1930 (2 of 4)

Temporary address only.
Apartment 406
Iii-52 Avenue Joffre
Shangha.i
September 21st, 1930
Dear folks at home,Wille Marion mixes up the dough for a new
baking of real good, whole wheat bread, I'll start the home letter.
You folks at Farm Hill got a note from Marion last week telling a~
little about her sickness. For the others I must say a few words.
For several days she felt tired, but kept on
going a a good pace to get the necessary trips to the city all done
before time to start the boys' sohooling. One night after she came
home from a whole day in town with me and the boys she felt cold and
chilly. We put her to bed with'hot water bottles and blankets and
found her to be running a temperature. All next day it stayed at about
100, the next day it was about the same but on the third it shot up to
over 164. I oalled in a doctor friend of mine who felt with me that it
looked a little more like Malaria than Flu and we agreed to giveher
Quinin8. Her temperature dropt and has stayed down ever since, but she
has felt dra.gged.out and tired. ~Ea.ch day, however, she feels a, Ii ttle
stronger and better. This morning sh went to Chur.ch a.nd this afternoon
went WIth us all to the park to see the anima18, and to-night is.making
bread. And ~ I feel the prognosi~ ie very good. There has been a good d
deal of Flu around town, and I am not at all certain that hhe did not have~
a touvh of that especially as a blood smear was -ne~atiae foe Malaria.
I,.
As you see she ohoose just the right time to be laid
up, so as to have me around to run the show while she kept under the cove.
Now I do not partioula.rly mind dootoring, but nursing, that is just a lit
out,of my field. Nevertheless I ga.ve her some alcohol spunges and a real
hot water and soap bed bath without getting the bed soaked, or giving her
a chill, and there were other fe~tures of the nursing that I managed t~ - -
pU~l off but not wi th any flying colors. And as a house keep~r and gener a
chlldren's amah' I'm not worth much, but we managed after turnlng the drawe
upside down and useing plenty_ of safety pins to get clothes that stay on!!
Theron tells me that I can go on now and say ~Rello" to
you!He W':_'JS interrupted in his letter by the arrival of three callers
who have been here visiting for the last hour. And'now he has taken the
dog down onto the street for hi~ late evening walk!, I was glad to get a home letter on Friday~Motherfs letter
written August II came,with the bedtime stories enclosed.Earlier in the
week, Tuesday the 16th,the package arrived containing the polka dot dres3
tor me the tiee for the boye,the socks for Ellen,and the elastic. Thank
you very much,Mother.We were all very m1:lch pleased with the things.Ellen
is not well supplied with socks just now,so these pretty new ones were
very welcome.The boys insisted upon wearing high neck shirts today,so that
they could wear their new ties.We took some pictures of them in the partk~
which we hope will come out well.If they do yw will all get some of them.
The children were p~eased,too,with their letter about the cat which
follows Aunt Hattie around!
We have a Ii ttle black ki tten,now,for a pet, be si de e the
dog. The dog is somewhat of a nuisance here in the apartment.I will not
be sorry when he leavex.Dogs need yards!! The kitten,though,i3 well be~
haved.It is funny to watch it with the dog.lthas taken the dog for its
adopted mother,and each night,and often in the day time, snugs up to