Cheeloo January 7, 1933 Dear Mo Dad stopped in the last letter with the Christmas celebrations I believe. Well not much has happened since then. There is always a calm after Christmas & we all needed it. There is so much going on in an Institution like this. I had the Menzies family up for dinner one day between Christmas & New Years. It was the only way I could get a little visit in with them. I only saw Gilchrist Struthers twice during his visit home & both times he was in bed. Poor lad he was only out twice. He was not very sick but had to observe the quarantine rules for measles. However he had to keep in for a few days after his arrival as he ran a temperature & his Father was afraid of bronco-pneumonia. Menzies two & he left here on a 10pm train for Ching Tao. They would get aboard their steamer the next morning most likely going straight from the train to the boat. New Year's day was quiet with us. We were at home alone all day & it was best as both of us were still suffering from cold - coughing & general malaise. Dad had to go out a couple of times to arrange communion table & try & get church a little warm. We had a union service - several taking part. The person in charge was a Baptist of South Baptist church in U.S.A. Taking part with him was a High Anglican Presbyterian United Church & Methodist. This week of Universal prayer we had quite a mixture of denominations. And one day one of the women of Anglican Church led. Dad has been working for such union among the forces & feels gratified at the way all responded. There has been a very decided break among us the last two years but not among denominational lines but this uniting has shown that there should not be difference as there has been in one denomination & both of leaders members of the same Mission. Both were brought in all these New Year services. I have one more lesson to teach in Theology College before holidays. Dad has two after today. His reading of papers will take him some time but I shall not have much time taken up that way. I have only five students & the writing in English. We are having a cold time for Tsinan. It has lasted since before Christmas. The snow as also remained & the hills around us are still white. It has kept the wheat covered up warm during these cold days. A number are suffering with colds. Many still confined to the house. One boy was unable to return to Tungchow as he had pneumonia. It was a light attack & he is getting along very well. I have had some time getting this cook to make things we like. He is always wanting to go ahead without looking at the cook book & make things from memory. The cookies lack sugar etc. but are eatable. At present I am superintending the making of gingerbread after giving him warning he must stick to the recipe in book. Then too jelly making is a new thing to him. He was with an English woman before coming to me. They do not can fruit nor make jellies or pickles. He has done none of these as he came to us after all fruit was done up. There is a little red fruit here, much like a big haw but very sour & makes fine red jelly. I am having some made & also some of fruit bottled. Chinese New Year comes on Jan 26th & after that this fruit is always much more expensive than at present so we are busy these days at that. My work at foreign school began on January 3rd. On account of illness in school I was unable to give Scripture exam. I gave it on 4th. One of the girls who had failed in my History was scared. When she told me she could not quite understand question three I suggest she finish 4 & 5 & 6. She said, "I do not want to flunk" Evidently her brother & sister from Tungchow have roasted her badly during their holidays here & she is up & awake not to make a second failure. She has taken her supplementary & passed. Her mother told me it is the best thing that has happened to her for she has learned she cannot take things easy & always pass. So I have been some help to her in other ways than just teaching her History. I enjoy coming up against these young lives & seeing the way they meet their problems & the way they look on life. There is a little boy very much struck on one of the girls of the class & it is fun to watch them. This boy has no playmates here but three girls. I think his parents should send him away next year but as they have others at school away from home they may feel they cannot afford doing so. I am due to lead prayer meeting next Wednesday & will be bothered till it is over. I do not like leading here, as there are so many Theology graduates always present in the meeting & I feel they can lead so much better & with less expenditure of energy & nerve. Dr. R. B. McClure lost some instruments. They were stolen one time when he was away. He has had them returned; they were taken by a former coolie who had been dismissed. Just how he got unto how they were kept is at present not being told. But some one learned that he was on the track & they were returned. The suspected & I guess guilty party has been told he must leave the district with his family or he will be handed over to the official. If the latter happens he would likely be beheaded. The reason for sending him off is the desire of all for revenge is dreadful. They stop at nothing & he might in a few months try to harm the person or persons who he thinks gave information. We are very glad they have been restored & hope the people in the district will learn a lesson by this incident. The hospital is out about fifty or sixty dollars for R.R. travel & the replacing of the most urgent instruments when they had no idea of whether these would be returned or not. Dr. R. B. McClure did one of his biggest Mastoid Ops. a few days after the theft using what he had on hand. There is positively nothing to report this week so think I shall stop. May add a little after Sunday. I wonder what you all think of Japan's last move. You will see the same reports that we do. If they come down to the Yellow River where shall we be? We live five miles South of that river. Bill & Helen would come under the jurisdiction of Japan if she takes that far South. We also wonder whether Peitaho will be quiet enough for us next Summer or not. Time will tell & you will hear later. We are still wondering when there will be a letter from Mo. Do try & write. Much love, Mother Lovingly Jennie H. Mitchell PS. Sent different snaps to Jay & Aunt Jessie. ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo University Tsinan, China January 23, 1933 Dear Folks, Mo Winter Vacation! I'm having it though mother is again at work in the foreign school, though her classes in the Institute and the Theological college are at a standstill. My last examination was on the 17th. I have still two or three papers not examined. Most of the students have done well. In the pre-theological work on e of our Honan students has led in my work; in the first year also one of the Honan boys has taken highest on the final, though he may not lead when the term work is added in. Last year he led. My only objection is that he writes too much - - however it is a fairly legible hand. We begin classes again on Feb. 2. We had planned to go to Weishien over next weekend but mother sent word today that she thought we had better stay put where we are in this wintry weather. Weather! We are having it this year. In the last thirteen days we have had six on which the minimum was from 10 down to 0, and only one where the maximum was up to 35. My thermometer may lie some but that means a pretty steady cold for this part of China. Snow came on Dec. 24 and there is still snow on half of the ground. We usually count on keeping pretty warm at home so we think we had better avoid any chance of colds and lumbago to which we have succumbed before. Matrimony! Last week mother went to a shower for one of the girls in the theological college. She left last Saturday to go to Wuchang where she is to be married to one of last summer's graduates. They will make a fine couple, working in the Methodist work in Central China. She came from south Mukden, on the South Manchurian Railway. When the trouble came on last year of course it precluded her from going home in the summer. Now she will be settled in the Central part and will see nothing much of Manchoukuo. We were not at all surprised at Miss Chi's going as we knew the engagement last Summer. But one morning last week another of the girls, one from Peiping, also went off south on a matrimonial journey. She had been talking to the Dean lately about being in financial difficulties and that she would not be able to go on. The night before she left she told Mrs. Yu the dean of women, about going. Mrs. Yu asked her if she had told Dr. Stanley. She said that she had hinted it to him. So now we tell Stanley that he doesn't know how to take a hint. The young man in this case is one who was here for a couple of years, but this year has been studying in Yenching in Peiping. His home is in Foochow. So the South is annexing the North. Our Theological School will soon be as good an agency as the Language school is among missionaries or as Christian Endeavor Societies used to be at home. Ten days ago I was down at the consulate to pay my registration fee. The present consul is a Toronto-born man, though it was really only his home till he was ten years old. I was not particularly favorably impressed with him. Last week the cook was off most of the time with lumbago. He stayed in the house most of the time. On Thursday he came back but said he could not stand it. Toward evening he came back again, all wreathed in smiles, saying" I'm better, all right. I went to the barber and he made me all right." I guess the barber put him through a good osteopath's treatment. At any rate he could bend all right. We were able to go on with the guests who had been invited for lunch on Friday. They were the Keplers from Weihsien, and the Heimbergers to meet them. Mrs. Kepler was up here for medical examination and he was to be our preacher on Sunday. He gave us an earnest sermon on the Principles of a Christian's Life. With much of it most of us would agree, but with his emphasis on preaching for everybody to the exclusion of teach, there would naturally be some people in a university who would not agree. Last Saturday was mother's birthday. We passed it quietly, with no celebration. But a little rhyme came in from one lady who was lying sick with a cold, along with her husband. She had remembered the day. So mother again has to recognize herself as old as I. We are both in our sixty-fifth year. I remember so well when I used to have a strong presentiment that I should never reach sixty. Now sixty seems quite a young age. Dr. McClure is still carrying on here at nearly seventy-seven. He keeps quite well and goes on with his work regularly. He goes downtown for a walk, coming back by rickshaw. There are always lots of rickshaws offering. He offers twenty coppers to come home. If they don't want it he walks on till he comes to a place where twenty coppers looks good to the man. He does not tell us at all what he intends to do though two years ago he was about retiring. I do not know whether or not you have heard from Bill lately and know the latest about Bobbie's operation. Bill seems to have been a bit like you lately - - too busy to write--, but Helen wrote ten days ago that when the council meeting was on "Dr. Bob looked at baby's palate and was very happy at what he saw there. It had healed splendidly -- only one tiny hole occurring in the soft palate about this size O. The posterior has stretched so that the uvula has disappeared (been taken up), but Bob thinks the relations between palate and pharynx are very good. There is still a little gap at the very front but it may close. Bob would like a good dentist's opinion on his teeth next summer; and that the nose be not operated on till he is five or older. Please don't worry. We are very fortunate to have had such a grand result". If Bill has not written you lately this will give you some idea of the present position there. We have not had any word yet of their Council meetings. Mr. Menzies who went from here is not yet back. I suppose that something is seen occasionally in your papers of things out here especially when Japan makes another move forward. One does not know what is going to happen. Of course everyone has had experience of the ultra nationalistic spirit of the Chinese in the past ten years and the tendency to attribute all of their troubles, internal and external, to aggression by foreign powers. But at the same time one cannot understand the attitude of Japan except the obsession that she is the whole thing in this world and will do as she likes despite the opinion of the world. Every new advance she has made seems to have been on the slightest provocation. It would be difficult to prove that the occasions were made by the Japanese but if they were not it certainly looks as she had made up her mind that if a Chinese let off a firecracker in their neighborhood it required them to take a city as reparations for the indignity. No one can predict with any certainty what will happen. If Chinese troops are moved up near the frontier it is an unfriendly act towards Japan. If Japan bombards and takes a Chinese city it is only necessary self-defense. I think that the trains are much delayed on the Pinghan line with troop trains moving. Here the southbound trains are delayed, because of troops moving in the north, but the trains from the south seem to be pretty well on time. Of course the large issues are the more important but the uncertainty has a personal aspect also. We have planned to be at Peitaiho this summer. No one can tell now whether or not it is feasible to go there. The house which we have rented for the summer looks straight cross the water to Chinwangtao, whose lights show up all night, and with a glass one can look beyond and see where the wall comes down to the sea at Shanhaikuan. If hostilities open of course Japan will occupy as far as the Luan River at once, if not Tientsin and Peiping. Our own province may also have a share of their attentions. However, we hope that it will not come to that. You will be about tired reading so much badly spaced typewriting so I shall close off. If you are moving any place when your year is up in April let us know your address so that we can continue sending our fortnightlies. Yours lovingly, Robert A. