1930 Cheeloo University Jan 24, 1930 Dear Folk We are starting for Tientsin for a seven days visit - Just a little change & to get away from all the strike talk. A different atmosphere for a few days will make the work next term a little easier. I thought it might not be easy to write while away & so am doing it now. I may take letters on & write a line or so after our arrival & guess they will get you about as soon as from here. We have part of the things assembled & most of the little stitches that always come at the last done. Dad is off looking after pumping water for the compound. The police are there guarding all the time so none of the strikers can do any harm. It is all done by electricity & Dad sits & reads after getting all the switches turned so as to get the engines going. It is now 11am & dad will not get back till after 12, then dinner, a little rest & packing. Supper at 5.30 & off to our train. Our tickets & berths were bought a couple of days ago. We share a compartment with Mr. Williamson & his daughter. Mr. W. is taking the daughter to Tientsin to get the boat for Cheefoo. We are so glad to get in with them rather than Chinese. The strikers are still living in our premises & pickets intimidating those who would like to come on work. How much longer they will continue to live on our property & keep others from work is not known to us. They have lost out & they know that. But there is some talking going on that will give them a little face without our giving into their demands. If this goes through they may move out & then others go on their jobs. Some will not be taken back but such a move on their part- leaving the premises would enable us to open the hospital. The superintendent of HPT has troubles in his home. His wife has been ill for a month & yesterday they gave up all hope of her recovery. She is sinking. The daughter, who is away at school, has been sent for. Some do recover after the doctors give them up & we still hope but she is a very sick woman. Miss Brodie left us Tuesday & when she returns we expect she will likely live elsewhere. Here she has only a room & she has furniture for a sitting room so would like to use it. Then too it is more pleasant to have her own place. If with other nurses they divide the house & each one has her own rooms even if they do have a common table. Dad has just come in for a screwdriver - blown out a fuse so that will mean he is late for dinner. We are putting our plants in one room & Gilchrist Struthers will come each day & water them. No fire unless it turns very cold. Just here one of the neighbors cam3 in & we have been chatting. She has a girl & boy in USA & two boys at Tungchow. The two get home for holidays. Dad has come so we will have dinner & then to rest & finish packing Jan 26 We had a good trip up; Williamson & his daughters in the compartment, the men up topside. The room was cold at first but after a time warmed up & I was just about roasted. We had only a blanket under us on top of a leather-covered seat. I ached from the shoulder & ankle. Later I got up & folded the blanket for over me. I put it under my poor bones & covered myself with my coat. We were at church twice today. A little too much for me as it is quite a walk & yet not far enough to hire a Ric.. Much love from both of us Lovingly Mother Jennie H. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo University, Tsinan, China Feb 9, 1930 Dear Folks Vacation is over again and we started teaching on Thursday. As we had to close early we did not get the examinations over so we are to take them at the end of this week. When the school closed my teacher stayed with me till the time for the regular vacation. We decided to get away from the Tsinan atmosphere for a time and left on Jan 24 for Tientsin. I gave over my pumping job to Hunter in the hope that when we got back the regular man would be able to be on. In Tientsin we were quite a big family at the MacKenzie's. There are nine of them. Besides us two there were four of the Forbes. They were down there with the two children on the way to the school at Cheefoo. Bill would remember what that experience is like. But this was very tame as compared with some that he had. The weather was cold and they took a boat at Tientsin. We went to church and then after church went down to the Bund to see if the boat was still there. It was and we saw them start off. There were about forty children aboard I think, The only ones that we knew were Malcolm and Louise Forbes of Honan and Connie Williamson from here who with her father, shared the same compartment with me on the train to Tientsin. We had not seen the Forbes since 1925 before they went on furlough except that just after we arrived in Toronto mother ran across them in Eaton's as they were passing through the city. It was good to see them. Last summer they had spent at Chefoo while we were at Peitaiho. The MacKenzie family is a nice one to be in. All of the children seem fine agreeable children. Florence and Margaret finished their Senior Cambridge examinations at Christmas. They are not in school this term but are devoting themselves to some special studies in art, etc. They expect to go home to Canada this summer. We would like to have them come down to visit us before they go. In Tientsin we did not go at a great pace. Of course we spent some time looking in shop windows as well as doing a little buying inside and one day we went up to the Chinese city to come brass shops where we wanted to get some fingerbowls. We did not go about visiting as our visit there was as much for a change away from here as anything and we did a good deal of reading. We went twice to the talkies. We wanted to get a laugh. The first one was fairly good for that but the second one was rather inclined to be bad. The talking was not so good as one would like, though in the first the music was very good. On Sunday at the Union Church the preacher was a Mr. Outerbridge of the American Board mission. He is from Bermuda and is a graduate of Queens and is married to a girl from Ripley, Ontario, where I taught in 1887-8. In the evening he was at MacKenzies for supper along with Eric Liddell. We had a nice time together. Eric's parents are on furlough now, having gone last year. His father had a slight paralytic stroke before he went home but seems in pretty good health now. Eric is due on furlough this year and wants to get home to have a little time with his parents before they come out. The English were greatly disappointed that Eric could not go home in 1928 and represent them at the Olympic. Last Autumn Dr. Peltzner of Germany was in Japan with a body of German athletes. Arrangements were made for two races between him and Eric Liddell in Tientsin. Eric too the 400 metres and Peltzner took the 800, each getting his own race. I should have liked to see the runs. They are two very different runners, the German being tall with a very long stride, while Liddell is only medium height with a quick stride. We stayed in Tientsin for six days. The last night was the end of the lunar year. Officially the solar year came in with the republic in 1912 but of course the people mostly observed the old year. Last Autumn the government put out proclamations forbidding the observance of the lunar year and forbidding the printing of calendars with the lunar dates. Calendars, which had already been printed, had to obliterate the lunar dates before they were issued. Notwithstanding this in a very large part of the country the old customs were carried out. Shops closed for four days and the debts were collected as before. In Tientsin, from 4pm till morning it was almost a continuous letting off of firecrackers, large and small. It sounded like a battle of machine guns and field pieces. We came home that night. There were not many traveling so that we had a compartment to ourselves but there was no heat on the car. We were not very warm till we went into the dining car for breakfast. There had been not much change in the situation here while we were away. Since then there has been an arrangement and the pickets are of the place. The outpatient department opened a few days ago. Our theology opened on the 5th. The pre-medical is opening on the 12th. I do not know yet when the hospital and the nurses' school will open as there are some repairs to be made about the hospital which will probably be done now that it is closed. Last Sunday I took an attack of lumbago, which made me pretty careful for several days, spending one day in bed. It is better now, but I do not feel like playing any tricks with my back. Today the preacher for the day is Mrs. Struthers. I think that it is the first time she has taken a service in the church. Last year we had on eof the Salvation Army women and one of the American Presbyterians. Not everybody is quite used to women in the pulpit yet. Monday, Feb 10 As we have had no recent letter from you there is nothing to answer. We are hoping for a letter shortly though there is a long stretch without C.P.R. boats. I wonder if you will see Dr. McClure before he leaves Toronto. I think that his steamer sails on Mar. 8 so he will be gone before you get this. We shall have only a couple more letters to send to Bill in Indore and then along the way till he gets here. His boat is due in Shanghai May 1st I think. He should be with us a few days later and will be with us on our wedding anniversary, May 11, I hope, the thirtieth. We are wondering of course what you will be doing after your time at the General is up. I hope that you will find a suitable opening where you will both enjoy the work and where you may be able to get on your feet financially. We often wonder what part of the world you will be in when we return. Of course we hope that it will be some place where we shall be able to be in touch with you. One cannot of course ignore the fact that we may not return at all. The other day I was reading something of the passing of Dr. R.C. Armstrong of Tokyo and his messages to the folks behind. To the children he left a message hopoing that they would carry on in the faith and spirit of Jesus Christ for nowhere else has there ever appeared a higher ideal and example for life. I thought as I read it that it is like the wish I would have for my own children. Not fame, not position, nor wealth, so much as a Christ-like character, living ones life for the good of mankind, so that the place where we will be, will be the better for our having been there. Love from the both of us. Let us hear from you when you can, even if it is only a little. It lets us know that you are remembering us and lets us know something of your welfare. Your loving father, Robert A. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo University, Tsinan February 23, 1930 Dear Morrison During the night we were aware that rain was falling for we could hear it dip drop into the pipes. Not much has fallen but it is still a drizzle & the sky is covered with thick clouds. A rain this time of the year is welcome. None since last August & one longs to hear the rain drop. This winter we had snow & the ground is not so dry nor the dust so thick as some Springs. Until one has lived in a country where most of the rainfall comes in a few weeks in the summer one does not realize how we wish for the sound of it, as well the opportunity to walk out in it & get some mud on our shoes. I moved all our plants out this a.m. & the Chinese boy thought I was crazy to remain longer than I needed to hve done. Dad is preaching in Chinese today & busy with the last preparations at present. He is taking as subject "An Old Testament Miracle of Grace" - Jonah and along with it Luke 15. In three weeks he has the service in English & will have one more service in each language before holidays. His new timetable is a lecture a day, Saturday also, at 10am; easy to remember the time. Then he also is working on translation. There is a lot of reading in connection with the work. But he is well & enjoying it all. He still is bothered with his back a little since the attack of lumbago & I have spoken for a masseuse to come daily for a time. This nurse-Chinese man has taken a course in massage. We have begun going out on bikes again. I found it difficult to get used to my new one. We went uptown three days last week. Once or twice my heart was in my mouth lest I would get stuck in a crowd but it is marvelous how it opens out as we approach. We went down to the station street. A bike tax has just come in & we bought the little red light for the back of wheel & everyone must have a lantern or lamp. I never go out at night so do not know how we shall manage. I do not mind the tax but hate the buying of lamps. We go to our grocer & do our own buying & if a big order he delivers. If only one or two things we carry them home. We must buy some dishes & a little silk to make over a dress so we shall have a couple of trips this week. I prefer getting out into the country. As the "Arts" is closed this term one of the biologists is not so busy as usual & he is taking a class on Saturdays. The first few are geology. We were out on a hike yesterday to two of the MTS. Dad had to sermonize. I went & my but is tired this morning. Here lots of interruptions - caller, brining in plants, etc. It is now nearly time for dad to return, so I must hurry on. This week has been a busy one Monday the Monthly Theolog. dinner for the staff was at our house. We all share in the menu. I had four tables & before the dessert moved the gentlemen to other tables. After dinner we had games - skiddles - I do not know whether you know it or not. You pull a top by a string at one end of the board & this top moves around here & there & knocks down the men, the more the better the mark. Then we had a game of Tiddlywinks with obstructions & is like golf tiddlywinks; also a couple of smaller games. It was fun to see these professors loosen up, shout & dance around quite as excited as younger people when watching the top move around the Board. I am the first one to put on games. At the other homes they just talked. All spoke of enjoying the time here. We go to Bill Chang's home the next time & it will be Chinese food. (Here is Dad smiling for he is free for a time). Then Miss Brodie returned Tuesday about midnight. We were at the Theology College to a reception for new students & got home at 10pm & were having a fine sleep. She had come on a train that should have arrived at 1.30. Friday, the reading circle, which was at hour house this time: I read several selections from Leacock, which amused us all; then from Maria Chapdellane. ( I do not know that I spelled that right) the part where she turns down Europe, the gent from N.Y. One of the American women is of French descent, not far removed &* she was interested in the French life in Canada & took the book away with her. I closed with some selections of poetry from Bliss Carmen & Pauline Johnson. They did not know we had any posts but of course had heard of Leacock. In a couple of weeks it will be at Mrs. Struthers & she is going to concentrate on Sowing Seeds in Dannie. There are three Canadians in the club. All the others are Americans. Yesterday Coral moved out & it took some time watching the men to keep them from knocking the plaster as they carried out the furniture & trunks. Coral is not far away from us & goes past here on her way to HPT. I think this is the last letter for Bill to Indore, then we write to him en route. We often speak of your work there drawing to a close. Hope you get something you like financially even if it is not to be your life work. Glad Gaudin saved the day for you in your basketball. Where is he now? Duff is still at the Western I suppose. Does he aim to ge out of the city? I must close now & say goodbye. Try & write regularly. We do need the letters to cheer us up. Dad has not had any trouble with kidney. The poor chap who was sick at the time was on the trip yesterday with us. He had a harder time than Dad & while free from pain at present did not get rid of his stone so far as we know & it was a bigger one for he suffered severely. He is very thin. He is the heart specialist here… a grad of London. With much love Mother Lovingly, Jennie H. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo University, Tsinan March 3, 1930 Dear Morrison Some way or other it has been running in my mind lately that a young fellow nearing the end of a year's internship where he had no salary might feel that he could make use of a little money. I am enclosing you a cheque for $25, for which I shall not be looking for any accounting. You probably can find something to do with it. When last year allowances stopped I asked you to let me know if you needed any help. As you didn't say anything I took it for granted that you were getting on some way. It is well for a man to do it on his own if he can. Yet I do not think that a little extra is often found unwelcome. Your last letter mentioned that you were applying for some positions but that there was nothing settled yet. Letters from other people tell that you are very busy and looking a bit tired but we have not had any late word direct from you. These days we have been thinking some of Dr. McClure, who, I suppose, would be leaving Toronto a day or two ago to sail next Saturday. Did you see him while he was in Toronto and did you speak to him anything about the return of the money you got from him? Of course it is a year before it is due. We have sent our last letter to Bill at Indore, as if I sent the next week one, it would hardly catch him. We shall sent to Colombo and other ports along the way. He will likely reach Shanghai on May 1st and here some days later. This morning we got a telegram from Honan that I was to substitute for Boyd at the meeting of the Field Board of Managers this week. A member of the staff is not eligible for the position of representative in ordinary cases but the trains were stopped running by the latest political turn of Chiang and Yen. We do not know whether it will develop into a big fight or whether the case may be politically settled. The last word we had from Honan was that Mr. Flemming and Miss MacLennan had gone to Hankow to escort Dr. Arnup, Mrs. MacGillivray and Miss Harvey up to Honan. They have just come back from Szechuan. I do not know whether or not they got into Honan before the stoppage of trains. They will have a chance to get about by cart in Honan for a while and then perhaps have to wait to get out. They will see a bit of "normal" life. Last week we had some mild weather and I got a little start at digging in the garden and got peas planted. The last couple of days have been cold again with a few snowflakes. Now I shall have to close off and get to work on tomorrow's lessons. If I have to attend the meeting of the field board that will interfere with teaching. Love from us both, Your Father, Robert A. