses are natives. What a life! I never realized how much of the real missionary spirit these people have we [sic] go out to these posts and how terrible the situation becomes if the wife does not have a helpful attitude. I think I have not told you of Claudius Pasha an Egyptian who got on at Marseilles and who goes as far as Port Said. He is an archaeologist and I long to ask him if he knows C. Ransom. He has an English wife and children are being educated in England.
Wed. morning. Tomorrow early we land in Port Said. And I hope to go forth to buy a topee. [?] It is a pleasant day, mild and a little sticky. People are appearing in thin clothes. I am well and see no reason for any more bad feelings. I think there will be no more rough weather. We saw nothing of Crete except a revolving light that appeared last evening. Miss Clark has promised me an introduction to the English woman who is Claudius Pasha's wife. I will tell you about it next time. I must now write a thank you note to Mrs. Collins, Marian's mother, who sent me two handkerchiefs, to Liverpool. Now, why?
Goodby, dearie. I love you a great deal & my happiness would be complete if you were here, too.