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo College Feb 5, 1933 Dear Jay This is a lovely mild morning & we are enjoying it for we have had a very cold January. The snow fell the day before Christmas has remained a long time with us. Indeed some of it can still be seen at the North side of the hedges. What is left is very dirty looking but we have enjoyed snow more this winter than for many years. Yesterday mail came in from Empress steamer with letters from Aunts Jessie & Mabel both closed January 6th & 7th; But nothing from either Mo or Jay. From Aunt Jessie's letter we had some word about both but would have enjoyed letters. The papers have not yet come so possibly a letter from either or both may arrive this morning. We have no heard from Bill & Helen directly this week but Mrs. Menzies had a letter from Changte in which it mentioned they were at Wuan attending special meetings & Robert was with Miss Doyle. This is their week to write & likely they will give us account of what happened there when they write also how Robert behaved when they returned. I expect Helen will only be absent a week or ten days at most. These meetings usually last ten days. Mrs. Menzies was over at Council meeting & he says Robert looks very well, rosy & very active. All are pleased with the operation. He will soon be trying to talk. This summer he is to see a specialist (dentist) when in Peiping. This week we had a Mr. & Mrs. Hislip from Tangshan beyond Tientsin here for part of a day. They belong to English Meth. Mission. They were United Meth. but joined with two other churches last September & are now called English Methodists. They were up country to the opening of anew HPT at one of their country stations. He has been out two years but she only came last October. It was her first taste of the Interior. I was prepared to have them longer but there was a language exam to be held in Tientsin & Mrs. H. Had to go along for that. It is interesting to see how these new arrivals reset to the new surroundings. I think she has fitted in well for the time she has been here. He is a very jolly fellow but she seems quiet. However she knew every one was sizing up the kind of wife Hislops had drawn. That makes a person more quiet than when better acquainted. We all knew him very well. I had six people in to 4 O'clock tea & we had a pleasant time. They left a little before six for their train. Then Friday 3rd the Theology staff entertained the other departments to a tea in the College. There were about seventy present. There were three members of the staff to line up. Two new men, one Chinese & one English with their wives & Bill Chang & his wife. He was away for two years & we really invited the friends to have a chat with all three families. Gadys were ill. Lo, the other member of the staff has a sick child. & it meant all the preparations were left to Mrs. Stanley & myself. Lo's were present but she could not take responsibility. It came off very well. I was very tired & went right to bed when I came home & remained there till yesterday at 7am. I am carrying a heavy load this year & must not get overtired or I get knocked out & unable to take classes. We bought three kinds of Chinese cakes (guests were Chinese & foreign). Then we three foreigners (Cady, Stanley, Mitchell) each seat fifty little cakes. I sent cookies. I was able to bring a little home. There was more Chinese stuff left over than foreign. The Chinese quite like our cakes. I think they beat us in the cooking of fish & meats. I took my class in English at Theology College for the first time yesterday. We are reading "The story of the New Testament". It is by Goodspeed of Chicago. It has a short note on each of the books of the New Testament. It gives them training in English and at the same time is adding to their knowledge of what they should know about these books. One of the Honan boys thought it stiff & I remained with him after class to get him started on the right road. Dad was waiting for me at home as we had decided to go out for a bike ride. However he went on with his work for Monday. Just before starting off to church word came to Dad that his boys would not be in for Bible class as other meeting was on. He suggested we go for a ride. I am getting the dinner so the servants can remain till the close of their service. At present I have potatoes & onions on stove. When done I shall make a shepherd pie; put it in the oven & go out with Dad for a short ride. On Monday Jan 31 I went with some friends to a movie - "Wings". It was a war picture with aeroplanes at work. Likely you have seen it. I enjoyed it to some extent though it is sad. Certainly it is a picture that should make people wish to do away with war. Great numbers of the Chinese are seeing it. It looks as though there will be fighting up North but surely such a picture would make people unwilling to encourage fighting. Our Bible study group was organized last week & we have had one meeting. We are studying Isaiah 1-39, leaving out the oracles to foreign nations. I have the lesson with most reading to do. They asked me to make out the programme of study but the meetings are not in our house & I have no responsibility except the day I lead. Last year twice people were unable to take their lesson & I had to fill in one day on three-hour notice and I had a lesson to teach as well. We are having the young people who were married here last Spring in to lunch tomorrow. They are up to attend the musical tomorrow. Dr. McCandless, whom we heard at Peitaho last summer, gives the whole programme with his wife as accompanist. He keeps up his practice, which is not easy to do in China while the head of a HPT. Schweitzer of Africa does his piano work but I think he gets out to big centres more frequently than one can in China. Then too the voice is affected with the dust out here. However they have thus far kept up their musical interest & practice. They were on their way to Tientsin & Peiping to give entertainment. Dad goes every Sunday at 2:30pm with some of the theology students to the museum where they meet outsiders, talk with them & also hold a service. Dad & one of the Chinese professors are in charge & in this way are helping the students to meet outsiders, get points of contact & learn how to talk with them of the Gospel story. Feb 9. I am sorry this has been lying around so long but this has been a hectic week. So many extras. But the worst is over & the remainder of the wek will have only the ordinary duties. We would like to have a note from you Mo & a copy of MacLeans has come. We have enjoyed it & I think it must be from you - A Christmas present. Thanks. Dad is not very well this pm. Just suddenly he has taken dizzy spells & has a terrifically fast pulse. I am trying to persuade him to remain in bed. He has remained an hour longer than the usual pm rest but I think will get up shortly as he wants to have an hour with his writer. He has been very well, but takes cold easily. He works hard for a man of his age but there seems nothing else to do with a depleted staff. But we have both learned how to rest & after we have had a strenuous time like the last three days we go to bed early for a couple of nights & linger as long as we can in morning & after dinner rest. We are both well. Hope your boil cleared up. I heard Dad up & he will soon be off to Theology Building. Much love from both of us. Lovingly, Mother Jennie H. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo University Tsinan, China February 20, 1933 Dear Folks, Mo. I am a couple of days behind and in beginning to write this week. Sunday was a pretty full day. Beside the morning Chinese service and the afternoon English service I had my work at the Institute in the afternoon and then in the evening we had all of the theological students in Dr. Struthers comer over with a lantern and showed us pictures of his trip home by way of Siam, Burmah, India, Arabia and Palestine. Work has gone on with us about as usual. There are ups and downs with colds etc., but we have not hd to miss any classes on that account. There has been a good deal of sickness among the folks in the foreign school, so that some extra work has come on mother. In this regard we have been much better off than some people. The Tungchow foreign school has had a very hard time. While Billy Stanley was home he had pneumonia. When they went back to school after Christmas the Tucker lad developed measles. It took every pupil in the school who had not had measles before so that there were 35 of them sick out of seventy. It was a particularly virulent type so far as complications were concerned. Louise Heimberger had to be brought home and Bobbie was very sick. Harriet Cady was brought home on Monday but Billy will still probably be in hospital for a time after mastoid operation. Cady came home with his sick girl to find that both Mrs. Cady and Eugene had been in bed sick up to that day. That household does have a time of it. Our weather has been milder for a time but only one day yet has touched 50, while our morning temperatures are still about 20. A couple of warmish days made us begin to think of gardens. We have begun again to ride, having been down to the settlement a couple of times to the east suburb once, and in the country a couple of times. We have not taken enough exercise this winter. Hockey has been the men's game for the winter. It is a bit strenuous for my age and I did not care to invest in a stick for goalkeeping only. A number of people have been hurt more or less and Dr. Lair last Wednesday got a knock on the mouth, which loosened up some teeth and cracked the upper jawbone. Two weeks ago we had a rich treat in the way of a musical recital by Dr. McCandless. It was on the Monday night. It seems that the McCandless's arrived on Saturday and the American Presbyterians had a tea for them that afternoon. They talked of his singing at Church on Sunday and he was quite prepared to do so. But no one ever notified me and the first we knew that he was here was hearing his voice behind us in the church service. He was on his way to give concerts in Peiping and Tientsin and took us in on the way. Mr. Menzies, being a new man, and dealing with a new subject, hjas been kept pretty busy speaking at various places. A week ago he had the English service in the church and last Sunday he had the Chinese. This is the first time he has appeared in those capacities. For the English service I had not warned him that the people were somewhat particular as to time. He was much too long and spoiled it in that way. I was myself nursing a cold at home. I had gone in the morning to preach at the leper hospital. The weather was warm and I thought that it would be all right to go on with my ordinary Sunday work. But when I got speaking in the chapel with no fire, I began to realize how cold the Institute would be in the afternoon so that I could likely get another chill. So I went under the quilts in place. The cold is pretty well cleared up now. A little while ago when I was looking for a letter from Bill to answer I ran across a letter of yours dated Jan. 8, 1932 in which you say that you would like to repay the $625 of your note to me on leaving Sudbury. In response to that I wrote you on March 6, 1932 sending your note for $625 payable on demand. With it I sent a draft on to Dr. Laird for $431.04. I asked you to buy with these two sums a $1,000 bond either Dominion or Ontario in mother's name, Mrs. Jennie Hill Mitchell, and to deposit the bond with Dr. Laird for safe keeping with mother's papers. If there was any balance form the purchase you were to deposit it in my account with the National Trust Company. Your letter of April 12, 1932 from Toronto ends up with the words, "Dad's letter with cheque came in. I have not done anything more than deposit it yet as I have not wound up affairs at Copper Cliff. I shall attend to it, however, in the near future." Do you realize that that is the last letter I have received from you? I am quite in the dark as to whether you complied with my request or not. I have had no word from Dr. Laird acknowledging receipt of bond for deposit, which is customary, when there is a deposit. Do you think that you have treated mother and me quite fairly in this matter! While $1,000 might not mean much to some people yet to people in our position to have that sum at loose ends so that one does not know where it is is no slight matter. I have not wanted to write to Dr. Laird about it for fear of seeming to hint that you had been very un-businesslike in the matter that I do not want to say to outsiders. I think that I already lat autumn mentioned the matter and asked you especially to reply to that letter so that we would know. I did not press for you to pay your note but only at your own suggestion that you wanted to pay it sent it on to you in the expectation that the matter would be promptly attended to. At the time I said "If your further preparation involves you in a need later and we are able to be of help to you do not hesitate to speak of it and we see whether or not we can help you. I am very glad that in such a short time you have been able to get from under the incubus of debt." You said that you had not yet straightened up at Copper Cliff. I do not know whether or not you found that when you did straighten up you were not in position to pay the note. If so I should not have pressed for the payment. But surely the receiving of the note and of the draft for $431.04 call for more accounting for than to say that you have deposited it and you will attend to it in the near future. My dear boy, come out straight with it and tell us what you did for we want to get our accounts straightened up. Now I must away to a class. Good-bye for the present hoping to have an early letter from you. Some one is sending us the McLean's Magazine this year. Is it you? With love from us both Robert A. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo March 6, 1933 Dear Mo Since the last letters were written we have had letters from Aunt Lottie & Mabel. Also a Christmas card from MacLean's to say Dr. R.M. Mitchell was to send us that magazine for a year as a Christmas present & wishing us a Merry Christmas. We had rather thought that was the person to whom we should say "Thank you" but it was nice to have the word from the office & their big card. We also enjoyed the snap of Jay & Mo at the Port Carling. Both look well. A week ago I had three women in for lunch. They were visiting Mrs. Stanley. I should have said one. I invited Mrs. S. & she & then another guest came along & Mrs. S. asked if she could bring her along. Of course it was all right & we had a pleasant visit. Then one Sunday night we had Mr. J.M. Menzies for supper while he was along. Mrs. Menzies was in Peiping visiting the dentist. Another night dr. McClure was with us & we had a quiet chat. Last night we had Dr. & Mrs. Mosse for supper. They are leaving for England shortly on furlough. Mrs. M. is an American. They expect to be away a year but ten months in homelands, six months in London with his mother & five months in Minneapolis with her parents. Dr. Mosse's father was an Anglican clergyman associated with St. Paul's London. He was killed in one of air raids during the war. He was sitting at his desk preparing for a meeting to which he was to go in a couple of hours. March 8. I did not get far on 6th. Last night the Theology College staff had their monthly supper with one of the Chinese friends. We had over two miles to go & some of us got the car. It is fearfully cold the last few days. We are back into Jan weather. We had a very simple Chinese meal & I think I shall get away with it OK. Often I am used up after, but last night there was no urging to eat & no food put on one's plate as often done. I was thus able to choose what I ate & the quantity. Our cook is off this week helping at home where there is a wedding. He will be gone five days. Fortunately we are invited out two nights & that will make less work for the boy & "yours truly". If it keeps cold like this I shall be compelled to let the boy do what he can for kitchen is too cold. Our stove does not heat the kitchen. Too many bricks about it & heat does not radiate. We are wondering what the summer will have for us. Most of the friends here are taking houses at Chingtao - East of us. They are afraid no one can go to Peitaho. Thus far we have made no other plans than to go North. It looks as though the fighting up North would all be over before that time. Of course it is uncertain which country will be in control. We had a letter from the treasurer at Chikungahan saying they expect to occupy that mountain this summer. I wish we could sell for there is little chance of our going there from Tsinan. It is a very difficult journey with three changes. Some members of the missions who live in that district might buy. We