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo University, Tsinan April 6, 1930 Dear Folks Here we are beginning the second quarter of the year. We have already stopped sending Bill's letters to India and this one will be addressed to Hongkong to wait for him. A week ago we took down our stove because we wanted the room for a gathering of students. We have had a little one lit a couple of days upstairs but we are doing pretty well without. The thermometer was as high as 60 in our bedroom last night. The warmer weather coming on has given us better gardening weather and most people who pay any attention to gardens have been busy in them. We have a lot to do this year as we had last year. The water pipe was formerly at the northeast corner and a large part of the estate could not get water except by backbreaking carrying. During the Autumn I had the pipe run to about the middle of the yard. It meant a good deal of leveling where the drain was dug and as well that the beds of our garden had all to have their slopes changed so that the water would run west instead of east. Those of you who have been in China know what the necessity of the slope is so that the water will run. We have had a man working at it for about a couple of weeks but the place is beginning to look quite decent and I think that it ought to look better this year than last. I have decided to plant very few seeds in the place they grow this year. Last year I had such a killing time carrying water and even then the seeds did not come up. This year I have made seed beds in one place and have screens to cover them from the hot sun. I put in quite a number of seeds early. Some folks warned me that I was going to get them frozen. But they are beginning to come up. I have a bed of corn just coming through while a bed of peas is about four inches high. We are having nice asparagus from our bed, the first year. The strawberries are looking fine and are beginning to bloom. Some things have felt the effect of the severe winter. I think that more than half of the snapdragon bed is dead but there are young plants coming up so that I shall have a better chance of getting it filled up than last year. We added a couple of broom cedars, a couple of Japonicas, and odd Judas Trees. Our bed of violets has been looking well lately. We were surprised to find that more than half of them were white ones. The people from whom we got them last year say they haven't any white ones. They were smaller and did not last so long as the blue ones. School has been going well during the past weeks. This last week we had our spring holiday. Usually the Chin Ming festival (April 5) has been the time of holiday. But the government are trying to cut themselves off from the past and so set the holiday a few days earlier. So we got notification that Saturday of week before last and Monday to Wednesday would be holidays. The Saturday is one of the memorial days for the 72 who died in the first attempt at revolution twenty years ago. That is the first of our memorials. The month of May will bring us more than we want. However I do not know whether it will be so bad as last year unless indeed the civil war should come our way and require us to get out. Of late there have been a great many workmen busy repairing the city walls and the gates. The west gate of the city has been left un-repaired up till this time for propaganda purposes. In the bombardment by the Japanese two years ago the upper part was all destroyed as well as the gate itself. In large characters there have been the words "Do you see?" "Have you forgotten?" The street along the wall there is called 3rd of May Street. It was burnt in the bombardment. There is also a bookstore there called 3rd of May Bookstore. So are people called to remember international incidents with the idea of revenge. One cannot wonder at that when people have not learned the Christian attitude toward those who do one an injury. We do not know these days how things are going to go with regard to the civil war. But the opinion seems to be pretty general that there will be fighting. It is just about a year ago this time that Chiang squeezed Feng's men out of this province. They have had about four campaigns since that time. The present one seems the biggest yet and all the north is united against Chiang. During this year one of the generals Shih has made about four flopovers. The Chinese now call him the "gray" general, neither black nor white. However it goes the people will suffer. The only thin on which the opposing generals seem to be united is their opposition to Chiang Kai Shek. As to what they will substitute it is quite uncertain. Some are for the establishment of a rival government at Peking at once. I rather think that they will try not to have fighting in the neighborhood of Tsinan for fear that they get again into complications with Japan, giving cause for another occupation of this province by the latter. However it is reported that they have had fighting about eighty miles to the north and that Shantung men have been driven backward toward the Yellow River. The governor of this province is still holding with the south but he is liable to attack from three sides. Today is the festival of Ching Ming (clear brightness), which with the Chinese is a great day for the care of the graves, also for kite flying. The other day there was a young man electrocuted while flying a kite in the settlement. He was using a copper wire on his kite and it came in contact with live electric light wires. He was killed. Just at the present time the Sunday School of the University staff and neighbors are having a meeting on the grounds. I was out a little while ago to see them. They had just scattered to different parts of the grounds and were squatted in their classes. As head of the grounds committee I was asked permission the other day for them to meet there. That is their style of celebrating the spring. It is a nice warm day with little sun, so that it has been ideal for them. Tomorrow and the next day I have our college prayers and along with Dr. Tawei have to arrange for communion service the night before Good Friday. I had a rather curious fall the other day. Mother and I were going to the Baptist Mission. We walked up a rather rough incline and then mounted our wheels. The road was not a particularly good one for mounting so I gave a good spring to get into the saddle. But as I did so I pulled on the handlebars. My left grip came right off and I toppled onto my back with the wheel uppermost. I don't take a fall so lightly as I once did for my anatomy is developing in certain parts. Mother was just telling me that I would rival Santa Claus. We have been reading a book called FOUR SQUARE by a psychiatrist in Johns Hopkins Hospital. It is quite interesting in some parts. His description of his waiting for a practice made me wonder how you were faring in the prospect of work next year. Probably you will let us know when you have yours if you know if by that time you can afford a postage stamp. One of our medical students was quite interested in your sketch of the young doctor's microscope finding its way to the three balls, in one of the old Epsitaxis. All reports from others speak of your being very busy. Vary it occasionally by sending a picture postcard. Would you like me to have some forms printed reporting the condition of things, which you could sign and drop in the letterbox. You are following too well the example of your father in the matter of letter writing. Break bad habits by a strong effort. All joking aside, a letter will be very welcome when you can get time. Your loving father, Robert A. Mitchell ----------------------------------------- Cheeloo University May 28, 1930 Dear Jay & Mo I should have written these letters on 25th but was not feeling well, another headache & I lay around most of the day. Monday I felt worse, did not go to class, just weak & tired from headache & heat. Yesterday I still hoped there would be a letter from Jay but alas none came. This is two months without any word direct from you Jay. Mo's letter we were glad to get telling of his appointment to International Nickel Co. Hope the job turns out to be a permanent one. Anyway it will be a start. Good luck to you Mo. Mo, I felt badly when I read how hard up for money you had been, but Dad & Bill both said they had been there & it had not done them any harm. McClure talked the same way when I mentioned you had been low down in money, but Struthers said, "Too bad". He was the only one of the group who gave me much sympathy. Never mind it is over now. Most of us have hard times sometime in life. It seems the natural road for most people to tread. But it is over now & we hope it may not come again. But the memory of it will teach you to be economical & not wasteful. The value of money is learned in such ways. Bill wrote the last time just after his arrival. Poor boy has had a rash on his neck, which began before leaving India. It is a difficult thing to cure & for over a week he did not go out, except to play tennis. We have a good skin doctor here & Bill is improving now after three weeks treatment. You will be interested Mo to know Bill cannot stand tar preparations & while his neck was bad thought he would try "Glovers Mange cure" to make his hair grow a little. This aggravated the other trouble & he came out in a rash. It is impetigo. I had to see that all collars, etc. were put in boiling water & the towels wash basins, etc., disinfected. I think we are over the worst now. May Day, May 24, there was a gathering of British & their friends at the British Consulate. There was tennis & games for the children as well as tea & all kinds of confectionary. I sent a layer cake & 24 cookies. There was heaps & heaps of food. Germans, Japanese & Americans were there. The wife of Jap-consul gave the prizes. it was a very pleasant little affair. Coral Brodie & I went together & Dad & Bill went on wheels. Bill played in the tennis tournament 0 was knocked out first round. But the opponents won by only 1 point; games were 6-5. One of the Cheefoo boys is in business here. Bill goes in to tea with him today & then on to the club for tennis. I think he will have a nice time. Dad & I are invited to a tea in East Suburb, to say adieu to one of Missionaries going on furlough. We will ride bikes & Bill walk to Club. I had the Canadians here for supper Sunday night. Dr. McClure does not seem so well as before he went on furlough. He may have worked in London too hard. He was specializing on "brain work". He does better on an even quiet life & there may have been too much moving around while on furlough. Bob McClure goes home in a couple of weeks now. He is taking a course in Edinborough. They go by Siberia. We are having jolly hot weather, & yet it is often hotter; 80 last night at 9pm. We shall keep all the doors closed till bout 5pm. A couple of days ago we heard fighting to the North of us; just north of Yellow River less than ten miles away. The wounded have been brought in to city hospitals. There is likely to be more fighting but it will not likely be near us. The Northerners dare not go too far South lest two uncertain military leaders take the side of Nanking & attack them in their rear. So long as these two men do not link up with Yen & Feng we will not likely be drawn nearer. One of our Chinese friends - wife of a doctor at Kweite, where the Canadian Church Missionary lost his wife a few days ago. All the hospital patients had been moved to the basement because of firing & she died a few hours after being moved down. She leaves three little children. No doubt the war conditions hastened her death. All British subjects have been informed that those areas near Kaifeng are in danger zone, though the foreigners have not actually been ordered out. We had a big crop of strawberries this year. Have had all we want to; each has made jam & put up several bottles. Also have given friends several meals. Dad is working hard trying to finish up the year's work. Another week & classes will stop. Exams are on 12th & convocation on 18th. We have decided to go to Taishan a mountain about fifty miles from here. Bill will likely go with us. He has a teacher & is studying here. The country is so upset he cannot well get into Honan & then it is about time for them to come out for the summer. We cannot get to Tientsin & Peitaho by train, but must take boat part way, which makes the trip very expensive & as we go in Sept for the wedding we just had to go where less expensive. Bill will hve to go to Tientsin & wait a week, then the notices will be posted two weeks. He will get that all done before Helen arrives & she will hve her notice posted in Toronto. Hope she can give definite word soon whether her party go to Tientsin or Shanghai. Tientsin is by far the better landing place for various reasons. A cable from Helen has just come into Bill announcing that she has passed. Bill is pleased of course, though he was not much afraid she would not. We all drank to their health. Now I must say adieu & get off where I can rest & cool off a little for it is ot. Hope the car plans work out O.K. Aunt Mabel wrote she was going to let you have what she could, etc. We shall feel quite happy when we know you have something definite. I do hope you get a permanent thing for a time anyway till you get out of debt & a little ahead so you could buy a practice, or wait around a few weeks for patients. It takes something to fit an office, etc. Nowadays so many doctors combine & go together. But all these plans will come later. Good Luck & not too hard a time is our wish to our little lad. So often last year I would lie awake & wonder how you were getting on, & what was ahead of you. The offer a prayer that my boy would be kept clean, fair, honest & bright through all the problems facing him for a few years till he gets started. I dread you fighting it alone & no friends you felt like calling on, but now it is all over & you feel free. But we would be glad to help & do not hesitate to let us know. I know how you feel you want to do it yourself & that is a nice & honorable spirit but do not carry it too far. Heaps of love & best wishes from all three of us out here. Lovingly, Mother Jennie. H. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo University, Tsinan, China June 8, 1930 Dear Folks I do not know what kind of word you are getting at home of things in China. What we get in delayed papers is not always reliable and it is probable that what goes home is not more reliable. So I had better tell something of things here. I have not been keeping a diary and things soon slip out of one's mind. I may say that we have been enjoying lovely weather, perhaps ten degrees below what we had at this time last year and in the lovely evenings one can quite readily forget that such a thing as war exists. Two weeks ago we began to hear firing to the north of us, which was the first intimation we had that the northern troops, had advanced to the banks of the Yellow River. That is about five miles from here. That day there was desultory firing for some day's time. Bill and Dr. Struthers rode out one day in that direction to see if they could see anything but there was nothing to see. Last Sunday evening we were suddenly startled by a big explosion, followed later by some smaller ones. Next day we hear that an ammunition store located between the lake in the city and the north wall had exploded. Bill and Struthers rode in to see it. The building itself was demolished and a great gouge out of the earthwork of the wall and houses for a 1/4 mile about were considerably damaged. The report given out is that there were some old and defective shells there, which under the heat of the sun got ignited. There has been a little firing at times during the past week. One day there was a big smoke to the north. It turned out to be boats at Lokou on the Yellow River, which had been ignited by shells. I understand that about sixty junks were burned. During the last few days there have been several airplanes flying about at intervals. Some of them were bombers and dropped bombs up toward the Yellow River but I do not know that any damage was done. I am not sure which side they belong to or both. They usually appeared from the south or South West and might belong to either side. On Thursday the American and British consuls sent around notices to their nationals as to the situation. They said that the general at present in charge here assured them that he would do his utmost to protect the lives and property of foreigners here, but that he could give no guarantee. The consuls note told that the northern troops had crossed the Yellow River about forty miles to the northeast of us and thirty miles to the southwest and would perhaps try to close in on General Han from both sides. Of course we hear a good many rumors. We understand that Han felt that if they came in from the sides he would have to withdraw but if they made a frontal attack at Tsinan he would have to put up a fight. We also saw in the Chinese paper that he told the consuls that not only would he do his best to protect the foreign lives and property but that his opponents were generals of the regular army and would follow the same principles. I think that it is very likely that this place will be taken over by the northerners but do not think that there will be much danger in the matter. What one would fear is defeated troops. But we are not where they would naturally go to loot and the other side are close behind them and in case of a retreat there will not likely be an interregnum. Of course we do not know what word is being telegraphed abroad. We do not feel that we have definite enough news to require a wire home. When the turnover occurs we shall probably send a wire. It will likely be before you get this letter. Examinations begin with me on Wednesday. I was intending to teach up till yesterday but on last Wednesday got a message from the Board of Managers which is meeting here asking me to take Mr. Boyd's place as I did at the last meeting when he could not get here. We have been very busy the last four days and are not finished yet. There is just over a quorum as communications are largely cut off except by Tsingtao. There are many hard problems and there is considerable doubt whether or not the whole institution will be able to carry on. The registration requirements we are not able to live up to at the present time. Any institutions not registered are liable to be closed. We could easily register the Medical College and the authorities would welcome it. The Arts College is not in so good a position and besides the authorities would rather like to get rid of it though there is really not a government institution in the province at the present time, which is as well equipped, or doing any more college grade work. Most of the Board feel that we would like to be all ensured of life but the medical alumni, staff, and students are pressing for registration alone. They say that any persons graduating from a medical college after 1930, which is not registered, will be refused permission to practice. Then too the Field Board here are not free to do what they like as they are under the Board of Governors at home. I had the Chinese service this morning. Bill is to have the English next Sunday. Yesterday we were out at a gathering of Chinese medical students and teachers. Bill was chatting away with them as if he had been a long time in the country. We just thought what a difference it was from when we were in China a month. There was no stammering tongue about it. Of course his vocabulary is limited, but he rattled along seemingly without needing to care as to how he was putting his words together. He'll have a big start on Helen in the language. He is working away with his teacher trying to get a grip of the character. He remarked this morning after my service that mine was the first sermon of which he was able to get the continuous drift. Of course it is easier for us to listen to what a foreigner says than what a Chinese says. A week ago mother's frequent question was, "Where do you think Mo is now!" I suppose there is no doubt now that you are in your new place. I hope that you will find your associates good to work with and the work suited to your taste. I hope that it will not be only a four months' job but may lead to a permanent one so that you can be for some time continuously at one position and get your hand worked in. Perhaps you may have some spare times there than you have had in the General. If so let us hear form you fairly frequently so that we shall know your position and will be able to visualize things. What kind of car did you get! Tell us something of your journey up. Mother has jut reminded me that we think that Miss Christine MacDougall is in Copper Cliff working among the Italians I think. You likely remember her. She was your last teacher in Weihwei and put on the play of Hiawatha. I am sure that she will be very glad if you will call on her. Our summer vacation plans are a little disorganized just now as it depends somewhat on where the war goes. We had agreed to board with some missionaries in Taishan for July. That is only fifty miles from here. The Mountain is 5000 feet high but the house is only about 3000 feet up, a little higher than Kikungshan. At the present time it is under the same jurisdiction as we are but I do not know what it will be in July. Things look a little like a stalemate at the present time. There is fighting from the Pehan line near Lack's old station across the Lunghai line at Kweiteh where the Anglican mission is and up here along the Yellow River. It is a long stretched out line, probably about four hundred miles or more. I shall say goodbye now and let Bill add a little to this. With best hopes for your work in the new spot from both mother and myself. Your loving father, Robert A. Mitchell -------------------------------------- Cheeloo Tsinan, China June 9, 1930 Dear Mo I gave my letter to Bill to let him add something and did not tell him I had an enclosure. So he gave it to the cook to post. As this mail is the nearest in arriving in Canada to the 12th of July I want to send you a little remembrance from Mother and me, just to remember that our boy is passing another milestone in life. Though the cheque does not come at the hardest time financially yet it will help a little toward making the going lighter when you have heavy expenses. The love, which goes with it, is the important thing. I do not think that there ever is a day when you are out of mother's mind and perhaps the days when you escape thought from me are few. You haven't yet learned how the hearts of parents are wrapped up in their children. Today we had a series of printed letters from Bruce and Marnie Copeland in South Formosa. They were quite interesting. With love and best wishes for your highest success in your noble profession, Your loving father, Robert A. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo Univeristy, Tsinan, China June 12, 1930 Dear Folks The main purport of this week's letter will have to be some details of the further communistic attempts to blot us out here. Christmas passed off very well with us. We had undisturbed services. About the gate and on the bulletin board were large placards, "Down with Christianity" etc, as well as cartoons representing the foreigner as riding over the fallen Chinese. In the city I saw long placards about twenty feet long, "Christianity is the spearhead of Imperialism". I think that there was a good deal of anti-Christian literature disseminated. At many other places things were worse. In the English Baptist mission at Chowtsweon the mob came in and broke up not only the meeting but the furniture as well. At Tehchow where the American Board mission are the mob, with a posse of police in attendance broke up both the Protestant and the Catholic meetings. The National Party Machine demanded the load of the church for several days' meetings and plastered it all over, pulpit and all with placards reviling Christianity. They carried on for several days until at last the self-respecting non-Christians entered a protest. Shortly before the Baptist mission at Tsingchow had had a hot time. They had decided to register their middle school but the authorities insisted, not that religious teaching should be optional, but that it should be absolutely excluded. The Baptists decided to close the school but the antis would not let them, insisting that they keep the school open and exclude religion. They came to the mission where there was a gathering of the Baptist leaders, seized a number of the Chinese pastors, tied them up and marched them off to the party headquarters under all kind of indignities. Bill Djang was one of those seized, but I think was not taken off. So far for the movement in general, which is showing all the typical signs which they had in the south two or three years ago. You already know about the trouble stirred up in the Arts College in November, which lost us our Chinese President. That having been somewhat quieted down we were going on somewhat normally in the college, though none of the ringleaders had been expelled. The Party Machine changed the point of attack, requiring the employees of the university to form a labor union. Some were glad to do so, but the greater number would rather not. However, matters were forced on, and demands made of the university. The reply was made that we were willing to negotiate things, or submit them to arbitration. The Party Machine replied that it was all or nothing. The university authorities felt that to submit to their demands was equivalent to putting the running of the institution right into the hands of the Party. A strike was called for the Monday after Christmas. Only a few of the workmen responded to it. Then a call was made for them to go off for the three days official holidays by which the government were trying to change the old lunar year to the solar. On Dec. 31 the workmen without warning dropped work. However the stokers and cooks stayed at it. It was hoped that by this public holiday stunt they would have obtained enough face for the strike to go by. It was very inconvenient for the hospital people as all orderlies were gone. But on the morning of Friday Jan 3, the real thing was on. Even cooks and stokers were all called off and so far as possible they put the fires out before they left. The first intimation I had that it was on was when I went to class and one of the students asked me if we had water on. They had been without water for washing their faces. I hurried home to run a tub full of water while there was any. At the hospital Mr. Pailing caught the stoker in the act of drawing the fire and saved it. He and some of the doctors took turns stoking there. But it is not everyone who can at once go on to the job of stoking for the boilers of a big building. So they did not keep the hospital much warmer than forty degrees. Pickets, dressed up in a brand new uniform, somewhat similar to the boy scouts were put on all gats and many other places. They went the rounds of all the buildings hunting out men who were at work. Some men they frightened off and some they beat. One of the medical students, who was helping to make food for the patients got a beating. Foreigners were put to guard the electric light station and the pumping plant. Some also did something towards keeping fire in the dormitories in this part of the university outside the wall. No Chinese were safe doing any of those things. The hospital people were in a difficult position. They had 97 patients in the hospital, with no provision for heating, or for cooking and a very problematical thing as to whether there would be any water or light. The Outpatient Department closed at one as the pickets would not allow any patients to come into the door. About sixty patients who could be moved were sent home at once and others, as they were able. Arrangements were made with two doctors in the city, graduates of the college, who had hospitals to take the rest of the patients and that was closed down. Appeals to the authorities were of no avail so far as stopping the picketing was concerned. Their headquarters were the hospital gatehouse and laundry. The gatehouse held the telephone, the hospital and college being only a branch from it. No laundry could be done for the hospital. No sellers of food were allowed to come in nor were any Chinese allowed to go and buy. One of the foreign doctors took a motorcar and went to do the buying for the hospital. As people in the neighborhood were all scared, he had to go three miles away to purchase vegetables. The Medical School decided to keep going and while the foreign doctors stoke for the classrooms, the students keep up the fires at the dormitories. They have got a cood and defied the labor union. They are a compact unit inside the wall, adjoining the Medical school. Outside the wall here we are a much more scattered community. As I said, the first day we had no water. By night we got some police and put them on the water pumping station and the electric plant and certain other places. One electrician had slipped back and informed the foreign head of workmen as to some things that had been tampered with so that he could put them right. The second day pumping was begun. It was not attempted til we got police to guard the plant. As the power goes to the pumping plant without transformation in our electric plant it was comparatively simple, so long as we had connection with the city plant. One amusing thing about that is that all the while we have been without electricity, the homes of the workmen, which are connected with the same line with the pumping outfit, were all supplied. We have had water intermittently every day but there have been some leakages which it took some time to find. For eight days we had no electric light. It was turned on last evening for the first time since Jan. 2. Since the trouble in November the presidential duties have been in charge of a presidential committee of three Chinese and Dr. Shields, the vice-president. Mr. Yee Hsing Lin, a Presbyterian pastor in the east suburb, and the vice-chairman of the Field Board of Managers, has been chairman of this committee. The big bulk of the negotiations have been falling on his shoulders. On January 4 he was seized by the workmen and carried off to the headquarters of the Party Machine and of the labor union. He was permitted to come back on patrol in the evening to get the answer of the authorities as to what they were going to do. Later he was released but has ceased to act in all those things. Jan 4th it was decided to close the Arts school for the term, all to be out of the dormitories by Tuesday night. Tuesday a new phase appeared in that the Arts student who had been making the troubles had linked up with the workmen and seized the dormitory heating plant and were going to stay with a stoker supplied by the workmen. They had all along been helping the agitators among the workmen and had written all their posters. During the former agitations the church had been pretty much let alone; only one or two posters being put up. But last Sunday morning it was different. All the doors were pasted over with placards and besides the stone doorposts and steps all written over with large characters in black Chinese ink, with such notices as the following: "Take Back the Educational Authority. Down with imperialism. Revolutionary Comrades, arise. Down with Imperialism. You are Youth. Up and Fight. Down with Imperialism. Foreign Slaves", etc. Meanwhile, what about the Theological School? On the 3rd we held a meeting. The Party Machine had already called our house servants to meet and unite to strike. The foreign men were already responsible for the stoking in the Theological School and the Library, being the only public building outside the wall with heat. Some felt that if the house servants were called out they would not be able to carry on that, and that it was scarcely worthwhile trying to carry on to the end of the term, Jan.22. Some of us felt that it depended on the esprit of the students and it was decided that the dean should talk with them. It resulted in a decision to carry on. Notwithstanding the seizure of the heating plant by the unruly students on Tuesday morning, they apparently could not make it go and all cleared out on Tuesday afternoon. Fearing lest it should not be their last move, and wanting to get everything locked up the Arts folks asked our people to close up. The theologues live in one unit but the dining room and kitchens being open connected up with two other units so that three out of the eight unites were open. We decided that if we had to hunt around for other places to settle them the time till closing would be used up and so we closed on the 9th, instead of the 22nd, and shall take examinations when they return in Feb. During all of these troubles we foreigners have been in no danger of personal violence. Instructions had been given that full protection should be given to the foreigners and that their property should not be destroyed but that they might make it as disagreeable as they liked. No protection was given to any Chinese. The other evening Dr. Shields said to Dr. Peter Giang, "You and I are all that is left of the four of the presidential committee. I want your advice in everything, but I do not want you to step out into the light.: Dr. Giang's eyes filled with tears as he thanked him and said, "I would like to stand with you and hear the brunt of the whole thing but for us Chinese there is absolutely no protection at all." Since then Dr. Giang has gone way. Now that the hospital is closed and the Arts and Theology schools are closed, for the vacation at any rate; no success has been had in getting the household servants to strike, things are easing up a bit. Yesterday the wire connecting us with the city electric plant was cut, but the company repaired it, and is responsible to keep us connected up. Last evening current was turned on and we had decent light for the first time in ten days. Some folks have old lamps on hand. We have only one lantern so we have done with candles. It has been the coldest winter for many years; snow, which fell on Dec. 1st being still on the ground. The time of these strikes with no heat on dormitories the mercury has been ranging between 10 and 15 above here in the morning and seldom thawing in the sun at midday. Student shave had it pretty hard, not to speak of the patients. The daily papers have the report that the workmen present; some quite reasonable requests, but that the cruel foreigners instead of acceding to them, decided to close up the hospital and heartlessly turned the poor patients out on the street in this bitter weather. The other day one of the workmen told the business manager that he would show him where some tools were. Mr. Wolfe replied that they had already put away most of the most valuable tools. The workmen replied, "You need not have done that. We do not want your tools. It is the buildings. We are going to live in them. This is our country and these are our buildings and you foreigners have nothing to do with them." Many say that the abolition of extraterritoriality will make no difference. But this is the kind of idea that the Propaganda Department of the National Government is encouraging. That by simply saying "Extraterritoriality is abolished; thereby all rights of foreigners cease and their property can be confiscated. The propaganda prepared for consumption in foreign lands is entirely a different thing from that prepared for consumption at home. I was just clearing away the typewriter things, preparing to read to mother when she came from church. When she arrived she said to run some water. She thought they had got us this time by breaking something at the powerhouse. She and Coral have gone out to hear what word they can get. It may be only a rumour. You will wonder that we have taken things so quietly. Well we felt that it was best to keep our hands quiet and not start up any international complications. I think that we have pretty well kept our hands off people and not said much to them. One day several pickets came into the library and Dr. Heeren told them to get out, and took one by the arm and led him out. Apart from that I do not know of any handling except on the part of the pickets handling Chinese. Just here my old ribbon got caught, in rags, and I had to put in a new one. There might be some amusing things written in connection with our troubles perhaps, but our household is not strong on the amusing side of life at present. I do not think that the uniersity authorities put the case into the hands of the consuls at all but they were more or less in touch with it. I hear that the other day there was a party given by the governor. At the table the affairs of Cheeloo were mentioned. The governor said, "Oh those things are all over are they not!" The American consul replied that it did not sound like it for whenever he telephoned over he never got anything but impudence. The British consul was telling his neighbor pretty forcibly what the thought about this way of going on. Later some one asked him if he knew whom he was talking to. It was the Commissioner of Education who is said to be the head and front of the opposition to Christian schools in Shantung. He is strongly anti-foreign and anti-Christian though he has married a Spanish Catholic wife. She was in our "Burnside" last autumn. Of course there is always a good deal of chaffing and criticism in crises like these. Some of the medical doctors have been saying all autumn that these Arts Fellows ought to have some firmness in dealing with troubles, like the media would. But when it came to these affairs the pickets had charge of the medical gatehouse with the telephone as well as the laundry, which is in a very strategic position -- and nothing was done to dislodge them. Some of the Arts Fellows thought it would be a joke to teach the meds something. So after they had got their dormitories all closed and padlocked, three of them (an American, a Canadian, and an Englishman) went down about 2am to the medical compound. When they were climbing the fence they were discovered by the police. However they explained what they were at and the police seemed to catch on all right and went along with them to kind of "umpire the game". They walked into the gatehouse, picked up the picket poles, and threw them out; told the pickets to decamp, which they meekly did. Then they padlocked the door of the gatehouse and came home. On their way they began to think that they had better let the Dean of Medicine know, lest he get wrong information. He is also the Vice-President and has had all these troubles on his mind. When he was wakened before three o'clock it quite alarmed him and I think he felt a bit rough. The other meds are also feeling a bit rough on it but the Arts are chuckling. These fellows apparently did not know that the main nest of pickets was at the laundry so it was left intact. We haven't had a letter from you lately, but Jay mentions seeing something of you and the good game of basketball you are still playing. Glad that you are in with the central which is so handy for you and you will be able to get your exercise. I suppose that you will be looking forward to the completion of your internship. What have you in prospect? I hope that you will find something to your taste, which will also put you, a bit off the financial rocks and allow you to nibble off the accumulated debts of college days. I do not know whether or not you will feel like wading through all this epistle. So I had better close off. If you see any of the old boys with whom I was acquainted remember me kindly to them, especially the Honan boys, and Duff. Your loving father, Robert A. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo University June 30, 1930 Dear Sweethearts It seems very strange to have only two letters to write. Bill is with us & last week I sent letters to Van & Mabel. We were glad to have word from Mo & also Jay since I wrote last though they came in on different mails. A C.P.R. steamer arrived in Shanghai yesterday & we are looking for a letter from Aunt Jessie. Bill studies four hours or more every day. I think it is all he should do in such warm weather. He is whiter than he used to be I do not know whether it was the college life with not much exercise, the last year, or whether he is not so strong since his sickness. He laughs at any talk of not being well. He played tennis & except for one or two days seems fairly frisky. Two such years of strenuous work as he had in India could not but take it out of him somewhat & then he arrived here as our summer is warming up. Two nights we had it around ninety all night. It takes the energy out of one. We have been in the cellar the last few days. We have two rooms fit up with bes, rugs, tables, etc & we remain here most of the day. Thus far have not slept here. We go up for meals & early in the morning about 5am Dad & I take our exercise in the garden. Bill finds it hard to get down for 8 o'clock breakfast. We prefer getting out while cool & eat later. The arrangements for going on Taishan are off. The official says he cannot protect on the MT, so that means we must go elsewhere or remain here. We think Bill should get out & as well meet the Honan friends. Dad works hard & he needs a change. Now that the Northerners are in we expect the R.R. will be open in a couple of days. They plan to ferry the passengers across the river & entrain on the other side. Then next week they hope to have the bridge repaired & we hope if we can get a place at P.T.H. to go for a month. Thus far the last month in order to get to Tientsin one must go to Chingtao, then by boat to Tientsin, around two sides of the triangle. Boat travel is very expensive & we felt we could not do it this year & then go to see Bill married. Waiting has been rewarded & there will be a train & we hope a place for us at P.T.H. Now for the situation here. Dad sent a telegram home to office "Northern Occupation Peaceful." On 23rd our consul informed us Hen, the Southern general was withdrawing & fearing disturbance at the time of the turnover advised all to seek a place of safety. In 24 hours Han was out, eighteen trainloads of stuff, ammunition, etc, went out with a few soldiers. Most of men walked & they left a few sick in the city. Many of these are in our HPT. The northerners were coming in before all of Han's men were out. Tuesday the consuls got another scare for it was reported bandits to the S.W. were coming in & that meant looting. The single women were told not to remain alone in their house, which was in rather an exposed situation. Coral Brodie of our Mission came to us. We hid some of our stuff & especially money. I carried some in my shoes for half a day. Dad, Bill & Dr. Struthers went out near Yellow River Bridge Tuesday. About half a mile away there was a little potting from South to cover their retreat I suppose. When at the station they saw the last load of Han's go out. Wednesday Dad & Bill went out in country about five miles & met many of the incoming soldiers. They also met a battery of Artillery & a big Military official well guarded who is the head of the troops here. There was no trouble & we have put things in order again & life moves along as usual. Of course we were a little uneasy for a few hours till the Northerners got in & very thankful when we felt there was not likely to be any disturbance. Most of the women are away, all with children. The nurses & women doctors are here & had there been looting they would have concentrated in the HPT & I would have gone with them; just lived there for a couple of days & eat Chinese food. But it was all quiet. The men like to get the women to places of safety & Bill & Dad would have preferred I went to HPT for a time. I have been busy repairing Bill's shirts etc. Today the sewing woman is making a pair of silk pyjamas for him. I am having all his clothes put in good shape so Helen will not have too much mending at the start. Some of his socks & shirts are almost gone. I am having him wear them these days & shall persuade him to get into the new socks for a time. If she studies that will keep her busy for a time & the old things I am watching he gets into them now. He needs looking after. He is not helpless like some men but has not learned how tot tick to a few things & wear them out. Today we washed Dad's Palm Beach suit & when it is dry I shall iron it. Then I have a silk dress to wash & iron & a cotton dress before I go away. The regular shorts (kaki) for Dad & Bill the boy manages. Also their white suits, but I look after the unusual things. We have had dreadful weather but yesterday a big rain fell & it looks & feels as though the rainy season had begun. if so we shall have cool spells & there will be less work in the garden. We have had corn & cabbage several times & heaps of beans & peas. Tomatoes are forming, but no sign of reddening yet. Well, Mo, we are wondering how you are getting on & are you thinking of you at Creighton Mines the last of June as you suggested you might be. Wish you could call some evening & take us for a ride. But we must wait for that. In the meantime we are looking forward eagerly to the first few letters telling about your work. Keep steady, though slow & you will get along. Hope you remain there for a time anyway. Where is Duff? Is he going out west? Let us know something about those boys at your "frat" whom we knew. I have been examining the entrance to Medical College English. Did not pluck any but a few just got a couple of marks above pass. There are two papers from the South not yet in. They have an exam for all wishing to enter the college from any part of China in English, Chemistry, Physics & Biology & Chinese. I had thirty papers to read. Now let us know how things go. Aunt Mabel wrote about your car & wished we could go riding with our baby. We also wished we could. "Be good & you will be happy". Love & best wishes from all three of us. Mother Lovingly, Jennie H. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- 70 Cambridge Road, Tientsin July 11, 1930 Dear Folks I just now noticed that the last mailing for the C.P.R. sailing is tomorrow morning and decided I had better get my letter off. I am writing from Mr. MacKenzie's house in Tientsin, which we shall leave tomorrow morning for Peitaiho. Of late we have been hoping that the military situation would clear up so that we could come north for part of the summer. The troops of Han Fu Chu evacuated Tsinan and others came in on June 25th. After that the Northern ones pressed Han eastward, but he was still on the Chiaotei railroad half way to Tsingtao. Trains were sunning through, one had been removed and taken south to Pukow, so they had to make temporary repairs. There was a train of boxcars running daily from Tsinan to the bridge. People would walk across the bridge and get the train of third class cars on the other side. We were trying daily to get information of a probable improvement. They told us that they might be able to cross the bridge by the 8th but it was very uncertain. Last Monday morning I went to the travel bureau and heard that the train was coming through that day but that they were not allowed to sell tickets. I went to the railway station, which I found full of people waiting to go out on the train which should have left an hour and a half before. The authorities could give no information as to the whereabouts of the train. Towards noon Miss Brodie came in to say that the express was going out that evening. She had got the information from Mr. Hunter who had started off for Tsingtao but had been turned back half way, as there was fighting going on on that road. Bill and I went down after dinner and found some of the Blue Express cars actually there. We put our names down for coming on it and went away home to get packed. Coral, Brodie, Bill and the two of us took a compartment. We got off that night. It began to rain but after we got aboard. We were an hour late in getting off but had a very good trip arriving here about nine o'clock on Tuesday morning. We found that the Forbes had just arrived from Honan on their way to Cheefoo where their two children are in school. Coral went off to Peitaiho Wednesday morning. Bill had still some shopping to do but left Thursday morning. The Forbes' boat sailed at daylight that day so they had to go aboard Tuesday night. Mother has been getting some dressmaking and I some shoemaking and tailoring. Mother's work will be finished this evening so we shall be free to go omorrow. Our first day here was raining but it has been better since though very sticky. Mr. MacKenzie's family are at PTH, living in Mrs. Menzies' house with the Boyds as last year. Mr. MacK. expects to get a vacation in August. Mother had written to Mrs. Knight to try to get places for us. She after several trials, got a place for us with the Krause's of the Methodist mission. She did not know just where Bill would fit in, but expected that a place would be arranged for him. PTH is pretty well filled up this year. Houses, which have been empty for some years, are occupied. Kuling, Taian, Mohkanshan, and Kikungshan are all off the list of available summer places, which make the others crowded. Mother has got her brown dress made up and brought home today. She got a little sand color georgette crepe to trim it with. She is now about ready for the wedding in September. She and Bill had me down to the tailor's with the dress suit that Bill got from Dr. Brown and have had it made to fit me. Bill had his own which he got in London. it is not often that I shall wear it but there are occasions at Tsinan where such is advisable. We are not so particular about such things as they seem to be in India. We are expecting to be in PTH for about a month. Some people are predicting that by that time there will be a comeback in the military situation and that the Tsinpu line will again be stopped. When one line opens the other stops. We shall see, not worry now. We were delighted to get your two letters from Copper Cliff. The one of 8th June cam before the one of the 1st. I hope that you will be able to let us hear frequently. Meantime I'll have to get on some clothes before the tailor comes. I am perspiring with never a stitch on. Tomorrow evening will give us a change. We may be cold when we get by the sea. Love from both Robert A. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Peitaho July 29, 1930 Dear Folk I did not get at letters Sunday. Bill was up for most of today & so we visited. He is about 3/4 of a mile from here. We see him nearly every day. He has a teacher & studied from 5-6 hours. Of course part of that time is by himself. For a time Dad went down & studied every forenoon with him till he got a teacher. Excuse the machine. The damp up here is affecting it & it works in jerks. We have had a big crowd in our house for the last week, but two girls left yesterday. There are five in the house & three coming in to eat, which with hostess meant nine people at the table. Two gone were here only for a week till Mrs. Faris of our Mission came up, & now they take meals with her. One of the girls is from Canada, a graduate of Toronto & also of College of Education. She is out on a two-year contract teaching in the school for missionaries' children. She taught in Haliebury & Pembroke. She returns next June. She was in Peking for a month, went to great wall, etc. & has been having a good time. She planned to spend August in Japan but the heat was too much for her & she had to give that up & come to P.T.H. for a rest. She looked about all in when she came but is looking better. She returns to Canada via Suez. She is a member of United Church & knows a number of friends we do. Her friend is an American teaching voice culture in school in Seoul. Jay she knew; they know Francis Benwick & parents & were inquiring bout Ruth; also other friends we know in Korea. We have a downstairs room with a dressing room off it. There are three windows facing the Mountains. We see very little fo sea but at night look out to Chingwantao a port with a long dock & electric lights along both sides of it which are beautiful at night. We are a little public, but the lower half of windows are down all the time with curtains & the upper half open. We also open the door at night. In the evening they sit at the other side of verandah so we can come to bed early & not hear talk. However all are off the verandah by 9pm; no late birds in our house. We get good eats - little meat & heaps of vegetables. Bill is with English people - English Baptists; we with American Methodists; same church as Uncle Fred belongs to. We shall likely return to Tsinan about 9th or at latest 12th. I feel so tired - always do at P.T.H. I could hardly get up this am. I feel I would like to be home & just rest - rest. Boarding one must be up & dressed & out to meals. If in own home I would go out in bare legs & dressing gown. But it is a nice change to be away from housekeeping, which is always trying on the temper & nerves. The servants are a problem. Some Tsinan people return tomorrow. It makes us feel a little lonely. Tonight we are out to supper with a Tsinan friend. Tomorrow a picnic (tsina) people. Then Saturday a tea in home of two of our own women of Honan who live in a double house with an immense verandah - Mrs. Menzies house. I shall not accept any other invitation this week. I am thinking I may give a tea next week to members of our Mission. Where we stay they are Missionaries & living in Peking know most of our Mission. There is a store where I can buy a little & she will do the rest by giving a little extra to servants. There will be over twenty people. If I feel too tired shall not bother but would like to do it as they have entertained us freely. Grants are here & very happy about Mary's success. Having failed once made her afraid till Alex wired her. She will have a good year in Edmonton I think. I have been through the HPT there. There are a number of singers up here & every Friday we have a concert, which is over before 10pm. It was very good last eek & we hear the American Military Band at the camp over at East Cliff will give the concert this week. We only hear bands on victrola records here so am sure we shall enjoy it. We had a similar court concert last year. Dear Mo: We were so glad to have your two letters - one from Copper Cliff & the last from Garson. I hope you are enjoying the work & that you are finding your place. It takes time when one makes changes. New things are difficult for us ut a younger person reacts more easily & more readily than persons our age. Write often & we can then follow you each day or week. Bill of course gets more out of the letters than we & explains things to us. He is about 3/4 of a mile from us. We will likely go in next week; if not early the next. I have a little spot of impetigo & it is not healing very well. I have not been bathing for a couple of days. Were we at home I could manage to keep everything away from Dad easier. Bill had it when he came to us from India. We were careful & got nothing from him. But since coming here I have been washing his handkerchiefs & thinking he was well was not careful to disinfect so I think I got it that way. But who knows? If it gets worse I want to go earlier where we can get different basins, etc & have more receptacles for disinfecting wash rags, towels, etc. Dad is off to try & get a place for Dr. McClure. He would like to come up for a time. The place is very full this year as Kikung Shan & two other resorts in South are considered unsafe. We hope to get out when Helen Craw arrives & for the wedding but Bill will not go in & if he is here everything can go on, though we will be very sorry if we cannot get out for the marriage. I must close now my dear boy. We pray often for you & your position that it may be permanent & that you will be faithful in your duties to the sick & those above & around you. Much love from all. Bill is busy with study but will write later. Much love, Mother Jennie H. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Peking Aug 2, 1930 Dear Mo Dad left this am for Tientsin & tomorrow he sails at 6am for Tsinan. He is 3rd class - not uncomfortable but all passages are taken… He can get Chinese or Japanese food; takes own bedding. The trip is 36hrs & after reaching Chingtao he has a night by train. Bill's trunk with his wedding suit & what he needs for the winter here was left in Tsinan; Dad's suit also. At one time Dad thought he would have Bill go in - indeed had written him to that effect as he dreaded the journey. Bill being younger he thought he might go & Bill was willing. Then dad began to think he could go in & remain two weeks with his class & get them started in the term's work. So off he went. We came up here a week ago to a dentist. I was afraid I would have several extractions & did not want to be alone. However it is not to be for which I am thankful. It is well to keep some teeth of one's own as long as possible. I have a plate on both sides & four front & a back on one side. I have 3 more sittings; got my plate in yesterday & my mouth is a little sore but I am making out very well. We are in the language school & Bill comes up tonight or tomorrow to see the Principal, get his own fixed & talk over affairs in general about his standing teachers, etc. There was a big crowd - 16- from Japan here when we arrived. They had spent their vacation here & they left this week, as the building has not filled up since I am alone on one hall. Shall be glad if Bill gets in tonight. Thursday Bill & I return to Tientsin. We wait here till Helen comes. It will be a long wait, over 3 weeks, but it is cheaper than returning to Tsinan, even if we went 3rd class. Airplanes threw bombs on the city a few days ago. It caused great consternation in government circles & we wait for the next move U& all the time hoping for a settlement between North & South. Miss McDougal who taught you in Weihwei is in Copper Cliff in Home Mission work. August 31 Sunday 7am: Bill will be wanting his machine later so I am taking the early hour. He set his alarm this morning & has been at work for some time. Tomorrow he has an exam in Chinese to see where they will place him. He did not expect it till Sept 15. There is another student in the house who is here for the same. This over, Bill has nothing to do but wait for Helen - three long weeks. He was to see the consul when in Tientsin & he must be in that city for three weeks before marriage & take his affidavit the day of the marriage that he has been there. We plan to go to Tientsin Friday. I hope I can get in with McKenzies but they are having a lot at that time. The entire crowd starting for Kobe Academy will be there to get their boat. Bill got up here Friday night about 10pm. Their train was delayed before it reached P.T.Ho with broken engine. I had given him up & gone to bed when I heard people along the walk rose & was at the head of the stairs before he got up. It was well I went out for they were putting him in another hall. Dad had arranged he take the room he left but there were only the servants around & they did not know. But Bill is next door & we are the only two on this short corridor & have privacy. Just around the corner there are several but the house is not full by any means & will not likely be till the students come for most of the summer travel is over by this time. There are always a few who linger at the seaside but they come along in ones & twos. I think the servants rather enjoy the excitement. Bill saw dad on his boat & he had about six x 3 feet. There is a long place for sleeping - one big bed as it were & each fellow keeps to his slotted space. If the weather is good it is not so bad one can get out but if waves are big the ports must be closed & all inside. Dad should arrive about this time at Tsinan station if there were no delays & I hope he is nearly over the trying trip. He was to send a telegram if the lines are up & in order. If not I cannot hear till after we get to Tientsin how he got along. I went down to the Rockefeller Hpt. to see3 a Tsinan nurse who is there. She is fine & to my surprise I found one of our doctors not far from her. So had quite a visit with them. When I left Bill was studying but was playing tennis when I returned. He had quite a game I believe. We have been to the Legation chapel, Bill & two of the Honan girls who are here. Bill walked home but we took a car. We waited after to hear one of the Peking people tell us about the siege in 1900. It was not all new (undecipherable) Carrell from South China. We took a stroll over the British legation in which all the foreigners lived for two months when the Chinese were trying to rid China of all of us. The troops came in just in time & the Indian Seiks were the first to arrive. The old Empress & her staff had cleared out off west and did not get back for two years. In the chapel where we worshipped they ate meals & some slept on the chapel benches. In one of the vestries they still have the bullet holes & also some of nails where the towels of the besieged persons hung. The chapel has been done over & is beautiful. On many of the walls are brass plates with the names of those who died during the siege or did something especially for the welfare of suffering ones. It is an interesting place to visit and surrounded with many memories. It is now nearly time for lunch, so adieu for this time. Bill wants the machine. I do not understand it as well as our own & you will see many mistakes especially in the spacing. Adieu my dear loved ones. Hope dad finds letters from you both at Tsinan. Write often & tell all the little affairs you are doing. Shall be glad to hear how Mo is getting on & whether the job is for longer than Sept. Again much much love. Write often, Mother Jennie H. Mitchell The HPT here have had an interesting autopsy. The brother of dead man gave permission for autopsy. He could not write so gave fingerprint in place of signature. Some of outside relatives made a row; said this man had no right to give permission; kicked up a big row - wanted the government to drive out all foreigners in Hpt. & tell Rockefeller to keep his money. It made a big stir in the present anti foreign spirit in China. The case has been watched for weeks. They tried to prove the fingerprint was not that of the relative, etc. After preliminary hearing papers were passed over to the judge & a week later he decided there was nothing in it & this week dismissed the case. --------------------------------------- 7 1st A Road Peitaho Beach August 10, 1930 Dear Folks Our stay here is about at an end now. We had arranged to leave for home tomorrow morning, staying one day in Tientsin and reaching home Wednesday morning. We do not know whether or not we shall carry out our plans. During the past few days we have been cut off from both ends by rail because of washouts on the railway. There is a hope that there may be a train tomorrow but some think it will still be several days before the train runs through. Though we want to go tomorrow it is not absolutely necessary for our work yet and rather than not get a through train we could wait. Every weekend there is a large influx of visitors here. Last weekend was one, which increased the number greatly because Saturday and Monday were Bank holidays. It was at that time that the washouts occurred and last Monday the station was besieged with people waiting to get back to their work. It was said that the seniors of the staff of every foreign bank but one in Tientsin were here stewing to get back. Eventually some of them got out to Chingwantao and went by a coal boat by sea to Tangku. Next day another lot went out by train. They had about a mile and a half to walk the ties where the track was washed out. Only one of them had a mishap. Eric Liddell stepped on a tie, which gave way and sent him in for a mud bath. When they got to Tangku they found the people who had gone by boat waiting for their train. We had pretty nearly a week of rain and some of it heavy. The country looks lovely and green. We get an ideal view from this house across the rolling plains to the Rocky Mountains on the north on which some eyes can make out the great wall, and the wooded Lotus Hills to the west, which is the prettiest spot in Petaiho. Friday Bill, Mother and I went for a trip to the Lotus Hills. We walked down to MacKenzies to have a talk about arrangements when Helen arrives. (That is Mrs. Menzies' house). From there we went on up to the top of the first hill where we got a lovely wide view of the whole seashore, Rocky Point, Temple Bay, Lighthouse Point, East Cliff, Eagle Rock, the Shell Beach, the sand Dunes and Chingwantao harbour. After lunching there Bill and I left mother to rest while we dropped down between the hills and up to the second one where we could get a view over to the railway and the shuttle line which runs from the main line to the beach. Returning, mother met us between the two hills and we made our way down through the pines, went down to the beach and paddled our way home in the shallow water. That is the part of the resort where most has been done in the way of improvements. It is largely in the hands of wealthy people, Chinese and other nationalities. There are some large houses. Djang Hsue Liang, viceroy of Manchuria has a large plate and near it an athletic ground with a large platform from which speeches can be made. Sometimes there have been some lovely gatherings there with Chinese lantern decorations. We have not been to any. Friday night we went to a band concert. There is a summer encampment of American marines over between Lighthouse and East Cliff. Their band gave a concert for us in the Assembly Hall. We were in the hall for the first part of it and then went up to Thomson's verandah, which is just across the road. The concert was very good but would have sounded much better had it been outside. The conference grounds pavilion is an ideal place for it; but there are still meetings going on at the conference grounds. Last evening we had a company in here. They were mostly of people who had stayed in Krause's house in Peking - the Roulstons, the Faris', of our mission, two ladies from Korea along with Mr. Grimes and Bill. Mrs. Grant is going home to make a home for the boys. She is sailing from Kobe on the 26th of the month. They will leave here this week. Dr. Grant will return to Changte. Mother spoke of sending some things home with her but decided not to when she saw ho light she was traveling.. Yesterday we took our final view of the stores and bought some Manchurian honey to take home. Goodbye for now Lovingly, Robert A. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- Tientsin August 19, 1930 Dear Folk You will be wondering where we are these days well here we are. We left Peitaho a week ago; spent a day here & took train for Tsinan. We were only twenty miles from here when the engine broke down. They sent back here for mechanics to repair it. At once the fire was all taken out & there we waited from 11pm till 8am the next morning before the train was ready to go on. It was the worst night for mosquitoes I ever spent. The air was thick with them. Of course we all got bitten. I wrapped the sheet tight around my feet & legs, sat up & fanned all night till about 5.30 when it began to get light and the mosquitoes went off. Dad got a little sleep by covering up his head, nose & all but that was too hot for me. There have been big rains & water was lying all around; we could hear it swish up against the R.R. track on one side like little wavelets on the shore. The frogs kept up a constant song. The Chinese also suffered. They got out of train & walked & walked, slapping their legs with their coats. The only happy man was a watermelon seller. He got rid of several baskets of melons. About 8am we rose washed & went into the diner. Then about 4pm we again went in, had some eggs & toast & cocoa; nothing more till we arrived back in Tientsin. Well our train started off & went till 1pm when we reached Techo 80 miles from Tsinan. The engine went off & for a time we thought there were some repairs going on but shortly rumors began to come in. No tickets were being sold for Tsinan, the station agent had gone down the line last night & when he returned it would be decided whether our train would go on or not. Then an engine with one car arrived which we were told contained the president of the provisional governor from Tsinan & a couple of military high officials. This looked bad & then it came out Tsinan had been bombed, the Northerner had retreated, etc. You have seen it all in papers. Later we were told our train was returning to Tientsin but not till midnight & would become the regular evening train from Tsinan. So there we waited till midnight - indeed it was 1am before the train moved. There were not many mosquitoes there. Many bought incense sticks & we burned them & so were not troubled with mosquitoes. Then when train was moving we were all right & as it was cool we had a good night. We were given clean sheets & not asked to buy berth tickets. When we arrived in Tientsin the money was refunded. I think that was a clean & straight thing for the Chinese to do for they are so hard put to for money. It meant we were financially where we were before taking the train except for the wear & tear on bodies & spirit. It was hard to return when we were so near home. Had we been a few hours earlier and the engine not broken down we might have been allowed in that morning. However we are saved a lot of nervous strain with bombing & shooting. Having had three weeks of it in June we were not anxious to go in for a second dose. But were we in I think we would be safe enough at our compound, but here we are. We were three days later than our plans in getting out of Peitaho. There had been dreadful & continuous rain. The line was washed out & it took a week or more to repair it. We came out on the first through train. Some came the night before but came with only hand baggage & walked over the break. As we had heavy baggage we waited for first through train. Mrs. Wolfe, her son & daughter, were with us & also one of Chinese teachers for Cheloo, an English Baptist man for West Shangtung, several Japanese families all wanting to get in after the summer away. There were heaps of Chinese but I did not have any chats with them. We returned & went to Mr. Grimes where we had been when we came from P.T.H. but he was full & could not take us. He gave us breakfast & suggested we come over to Mr. MacKenzie's house & see if the coolie had the key to back door. We did so & instead of going to his house, which is some distance away for meals asked the G.I.M. if they would give meals. They are next door so we are getting along fine. The next evening Dr. & Mrs. Grant arrived from P.T.H. with keys from Mr. MacKenzie & came in the house. They came when we were out to meals & took the west bedroom. We were in the east & they never noticed as they passed through the hall the valises, etc. We came in later & gave them a surprise as they thought we were in Tsinan. I am having a pair of shoes made; also a dress now that I have to remain out longer. I had the material on hand for some time. Thursday we go to Peking where I am to my teeth attended to - likely all the lower extracted & a plate made. Dad goes with me & will see me though the worst. If the way opens up he will remain out till after Bill is married. As things are now the students cannot get in till the lines opens up & Dad can study here, by borrowing some books. The worst is neither Bill nor dad have their clothes for the wedding out. We might ask Struthers to get them & mail them. It would cost a lot for dad to go in just for that if the work does not call him; he would not spend the money. Grants have had letters from Mary & other friends since coming here. Ours are lying at Tsinan I expect & cannot get out for a time. We did discuss sending a cable to let you know we were here but it would cost twelve dollars & no word will mean you will think of us as still at P.T.H. Bill is still there. If we go to Peking he will go on there for a time I think especially if I am alone. Then we will come here & wait Helen's arrival. Mrs. Grant sails in a few days for Canada. Dr. Grant does not go till next June. I hope she will see some of you not long after her arrival. We have a few very small gifts for Christmas, which we shall mail, while here & likely as Mabel to be our Santa Claus this year. As our expenses are high with so much travel & everything is soaring we are not sending much but just little reminders of China. I must close now. While writing a man came in to see if he could get a room here. He could not but has a room at the soldier's club with bed & mattress. We lent him sheets, pillow & cover for it. They had just come from the wash. He will be here two nights & return them before we start for Peking. Best wishes to all, with much love. Jennie H. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo University, Tsinan September 3, 1930 Dear Folks You see by the heading that I am home again. After the forced return from Tehchow the day the Southerners entered Tsinan, mother and I went to Peiping as soon as we could make arrangements for her dentistry. She was to be there about two weeks. I stayed with her for six days. Came down to Tientsin on lat Thursday morning. Bill came from Peitaiho the same day to see me. I went aboard the steamer that night. Bill would go to see the consul next day and go on up to Peiping to keep mother company and make his arrangements about language school. As the railway is out of commission from Tientsin, of course the boats are all crowded. I took a third class ticket as the best available. As the boat was supposed to sail at 6am, I thought it best to go aboard at night for fear I should not get a place. Along with me was Jesse Wolfe, 12 years old. We had got a sofa passage for his mother in the 1st class. When we went down to our quarters that night we promptly ran rivers of perspiration as the place is next to the engines and was crowded. There was a room about 40x30 with two aisles and the rest, sleeping floor, covered with Japanese mats. There were about seventy of us. They divide by nationalities, Japanese, Chinese and others. When I went along to the allotted place I found a Russian woman and her child in the corner. So Jesse and I staked off our claim with our suitcases, next the aisle, which was piled high with luggage. After we were down below a while we got used to the heat but could not safely go up to the deck without putting on more clothes. Mosquitoes were not many but flies abounded. About midnight we awoke to hear talking beside us to find that room had to be made for another Russian woman. So we moved our suitcases to provide sleeping accommodation for her. The first woman was a slight one but this one was a typical Russian woman of the type we see so much of at Peitaiho - a little over five feet tall and nearly the same around. Meals were served also according to nationality. So, though there were about forty of the students and teachers from our colleges there, our grouping was with the foreigners. There wre six of us in all, two men not having got sleeping room down below. The front deck was entirely given up to passengers of the fourth class, except for the space of one motor truck and one horse. There they had not lying room but only enough to sit on their baggage or half lie. I never traveled on a boat so crowded unless it was some excursion boats at home. We had a calm voyage and no rain so that we got on very nicely. We were three night and two days there. When we were going from the dock to the customs house at Tsingtao we saw the morning train for Tsinan pulling out. As there is not a night train running now we decided to take the one leaving about 11 o'clock. We arrived here about 11 at night very nicely. Beside the forty students there were Mrs. Wolfe and Jesse who had been with us on our trip to Tehchow, Mrs. Stanley, and two of the foreign nurses. When we returned to Tientsin on Aug 16 Mrs. Wolfe wired to her husband telling of our return and asking for instructions. The telegram reached him twelve days later. Meantime he had tried by telegraph and by radiogram to get her word, but did not know where she was till Dr. Stanley and Mr. Hunter arrived here by way of Tsingtao and told him she was still in Tientsin. I just hear a plane outside which reminded me that a week ago when I was in Peiping two planes flew up from here to Peiping and back. We saw them circling about over the city but it was only the next day that we found they had dropped bombs in seven parts of the city. The morning of the 15th when the Southerners came in here it was not so quiet a turnover as when the Northerners came in on June 25. They had been fighting for about a week among the mountains about ten miles to the south of here. But a retreat was decided on, which developed pretty much into a rout. One of the roads from the south comes down from the mountains jut west of our compound. The retreating soldiers were coming down there in swarms and then enemy came on them with quite a large number of aeroplanes, dropping bombs and firing machine guns. Dr. McClure said that he was watching from his verandah, but when he saw a bomb dropped just west of the compound, hollowed by an explosion and a great cloud of black smoke, he was not so interested in watching and took a session in the cellar for a while. Some of the folks went out afterward to see what they could do in helping the wounded but there were practically none. The bombs were high and they seemed to be firing on the two sides of the column, simply scaring them along. They did that effectually if I may judge by those I saw at Tehchow, 80 miles north, that night. It is nice to be back home again, even though I am alone. The compound looks beautifully green. But there has been an excessive amount of rain this summer and the gardens have suffered much from it. Many of the flowers died right off and much of the vegetable seed did not come up. We are due to open today but because of the difficulties of transportation since the turnover we are not opening till the 8th. I shall get in a week's work, before I have to go away again to meet Helen. I shall probably leave here on the 17th to catch the boat at Tsingtao - the same one as I came on. I shall again take a third class passage. I think it will not be so crowded this time. That will bring me to Tientsin on the 20th. We are hoping that Helen will get to Tientsin about the 24th. Bill and I spoke provisionally for a passage back for mother and me on the 27th. There is only one boat a week coming direct from Tientsin and Tsingtao. All others have to be by Dairen, another day and extra expense. Though the garden is not what I would like because a good number of flowers have died, and practically none of the vegetables have done very well, yet it is really a pretty sight as one comes in. We do not have green lawns much of the year and it looks good to see the lawn looking green and well cut. The most striking thing as one comes in is the brilliant red amaranthus in the middle of a bed. Yet there are other things in bloom and some of them just beginning. From where I am sitting now, I see asters, geraniums, portulaca, petunias, gaillardia, calendula, callipsis, dahlias, and hibiscus. Besides these there are in bloom zinnias, mallows, rose of sharon, crepe myrtle, cannas, snapdragon, michaelmus daisies, cypress vine, morning glories, black-eyed susans, September lilies, vergana. Though none of these are at their best, we shall hope for better things now that the heavy rains are over. It has just struck nine and I have been awake since about four this morning. But I want to finish up these letters before I turn in. Usually when I am living alone I do not get enough sleep at first. I cannot turn in at night. Just about bedtime I get interested in something that I feel I must do. When I arrived home there was only one letter waiting for me, from Aunt Jessie. Dr. Struthers says that he had just sent off several to Tientsin before he knew I was coming. I do not know whether or not there was one from you. Aunt Jessie was saying there was talk of your driving down to meet Jay at Washago. I hope you are enjoying your work and getting good experience. Dr. Struthers just came in a little while ago and we have been talking about my hay fever. I paid $$ in Peking for 25 tablets of Ephedrine. He says that I need not do that but buy the Mahwang off the street for a few cents. That is the original from which the ephedrine is extracted. I have been so stuffed up at nights lately that I could not get any breath through the nose. Last night I tried doing away with my feather pillow. I do not know whether or not there is a connection but I was not so stuffed up. Apart from my hay fever, I am in excellent health, probably stronger than when I returned here two years ago. Now, I think I'll close off and get to bed. Your loving father, Robert A. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo University Tsinan, China September 14, 1930 Dear Folks Yesterday I had a letter from Mother by the hand of a missionary coming from Tientsin, saying that she expected me to write to you folks this Sunday. I think that is according to the arrangement that we made before I left her but I had not quite remembered a fortnight ago and so both wrote. You at any rate will know what we are both doing. You will know what kind of a trip I had home, which was more than Mother and Bill wrote when they wrote. They had nothing from me except the telegram telling of my arrival. They will probably have it sent on to them some time in the next month. There is no knowing how long mails will take in getting there these days. Dr. Struthers had stopped sending on any mail just before he expected us back from the north. When he got my letter saying that probably we would not be in till after the wedding he sent on a bunch, which had just come in from home. So I missed them. But they have been up north and back and came back with Dr. Gell. Certainly it was a feast - letters from Aunt Jessie, Jay, Elinor and five from Mo. The C.P.R. mail the other day brought in a batch from Aunt Jessie, Aunt Mabel, Mo, Mrs. Armstrong and Mrs. Lochead. So you see I have a batch to take up with me to Tientsin - it is good. Mrs. Lochead was in Regina where Mr. L. was preaching for three Sundays. She said they had been beautifully green up in Bauphin, but the 200 miles they motored in Saskatchewan reminded her of the appearance of the lawn in Weihwei before the rains came. Ruth was not taking her exam for A.T.C.M. for another year, as she would not have the both parts ready. She said she had had a letter from Miss Mitchell saying she had seen mother, and she was getting her dress made for the wedding. But she continues, "She never gave a hint of what wedding. Can it be that Dr. Craw is going out this Autumn and she and Bill are to be married." Mrs. Armstrong's letter was written when they were just starting back from the west. Bill has had his interview with Mr. Gailey and the teachers of the language school and with the extra study he expects to get in the next week or two, expects to be able to go in with the second year students when he enters the school in October. Gailey had written him in answer to his firs enquiry that they thought it a mistake to hurry too rapidly over the beginnings, and it might be best to go in with the beginners. The day he went for his test, Mr. Gailey was delayed by some trouble among the servants and Bill had an hour with the Chinese, during which they talked politics, war, etc. When Gailey came in they told him that Bill was ahead of the first year graduates in talking. He is making good use of his time in order to get up to the standard for entering second. Well, registration day for us was last Monday and we have been at classes since. I give an extract from the Bulletin this week. "The sun has broken through the clouds. Hope is in the air. The prayers of Cheeloo's many friends all over the world have been answered. God has opened the way - a step at a time. War's hot flame swept - or rather flew - over us. An airplane circling over the campus poured bullets at retreating soldiers just west of the university. No one inside was injured. Railway communications have been broken. Many teacher sand students have traveled long and weary miles. But every one seems forgetful of this in the gladness of having arrived. Professors are all on the ground and out of a possible two hundred and fifty odd students, all but six or eight are here. Relations with the outside world seem good. Within the university a hearty spirit of co-operation is manifest. The prospect for a good year appears excellent. We rejoice to send our many friends a message of encouragement." L.J. Davies (Vice-president of University) Enrolment to date: Arts College, 40; Science College, 66; Medical College 87; Nursing School, 46; Pharmacy School 12. Total 251 You will notice that the Theological School is not among these, for the Theological School cannot be part of the University if the latter seeks for registration. We have a good deal smaller than last year, having graduated a large class and not taking our final year this year, which had only two students. I think that our number will be about 17. The medical school got started right off on the day advertised, Sept. 3, with 80 students out of a possible 91. Ordinarily there is a fine for every day late but they are not exacting that this year. Our Honan students were among those who came in late. They left Weihwei Aug 25 and arrived here Sept. 11. They had to wait for a train several days in Honan; then at Tientsin they had to wait for a boat and could not get one direct to Tsingtao but had to go to Dairen and then to Tsingtao. By that time they were just about as far east of Tsinan as they had been west when they started - 250 miles. In the old days they would have come across on foot in seven or eight days. But such travel is not safe nowadays. A couple of days ago I just realized that there was probably not enough time left for me to get a letter off to Kobe to Helen. I had written her to Yokohama in plenty of time. When I enquired I found that I was just a day too late to catch the last steamer to Kobe. I sent the letter to Moji in the hope that there might a steamer going which would get there. If she does not get it she will not be disappointed, as she will not be expecting any. We'll see her at Tientsin on the 24th. I leave here on Wednesday morning for Tsingtao where I take a boat for Tientsin. The same boat as I came down on at the end of August. Mother is urging me to take along extra bedding for her and we shall come back third class. I would not mind it if it were on the boat I am going on, even though we were seventy in a room last time. But it's the other boat of the line that we have taken passage on the Choehi Maru and all say she is not at all in the same class as the Tientsin Maru, on which I travel. There is only a weekly boat on the direct run - the two of them on the line. But there is a difference in the price of a first class at $42.50 and a third class at $12.75. It is only a forty-eight hours run. It is not so bad if the weather is fine and one is not sick. But if one were to get a whole seventy people sick in one room with no provision for it, it would not be exactly comfortable. It might be an EXPERIENCE, and many people do such for the experience. Since coming home I have been pretty busy in various ways besides the study. I have been doing some painting of the furniture in our room and the bathtub, etc. Our whole upstairs is needing painting and we have been talking of going at it ourselves but have difficulty in getting reliable paint these days. I resolved to have some done. I had the painter do our room. Then I took the notion that I would enamel the furniture myself. The dresser mirror needed re-silvering, so I sent it out. Some of the drawer pulls were needing repairs so I got the brass smith at making some of the missing parts. I have said nothing to Jennie but she will come into a fresh room. For the rest, we shall see later. Of course I have had some gardening to do. Our place is quite public where practically everyone passes. So many have been speaking of how it has pleased them to see the neat trim garden. I have been able to supply a good many people with bouquets. The hit of the year in the garden I think was some amaranths in the centre of a large bed. The brilliant red foliage lit up the whole garden. It was from some seed that Eleanor sent me from Los Angeles. It is past its glory now. I think that next year I shall make a succession of plantings so as to keep it up till frost. I am sorry that mother is going to miss all the best of the garden. Michaelmas daisies are making the most show now. Asters are not yet at their best. The hibiscus, yellow, is just beginning and is interspersed with red dahlias, which are not so good this year as last. I have never done much with mums. II have about thirty plants in one bed but I think they are mostly one kind. Just now the posty has come in with a package of photos of the garden. Of the six, one I knew was spoiled, as I did not have the right focus. Another taken especially for Bill to take the cypress vine on which he spent so much time was under exposed. I asked the man to send me three of all that were good. He has sent me only one. I shall enclose one to each of you. Now I shall have to close off as it is near church time. I shall not begin a new page. Thanks for the letters from all Lovingly, Robert A. Mitchell Glad to get all your good letters. Hope you will get your permanent appointment. ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo Sept 15, 1930 Dear Mo This week has been one of hunting up cutlery & arranging it for the Autumn's use; the same with clothing, which has been packed away. We still have summer clothing on but are discarding the real thin dresses like voile for me & shorts for Dad. Underclothes remain the same till the end of the month & probably for two weeks in Oct. Rugs are out & on the floors. We had a friend buy two shades-painted silk for the central lights in living & dining rooms, which are up; also one for a lamp. This has meant a general shifting of the white glass shades throughout the house. The shades are from Peking & are a yellowish fawn silk with flowers & leaves painted on it. The rug is brown in living room & green in dining room & now I must get something to go at the sides & top of the windows. I shall use the lace curtains we had in dining room in 117 for center of windows but need some color to brighten things up so it will go on the windows & cushions of chairs. The latter belong to Dr. McClure & we shall get some new wicker ones before he returns. We have had some long rides this week, knowing that when college opens that will cease except Saturdays. Two days we were south among the MTS. One day left our wheels locked in a Taoist temple & climbed "Horse-saddle Hill". We were about two hours from the temple, which is near the top on up & along ridge & returning to temple. It is a stony hill with a few cedars struggling for a living. Yesterday Struthers & we started for Yellow River but did not get there. However, we had a nice ride & visit while resting a few times. The big road is in a dreadful condition & when on it I g0t a nasty tumble, tore my stocking of one knee & skinned it. Also received a little bit of a shakeup as is natural in such cases. Just as I was picking myself up a rickshaw man quite near recommended his ric as a better mode of travel & asked me to use it. I think he was rather surprised to see me mount & ride off. I fell into fine fine dust several inches thick which lies between the big stones & my white dress was somewhat soiled. We did not get home till dark & the last part of the way was not easy riding over stony streets. I remained in bed for breakfast & feel O.K. except for a little stiffness in my knee. Part of the time I rode last in line & it was amusing to hear the remarks when the others had gone by a certain spot. "O their women ride, here is the Nai Nai." Do you remember what this, "Grandmother". They thought it was one family as they remarked a couple of times "the whole family ride". When we go out where not known people think Struthers are son & daughter-in-law. Hope we do have some rides with Helen & Bill. One afternoon we were out to tea & saw a drum. Dad is working on one, which will be in the bedroom above dining room & by having this I think that room will be quite comfortable with a drum & we will not need a stove upstairs in bedroom. We shall have the little one in bathroom. We were quite comfortable downstairs with the stove but one bedroom was cold. We only use a second bedroom if guests come. We do not spend so much time in garden as in Spring but things look nice. We have Dahlias, Hibiscus & several others in bloom. We have sent an order for bulbs to Keith's & will send for seeds later. We are also getting some pots ready for winter blooming. Dad does translation work in the afternoons but classes begin this week & then there will not be much time for other things but preparation. The next week will be taken up with class receptions in the different school & we must appear now that Dad is on the staff. Last year we remained away from some. Now adieu I think that is all the news for this week. I do hope you will give us one letter a month. You write the middle of month & Jay the beginning of month, or visa versa. Each phone the other & then we will have word of both twice a month. We do miss the letters when they do not come. Let us know if you need a little financial help. Hope you got your check Dad sent as birthday present & graduation combined. What talk did you have with Dr. McClure about finances? Aunt Jessie wrote you were helping Shaws move. How does the old house look & now comes the proposal that Jay & Mabel live with them. Hope it is settled in the best way but we fear it is too much relation, all in one house; not enough change for any of them. What about the events at Varsity this year. Hope you were able to get there. Was it the general day that it rained so hard? Aunt Jessie wrote about it. Much love from both of us, Mother Lovingly, Jennie H. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- 70 Cambridge Road, Tientsin Sept 22, 1930 Dear Mo You see there is another change of address. It does not mean yet that we have finished up Bill's affairs and started him and Helen off together. You will have to wait a few days more for that news. But I have a little special matter I want to write to you about. A day or two before I left Tsinan Dr. McClure came in and handed me a cheque to bring up to Bill. Then he handed me another slip of paper to send to you. I enclose it herewith. I do not know that he thought you were going to get married too but probably though that a young fellow starting out in his profession would not mind being relieved of a bit the burden of his college course. I think that it is a pretty nice little piece of paper to receive. Dr. McClure's address is the same as ours for your acknowledgement. I arrived here on Saturday afternoon, having left Tsinan on Wednesday morning. Mother and Bill were both waiting at the Bund to see me. This was a trip which was not without its excitement of a kind. I came by third class from Tsinan to Tsingtao. I got off at the second last station at 8pm. I took rickshaw right to the boat to find that they would not let me aboard that night. So I started out to hunt up a place to stay. I spied the Y.M.C.A. and decided to try there and stayed. Next day I did a little business and went to B.W.Smith's for lunch. He used to be in the Y at Chengchow in Honan. I went aboard boat about an hour before we were due to sail. The space down below was already all taken up as was that on top of the hatchway. However I decided that I should spread my bedding between the hatch and my trunks and enjoy a good rest. I did so till about four in the morning. I was suddenly awakened by a crash and something falling on me. One of the Russian families on the hatch had had a big jar of strawberry jam on the hatch. Evidently the little girl kicked it over in the night. It rolled down, struck the iron shelf about the hatch, smashed with an explosion, which sent the gallon of jam spattering far and wide, but the bulk came on my bed. I jumped and threw the stuff off the quilts as mush as possible. From then till seven o'clock I was busy cleaning up. I got a knife and scraped the bulk off then took water and washed it. My steamer rug and my oilcloth I put right into the tub and washed. The tub quilts and sheet, I just took my washrag and water to. It did not get rid of all the jam or stickiness. Then I began to look to my shoes. I took the washrag to them inside and out also. Fortunately my clothes were in a place where they did not get any. To add to the excitement, a sailor came down the ladder and hurried across the deck. When he struck the streams of jam, the speed of his feet was so accelerated that he took a seat in the jam. After getting nicely cleaned up I was enjoying a read in the afternoon, lying on my trunks with my head pillowed on my dunnage bag. Suddenly a Chinese standing near called to me shouting "bu hao, bu hao". I jumped up to find my dunnage bag on fire. I tramped it out and thought I was off with only a hole about the size of a dollar. But when I was repacking I found that there was a hole about the size of a dollar. But when I was repacking I found that there was a hole in the tail and two in the sleeve of the shirt I intended to wear off the boat. However we got here with a very good trip barring these few things. We shall have to do some pulling apart of quilts when we get home in order to have them ready for cold weather. Bill and mother were at the wharf to meet me and we are making our plans for the event of Friday. Mr. MacKenzie asked Mrs. Menzies to wire the boat they were on. There is no wire yet. But Bill got a wire from Helen from Yokohama saying "agreeable" to the plans he had sent, which were based on their leaving Kobe on the steamer the day after they arrived. We are going on that plan. We are expecting that the wedding will be on Friday afternoon and we shall go aboard our boat that evening for Tsintao. If we don't there is no direct boat for another week. Love from all, Dad -------------------------------------- Tsinan, Cheeloo October 1, 1930 Dear Mo Well, Bill is married & we are home again. I have been away since July 9. It seems like a very long time. But when we failed to get into Tsinan the end of Sept & it meant a boat journey it was cheaper for me to remain in the North & board than come home. I went to Peking for two weeks, had teeth attended to. Bill was there with me part of the time & then we came to Tientsin to wait till Helen arrived. We had three weeks of it. Bill studied all the time & kept hard at work. He is being allowed to enter second year when he goes to Peking so has done very well since coming to Tsinan last May. Now to begin when Rob arrived on Sept 20th. Bill preached twice Sunday Sept 21, Tuesday 23rd or early 24th, the bride was elected to arrive. Invitations could not be sent out until a cable sent from Yokohama on 20th arrived. Bill had them written & ready to mail & when that word arrived they were sent out. The original idea was a very quiet affair with only the members of our Mission in Tientsin & ourselves present. Then came the idea of going to the church instead of at the home of MacKenzies & if going to the church it was better to have a few friends there than an empty church. In all there were twenty-eight people with ourselves & MacKenzies, so really a small affair after all. Much had to be done before the bride arrived. Mrs. MacKenzie & I had to get hats when we must go to church. We also ordered the cake & gave the full order to a confectionery. A cake with whipped cream & sandwiches were made in Mackenzie's house but other cakes, candy, etc. were ordered from the man who made the cake. There was a large mock bottom trimmed the same as the cake with roses & fern leaves. Then three layers each set on pillars of flowered icing, with a pretty basket of flowers on top layer. It looked very pretty set on a little square table in the living room where we had the tea. The toasts were drunk with punch provided by the same confectioner. On the way from Japan the party met a typhoon & were delayed about twelve hours. They got in late Wednesday 24th & the wedding was 26th. Things moved fast after their arrival. Bill & Helen talked things over that evening & a friend who traveled with her - a nurse of Anglican Mission was to act as bridesmaid. This had been talked about on steamer. Bill went out to a friend early the next morning whom he had decided to ask if such occasion arose & that was soon arranged. The three travelers went out to buy a dress for the bridesmaid. Helen was traveling with Mrs. Menzies as you know. Helen had her hair shampooed & water waved & the dress bought by noon. Helen was in white silk with tight bodice & a pretty had turned off her face pale gray & white. The bridesmaid bought a pretty ashes of roses background with pink roses intertwined with leaves & a chiffon frill around the bottom, coming to four points nearly touching the floor. She had the wais changed to a tight bodice. It was a pretty dress & went nicely with Helen's outfit. She of course had hat to match. The bride's bouquet was the regular trailing kind with ribbons & of carnations pink & white; the bridesmaid's of carnations & asters with pink ribbon. Mrs. Mackenzie, Mrs. Menzies & I all had pink bouquets of pink asters & Dahlias. Of course the usual green was in all of them. They were all pretty & we three matrons were all the same. The church had pink asters with white near the bridal party & palms & ferns. We had very little decorating there. I forgot to say Bill & Helen wished a communion service to follow immediately after the marriage service. Mr. Mackenzie in whose house we were walked up the aisle with the bride & he as elder. Mr. Boyd of our Honan Mission who was in Tientsin assisted at the communion service. Rob did all the marrying. At 2.30 we went to the Consulate: Dad & Bill in one car; Mrs. Menzies the bride & bridesmaids in the other. The service at consulate took about twenty minutes. Mtrs. Menzies & I at the Helen's request signed as witnesses there. Here is a little sidelight. The groom's man was also to have gone to the consulate for the civil service. But about an hour before starting he sent word he had an important operation on - one that must be done at once. He could not go to consulate but would be ready when the car called to go to church. A poor chap with a gangrenous arm had come in & the Dr. removed the arm while we were at the consulate & was ready for the church service. After service there & changing of Helen's passport we women returned to the house. Helen had begun a letter to her Mother the day she arrived & while waiting before time to go to church she added the account of visit to consulate, while some of us put on the finishing touches to the lunch table. Dad & Bill went down for the groomsman & brought him up to the church. Dr. Mackenzie arranged the communion table & in the vestry they waited for the party from the house. Then the two cars started for the church; the bride & Mrs. Menzies in the last, which left five minutes after our car. Sharp at 3.30 we entered the church & were shown our seats by the ushers. Some of the guests had arrived & all others were there before the bridal party entered. As her car entered the yard Dad, Bill & the groomsman took their places & shortly after the organ rant out "here comes the bride" & slowly up the aisle then came Helen on Dr. Mackenzie's arm, just behind the bridesmaid, & Bill turned with a smile, took her hand & after she was in place the ceremony went on. Instead of repeating the declaration phrase by phrase after the minister they memorized their part & each repeated it after taking hands. Then the ring was given, & the bridal party took seats in the front. Dad then announced the wish of the bride & groom for the communion & it followed. Mr. Boyd one of the Pastors of our mission & the only one in Tientsin took part & Mr. MacKenzie as elder. So it was really a Missionary (Honan) members acting. Here another little amusing thing. Mr. Boyd was out with only summer clothes & sport suit. He wore Dad's navy suit. Then Dad & MacKenzie had had their suits pressed at same place & in the hurry put on the other's suit. They changed coats in the vestry while waiting for the bride & later - just before we went to boat they made the complete change & we came away with Rob's suit. After the usual toasts, the bride & groom got off. The car was covered with streamers, old tin cans strung on behind. In front was a large white placard, "Freedom lost, a new boss" & behind another "First offence, a life sentence". Confetti flew in all directions. They road out into the country. Bill had bought a little broom that morning. They swept all confetti away, cleaned up the car & went on to the Astor House where a room had been rented. They changed for dinner. Bill got into his dress suit & Helen wore a black chiffon dress. Bill had telephoned in the morning for a room saying their boat did not go out till daylight. After dinner at Astor House a car took them to their boat. They got things put in & came down to call on us about 10 o'clock. The two boats sailed at daylight the next morning. After about five hours sail down the river their boat anchored to load salt. We passed their dock & about a mile further down anchored to load cement. We took rickshaws & called on them. Then in the afternoon they came down to see us. It is horrible in dock loading & it was a nice change for us all. We had an opportunity to talk over the event of day before & it was then they told us about how they managed to clean car. They would have a short run, but would be all Saturday night in the same storm we were. They were heading for Cheefoo & will be there about ten days. Then they return to Tientsin, pack up cake & a few other things which we put away for them, on to Language School. Then life begins in earnest for both of them. We hope they will get down for Christmas. If trains are running they certainly will, but if it is as at present they will not try to come. Bill gave the groomsman a pair of cufflinks, the bridesmaid a pin with two Chinese characters on it meaning “Long Life & Happiness.” She was delighted with it & had never seen one like it before. They had several presents from members of the Mission & from guests present. No duplicates. A beautiful tapestry cushion; a pretty brass tray. The little brass table bell hung on a stork standing on a tortoise. Two tea sets of Rice cloth with embroidery (Japanese) Swatow embroidered luncheon set. I cannot think. Two pictures from here. ON eon silk from the Father of one of boys in college here. The man lives in Changte Honan. Another large picture (both framed) on satin from the Honan club here. They our neighbors here sent twenty dollars. They got two lovely plates with handles, one large for cakes, the other smaller. Also two cut glass candy dishes. Helen got out the picture of Convocation Hall to show us & Bill packed it with the other pictures. What they did not get put away we did in a valise of ours which we left with them. I also got the cake put carefully away till they return. They seemed very natural & happy together. They were put side by side at the table after Helen arrived & had little side chats by themselves sometimes. They did not seem at all embarrassed before the crowd in the house. It was a strenuous time from Wednesday night till we got on our boat Friday. We were tired but happy & glad to have seen the two go off so happy. Saturday night we left the river in a stiff headwind. It continued all night & till noon Sunday when it began to die down a little. I was frightfully sick. Dad also lay in his bunk all day. We ate nothing till Monday morning & I was so weak from straining I could hardly sit up. However we got off boat & a friend met us. I had forgotten he had a car & when he said remain here till I bring the car around I felt as though an angel from heaven was looking after us. When we reached their house I lay down & had a rest till dinner, then again till almost teatime - 4pm. Some friends called & we chatted for a time & took our train about 9pm for Tsinan. My I was thankful to get home & in my own bed again. Yesterday I did little in the way of unpacking - only got out dresses but today am getting around better. I fear these letters will not be as bright as they would have been were I feeling better. Tomorrow I think I shall be OK but wish to get letters off to catch the C.P.RT. steamer on 5th if possible. Dad is awfully busy trying to catch up back work. Mo, we did enjoy your letter of Aug 22. It told of so many of the boys & what they were at. Hope you are staying on. Ere this reaches you; you will have the letter with Dr. McClure's gift. Pretty nice thing to do. Mrs. Menzies told us about Isobel's wedding but Aunt Jessie had already written very fully. Gordon Brown has taken up a practice in Holstein for a year. Then will decide what they will do. Szechuan are still pressing them to go there even after their appointment to Honan. Now must say adieu for this time. Bill & Helen will send a piece of cake to Jay to be distributed by her to our friends. It was a nice wedding - not over stylish - I suppose Mrs. Menzies would think it tame after Isobel's. Much love. We shall wait anxiously for word from you re: permanent appointment. With much love, Mother Jennie H. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo University, Tsinan October 12, 1930 Dear Folks Apart from Aunt Jessie's letter of the 4th Sept, there is no mail in since our last letters written so that we may count that there are no replies to be made. Just after we came home there was a cold spell and then it got hot again. The last couple of days have been cooling down and we shall have to be preparing for frost soon. Friday we had a howling hurricane, just like a spring dust storm. It was hard on gardens. The day before I had been doing some transplanting of things we wanted in the house. They were in the shade at the back of the house. The night's wind made havoc of them, especially two little poinsettias. We have just passed over Independence Day so that we had a holiday on Friday. Thursday we had the college sports and so had no classes. Can you tell the difference between that and a holiday? I did not attend the sports except during some of the prize giving. I took advantage of the time to work in the garden. The Science led with 80 points, followed by medicine with 43, and Arts with 22. One man in science was responsible for 25 of their points, taking five firsts. There was not a large crowd. You cannot expect much of a meet from less than three hundred people. We hve had our bikes put into shape again and have had a couple of rides but the muscles are still somewhat flabby. There will be more riding when the garden does not take up one's time for exercise. Both of us have worked hard this year at that and it has been a great joy both to ourselves and to people passing. Vegetables have not been much of a success. The autumn is a time for various receptions and meeting at the beginning of the term. We were away for most of these but have been at two teas. The first one was over at the Presbyterian mission in the east suburb, to welcome back Dr. and Mrs. Johnson, some of their senior missionaries. Dr. Johnson was associated with Dr. Neal in the first start of the medical education here. They told us that when they were in Portland, Oregon, they met someone who spoke quite familiarly of us and our children by name. It was someone of the name of Johnson. We could not think at the time of who it might be but later thought of Kay Johnson. Mrs. J. said later that Kay was her name. How small is the world. The second tea was as a farewell to Miss Walter. She is a crippled lady who during the past year has been the vice-president’s secretary during the absence of the regular secretary on furlough. She is going to take up work in the hospital at Tehchow with Dr. Tucker. This week I was due for four mornings at our theological prayers, but the two holidays cut it down to two. I also had the English prayer meeting on Wednesday. I have to take the Arts College prayers on Saturday of this week and today also signed up for service at the leper hospital November 2nd. This morning we went over to the Baptist mission in the south suburb to church. They are having a series of special services led by a Miss Monson, formerly of Nanyan in Honan. She is Norwegian. I understand they have been having quite good meetings. The church was well filled this morning. I saw a good many of our college students there. Monday evening is the first meeting of the literary society for the winter. The program is dramatic readings. On the winter’s course we have one lecture from the consul here, and they are hoping that they may get a lecture from Roy Chapman Andrews, of the central Asiatic exploration party. Our regular work is going on nicely. The commissioner of education, who last year seemed to be in the front of the opponents to the university work, is quite chummy with the dean of arts now. He has spoken at one of the Swen memorial meetings and is writing the title page of the Chinese monthly of the university. I do not know all the inwardness of the change. It is, at any rate, agreeable for the working of the colleges. I do not know whether or not registration will be granted. ---------------------------------------- Tsinan October 28, 1930 Dear Folk Two days late this week but here goes without any explanation. And what is there to say - very little I fear. Dad says he did not tell you about the Literary Society but I think he did. However that is the first event after he wrote. There were three short plays. Here people do not trouble to memorize their part but each has a typewritten copy & reads it. Of course they are familiar with their part from the practices. We had a selection from Quality street from Barrie which was very good & a cute little woman thought she had been very impolite because she thought she was about to be proposed to, had the gown ready, which was shoved into the ottoman while the audience had a good laugh. Then came a selection from "Far from the maddening crowd". The lights went out here & there were candles sent up while the electrician replaced the blown out fuse. The candles were placed in the large brown jugs where their drink was. Then the last "Sham: was great. We all laughed till we were tired at the thief attired in swallow tailed coat tried to prove to the owners of house where he was found that it was to their advantage to be robbed of something valuable, so as to be like their neighbors. The lady of the house did him one better & fooled him on a picture. We all came away feeling we had had a good laugh & though tired, slept well & started the new day with a new energy, which always comes after a little break in the monotony of every day life. I have been over persuaded to take a class in composition. There are eighteen essays every week to go over as well as the class to be taught. I have only promised to keep it till the end of the year & hope I shall be courageous enough to say "no" the next time. The autumn is a busy time getting pickles made, etc. Then too I like to do quite a bit of entertaining before it gets cold or we have the stove in the dining room. It's cheaper for we can get a bigger variety of vegetables & we still have tomatoes, which help out with salad. We have four quarts of green tomato pickles & the cucumbers in salt ready to make up, several pints of jelly & also six bottles of peaches. We can get fresh fruit her a good part of the winter & I think it is healthier - just as cheap as doing up so much fruit so, as the family is small a little goes a long way. We had a lot of strawberries last spring & as we did not need to buy them we have a good supply of jam & fruit in syrup. One Sunday I had four people in for pass supper, & twice had four guests for lunch & tomorrow have another luncheon party. The East suburb people live over two miles from here & I am getting visits with them before it gets cold. We have changed our milkman & now get some cram on our milk, which we enjoy very much. Also we are buying our bread this winter. There is a baker from Shanghai & he makes good bread. We have had th woodwork upstairs all done in white, the brass handles of doors & bureau drawers cleaned & feel quite set up. Last year we did walls & now we have a real clean house & are enjoying it for it is years since we had a reall well tinted & oiled house. Next Monday I entertain the staff of Theology College. We have a monthly gathering as last year, but the Chinese staff is reduced this year & we miss the Chinese friends. Bill Chang has dropped out to begin some mass movement in the English Baptist mission for the illiterate. He will be in again next September. One evening this week we were out to dinner with the German consul & his wife. They both speak English well & are good company. They are back from furlough a few months & left their son & only child in Germany. Then another night there was a meeting of the International Friendship Club. This shows you how cosmopolitan we are in our community. At the literary society meeting there were German, Japanese, American & British consuls present. Rob is just back from his lecture & out in the garden gathering seeds. We have had a lovely garden & the Dahlias are very pretty. Asters were abundant also & now the Chrysanthemums are opening out. Dear Mo: We do enjoy your letters. They brighten our days & give us a better idea of how you are getting along. Hope the life may not be too monotonous for you. Hang on till you get out of debt & have a little with which to start. No matter where one is the everyday affairs get humdrum. It is so in all walks of life & is unavoidable. We are sending your letters on to Bill. That is what we shall do each time. Try & help the boys & girls of the community in sports. Get in touch with something outside of the medical that way. There are so many lines you might take as well as the swimming. Not only the young people but some of the men from other countries & do a little Frontier College work on the side. Glad to hear about those chums of yours in College. Hope the newly married ones are happy. Did you ever run across Miss Christine MacDougal who taught you in Weihwei, the Spring of 1917 before we left for Toronto? She is in Copper Cliff or was working among the foreign women. Then too did you know Gen Bale was engaged to a man in Sudbury? I do not know when they are to be married. I am sure Helen will enjoy the report of your cases. Dad had quite a time asking questions bout the man who had his teeth shoved up when hit a few days before your wrote. If you have not forgotten him let us know how he got along & if you think the lumbar puncture was any help. Keep up the bowling & also the French & German. I have often wished I had kept up my French. One often has a call for it long after one has studied & if you have a good background one can soon freshen up so as to talk. You talk about your trip to Sault and the leaves. There is only one place out here where we ever get a sight of Autumn tinted leaves - about ten miles from here. There is a picnic there this Saturday. We have not decided whether we shall go or not. We go in chairs or walk. I went in a chair last year & Dad too a round about way, but missed the beauty of hill & vale; also a gorge. Tot take two chairs costs about two dollars apiece. Dad might share with some other man, but time will tell whether we go or not. Hope you have a good time with the radio & do not trouble your friend too much. Helen brought out a fine orthophonic & I think Bill will cool down on radio some for one gets so little out here. We have heard twice from them & hope they get down for Christmas. I must close now but before doing so wish to ask you if you know Jay's reasons for leaving Shaws. She has not written she was doing so but Aunt Jessie said she was making a change & going with Miss Holmes. Do you know her? Jay has written about her several times. If in Toronto or you can do so take a run down & see how things are & let us know. Friends are all right but after all when it comes to hard times, illness, etc., it is the relatives we look too & they are the ones to stand by us. "Blood is thicker than water." See how Lottie did for Jay till we got home & gain Aunt Jessie loaned Jay money when she had to go to the HPT. & Aunt Mabel helped you out last June. Laugh at your relatives as you will & so many children who have gone home without parents think they try to manage them too much, nevertheless they have more interest in the girl & boy than mere friends. Now dear boy, adieu. Hope you keep up your writing. Dad is very well able to easily do his work, which this term is not heavy, but I am not doing much & do not know hat is the matter. May have an examination in the Spring if I am not feeling better. Again, love Mother Jennie H. Mitchell Neither Dad, nor Bill have the razor you wrote about & Dad still has trouble with blades. JHM ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo University, Tsinan Nov 9, 1930 Dear Folks Time is slipping around. It is probable that this is the last time I shall address some of you before Christmas. So I send you all the best wishes for a happy Christmas season. I trust that the Spirit of Christ's coming to earth may fill all of your hearts with joy. The papers are full of word of the business depression, and it may be that it will come closer to some of us than we like, and call for increased economy. Of course we always see about us poverty, which we are unable to combat, and perhaps it gets us hardened to hard times. Our salaries have so far been regularly assured and it perhaps inclines us sometimes to forget that they are subscribed by many people who are very seriously affected by the fluctuations of trade, which is far from us. Since we last wrote, Aunt Jessie's letter tells of the visit of Loren and his family to Toronto. It would hve been nice to be there and to see them all. Our work has gone on regularly. In the university things are going along nicely. This time last year we were just in the midst of the troubles in the Arts school, when the president resigned. This term there is quite a large addition in the staff from the Chinese side, and things seem to be going with a swing. The attitude of the commissioner of education has changed very much for the better since lat year and he has spoken at one or two of the meetings in the University. The vice president told us the other day that the prospects for registration seem hopeful. He said that not only did the local authorities seem changed in their attitude, but even the central government seemed to feel that they had gone too far in their attitude of opposition to Christian institutions. Of course that does not mean that our theological school will be registered with the university. That will not be allowed. But, it is likely that our presence on the same campus may not be opposed as formerly. A week ago Friday we were to have a staff reception for the new members. The weather changed cold and wet and it was put off, but was brought on the next afternoon. As there is no heat in the colleges yet, they did not want to have a lot of people starting off the winter with colds they had got at the reception. We had been having beautiful weather throughout October. The last day, searchings of heart came to those who had gardens. Cady said that Stanley had got his tomatoes in. I said that I thought that if the clouds remained we would not have frost. He seemed reassured, but after dark, when he saw the moon appearing, he got out with a lantern and got his tomato plants dug up. The slight frost did not hurt ours, and I transplanted them to the cellar on Saturday, as I did the cauliflower, which was just beginning to head. We were hoping that we would have another couple of weeks with little frost. But Sunday night nipped us and cleared the garden of most things. We have had a week of lovely growing weather since, but that night stopped all growth. We were to have the theological staff in for dinner Monday. AS it would crow our dining room, we hoped to keep the stove out till after that. But Monday morning we got to work and got the stove up before breakfast. It has gone out some in the weeks, but a north wind today warns us that our winter weather is beginning. We had a visitor this week from Toronto, a nurse, Miss Milne, who is making a tour about the world. She got a wrong train, which brought her to Tsinan. She stayed with the nurses but as they had not an extra bed, she slept here. She is really Scotch. She is making her way round the world by taking work in various places for a time, traveling third class, etc. Her people belong to the Presbyterian Church in Toronto. One day last week we took quite a long ride about the city. It was the firs time that we had gone by the northeast of it. We shall have to try sometime to get a ride out the east river. This is a great place for water, with a river starting in the east suburb, and another one starting in the west suburb, and a lake inside the city. We were delighted to get your fine letters of Oct. 7 and 11. Say, couldn't you infect Jay with some of the letter-writing virus? You mention that she has moved into her new apartment. Other people mention that she has not written to say either that she was talking of making a change, or that she had made one, nor where we might address a letter to her. It cuts a parent somewhat when he has to ask other people where his children may be addressed, and is not sure whether they will be glad of being asked. We do not know what it is right to do, for I fear that she is not going at any less pace than put her on her back in 1926. I think that mother in her last letter mentioned that Bill and I would be quite pleased with your suggested razors for Xmas. I do not know that she said anything about herself. Of course this letter is too late to hve a reply before that time. She does not know of anything, which she is needing particularly in the wearing line. But a good book, e.g. a biography of some man who has been a leader in some line of work. A series of such biographies opens up to one, new glimpses into various phases of life. I am glad that you are able to get some advance in your languages. It is very probable that you may at some time want to take some work on the continent of Europe in your line. It would be well to have a good working grasp of language, especially German. Are you doing anything in art nowadays? On day Mrs. Lautenschlager was up in our room and asked who the good drawer in our family was. She saw the pencil drawings of the girls that you let us have. You mention the games up there. That is one thing in which you could be helpful to a community such as you are in. You have such ability in that line, and have had such chances of the best training for it. If you could infuse into the young folks of a community the desire for good clean sport- games played honorably, and helpfully, without the professional idea attached to them. If they could get the value of them, and yet find that they are not the only things in life to be looked to. There are the more important duties, which call for the main effort of life, but the sport helps one to prepare for such. Our summer movements seemed to baffle you. It was pretty much the same way with most people out here this past summer. When he left home by one route he did not know whether or not he could return thus or how or when. But we are settled down now. The railways are gradually beginning to get into order again. The road is running right through from Tientsin to Pukow now and I hope that there will soon be a through train from Peiping. Even now there would be only a couple of hours wait at Tientsin. We hope that Bill and Helen may comedown to visit us at Xmas. It will be a kind of coming home for Bill and will let Helen see where and how we are living. A week from today Dr. Ernest Struthers is starting on furlough. The family went last spring. Ernest is going by way of the south. He first attends a conference on tropical diseases in Bangkok and then goes on to Calcutta for a course in the same. He will visit our mission in Central India and then on home. I do not know when he will reach Toronto, but is due back here in about a year. Dr. Gordon Struthers is due furlough next year too. I suppose they will be leaving as usual about the beginning of summer. It may be that Bills and will take their house at Peitaiho for the summer. Bill and Helen will have studying to do and will probably go there as soon as the school closes. We will perhaps go for a shorter time, as I do not want to be away from home after the early part of August. Hay fever is bad enough for me here where most of the grass is cut. It is worse up there with all the wild growth. A Dr. McKinley from Sarnia has come out to help them in Honan for two years, so that Gordon can get his furlough. Pearson Struthers is taking McKinley's practice while he is out here. We are awfully short of Drs. in Honan now. Dr. McClure is talking of giving up work here next spring. He will be 75 then. I think that he will go to Szechuen to be near Janet. The dean is very loath to lose him from here. Now I shall have to close off and get to some other work. Love from us both, Your father, Robert A. Mitchell --------------------------------------- November 22, 1930 Dear Folk This will likely reach you all about Christmas. I sincerely wish you as Merry a Christmas as you can make. "Merry is that Merry does," I suppose but I find it very hard to "does". The Christmas spirit can be in the heart I suppose even when not very joyous outwardly. The notice of dates of vacation came around today. Classes start on the 20th of Dec. I have a class on 19, & think it mean that they could not have begun the holidays one day earlier. However we hope Bill & Helen may join us & if so then Christmas will be very happy. While in Peking they can get down easier than when they go into Honan. The trains are funning at present & we hope there will be no more fighting for a time. We would like Helen to see Tsinan & the hospital work there. Of our Mission here there is only Miss Brodie (Nurse) & Dr. McClure. If the two from Language school come then we shall be six. Or we might invite some lonely one to join our group. The Autumn has been lovely & everything goes along smoothly in the campus - no strikes or signs of disobedience. How different from last year. We are still without a President, the work being done by the Vice. But we hope soon to have a president - a Chinese & to have our university registered. But the Theology College will