hope when affairs settle they may for we would like to get something for the house. Miss Brodie, our nurse, is ill. It has not yet been decided what is the trouble. Some think Scarlet but Dr. Struthers does not. They may have made a diagnosis yesterday but I have not heard. I shall go over to see after my 10:30 class. I go inside the door & talk with her. We have no children here & both of us have had scarlet. She is not a bit sick & I think the consensus of opinion is a skin rash. She may have gotten it from some wieners she & a couple of others ate. The two others had indigestion & diarrhea so the wieners may be the cause. Time will tell. I forgot to tell you Dad had his wheel stolen. There were four wheels stolen in the Campus last spring & we have been very careful to lock wheels but lately have been a little careless. Dad went out twice while we were in store to look - both times it was there. We bought about $2 worth of thread etc & came out to find the wheel gone. Dad spoke to the police at once; he took him over to a substation where dad gave a description of the wheel. I came home alone. Sunday as dad was getting ready to go out to Chinese service the police came along for him. The two on bikes - Dad on mine, went off to a Japanese pawnshop & there was the wheel. Tool bag was gone with lock & chain but the bag for carrying stuff & carrier at back were there. The man must have ridden right up to the shop & pawned it. There is no telling but it may have been done by one of their own agencies for lots of shops have persons out picking up wheels we hear. It had been pawned for $7. Dad paid that & forty cents extra for writings etc. We are glad he got it back & with so little expenditure & trouble. It is the first wheel that has been traced. The foreign school has a holiday this week. We have three terms a year & it worked in better with that so we have a week now & only Good Friday later as a holiday. We shall likely close about May 26. I still have my work in two other institutions but it is a rest as the history in Foreign school is my most bothersome lesson. It takes most time & energy. What is going to happen in Peiping in the near future we can only surmise. Likely the women & children of the city will be evacuated. The Japs will want to get at Chang Hsuch Liang & most likely will come inside the wall & to Peiping. You will see by papers. What a condition for Roosevelt to meet at the beginning of his term. We wonder what effect it will have on the money markets out here. What a state th world is in at present. How are we going to get into a more stable situation is a problem for the best of financiers. No wonder the poor people with their few hundreds in the banks get panicky. Thank you Mo for the MacLean. We are enjoying it very much. Dad especially so. Mo could you look after those things Dad asked. Go to Kerr's & inquire about our investment. With U.S.A. as it is & other things we see in papers - one article in MacLean we are quite anxious about our little bit of money. We understand the "Canada Bread" is not paying dividends at present but the money is O.K. & they hope to do so later. We have a little there. But do please make inquiries. I do not know what Dad asked you to do but look at his letter & do as he asked. Any way our money is with Kerr on King. 22King I think. You could see Laird & then we have a little with Trust Co. Also in Eaton's but do not inquire about that. We are most anxious to get word from Kerr. I expect we cannot expect in those hard trying time not to lose some. We are thinking it will mean we cannot retire when we go home in 1935 or 36. But will have to come back for a few years because of reduced salary & other money affairs. Time will tell how we come out of this depression. But do make inquiries for us if you have not already done so. You could also talk with Armstrong as well as Laird. This morning we have just heard Mr. Bruce is dead - typhus. What she will do we do not know yet but she is not one of the best managers in the Mission. We do hope she can make plans, which will mean Agnes can finish her course. Mrs. MacRae has gotten along some way none of us out here now know how. Some one must be helping her financially. It is a hard time for Mrs. Bruce to go home. But the way will open up for her & shall not forget to ask God's guidance for her in this difficult position. Now I must say adieu. Had a letter from Bill yesterday. He is hard at work - too hard I think but he enjoys it. He told us all Helen & he were doing & never said a word about Bobbie. I am going to call him down for such negligence. Much love Mother Jennie H. Mitchell ----------------------------------------- Cheeloo University Tsinan, China April 16, 1933 Dear Folks I think that I am a week behind with this letter. The letter writing urge does not come on me often and I have been busy the last couple of Sundays. On the 2nd I had the communion service in English and last Sunday I had the Chinese service. When I have the hour of my bible class from 11 to 12 and a couple of hours at the Institute in the afternoon to be responsible for one of the other services takes up the time so that I do not get down to letters. Then during the week when classes are over the garden take me at this time of year.. We have had a backwards spring with a good deal of cloudy weather as well as cold with some rain. The effect of the rain on the wheat fields is quite evident and the crops look well. But there have been only a few days when we have not had a fire in the grate. We get a day which gives promise of warmth and it turns cold before night. We had a week's vacation from April 1 to 7. This was following the government regulations for Spring vacation. I had two sets of examination papers to read and the garden to get into shape for planting. So we got our seed beds ready. Not much has come up yet but the asters. Quite a number of people went away during the vacation to Tai Shan or to Confucius' grave or to the Poshan glass works Dr. McClure took a trip to Shanghai. Quite a few people suggested that he did so to escape any celebration of his 77th birthday. He is back now. One evening I was down at the Institute speaking to the Brotherhood on "Home Mission Work in the United Church of Canada". One afternoon we were out to Heerens to an afternoon tea, their 21st anniversary. One evening we were out at a concert arranged by Mrs. Ingle, Old English songs and dances. Another night we were out to the lecture of the Literary Society by Dr. J. S. Ferguson of Peiping, on Our Increasing Knowledge of Chinese Art. It was mostly on bronzes and porcelains with some lantern pictures. The baseball season began with us a week ago. I shall likely take some share in it on the Saturday afternoons. I do not take any part in the hockey during the winter. We are beginning our riding again, though we have not had much time to do any since the weather got suitable. On Friday as we had a holiday we spent the afternoon on a trip to Hwa Shan, about five miles to the north east of this. We did not go early enough to have time to climb the hill, which is an immense mass of boulders. A good deal of the road going out was hard riding, but we found a simpler road coming home. We have had a succession of people leaving here for England via Canada this Spring. First was Dr. Williamson of the Baptist Mission. Then the Cooks of Wutingfu, and then Miss Norton-Smith. I suppose Williamson will be in Canada now and some of you may see him. Thursday evening our Theological school had our usual communion on the night before Good Friday. Yesterday about thirty of us went to Saddle Mountain for the afternoon. It was a blowy dusty day, so that it was not so enjoyable as it would otherwise be. This morning there was a good attendance at the Chinese service. in the afternoon there were also a good many at the Institute. There were only four of us down there and we all took turn at preaching. Now the bell for our English service is about to go, so I had better stop and get ready for service. Dr. Lair is in charge today. Later... We had a very nice service and an excellent and most helpful sermon on "Eternal Life". The decorations were lilacs of two colors, daffodils, forsythia, with palms and feathery ferns. In the evening we went to Stanleys to hear the records of the Messiah; very good. Now we are into the work of a new week, bright sun but cold wind, so that I am wearing an overcoat to write. It makes us think of last year how we were hoping for a good day for Gord Hoffman's wedding on the 20th... and got it... the only good day of the week. We are wondering these days where you are. We heard indirectly that it was difficult for doctors to get into places nowadays. It is hard for all. I trust that you have been able to get arrangements made so that there will be some fairly steady income which will keep things going, even if it is not equal to what you had up at the Cliff.. Please let us know what you are doing and where. Is there any way we can be of help to you? When one is reminded by a passing away like Bruce's that our time is short here, we often wish that we were in closer touch with our dear ones at home. But I suppose that each of us is absorbed in the interests of the immediate surroundings and inclined to have them set aside the distant interests. We shall just have to do our best to live the rest of the time we have for service in a way which will meet the approval of our Blessed Master, whose way was a lonely one. Would that I were more conscious of being day by day more like Him in thought and act. I praise Him for his goodness to me through a fairly long service, which has been only too full of faults and shortcomings. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Good-bye my dear boy. Write us when you can. Your loving father, Robert A. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo April 29, 1933 Dear Morrison The wind is blowing at about 1,000 miles an hour. When exaggerating I might as well do it well. However this wind has been roaring & making a fearful noise for more than twenty-four hours. It gets on one's nerves. Even sleeping comes difficult. It is too warm to close all doors & windows so it is impossible to shut out the noise at night. Tsinan is an awful place to live so for us winds during the Spring are concerning. At Weihwei we had them for March or possibly a few days in April but here they keep on till we get into June. One blessing this year ther is little dust as we have had so much rain. Dad is out with a crowd playing baseball. How they manage I do not know. However they get exercise & more fun than a day they can play a proper game. We are to go out to dinner tonight & after tea shall get our Sat. cleaning done & Dad will need it. I am wearing a new dress tonight. The blue that Jay sent me a couple of summers ago. I had it made up last summer at Peitaho for use this Spring when the entertaining begins. It is nice to have a new dress & not have to put on the ones worn last Sept. & Oct. This last week has been a strenuous one for me but i got through without a headache. I had prayers five days at Foreign school & was the leader at our weekly Bible class. this week promises to be just as strenuous but in a social way. Mrs. Cady & I entertain the Theological staff on Tuesday. A man from Wooster with his wife & a Chinese missionary who can talk Chinese came into town tonight. We are having them to our dinner with the staff. Also their host & hostess. That makes sixteen guests. It is at our house & I shall have all the arranging of tables, etc. Most of furniture will have to be moved out of dining room & I shall put in two tables. This man is a professor in Bible in the University & anxious to meet the Theolog. staff here. We are delighted to have these guests but of course it means extra work. Then we are invited out twice to dinners tea in hor of these guests. These extra with work are pleasant but Dad & I find too much at one time tires us. Well we have had a letter from Jay this week. She is our best correspondent among the family group. Bill used to be. Then Mo took the lead; now it is Jay. Hope Mo will not be so tired & busy now & that we shall have some letters from him. Dad & I went out on bikes about two or three miles South across the hills. When we were at the furthest point from home Dad had a blowout. I came on home to tell his class to wait for him but they thought when he walked home he would be tired so went off. The wheel has been repaired - two new tires, but while these winds keep up there is no pleasure biking. This week a British Baptist Missionary & wife left for home. They have only been back from furlough when they left all four children. She has gone to pieces mentally & is already at the stage where she hears voices. He tried to keep it dark at first & has been under a great strain. About three weeks ago he took a bad heart attack. They are both in such bad condition that a nurse has had to go with them. The strain of living in China these days is hard & several women have gone under. Especially if they have trouble in addition to living in this war ridden country. One never knows what is coming next. Yet we go & do every day's duty with little thought of what is going on. That is the only way to live it out. Take good care of one's health, rest a lot & try & not worry. Trust for each day. Life at home is not smooth these days but in a different way from out here. One often wonders how we are going to get out of the present unhappy times. Dad has returned, tea is over & he is calling me to go & cut his hair. So here is adieu for this time. May 1 I did not get any time for letters yesterday. We did not leave Cadyes Sat. eve till 11pm. That was too much for me & as there is so much going on this week I felt I must rest. I not only remained in for breakfast but as well for lunch. I got a book I have been wanting to read finished. Miss Brodie is all alone & I had her in for tea. Then we all went to church together. Had an address from Dr. Vance who has been in India teaching Bible in one of the schools colleges there. He spoke on India. He has no fault to find with the British rule. He says they are doing the best for India. They are working out plans as problems arise & with the natives. This is the second American who has made similar remarks about British rule in India. One of the Appraisal men who was guest with us spoke highly of what Britain has done but the average AMERICAN KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT AFFAIRS & he pities the poor downtrodden natives. Then when asked about Philippians he quiets down for he knows there have been hard problems there. Dr. Maxwell of Rockfellow Institute Peiping was here giving a week's lectures to Medical students was our preacher a week ago. He gave us a fine sermon. Was inquiring particularly about Helen, Bill, & Robert. We hope to meet them again this summer at P.T.H. We were out after church yesterday 8 to 9 pm for coffee & to visit with the guests referred to above. At noon we are out to lunch. Shall hope to get to bed early so as not to be too tired for tomorrow. I am adding another table to ours and hope to seat the sixteen all at one table. Yellow roses are in bloom. They will be the flowers with blue candles. My flower vase & salt & peppers are blue & gold, so I am glad the yellow roses are out. It is now 12, Dad has returned & we must fix up for lunch, so adieu for the present - more later. Luncheon over & we are back at work. A north wind has come up, which is a great relief for we are cooler. Yesterday & this forenoon has been very very hot. Dad is off to College of Theology & I must soon go to a class. I hear thunder & I think we shall have a shower. We have just had a big dust storm for this Spring & the rain will follow. The windows were all cleaned this morning preparatory to putting on screens. They will not look worth much tomorrow. Iput batting in all the windows in winter to keep out the winds as all the houses have cracks in them. I have not taken it out of South windows.. usually wait till it gets hot & most of dust storms are over. It came out today... Windows of wood cannot be kept in close touch with frames as they expand so much in rainy season & dry out in the long season when it is dry. We were glad to hear through Jay that you had something in view for July 1. Dr. McClure thinks it is a fine thing to go in for, but you may feel different. Write us & tell us how you feel about it & where to address you. I send this letter to Jay. If you can give us any word about our investments Dad wrote bout we would appreciate it very much & now that you are not so busy we are hoping to get some word. Much love, Mother Lovingly, Jennie H. Mitchell Dear Mo. Two weeks ago when Dad wrote he had no idea where to send your letter so it has been lying around. I shall do as I did a month ago and send it to Jay. We would love to have some word from our dear boy. Word directly from him & no go-between. We are glad to hear of your doings from Aunt Jessie, Mabel & Jay, but a letter from you would make us very happy for many hours. Just what line of work are you taking up in Banting Institute? You will soon be going there. We heard you were at Llewellyn Hall for a few days. I hope the two months has not been too trying a time for a rest is due you. You have worked hard & I think would be the better of a little time off. Marnie Lochead has her Malaria back again & Miss McDougal from Honan is coming here for treatment. Dr. Struthers is supposed to be good in that line. These two may have to go home yet. For two years all that can be done in treatment seems to have failed to rid them completely of the bugs which cause the trouble. We were up at 5am this morning June 7 to get Georgie off with a party on a picnic. They will be gone all day. We are having too much entertainment this week for us. But shall have to play up to it I expect & then rest. Next week will be full for Dad with exams, faculty meetings, etc. & preparation for going away. We hope to leave 16th at 6pm. Now adieu dear boy for the present. we keep hoping for a letter some day. Lovingly, Mother Jennie H. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo University Tsinan, China May 21, 1933 Dear Folks, Mo It is again three weeks since a letter went. Last week was my time for writing but it got crowded out. Partly because we were away but also because there are so many things crowding into the daily routine here. Last week we were down to Tsingchow for the weekend, leaving here at Friday noon and arriving back Monday for supper. This is a mission of the English Baptists about four hours round from here on the way to Tsingtao. It is an old station and the compounds show q maturity in the way of trees etc., which we have not in our own garden. This was where a part of the university work began, the theological college being there till 1917 when it was all concentrated here. It's history as a mission station goes back to the time of Timothy Richard about 1877. They at one time had the best middle school in the province, but since the anti-Christian riots of 1929 their middle school has not been reopened. As the Baptist mission has decided to withdraw from the province in ten years, they are not sending in any new missionaries. Several of them have been invalided home lately. So those who are left are somewhat lonely in a depleted work. I spoke on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday morning and evening. That city was one of the centers of the Manchus before the revolution and there are two cities just a short distance apart. As the Manchus all drew an allowance from the government they never found other means of livelihood. After the revolution that allowance was withdrawn and most of the Manchus have been reduced almost to beggar hood. A good deal of the city has been torn down and sold though the wall is standing still. it is a very old city and there is some evidence that there were people there about Abraham's time. After we came back to get into work again we had some things to make up and I haven't yet been able to touch exam papers which were written while we were away. The committee on religious literature has given us some work to do before their meeting in July. Not only do they ask us to have ready the first chapter of all books we are issuing but a synopsis of the whole work. Then too they have apportioned out practically all the theological literature that is in Chinese to all the theological colleges to review. Each of us has to prepare a review of from seven to ten books. That is pretty much to expect a man to do during the last month of the term when in many cases he has never read the books before. Then about this time of year when the weather is just beginning to get nice and is not too hot and gardens are just getting inviting, of course they take some time. There are not such a great many flowers in bloom yet but we do very well with roses, gaillardia, calliopsis, Shasta daisies, sweet William, Anchusa, honeysuckle, columbine, pyrethrum, snapdragon, geraniums, petunias, carnations, and pink. We picked our first strawberries for eating on the 17th. On Thursday evening we had some guests in for supper, the Shields and Lairs, along with Mrs. Scoville who is at Shields. The latter is the mother of Dr. Scoville of Tsining. When the boy came in with some strawberries, their eyes opened. I think that some of them would be almost four inches in diameter. Shields remarked that it was odd to serve up strawberries like baseballs, and then light the fire in the grate. We had changed from an ice cream desert on account of the coolness. We have been living more or less in disorder for the last week for all the floors but the dining room and our north bedroom have been oiled. We shall let the man at these two rooms sometime this week as we are back on the fresh ones. The floors have been in bad condition for some time and the station decided they ought to be oiled for the sake of the wood. I have just got back from service. The preacher was Adjutant Welbourn of the Salvation Army. They arrived here only two weeks ago. They are just back from furlough which they spent in Toronto. Both are Canadians and Mrs. Welbourn is a cousin of McAmmond of Szechuan. He is a young man just from first furlough and was a bit nervous preaching but gave us a very helpful message on the way of the cross. I expect that he was not used to preaching in a university church but he won't be so nervous next time. The late incumbent here was due to preach today and that is how Welbourn got in so early to take his place. I expect that you folks are all wondering about the fighting and conditions generally in the country. We can ot say much as we are dependent on the daily papers. This week all the children from here who were at the American School in Tungchow (ten miles east of Peiping) came home, except the senior class which was taken to Peiping to give them an opportunity to graduate. Folks were afraid that it the Japanese continued to advance the Tungchow folks would be cut off from Peiping. Today's paper said there seemed to have been some plot for plainclothesmen from the Japanese concession in Tientsin to seize the native city there a couple of days ago, like last winter when there was a very acute time. At the present time the Japanese and Manchoukwo troops are at Tangshan where the largest coal mines of north China are, which supply coal for Shanghai, and own the docks at Chinwantao. These mines are largely British owned. That is 2 1/2 hours run express this side of Peitaiho, where we were planning to spend the summer vacation. Of course one does not know what is going to turn up. But many think that the Chinese are coming to the stage where they must negotiate as they cannot do anything by fighting, especially when it is not the government of China that is fighting but simply the opponents of the government who are being sent up there to be killed off by the Japanese. One does not know what the prospects are of the Japanese withdrawing to the other side of the wall in the next few weeks. The bridge across the Lan river has been partly injured but the papers say that it could be fixed in a week or two. Three years ago we did not know where we were to spend the summer, but the way cleared up so that we got away on the 8th of July. We may be able to do so this year. However our plans are somewhat different now. We close here on June 16th and I am due to begin teaching in Weihwei on the 21st of June. The last two years Mother and Helen went out earlier than that. But this year if we are able to go at all, we think that one of the men should go with them. So I have written to the committee in charge of the Summer school to see if they can work it so that Bill will take his vacation early and go out with them. I can then go on with the teaching in Weihwei. As we last year tookt he house on the condition that we were responsible for the rent unless prevented by political conditions from occupying it we do not feel like makingt plan for going elsewhere. If we cannot get to PTH we shall possibly stay right on here even if it is hot. I was just interrupted here to answer a question as to whether I had heard more of a report that one of our medical students had been shot. Yesterday while our Religious Knowledge professor was standing talking with me a doctor came up and asked him if it was true that his brother had been killed. He had had no word but had not heard from him for a month. He is one of this year's graduating class in the Medical School and is interning at the P.U.M.C. in Peiping and is with their Red Cross unit at the front. It came as a shock to poor Lo. I have had no confirmation of it yet but it seems quite a likely thing, though I do not know why the word would not be sent to his home. Lovingly Dad P.S. Am enclosing a Birthday gift & with it go best wishes from Dad & Mother. ----------------------------------------- Cheeloo June 6, 1933 Dear Mo. Sunday was a busy day & the letters were not begun. Yesterday was even more so & nothing was begun. I gave my last exam Saturday & had the papers to read. They are finished bu tthe report for Dean not made out. But there is no hurry about that. Georgie Menzies is here from Hwaiching waiting for a wedding of a couple of her friends. Yesterday we teachers were invited to a tea at Shields. Miss Shields is leaving & she invited us as a farewell to us & a reception for the incoming principal. We all know her but it was just a goodbye affair. We gave Miss Shields a little gift & managed to keep it a complete secret. Her mother was in on the know. I poured tea for over an hour & they drank some tea for it was a hot day. I took my guest with me & I think she enjoyed it. Just as we were about to break up it began to sprinkle. I took Georgie down to Mrs. Menzies where she visited & remained for Supper. Then went to a Musical at 8:15. We were also invited but could not go as we were due at the Theolog Monthly dinner. We went about two miles to the restaurant where we were to feed. It was raining slightly but poured most of the time we were there. Streams were running down the St. & it rained hard while we were coming home. But we had a good time. Georgie got in a little later than we did. It blew & rained fiercely after & about midnight we had to get up & move in off the porch. Just then we saw the roof was leaking in one place so had to go up to the attic & get a wash basin fixed so that the drip would not come on the ceiling & the plaster come down. I was dead sleepy & could hardly open my eyes. Then when I got back could not sleep. Consequently I am tired this A.M. We go to a party this evening & will be late. Then Thursday there is another party for the bride & groom & as Georgie is visiting with us we are invited to all the celebrations. The wedding is Friday. We go to the church but are not invited to the breakfast. My exams are over as I said above. Dad's begin on Tuesday & all is over by noon of 16th. We hope to leave that evening for Tientsin & Peiping. we will likely get off at Tientsin about 8:30am, go over to MacHatties & remain till 4pm train. Go to Peiping & Sunday night late Dad starts for Changte. He has a day with Bill & Helen & on to Weihwei where he teaches four hours a day for two weeks. Then comes out to P.T.H. I remain in Peiping for dentistry & when that is finished move on to Tientsin for shopping & then to P.T.H. when I know about Bill & Helen's movements. I may go ahead if they are late coming out. The possibility of getting to P.T.H. has been before us for some time but the clouds are clearing & by that time I think the bridge will be repaired & the trains running through. Then too the policing has been a problem. That we hear has been settled & we now have high hopes of having a cool summer. We had a lovely closing at the foreign school. Two little Historical plays, choruses & two folk dances - one Irish & Scotch. I shall not be teaching so much there next year as this. Four classes in Scripture & no History. However I shall have more English in the Theolog. College. I am having a luncheon on Thursday for Georgie. Six guests. Sunday night I had the Menzies in for supper & also Dr. McClure. Today I have two Chinese friends from Hwaiching in for tea at 4pm. Last Saturday we had some of the Theolog students in for games, ice cram & cake. There were twenty one. Two were unable to come. It has been very cool this month; very unusual. Were it not I could not entertain like this. A couple of weeks ago we bought a bamboo bed with the idea we use it & the cot bed in the cellar but thus far we have not gone down in the middle of the day. Some years we begin going to the cellar in May. -------------------------------------- Peiping June 18, 1933 Dear Morrison: The last week has been a strenuous one especially for Rob. I got my exams off the week before. He had three different exams. Then the usual faculty meetings, packing, directions to gardener & general winding up of affairs. There was a tea by the Coll. of Theology for Graduating class, Board of directors & other faculties & wives of Cheeloo. I had to help with decorating & was in charge of the tea pouring with four girls to help. I was tired when I got home that night but no rest. There was a communion service with whole school of Theology & we do not want to stay away from that as it is the last time we can meet with the Grads., as well as special students. That was Thursday & Friday was commencement. Two other ladies did the decorating for that but Rob's gown & hood had to be pressed & made presentable for the afternoon. The packing to finish as we had to leave immediately after Commencement for the North. At noon the trunk & cory was closed & only our grips to be closed after we changed our Commencement Clothier for those for train. Rob's hood had to be put away carefully for Buffalo Moths are very had this month. We reached the station just before train came & as we had our reservations & tickets we had no rush there. We had a compartment to ourselves which is unusual. People are not traveling to Peiping much these days as they do not know what will happen here. Some think the Japs will come in yet but in a different way from that first