have to be a separate unit. That will not affect dad's work in any way. We have had a man here digging up the garden this week & also had two trees cut down. There is a flowering ash tree and thus pastoral, that was introduced by the Germans. It multiplies very quickly & if not cut out fills the yard. We found very many in the yard when we came & have been taking out a few each year. They have given us enough for lighting fires & now we have plenty for this year. One was in front of the house & now we get in more sun & that is what we need in winter. Our last literary society we had a lecture on "Face". The speaker quoted from the classics & then discussed the different way the Chinese & we looked upon face saving. We being rather blunt & perhaps thinking too little about face while the Chinese made much of it & by so doing often got over a difficulty more easily than we. The two parties shaking hands & parting with smiles, even though inwardly they felt as badly as we under similar circumstances. There is a little orchestra formed of Chinese & Missionaries. They are performing tonight. They are having lots of fun at practices, & it will bring the Chinese in touch with good music. All nationalities in it are getting to know each other better. We have some great mictures in our gatherings here. A few weeks ago we were out to dinner with the German consul & his wife. Both are very nice people & we discussed the present situation in Germany, & also the Labor Party & their work in England. Another evening we were out with Chinese & Russian & Chinese affairs were the subjects for conversation. We had a short service here on Armistice Day. It was held in the little Anglican Chapel. We also sent a good collection to Earl Haig's Fund. I think the English, Scotch & Canadians are more enthusiastic about commemorating this day than Americans. They make a lot of Thanksgiving & always have a service in church. We will attend. We Canadians, eight in number, kept our Canadian Thanksgiving together. There was no service but we hd a good dinner & a jolly time. Dad has been in bed this week for two days. A very bad kind of cold is going the rounds. He took it & it settled in his throat & chest. He was hoarse & as the classrooms are not heated it did not seem wise to go out & teach. The last two days he has had the classes here in the dining room. Our bulbs arrived while he was in bed & today he is getting them put in pots. We already have four Chinese Lilies - a sort of narcissus in water & hope to have them in bloom for Christmas; also two poinsettias, which are in bud. …………………………………. Dear Mo We are terribly upset with the word we have about Jay leaving the Shaws. You mentioned you heard she had moved but she had not written to you, you having heard it in letters from others. Mabel wrote & her letter was indefinite as to why she left only mentioning that rows became more frequent & Jay would like to have more company. The word from Aunt Jessie mentions she is living alone & discusses the dangers a girl is open to, when alone. It also mentions something about Mabel repeating a conversation between Dr. Back & uncle Rob, over the phone. She also mentions Jay being in bed with light "Flu" & mustard three times a day. From this you see we really have nothing - Jay has not written since the letter she sent with Helen Craw. Now one reads between the lines in such indefinite accounts we are apt to think things are worse than they probably are. When we are so far away I wish each one writing would tell the whole affair, every item not thinking someone else has written & given us word about what is happening. So far as the trouble between Lottie & Jay is concerned I feared there would be some such affair arise - too many relations. Nevertheless it makes me feel badly to think of Jay alone in an apartment & ill. If relatives are around they take some care. Her bedroom door can be left open, etc. & she would not feel so alone. Then too, if living in one of those individual apartments & she has young men coming as Jay is likely to have there will be talk. There has always been in that kind of apartment & they are under the constant gaze of the police & every little while we read of a raid having been made on them. Now if Jay must live away from Shaws, could she not live in a boarding house with others, or get some girlfriend to go in with her. Mabel had such a place on Roehampton Ave & it was OK for a woman of her age. But there was a time when she lived in such a place as I have mentioned & he friends all got her out as soon as we could & soon after the papers carried accounts of doings, which made her glad she was away. I am not casting any reflection on the place at Roehampton. The place referred to was downtown & long ago, 1917 or18. She is in one of apartments for one person alone. I refer to this so will see we have some grounds for fearing gossip about our dear girl. Jay is hard to do anything with but you are nearer her age. Possibly she will listen to you. Give her some advice & tell her how troubled we are about her. She writes so seldom we never know how she is unless from letters others write. I feel she might let us have a couple of hours every two weeks & give us a letter. When writing the last time Dad did not know where to send her letter - just think of that. He sent it to the office on Bloor because he was ashamed to have a letter go to Shaws & they know she had not written. Canadian mail came in this week. There was none from her. She is out with Shaws. Aunt Jessie & she are so different in outlook & age I feel we cannot expect helpful contact there. To whom can we write? I have gone through all the list of our friends & Jay's - for we have been troubled for some time & ruled out all unless Kate Jordan. What would you think of her trying to get Jay to remain home more? She just goes all the time if living alone, having company, doing her own little bit of work. How long will she be able to keep out of bed at that rate. Dad is fairly well, but were I not here to look after his getting well-prepared food & caring for him in many ways I do not know how he would be. I do not see how I can very well leave him & go to Jay. Would it help any if I did? There is one woman here who might take Dad in but at present she is on furlough & will not be back for more than a year. We are terribly troubled & hope you can get down at Christmas or soon after receiving this & have a chat with her. Also, write us fully about affairs & how Back got in on this thing & to what extent. One thing wrong with Jay is, I think, she would like her own home. But any girl who goes as she does, dresses as she does, & lives the butterfly life, cannot expect men will ask her to help them make a home. They want someone more steady. She is always going out with young men but now one & then another. The she seems so afraid of anything eligious, even is unwilling to let people know she is the daughter of a Missionary. She used to take some interest in the better things & knows what is right, but seems not to want to be right. All this conflict in her own heart makes her unhappy & in order to drown her dissatisfied feelings she must have excitement. A life lived selfishly & for one's pleasure is never a happy one. Quite a sermon this. I usually avoid preaching, especially in letters but I feel desperate about Jay. She wants to marry money instead of beginning & two together building up a home. I forgot to tell you about the tearing down of part of the city wall around the most frequently used gates. There are so many motors in the city; they must have roads & wide gates. The wall is about fifty feet thick at the west gate. Then as you perhaps remember there is a circular place around the outer gate & a second wall & gate. Both of these are being torn down. The outside walls are of brick & all this intervening space is filled with earth, over forty feet wide & twenty feet or more high. There was a little landslide the other day & five men were buried. Three were taken out but one had broken arms & the other two I did not hear whether they were recovered later or not. One of the smaller gates has been removed & four big lights (electric) hang on the wall. What an awful piece of work the building of such walls must have been. Then there are cities with thicker walls than these here. It is about eight miles or more around the city. As it is at present the traffic passing though these gates - fifty feet wide, is terrible. We often ride through & it keeps one busy to avoid Rickshaws, carts, bikes & as well autos. It takes some nerve & I was riding some time before I tried it. Sometimes I gt through without getting off & then other times some old man or woman sands still & looks around. They never listen to the bell & then I have to get off, or if they come quickly I get knocked off. This week a man whom I had just passed decided to move more to the north, struck my back wheel softly; I did not see him & of course did not slow up. Consequently I fell against the corner of a building or better brushed it & onto two men sitting at the riverbank mending shoes. I grabbed one man by the shoulder. He did not know what this foreign woman was after him for & looked up amazed. He soon saw, laughed & we passed on. Dad was just behind me. Dr. Struthers started home this week. We were going to see him off at station. He was told there was no train, then there was. However he got off the day he planned. He goes first to a medical meeting in Bangkok. It is tropical diseases of the east that are being discussed. Dr. S. has been especially successful with Cala Azar cases. He will likely take part in the discussion on that & dysentery. He then goes on to Calcutta for two months to study tropical diseased there. Then by Karachi, Palestine & some of the Southern places in Europe. He has an invitation to visit in Germany at a big manufacturing plant where he buys medicines; then England & home. In the autumn before returning he will go to London for a couple of months to the tropical school (medical). He has been there twice before. His family went home in May & are living on Dearborne in Toronto. It would be nice if you could meet him when he is in Toronto. Dr. Armstrong would give you his address & I am sure you would enjoy hearing of medical work in other parts. Now I must close for I have other letters to get off. Now dear boy let us hear from you as frequently as you can. We do enjoy your letters & can send them on to Bill. I know you cannot carry all our burdens re: Jay, & yet if you would try a little advice & especially when you have word of her, let us have it all. It is less worrying if one knows all. Much love & both of us wish you a jolly Christmas. I enclose a check & with it goes our best wishes for a very Merry Christmas. We will not send Jay's this time as we must register the letter & cannot tell where to address the letter. Much love I have just read this letter to Dad. He thinks I should say we infer from letters we received that Jay is in an apartment by herself though letters do not say so. Neither do they say she is with any person. Again, much love Mother Jennie H. Mitchell Are you still running a D.A. at Eaton's? I think exchange is charged on these cheques away from the city. R.A.M. --------------------------------------- Cheeloo December 21, 1930 Dear Folk Here we are right up against another Christmas. Before this reaches you Christmas will be over & we will also be into a new year. Hope your Christmas has been a pleasant one & that the New Year may mean more to you all than any other year. First Bill & Helen are with us. They came on 19th. We are of course enjoying having them with us. We have had lovely weather thus far, but the day before they came it turned cold & cloudy. We thought we were in for snow but it has not come yet. But it has been cold. However this AM the clouds are dispersing & now & again we see the sun making efforts to get out from under the clouds. Hope it succeeds for a sun shining makes a big difference in the temperature in China where we do not have a very low temperature. Last night some of the friends here & from the business quarter gave a play with selections from Peter Pan. It was given with the idea of doing it for the children of Missionary school. But all adults were invited. The Medical Hall was well filled. There was some fine acting for amateurs. It lasted about 1 1/2 hours. Helen & Bill met most of the friends whom they had not seen before. Of course Bill knew them all. A young couple just out from home are staying with friends here for Christmas & then go on to Language school. They are with an old friend of mine who brought them up to be introduced to Bill & Helen. It was amusing to see the two women start for each other. They had met in Toronto & New York in Student work. It was a happy meeting & of course some teas & dinners will come off in the near future. It will also be nice for them when they return to Language school. Bill & Dad are off to Chinese service. Helen & I are writing. A big crew of children of Missionaries came down on same train with them & the S.S. superintendent has asked Bill to take these outsiders in a class at S.S. time. Then at 5pm we have our English service. We have not taken Helen around the HPT yet. They had not slept much & were very tired. However I had some of Drs. in to tea Friday & she will get around in a day or two. Bill will spend part of his time at radio & will be off with the Physics man helping him with some extra work down there. We have been uptown a couple of times the last few days. We buy our bread & we go up for it mostly. Then our cook was ill & it was up to us to get supplies in for the man taking his place could not do it as well. We have been out in the country twice, but I do not seem able to ride as well as last year. It tires me so much. Our Christmas cards we got off but a little late & we have cards on hand from some from Canada before we got ours off to them. Then I was quite busy getting ready for "the children" as we call Bill & Helen. We had a real chouse cleaning so that we could get along with less fuss while they were here. Christmas mincemeat & other provision had to be made for Christmas. Christmas day we have Dr. macClure & Miss Brodie for lunch. I am having duck. In the evening we all go to the British Consulate for dinner. On New Year's we six & the Lautenschlagers have our dinner together. The latter are Canadians & expect a Miss Margaret Reider from Toronto with them. This guest is a friend of Evyline Craw & is in Japan this year looking into some special Young Peoples work. Bill & Helen will return Jan 2nd or 5th at latest - Date not settled & there are not trains every day. There have been two visitors here lately; one a Mr. Tawny. He is a very noted economist (British). He has written several books & is out here to see & study conditions. He gave a lecture one night & warned China against making the mistake Britain did during her industrializing age. He advised public control of electricity, coal, transport & banks. He thinks China's industrialization will likely take place rapidly & that she should learn from the mistakes other nations have made and he mentioned several thing to be avoided now & then have less unemployment than England. Then we had Dr. Butterfield & his wife visiting China on the Rural Education work. He was in Honan in 1922 & we entertained him. This time he was with Stanley's & the Theology Faculty gave a supper one evening. Another day a tea for the whole staff of University & I was on tea committee & had a little extra work, but enjoyed it. Our Literary Society had a musical evening last meeting. Mr. Hunter gave a talk on some of the great composers & a young man at the Asiatic Petroleum Co. has a very fine Electrola with records of several good composers & it was grand. We had to go out of the compound & were late getting home but we all enjoyed it very much. We have several parcels from home - Shaws for one. None have been opened as we decided to open parcels Christmas morning. Christmas is a busy time for each department has their special entertainment & one must not slight any if possible. Choral singing occurs several times through the week, as well as Dickens Christmas Carol given by the Chinese - and of course, the Christmas services. Dear Mo We were glad to have your letter of Nov 23. Glad also your knee was well enough for you to play football. You seem to begetting some things to keep your hand in. Hope you may be able to keep on till you reduce your debt & are in a position to start easily for yourself if that is what you want later. Bill was telling what you wrote them about not marrying for a time unless you found someone with enough money to help along with your career. Well Bill & Dad were about the thirty before they took the plunge so you have a little time yet. Dr. MacClure was interested in the case of fractured skull. He does a lot of brain work here. Not so much surgery as medical. Glad you are where you can attend medical conventions. There has been a Dr. Tolimie from U.S.A. I think John Hopkins visiting here. He was three months in Rockefeller Peking. He is going to the larger HPTS giving Med. talks with Drs. & at some HPTs doing exhibition operations. The Drs. here all have a very helpful time with him. Thanks for books you mentioned sending. Am sure we shall enjoy them all. There are parcels here from Mabel, Lottie & Van but none have been opened yet. We shall open them after breakfast Christmas morning. It is nice to have Bill & Helen with us. Sometimes I wish you & Jay were here as well & then it would be a happy family. It was only this mail that Aunt Mabel mentioned Jay was with the Holmes. Had I known she had not gone off with entire strangers I would have had several more hours sleep than I had in October. I knew she was talking of going with them but when all letters mentioned Jay going off & no mention of Holmes I concluded it could not be with them, or someone would have mentioned their name. Now Mo I know you cannot carry your own load & Jay's as well but I wish you could get her to write more frequently. The last letter we had from her was the one sent with Helen in Sept. She has never written anything about leaving Shaws & we know not her address. The last three letters we have sent to Manufacturers Life. You put too much postage on your letters. There has been a change & you need only put on five cents. Because of fall in silver we pay more & you less. The two amounts are about the same as it is at present. We have a number of things going on at present in the campus carol singing & each department must have their little entertainment. Of course we do not all go to everything going on but we must go to some or possibly they think we are not interested in what they are giving. Now I must say adieu for this time. The next letter will give you an account of Christmas & New Year's & Bill & Helen will have left us when Dad writes. They get back to work or leave here Jan 2. Bill is not reading much & no studying. It is the first holiday for years he says & I think he feels he will be the better of it. Helen says he seems well but sometimes is very white & tires easily. I think the two yeas in India were hard on him. it was a bad time to go to the East & he began work right at once & worked right through hot weather. I think he is better than in May when he arrived. The study is less of a strain than the lecturing. All send heaps of love & Best Wishes for a happy New Year in your work. Lovingly, Mother Jennie H. Mitchell December 24 Well Mo, we got a letter from Jay enclosed in her picture. At first I did not care for it. She looked somuch older but the more I look at it the better I like it. Helen said it was like her. I suppose I keep thinking of her as our little girlie & forget as the months go by she is growing older like ourselves. I remarked at breakfast that I supposed I must look upon her as a mature & full-grown woman. Bill said, "Yes & not worry about her". I cannot promise that for as long as our children are on the earth with us & liable to suffering, sorrow & disappointments mothers cannot but sympathize & worry. Jay tells a little about the apartment & now we have her address. I do not blame anyone for not mentioning that Jay was with the Holms for I suppose our letters make you wonder & think when we only give parts of a story about things out here. But had we known she was with them I would not have worried so much as Jay had written that she might go with Madge when she was through her course. I feared she was off with strangers. Then Aunt Jessie mentioned going to see Jay when she was sick & telephoning & "the woman who answered the phone" etc. So we concluded it was not the Holmes. We carry Jay's picture around with us; in the dining room when we eat, sitting room & upstairs last night with us. When we get it framed or have it longer we will be more sensible I suppose. We cannot get it framed here so must wait till we go to Tientsin. Mo you are artistic. Give us suggestions as to how to frame it. Shall we take the small inner mat or frame the whole card white part & all. Then what color of frame would you suggest, steel or silvery color, brown, grey, etc. How wide a frame. Let us have your advice for it must be framed out here where we have such strong suns & so much dust & dampness. Now, adieu again. Much, much love from all of us. Mother Do no put so much on your letters. 5 cts is enough at present.