planned. The night was cool & we had a good rest getting to our births about 8:30. We talked a time & rested. The berths have only a blanket over boards. One gets sore on both hips & also back before morning. As there were so few on train we asked for extra blankets & got them. I doubled mine four ply under me & so had a comfortable time. No sore hips the next day. We left the train at 7:30pm of 17th & went up to the home of our Treasurer, had breakfast & went shopping. I spent a lot of money in the couple of hours we had but there were things I needed .. shoes, raincoat, underclothes, & a number of little things. I put off getting a raincoat last year thinking finances would be better this year, but though worse, I must have a raincoat with the summer rains here. So the money went but we have needed things for it. Georgie Menzis was at the same place in Tientsin. She has two friends from Canada who have come out to see China. They cannot gt to Peitaho yet & come up here to do Peiping first. Georgie was in Tsinan & stayed with us for a week just before coming here. There was a wedding & she was there for that. She comes here tomorrow & though staying in a different part of the city I hope to see them once or so, at least. I am to go to dentist tomorrow then shall have some idea of how long I shall be here. I hope not longer than a week. I am in the Methodist Compound with a friend and not far from the dentist. Can walk to his office. A letter from Bill & Helen was waiting us here. They are delaying their coming out for another week to see if the road opens up to Peitaho. At present a military man is lying across the line not far from Tangku & there are no through trains. If the way does not soon open we may give up our house; have a little visit with Bill & Helen here & return to Tsinan. Of course we hope not, but clouds have grown darker the last week & it may not be safe, nor wise to go further North. The next week will settle affairs I think. At any rate July 1st will for if we cannot get out then we are justified in giving up our house without paying rent. It will be cooler there than here or either Tsinan or Changte but why live under a constant nervous strain of brigands or retreating soldiers, of bombs & other war accompaniments. We left Tientsin yesterday at 4pm reaching here about 7pm. Bob went off today to keep his appointments in Weihwei with the Summer Evangelists class. He will drop off a few hours in Changte with Bill & Helen & they will talk affairs. June 28 It is a shame the letters have been standing such a long time but I could not pick up energy enough to get at them. I have been compelled to write a couple of business letters & also to Dad & when that & my dentistry was finished I just lay around or sat & talked with friends. Bill & Helen arrived about noon today. I was not expecting them till about 5pm. I did not know there was a train that reached here at that time. I have spent the afternoon with them till just now: 6:45. It is almost supper time. I shall not see them again till morning. we are not far apart but it is raining & they will go off to sleep as soon as they can. None of them had much rest last night. Robert is a lovely boy. His face is much improved since the last operation. He has a very big head & wonderful big bright eyes. Bill & I take him to the dentist tomorrow morning to get his advice re: teeth. Robert runs all around, went downstairs and upstairs himself. He was cautious & held on to the railing. He gets around lively & is very steady on his feet. We do not know what we are going to do. Some of our Mission are going on & trying the boat. We cannot do so. None of us are good travelers. The boat is a sand boat. A little tub. We have a little hope that in a couple of weeks there may be a train through. Saturday I wa at a very swell wedding. One of our Cheeloo girls married one of the surgeons of P.U.M.C. It was a double wedding. Brides wore foreign dress long skirts with a slight train. Veils court length & everything in accordance with that style. The wedding was military & the house surgeons held their sabers across the aisle as the couples came down the aisle after the ceremony. Flower & train bearers were chinese girls & they as well as the bridesmaids did their part well & kept the slow march up the aisle in proper style. I have not seen so much style for a long time. The Chinese quite take to the foreign dress & such things for their special events. June 29. Have been over to see the family. Helen lost her supper & remained in bed this a.m. Hopes to be up for dinner. Robert has lost most of his last three meals & is tired, weak, & contrary. I do hope they can get him fixed up with a purgative & a good rest & sleep. He needs both. Bill took Robert out to the dentist this morning. Has just returned. They are to take him tomorrow at 10am for an x-ray at the P.U.M.C. & find out if possible where the teeth that cannot well get down are lying. It may be his mouth is too small to take an x-ray but the doctor is going to make an effort to do so. I shall not wait for results for we may not get any word for days. Shall send these letters off at once & the next letters will have word. Dad has put in a week of his two & we shall soon be looking for his return to Peiping. There is no more hope of train service to Peitaho than a week ago except a committee has been formed to talk with Japanese. Dad is very well though hard at work in the heat & I shall be glad when he is able to come out. Adieu for this week.. We shall be glad to hear about your new work. Much love, Mother Jennie H Mitchell ---------------------------------------- 310 East Cliff Peitaiho Beach August 13, 1933 Dear Folks, Mo It has come around again to my time to have a chat with you. I shall begin now just after breakfast and get some done before it is time to go to church. The summer is slipping on and it will soon be time to begin college work again. I have not a great deal of work for the Autumn up with me this year though I am getting some of the Chinese read to be familiar with it. We count on leaving here on the 23rd. I shall go as far as Peiping with Helen and start her off for Honan. Then I shall get my dentistry done. I was intending to get it done when I passed through in July. But at that time the rest o the folks were still in Peiping waiting to get through to Peitaiho. So it was decided that I should help getting through tot he coast and then get the dentistry done in the autumn. The abutment of one of my bridges has gone dead so that I have to have the bridge extended. I can get some dentistry done in Tsinan but I do not want to give such a job as this to our local man. It comes more expensive when you have to be at another city, paying your board. The early part of our time up here was pretty hot for this place though not so hot as they are experiencing in the interior where the thermometer was well over the hundred. (106f) Lately we have been having some good cool mornings and evenings. We have been glad sometimes to come in and close the door. Blankets at night and sweaters in the morning, rather than shorts, socks and sport shirts. The heat is pretty well broken now though we shall have occasional spells. We have enjoyed our stay in this house. Where we were the last two years the place was all shut in by the trees of a big estate so that one could not see more than about thirty yards. Here we have a rocky point and the open sea, the harbor of Chinwangtao with its night lights beyond the bay about seven or eight miles away with the mountains looming up behind. Then we are also close to the beach which is an excellent one for children like Bobbie and myself. This week has been pretty largely taken up with meetings. From Monday till Thursday we had meetings in the morning at Rocky Point and in the evening here. The subject was a devotional study of Christian living as seen in Paul particularly in the book of Philippians. The speaker was Dr. MacNaughton of the Irish Presbyterian Mission in Kukden. He was very good. He did not give us much greater knowledge of the book of Philippians than we had before though I suppose that most of us read the book again in connection with the meetings. But his talks were bright, suggestive and helpful. We had good weather for all of the meetings except the last one. That day the place of meeting was changed about being at Rocky Point in the evening because it was the regular Chinese meeting night here. It poured rain and there were not a great many from this side went over there. I did not go though I was one of the committee of arrangements. They say that the address was very good. Tuesday evening we had the Flemmings here to supper and then to the meeting. Thursday morning Miss Somerville was over for breakfast before attending the morning meeting and then some of the others of our mission came down for a drink after the meeting before their walk to the other side. Friday the crowd of us Mitchells were all at the Menzies for lunch and afternoon tea. It was the first time that mother had been further west than the station. So after lunch and a nap we got on our wheels and took a ride around the west end. That is the more expensively kept up end of the resort where more of the wealthy people have their places both Chinese and foreign. We had not time to take the crossroads into the hills but simply went out the central road to the extreme end and back by the beach road. We have been seeing something of some of Bill and Helen's language school acquaintances. I hear that you are up at Copper Cliff again for a couple of months. I hope that you will find it a profitable two months not only financially but physically and will be in good shape for going into the work in September. I hear that you had a very busy year in the Sick Children's and were in need of a rest to some extent. I wonder whether the being at Copper Cliff again will revive the idea of writing to mother during slack times. We did so enjoy the regularity of your letters while you were in the north and have sadly missed it during your city residence. Would that it might revive. I enclose you some snaps of Bobby. he is generally speaking a very happy child. But he has a determined will when he takes a notion. He is strong and healthy. Though he chatters away in his own way and often seems to want to tell something he is not making much effort at talking as we talk. However he seems to be able to make most of the sounds all right. Though one has to catch them up by accident for he will not repeat them after you. I send you some snaps. In one he had taken his little stool and started for the beach with the stool on his head. Just as I was about to snap him he dropped the stool behind the head. The donkey didn't take the right time to wag his ear. Bob likes donkeys but is not used to being left entirely along. One day I tried to remove him but held on by the crupper so that the only means of support was my grip of the feet and his grip of the crupper as he was suspended between. The landscape is practically the view we get toward the right of the front of our house. The picture was not taken from the house but a little down in order to get a closer view. As we turn a little to the left of that we get across six or seven miles of bay Chinwangtao with the mountains rising behind it. A little farther to the left we get Eagle Rock, Shell Beach, Sand Dunes, and higher mountains. In all weathers there is something good to look at. Word from Bill says that he will probably have the plant ready to turn on the electricity about the end of the month or a little later. He was delayed by materials not getting in from Tientsin till he was about to leave for his vacation. He also talks of goat stalls, etc. They keep their own goats and he was busy on vacation reading on the culture of goats. While here he used to talk goat breeding like he used to talk radio to us at home. He got a Billy of good stock while he was in Peiping, a thing of about six weeks old. He had quite a time getting it in to Honan. He expected first to have to go on the freight but eventually they found a regulation by which an animal could go in a crate. They put a big double deck crate on the express for the little kid and he got him to Honan ok. The paper today tells of floods in Honan though the people in our part of the province have been complaining that the crops are spoiled for lack of rain. The paper says that the water is up to the roadway on the Yellow River Bridge and that the bridge is in great danger. I do not remember ever hearing of the water being that high on the bridge before. Jean Menzies and her two children from Shensi are here with Mrs. Menzies. They will probably return to their home by way of Tsinan and the Lunghai line. Mrs. Menzies talked of returning to Honan the same way instead of going by Peiping. But if the Yellow River bridge is out of commission she will have to be content with going by Peiping. Marnie Copland is with us the last eight days. She was not intending to come out this summer but Bob McClure medically ordered her out of the heat. His family are staying in all summer as it is likely that they will have tot ake a trip to PUMC in Peiping for an operation on the baby. Mrs. Grant arrived from home a week ago. Molly Grant is also with them. We see her occasionally as she has friends on this side and rides a wheel. Now I must close with love from us both and the hope that we shall hear from you soon. Your loving Father, Robert A. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- Peking August 25, 1933 Dear Mo, I wrote you two weeks ago but since then I have had a letter from you written from Copper Cliff and I want to say that I received it. I do not know whether or not you remember that I wanted the money put into Government bonds and deposited in mother’s name with Dr. Laird, 299 Queen St. West. The odd money was to be deposited to my credit with the National Trust Co., 20 King St. East, a/c No. 3189 I was rather surprised that you considered repaying just at the time you were going into the internship and the depression was already on. I should not have wondered if you wanted to delay them. What troubled me was not hearing from you as apparently a letter telling that you were delaying must have gone astray. We were greatly delighted to hear from you again and glad that things are picking up with you. I trust that you will enjoy your work in the Banting Institute and that you may find it of great benefit. I shall leave mother to tell of our leaving PTH. I came on here partly from clerical work and partly to see Helen off for Honan. The latter was done last night in Miss Jean Somerville’s company. This morning my upper right bridge was removed and the tooth on which it was fixed, extracted. But I shall probably be here a week before I can get all finished up. Meantime mother waits in hand for my desk key for all the keys of linen clost etc are locked upthere and she is expecting a houseful of guests. Goodbye now with love. Your Father Robert A. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo, Tsinan August 28 Dear Morrison: Summer vacation is over for this year. We had a pleasant time after we got to P.T.H. No one sick this year but e all felt sorry Bill had such a short time with us. He was there only twelve days but had a week before that in Peiping. I am here alone. Rob is in Peiping with the dentist. A tooth has been extracted but pus was found at roots & the dentist was unwilling to do anything for four days. That means Dad will not get home before the 2nd of Sept. Helen & we left the house at the same time, were at friend for breakfast. After our train left she was to go to friends & wait for the night train. She felt it was easier traveling at night with Bobby. Dad would meet her in Peiping, look after baggage & get her up tot he boarding house where he is staying. I had a letter from Dad & he did that. Also got her & Miss Somerville who was traveling with her from Peiping off Thursday night, baggage checked, etc. They were alone in the compartment so should have a quiet time and I expect reached Changte Friday about noon. Bobby would keep them busy their waking hours & I wish I could see him adapt himself to the new surroundings. He is so used to long walks in the early morning & fear they will have trouble keeping him from getting out of the compound. He could tire a couple of us out in a forenoon & after his noon meal & a sleep take on another two & have them tired by 6p.m. He is a lovely bright boy. His operation will not show much in time. But his nose will have to get a little cartilage added to one side. but that will come a couple of years from now. The report from specialists at Rockefeller HPT was good. Dad moved the hooks on screen doors up higher so we could keep fastener up & away he went. That meant we had to watch him for we did not want him off on the commons alone. For a little kid it is remarkable how he can work out plans to get his own way. Helen was very well more color than when in college & much better than last Summer. She is quite rid of her malaria. I think she has been lonely this year. But now more young people will be at Changte & that will mean more company for her. She has written off most of her second year, the most difficult subjects. I think that is very good considering Bobby's op'n & the care of him. We had a house with a wonderful view this year & liked it. we went out less & in the evenings sat on verandah & watched the lights on the dock at Chingwantao. During the day there was always something of interest on ocean & having these lights made the evenings delightful. If the house is not sold we shall try & get it next year. I am busy getting things out of closets & boxes. We have to put everything away here. Mrs. Menzies, her daughter & two visitors from Toronto are to come here Thursday 31st for a couple of days. They are coming out of their way to allow these Toronto guests see Cheeloo. I am sorry Dad will not likely be here but they cannot wait longer. I shall borrow a bed from Dr. Struthers. His family are not back yet. Another friend - English Baptist is having Jean Menzies Stockly & her two children. We shall try & have some entertainment for them. Do not know what just yet. Since writing the above I, with the cook's help, have gone over half of the books in library dusted them & shelves. It is a big job. I do it twice a year & the other times use a feather duster which is very effective. Today I opened the big box got out sheets & bed spreads. Also some of the vases, pictures & knickknacks for the sitting room. I do not intend getting up my curtains for the coming guests. None of us here have curtains up from end of May to Sept. It is too hot and we want all the air we can get coming in through the screens. We have blinds so the windows do not look too bare. Our neighbors Lautenschlagers went home in July. I shall miss her4 very much. The house has since been made into a double house. The family nearest us is German .. Mr. S. is to be head of the Chemistry & his wife teaches German - three classes a week. The other family are a young American family who were at language school last year. Mr. W. is Head of Biology. She will keep house & study this year. They have visited here & are very friendly but being so young will not be such company for us as Lautenschlagers. I was out to tea this P.M. Was invited for supper but begged off. I prefer to be at home these hot evenings. I can then eat plainly & wear fewer clothes. I sleep better if I am not out till 8:30 or 9:00 at night. You have had some warm weather in Toronto this summer. The thermometer now at 8:30pm registers 85f. I try to get up early & work while it is cool. If I do so I wear little clothing as there is no danger of callers. I have gone all through the drawers closets dusted & today opened trunks. It is a big job. We put everything away here & lock up during our time away. But aside from that woolens away from moths, silks from another kind of worm. In one of the drawers where there were two old tooth brushes left every bristle in one was eaten off, the wooden mass left. And strange to tell only one live worm was found. All the others were dead. But though short lived they can do a lot of mischief. I must go upstairs. It is hot & I want to reduce the number of layers covering my sweaty body.. August 29, 1933 The night was not so bad after 10pm but the morning was very close & since 10am has been raining. That will mean cooler weather for a few days but may spell disaster for some of the Yellow River dykes. If certain ones go we are in danger in Tsinan. It will not likely come to campus but there will be great suffering around us. If these dykes go it will also flood Tientsin. Mo.. We were delighted the day your letter arrived. I was in the bedroom & Dad shouted with a big shout there was a letter from you. We did enjoy hearing from you once again. Helen also had the benefit of the letter for she was still with us. Bill poor fellow had a very short holiday. Hope he can have more next year. One of the Honan students just came in. Chen Tien Hsi. We called him Samuel. Do you remember him. You used to play with him some. He had stopped off a day in Changte & saw "Little pastor Mitchell" as the Chinese call Bill to distinguish him from his Father. I had no time to ask about Helen & Bobby as it was raining & he wanted to get off to see the Principal & get his room. He will be up again. Now I do hope you write us as regularly as you used to do & that will make us very happy. I enclose a note from Dad which he sent from Peiping. Do not know how to address your letter but shall make a try. Much love Mother Lovingly, Jennie H Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo, Tsinan, China Sept 10, 1933 Dear Folks, Here I am again writing from the old stand. I arrived home on Thursday morning, Aug. 31. The dentist had promised me that he would be through by Friday but he really let me off on Wednesday. The bill was somewhat staggering after a summer vacation but you cannot get a bridge of six gold teeth without having to pay something for it and it needed to be done. I found the Menzies party here and in a state of uncertainty because a wire had come from Sian saying that the motor road was impassable and they were to await word. The Hwaiking group were about getting ready to return by way of Peiping and the Sian group to wait here for news. Then word came that the way was open. So I went down that evening and bought their tickets for them. Next day we saw them off.. Mrs. Menzies, Georgie, and their two guests for Honan and Jean and her two children along with Mr. and Mrs. Bell for Sian. It was the first day of the new schedule of trains and we didn't know quite what would happen but they made close connections at Hsuchow and had daylight change at Chengchow so that they got to Weihwei on Saturday evening leaving here at 9:30am on Friday. Our new schedule for the express is not so convenient as the old one. The northbound train goes up about 6am and the southbound about 9pm. It is now the Peiping-Shanghai through express. The train ferry from Pukow to Nanking is ready but is not to be used till the 10th of October, Republican Day when they want to have a big inaugural ceremony. Classes have begun i all the colleges now. For the university there is a registration of 402 as compared with 377 a year ago. There may be some more yet. In Theology we have 33 or 34. Of these, five are from our Honan field. There was some talk of a girl coming over but the latest word is that she is not coming though it may be arranged that she come next year. So far as teaching is concerned, my year will be lighter than last year as I have only two classes with one lecture a day. Next year we shall double up taking the second and third years together on the subject we are dropping this year. It will give me more time to give to my translation and perhaps some other work. I think that I shall not fill my Sundays so full this year. I had a Bible class right after morning service and then spent a couple of hours at the institute in the afternoon. I think that I shall drop out of the bible class. I shall keep teaching among the same boys with whom I work on other days. Dr. and Mrs. MacKenzie arrived here from Tsingtao the other day. He is having some treatment of his nose at the hospital but I think that they will be going on tomorrow to Honan. When I was in Peiping I saw Lou Little of Formosa who was attending a special course in the P.U.M.C. He is expecting to stop off for a day here when he is going down, probably Thursday or Friday of this week, Cora Kilborn is also going to visit Miss Brodie. I think she lands in Shangai from home today. She will come to see the hospital here. The garden is looking better than it has most yeas when we arrived from the vacation. The boy has done good work in it. Our place looks very well though the vegetable garden is almost a complete failure. It is hard to keep the boy persevering enough in planting corn. So we have some spaces where there should be corn growing for October eating but we will be through with it before then. But there is not much satisfaction in growing corn when mother cannot eat it. Tomatoes are again a dead failure. They were looking very well in June. We have new neighbors. What was Lautenschlager's house has been remade for two. Winfields are in the east side and Schulers in the side next us. He is a German, head of the chemistry department. I had had our hedges clipped before we came back so that it is in good trim. The one on the other side of the lane which we usually clipped to match ours was badly grown up. Schuler told a coolie to cut it like ours. He had got bout twenty feet with it when fortunately I saw it. I always am strict with my man that he has string drawn tight at the correct height for clipping. This chap had a string tied to the tops of the hedge and hanging away down and was trying to cut to the string. I guess he will get some instructions. Last night we were out to the college to the reception of new students by the students association. They made each one stand up and introduce the person sitting next on the right. One of the freshmen girls made a break. Apparently she has come from a girls school where they use the English term Miss. The next to her was a man named Wei. She got up and introduced him as Miss Wei. When I was in Peiping, I wrote you a note to enclose in Mother's letter two weeks ago. I do not know whether or not I reminded you that the intention with that money was to deposit the bond in mother's name with Dr. Laird, 299 Queen St. West. You say you found water polo pretty strenuous. I sympathise with you. I do not find myself much at home in the water. I never learned the crawl stroke and when I go with the breast stroke I find that my right shoulder is cumbersome and for some months I have found a difficulty with a rheumatic little finger, which used to hurt in swimming. So, as Bill was not about to urge me going over to the big beach, I was satisfied with Bobbie at the babies' beach. One could get plenty of swimming there if he wanted to swim out. But the shallow water was conducive to fooling about. Last Saturday I had my first baseball game since returning. This summer they have been doing some playing with the Japanese sponge ball. The inside is of crepe or sponge rubber and the outside of a hard rubber corrugated a bit, but not so hard as a golf ball. It is about as big as an ordinary baseball. It bounces high and one is apt to be deceived by it. We were playing against the settlement and they beat us about 15-12. I did not do much at the bat, being called out twice on strikes when I thought they were balls. I walked once and got home; another time I was left on second base. I got one chance of a fly which I held onto. I have a bad shoulder and cannot be depended on for throwing at all. I usually jerk the balls in from the field as being surer than throwing. Dr. MacKenzie was asking the other evening for the "funny boy". You and he used to have some good times when you were a little fellow. I think that he is failing much more than Dr. McClure is. He seems to need Mrs. MacKenzie's looking after. Dinner is about to be called, so I shall close with love. Your father, Robert A. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo October 3, 1933 Dear Morrison This letter should have been begun yesterday but I had a headache & had to go slow in order to keep up at all. We had breakfast in bed as is usual on Sunday where I remained till about 10a.m. Dad read some to me before getting up. After Chinese Service we took a short stroll but not far as I look after the dinner somewhat on Sunday so the servants can attend service. I am not at all sure they go. The cook does more frequently than the boy but when I let them off my responsibility ends. Once last winter I found they were not attending & I stopped looking after putting on vegetables & since then they clear out of yard but may not go to church. I sometimes asked who preached or what the sermon was about but cannot compel them so let it go at that. We also have night school twice a week for servants. The boy has taken all the work they give there but the cook does not want to go. I told them I would have Supper early & not invite guests those evenings but he said he did not want to go, so that ends that matter as well. He is not as illiterate as some but could enlarge his knowledge if he was not afraid of showing his ignorance. He writes letters & reads the daily paper fairly well. We have just had another guest for four days. A London Mission woman who came here for treatment. She had a couple of little ops. on nose & for a few hours was very miserable. The remainder of time it just meant I had to not go out as I might have done but she was pleasant company & I enjoyed her stay. We have had a number of guests since returning but it is always that way in September as so many are returning from vacation. But every now & again we have persons coming for treatment & they must be entertained. This woman paid her board as do such guests. We are having a very warm spell at present. It is just as warm as when we first returned. Indeed the whole month of September was warm except a few days now & again. I have on white again & yesterday at church short sleeves & Summer dresses were worn by most. Saturday I was busy making Green tomato pickles & tasting several times. After dinner I felt my stomach not feeling quite well but we were due to go on the lake in a boat to visit temples with College of Theology. I went but did not eat anything but came home completely tired out, took a bath & by 7p.m. was in bed. Could not sleep after eating supper; was too tired & I think that was the cause of my headache. I get them so easily if I get weary. In a couple of weeks there is to be a 'retreat' for three or four days. I had been thinking I would go this year but this trip has made me feel I am better at home. I cannot do well the extras. The even life & regular meals suit me best & then I can carry on the work I have undertaken. I do not stand Chinese food very well. One meal does not upset me when we are invited by friends but to go on Chinese food for three meals for three or four days is too much for me. I do not like to take special food & sit in a corner & eat it, so guess the best way is to remain at home. We have all our jam etc. for the winter finished. I have cucumbers in brine but will do them up later when I have empty bottles. We had Miss Kilborn of Szechuan visiting here for a few days. She was guest of Miss Brodie. But as she has a small house I gave a tea. Then we were one night at dinner at Miss Brodie's. I also invited them & Dr. McClure for breakfast Sunday morning when we had two hours visit before Chinese service. It was pouring rain but let up just before they were to start. It had rained all night. Several places & a number of acres in this Province have been flooded but not very near us. However money has been collected here for relief. Unless one knows who is going to disburse it one thinking twice before giving it to a foreigner. ---------------------------------------- Oct 4, 1933 Today is one of the Chinese feast days 15th of 8th Month. I am letting the servants off at noon & we shall get our own meal tonight. but just now the cook came in with word that his wife wished to send in some Paodzis to you.. remember them. Little dumplings with minced meat inside. I can never eat many but Dad will likely do his part. We are invited out to 4 O'clock tea at the school when the teachers are supposed to meet the parents. It is an annual affair. I know all the parents of my pupils this year. However Dad & I will go & have a chat with those present. Last night we were out to dinner in a German home. Our nearest neighbor is German. The Man is head of Chemistry Department & Mrs. Shuler teaches German. We had a very pleasant evening & as the food was not all German I got along fine. I was afraid if German it would be too greasy for me. I have to eat carefully or I cannot keep up & at my work. Unfortunately we are invited out too much this week. Have a dinner with a Chinese family Friday night. And the amusing part is the couple who were out with us last night are also to be with us Friday. Bill Chang had a big feast when Llew Little was here. It was really too much & some of us had to stop before all the courses came in. Dr. Little was taking a special course in the Rockfellow HPT in Peiping in August & went home this way. He only remained a day here. You know their little girl was born blind do you not. It was thought she would never see but he told Dad there was a little hope & that she could see a little ten feet away. Now I must say adieu my dear boy. It is time for my Scripture class. Much love, Mother Jennie H. Mitchell ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo University Tsinan, China October 29, 1933 Dear Folks Her we are at the last Sunday in the month and at the beginning of a new era in our letter writing when we are making the home letters only every month instead of every two weeks. Lately we have been seeing a good many complaints in the papers at our foreign postage rate being retained at 25 cents where it was put when the silver dollars was worth only bout 20cents gold while it is worth over thirty cents now. But that is only one factor that helped in the decision to write less frequently. We hope that the letters will be nonetheless welcome. I know that always letter from home are welcome and we would like more rather than fewer. Work has been going on smoothly since last I wrote. Always plenty to do and yet not so crowded as we have been at some times. But I have had to do a good deal of reading which keeps me close as I am in a stage of my Old Testament work where I want a good deal more light. We have had several out of the ordinary breaks during the month. At our Republican Day, Oct 10, our Theological College took a time for a retreat to Lung Tung (Dragon Cave). We had intended to go out for the Sunday and remain till Tuesday. But it so happened that the American Bible Society was just having their centennial anniversary at that time and there was a series of special meetings here at which Chang Chih Chiang was speaking. We wanted all to have the opportunity of hearing him. I once heard him in Honan. He was Feng Yu Hsiang's right hand man at the height of his profession of Christianity. General Chang has kept on the way and is still one of the strongholds of Christianity among the government people. We went to Lung Tung on Monday afternoon and returned on Thursday morning. This is a place in the mountains about twelve miles from here by the big road. Over the mountains it is somewhat less. Bill Chang and I biked out together while most of the others went on foot, on donkey or by rickshaw. The motor road ends at Lung Tung Village, just ten miles from here, but it is two miles farther up the glen to the cave and temple. When one arrives there he finds himself surrounded on all sides by high cliffs. The temple take sup all the space between the end of the detritus on one side and the bed of the stream and detritus on the other. The cliffs are about 120 yards apart and so far as I could make out by rough measurements from 250-300 feet high. We got ourselves settled into the temple and had the opening meeting that evening but the regular sessions of the retreat were the two days, Tuesday and Wednesday. As to the gathering there I would say that we had a very good get-together but that as a spiritual retreat it was hardly up to the mark. The arranging of the program was largely in the hands of the students and they have not yet got the conception of what is meant. There was too large a time left for exploration and entertainment there being no session at all in the afternoon. At this time of the year this place is one of the regular picnic places and is perhaps not very suited for a retreat at holiday time. On the Republican Day, Oct. 10, apart from our party, it looked as though about a quarter of Cheeloo was out there for the day. Then the next day when we came back from a quiet meeting up the gorge we found lined up in the temple over 300 students from one of the middle schools of Tsinan. This temple is just at the lower end of the gorge. Both in front of it and behind it there are pinnacles of rock like outworks of the main cliff, surmounted by pagodas. Half way up at the cliffs there are large carvings and the opening of a small cave, which has some stones built up at the mouth with a water jar. It is said that a hermit at one time lived in it but at the present time there is no visible way of approach just a perpendicular cliff. Passing out to the other side of the temple one takes a winding road about a third of the way up the face of the rock, and comes to the mouth of the cave. In a little cave are a dozen carved Buddhas, some very good, and some with Indian features. Just inside one of the entrances to the main cave there are three figures of Kwai Yin about fifteen feet high, carved a good many hundred years ago. On one side a branch leads upward and communicates with the top though one cannot go up and there are overhanging rocks ledged above. On another side one lights his flash and plunges into the darkness. The cave varies in height from five to fifteen feet and has several small branches off it. The whole is only about 200 yards long and opens out on another face of the rock just above the temple. If one wishes to follow up the gorge he may do so for about a mile and a half till it comes to cultivatable ground. There the course is very winding with many side gorges. The sides are perpendicular most of the way. At one pint I stood and touched both sides of the watercourse at the same time though the cliffs were farther apart than that. About two miles from Lung Tung, up another valley is a temple, Fou Yu (Buddha Vale Monastery). This is not at the base of the cliff as is Lung Tung but well up on the side. Here too there is a little running water and in the summer time there would be quite a waterfall. After our meeting we returned on Thursday morning. My unlucky star seemed to be in the ascendancy with regard to bicycling on that trip. I had a couple of accidents. I suppose both by rashness. In going, I rode up to the door of the temple. There was a flight of steps and beside it an inclined plane. Instead of stopping at the foot I rode half way up the inclined plane and got off. But I stepped on a corn stalk, which slid under me, and I went down. I got up nothing the worse but later when I wanted to use my pen I pulled out the top and the rubber ink sack. The barrel of the pen and the cap had been broken on my fall. When we were coming home most of the folks were to go after breakfast. I had said I would be home for breakfast and Jennie had said that she would wait till five minutes after eight for me. I said I was starting early and Cady and Drake said they would too. Drake and I were sleeping in the same room and were ready by six but Cady had to pack up as well as get something to drink. So it was 6.30 when we started. We had twelve miles to go the first two of which would hardly be considered bicycle road. I asked who would set the pace and Drake said I might. In the first quarter mile on downgrade where one has to get off occasionally for rocks and stones, I waited a little too long in getting off. My foot slipped on rolling stones and I came down. I noticed a knock on my shin and one on my knee but at once got on. After I was riding some time I noticed that my wrist had got a wrench. It was not swollen when I got home but I have been having trouble with it ever since. I go three times a week to get it cooked with the electricity. The x-ray did not show any bones broken but I have been learning to shave and do other tings with my left hand, which I could not do before. While I am on the Lung Tung matters I will say that we had another trip out there a week ago Saturday. The Menzies and we with Miss Brodie and Miss Cleverly got a car and went out. From the village we had a couple of donkeys for the rest of the trip. We saw the Lung Tung lights, went up the gorge till we saw fields, went to Fou Yu and then back. The great attraction at this time is the autumn leaves. Some slopes of the hills were a blaze of red from one particular tree. Others were a variegated red, yellow and green. It was a great sight. The trip cost each of us $2.55 Mexican. That day there was another school from the city there - over 300 students. Last Saturday there were also several parties out to see the sights. Possibly next Saturday will be too late. Last Wednesday there was a bit of excitement in the community in the way of a wedding. Miss Betty Scott, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Scott of the East Suburb was being married to Mr. J.C. Stam. They are of the China Inland Mission in Anhwei. Practically all of the foreign missionary community was invited. Their colors were yellow and mauve, and they looked about for flowers. Our mauve mums were not right but we had a good many yellow dahlias and mums, which came in nicely. But a week ago it looked as if it was going to freeze at night. We got through Sunday night but feared Monday night so I cut off all the yellow dahlias available and cut a couple of dozen yellow mums. The frost did not come and dahlias still continue to bloom. The young folks got married all right, by Mr. Torrey. It was on the tennis court at the house, with benches from the Church. Refreshments were served at the north end of the court. Last evening were we into the city to a Chinese restaurant to a feast. It was given by Mr. Shu, the head of the Chinese Department in the university in honor of their first child who is not seven weeks old. It was a big affair. There were twelve at our table and were four tables full. I think that there were really about sixty invited but only a little under fifty could accept. It was at the Honan restaurant where proprietor and visitors are all from Honan. I do not know whether they are any better for that. At any rate it was a good feast. Talking of feasting for babies, I suppose that all of you folks at home have heard of the arrival of "beautiful Mary Evelyn" in the home of Bill and Helen on Oct. 19. It was a great joy to us to get the telegram. We have since had a brief note from Bill and one from the nurse, Miss McNeil, but are awaiting further word. I am sure that all concerned are very happy at the conclusion. Though I suppose the name is from the Craw side, yet it puts one much in mind of the senior generation of Mitchells, Mary Eva. But the Mary's in our household do not seem to get called so. When shall we see the little girlie? The other day we got a letter from Jay, enclosing quite a number of snaps of the summer, including one of yourself and her at Copper Cliff. We were glad to see them. You certainly are a bigger man than when we saw you last. I suppose that you would not be in shape to run a half-mile in record time just now. We have in town a young man, Tony Lyttle who last year was training with the Canadian Olympic team, I think for the quarter. I have not had any conversation with him on the subject, but Dr. Ingle was telling how he had explained their system of training. Last Saturday I was asked to umpire the baseball game, as I could not play with my sprained thumb. Lyttle was pitching for the British and so I had a little conversation with him sometimes when we were waiting for batters. Our games seem to bring a lot of accidents here. A couple of weeks ago Dr. Ingle when catching got the back part of his fingernail pried out from under the flesh. Last week one of the men got a crack in the bone of his little finger. I should not think that soft ball would be so fatal. They begin hockey next Saturday. I shall not be in that. Last year you were good enough to send us the Mclean's Magazine for a Xmas present. We have enjoyed it very much as being a touch with Canadian life. One does not like suggesting Xmas presents that they want. But if you feel like continuing it for the next year it will be enjoyable. I do this because we have had one or two experiences where we were presented with a subscription for a paper when either it was one for which we already subscribed or there was a hitch at the renewal time. How are you enjoying your work at the Banting? I hope that you are finding it something, which will be helpful in the line of work you have laid out for yourself. Good-bye for the present. Let us hear from you again soon. Your loving father, Robert A. Mitchell -------------------------------------- Cheeloo School of Theology Tsinan, China, Nov 4, 1933 Dear Friends As the end of the year approaches, it is borne in upon us how negligent we have been in the matter of keeping in touch with you during the past year. But at any rate we wish to send to you a greeting at Christmas time. We pray that the fullness of joy represented in this season may be fulfilled in the individual, home, and church lives of all of you. We are grateful to be able to report a year of good health and uninterrupted work for Him whom we serve here. The sketch on the front page, drawn by one of the staff of our school, presents the surroundings in which we do our work. The building on the left is the Augustine Library, a gift to the University by Augustine Church, Winnipeg in the Peace forward movement. The building in the middle is the Kumler Memorial Chapel given by a lady of the American Presbyterian Church. The building on the right is the School of Theology, a contribution from the English Baptist Mission. This is an illustration of the union nature of our work here, both international and interdenominational. On the hillside in the background is the "Temple of 1000 Buddhas", at all times one of the picnic places of the neighborhood and just at the present moment the center of worship for thousands of pilgrims attending the ninth month festival. These mountains are the northern rim of the range which extends fifty miles to the south of us, culminating in the sacred mountain of Tai Shan. To the north of us the plain extends for three hundred miles to Peiping. Our work has continued peacefully throughout the year. Mine is largely in the School of Theology where I have charge of the work in the Old Testament. During the first half of the year my Sunday afternoons were taken up with work in the Museum at the Institute of the Baptist Mission where are many hundreds of visitors with whom we try to get in touch and bring them into touch with the gospel. When college closed here in June I went to Weihwei, Honan, to take part in the teaching of the Summer Theological class, juniors and seniors a group of ninety this year. All year I have been putting in what time I can on getting ready for publication a translation into Chinese of a book entitled "Knowing the Bible." Mrs. Mitchell's work is more diversified than mine. Apart from her household duties, she teaches English in the School of Theology, scripture in the Foreign Children's School, as well as in a woman's school in the Institute. The attendance in the School of Theology remains in the thirties, about one fifth of them being women. From our own Honan field we have in attendance five men in three different years. So we are trying to prepare some men for our field with a more advanced education than formerly. Our great lack has been leaders of education, having none beyond a middle school grade. Last week, when the Medical School was carrying on a "freshening up" class for some of their graduates, among them was Dr. G.T. Ma of the Weihwei Hospital. We had in to meet him three of our theological students. It so happened that their terms at the middle school at Weihwei all overlapped and they had many reminiscences of the early hikes to mountain and mine, which I started in the school twenty years ago. It made one feel a certain continuity in his work when he found those who sat under him in high school were also coming under his influence in preparing for the ministry. This Autumn our Theological school went for a two days retreat to Dragon Cave, in the mountains about six miles beyond the gap seen in the picture. It is a lovely spot at the mouth of a gorge about a mile and a half long, and the temple there takes up all of the level space between perpendicular cliffs almost 300 feet high. There is much more verdure than is common on the hills in North China, so that in the Autumn it reminds one somewhat of cut Ontario woods. But as our stay was at the Republican Day holiday it was not really a quiet enough spot for a retreat. But we had an excellent get-together of students and teachers. As we have had a peaceful year for our work, so do others report. An educational secretary staying with us the other night reported that throughout most of the country, Christian Middle Schools, both registered and unregistered are having peaceful times, and getting as many students as they can take in. They have no difficulties with their religious activities. The chief drawback is that there has not as yet been worked out a suitable course for the new conditions of voluntary religious education. Evangelistic workers also report that wherever they go there is opportunity for preaching the gospel with little of the organized opposition, which was so prominent a few years ago. Of course there are many parts o the country where itinerant work has had to be cut down on account of the prevalence of banditry. But the province of Shantung, under Governor Han Fu Chu, is enjoying one of the most efficient governments of all the provinces. We try to get our summer vacations along with Bill and his family, usually at Peitaiho on the seacoast about twenty miles from the border of Manchuria. This year, getting to the resort was the problem. The house had been rented last year, rent due unless political conditions prevented occupation. But the Japanese had been fighting over that area for some weeks in the spring; after the signing of the armistice a band of irregulars from Manchuria, whom the Japanese had used were still squatted on one section of the railway. The Japanese would neither be responsible for putting them out, nor allow Chinese soldiers to go into that "demilitarized zone" to expel them. At last the Chinese were allowed to run trains to Tanshan half way between Tientsin and Peitaiho. But they could, or would, give no information of conditions beyond, though we had private information that the Japanese were running a train of freight cars with a third class car attached. At last we got there, through rain, mud, and hot sun, by Chinese train, Japanese train, section men's push car, and donkey, but we traveled in sections. Helen went by Japanese boat from Tientsin. I went as pioneer by rail, while Mrs. Mitchell, Bill and the baby followed the next day. But we all united at the coast and had a delightfully quiet holiday. Ever since September the region has had reports of many bandits and the Japanese preventing Chinese soldiers entering to clear them up, as only police were stipulated for in the armistice. During the vacation we looked across the bay from our house to the harbour lights of Chinwangtao and in the distance could see where the great wall ran down from the mountains to the sea at Shanhaikuan, which is the border town of Manchurian. Some of you may be interested in hearing of the arrival in Bill's home at Changte of what the telegram announcing it to us called "a beautiful granddaughter". All of us are happy at the word. With sincere good wishes for the welfare of the members of St. George's, we remain, Yours Faithfully, Robert A. Mitchell Jennie. H. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Nov 24, 1933 Dear Morrison Tomorrow is Jay's birthday. Hope you & she may be able to be together. We shall be thinking of her during our waking hours though her birthday will not have dawned with her. Christmas gifts we send with this mail. Hope they reach you in time so that what you purchase may add to your enjoyment of the season. I hope another couple of Christmases we may be together. We cannot be with Bill & Helen even though we are in the same side of Pacific. Distances are too great & money short. However we shall look forward to being together this summer. We got no word when our Thanksgiving Day was so are celebrating this year with our American friends. There will be a service & I may have the Canadian friends with us. Shall see on Monday. I have been waiting to see if I could afford ducks. Then this PM I find out Mary Struthers has been injured in a fall & Mrs. Menzies has sprained her ankle & is all done up in plaster cast. She may be able to come but will hve to be carried from the Ric. to the house. I shall wait till I see how Mary is before I speak to Struthers. It may be serious with her & if so then we must act accordingly. This week Miss Lister is to be here speaking on peace. I am to help entertain her at a tea Monday. I pour tea. Then Tuesday she & the family where she is visiting come here for lunch. It helps out her hostess a little & we are great friends. We have not heard very regularly from Changte lately. Bill is trying to get off his exams & I am sure Helen is finding she has her hands full with the little strength she will have for a time. Dad has the English service tomorrow & is busy reading aloud his sermon while I write you. He gives up the chairmanship of English service arrangements & I shall be glad. It is wearing on him some the last two months. Sometimes he is very tired & gets those sleepy spells like ha had when in Canada. Sometimes he says he thinks his heart is getting tired again. I do all I can to keep him well-fed etc. & keep his strength up. He has not as heavy work this year; has six lectures instead of nine & yet he is not as well as the last two years. I have no more news so shall say adieu to you. Good by Mo. Hope the Christmas season brings you much joy - real joy. May you realize much of the peace of the Savior whose birth we celebrate at that time. Much love from both Father & Mother. Lovingly, Jennie H. Mitchell --------------------------------------- Cheeloo November 24, 1933 Dear Folks It is my turn to write the letters & if I do not get at it they will not reach you for Christmas. A boat leaves Shanghai on Dec 3rd & letters to catch that should be off soon. So here goes. The latest event was the funeral of Mrs. Lo, mother of one of the Professors at College of Theology. The College went. There is a big family, most of whom are Christians but the two middle brothers. The mother has been a Christian for years & so was her husband who died seven years ago, and had not been buried but lying in a vault. It was an expensive funeral. The Christian men tried to keep down the expense. Some wanted to sell the house to get money for a big swell funeral. The Non-Christian Chinese think a big show at time, big feast, etc. is the way to show filial piety. A large yard was enclosed with a roof of dark blue & white silk woven in large checks. All around the sides of this enclosure the walls were covered with beautiful dark blue silk scrolls with yellow lettering upon which suitable phrases were found. The flowers were numerous several tens of pots of "Mums", colors yellow, mauve, & white. The funeral announcement said "they would put on their mourning clothes at 10am & the service would be at 11 o'clock. Those men stood with bowed heads till almost 12 o'clock. There was a few minutes talk about the deceased, a prayer by Mr. Bill Chang & a hymn. I forgot to say before the service began Chopin's Funeral March was played on an organ by our dean's wife. When we arrived we went into where the men were standing, bowed a couple of times to the group, looked into the room where coffin was & came out. Above the front door was a large photo of deceased; the frame was wreathed in yellow Mums. This was placed in a green chair & carried in the procession right after the hearse. The coffin is put on strong poles tied together with strong rope. Over this a magnificent cover is placed. Glass on the sides & artificial flowers made of silk velvet & plush, as well as glass ornaments cover this structure. On the top was an immense colored glass glove. Going along the street two men precede & with poles shove the branches of trees out of the way so this hearse, which is carried on the shoulders of men, can pass under. Once he removed the large glass globe till they were past the trees. The women were in carriages but the men folk walked clad in white coarse cloth no hem on gowns. They also wore white cloths over heads. The cloak was tied in at waist with coarse heap ropes. Of course there was no little wailing though the Christian members of the family did not take part. The women also kept up a wail along the road as far as we went. They went along the principal street because when so much money had been spent on hearses, etc., people should know about it. It is very difficult for Christians when these special affairs are on & they must yield to non-Christian members of family to some extent. None of Christians would approve of such expense, nor of the show on street, but having gotten the religious service & some other things they also yield to their brothers' wishes in some things they want. Last Sunday dad preached in East Suburb, about two miles from here. I rode over with him & visited with a friend who does not attend Chinese service. We remained for lunch & had a pleasant visit after. When we were refugees in 1900 our hostess lived near us in Cheefoo & was one of the friends who came early to see me after Bill was born with a beautiful gift for him. When I was in American Mission she was one of my best friends & now after over twenty years we are again at the same station. There is also one other family I was friendly with at that time living across the street from us. Miss Shipley of Changte was here over a weekend. She was returning from Assembly meeting in Amoy. She had never been here & we did all we could to show her around, especially from the Woman's side of the work. We Canadians were all at Mrs. Menzies one evening. All wish more of our Honan friends could visit us. Miss Brodie goes off Monday to give the Nation Nurses exams at Hsian. She goes to Jean Menzies Stockley & will be in her home. It is a fine opportunity to see work in Shensi. ---------------------------------------- Cheeloo Tainan, China December 26, 1933 Dear Folks Christmas is past again. Here it was a very mild day so that some people were going about without overcoats though there was a peculiar haze on the horizon, which made some people think of a London fog. Today it is cloudy with a cool north wind. About this place there are plenty of things going on about Christmas time though there are not many now in which we have responsibility. On Saturday morning Miss Dinwoody arrived from Peiping. Lucile Wolfe was coming on the same train so Mr. Wolfe and I went down in the car. We found the two ladies in the same compartment. Lucile had been booked in a compartment with a couple of men but she got that changed about. So the two of them knew each other before they arrived here. In the afternoon I went to watch the hockey practice. They are expecting the Tientsin Hockey Club to send down a team for next Saturday and wanted a good practice. I have just been told that it was Sunday morning Miss Dinwoody arrived. After she got in I went to the Chinese service. In the afternoon we had a very nice service in English led by Dr. Lair who spoke on God’s greatest Gift. We were out at the Sargents for supper and then went to the church to hear the messiah music on the Victrola. Monday mother and Miss Dinwoody went to the Chinese service but I went to the Anglican service in English. In the afternoon at the Theological School we had a service at 4. After that we went to the large room and had an entertainment where students, teachers and their families were present. I was Santa Claus on the occasion. They said that they had been accustomed to have pretence of an old man but that this time they wanted a really old one. In the evening we Canadian had our union dinner at the Struthers. The two Menzies children and Gilchrist Struthers were home from Kobe. So with five Struthers, four Menzies, two Mitchells, Dr. Mcclure, Misses Brodie and Dinwoody we were a group of fourteen. By taking two tables and making a T of them we were all able to get about the table. It had been put up to the young people to get up the programme for the evening. We had some recitations, some music and some readings from Dr. McClure. I suppose that this is the last time that Gilchrist and Frances will be here for Christmas, as they should be going home this year. Since I wrote last we have been over to the east suburb with Miss Dinwoody to visit the Bible School there. When we came out of Mrs. Hamilton’s after tea we found mother’s back tire down. Strange to say that the last time we were there the same thing occurred. That time I had a spare tire with me and so had only to change. This time I did not have a spare and so had to wheel it into the city to a repair shop. Her outer tire is about done and I shall have to renew it. During the past month we have had the annual meeting of our congregation - - - which is not a congregation. One of the things brought up was out taking over the care of the Foreign Cemetery. About a dozen years ago the Foreign cemetery association was formed and subscriptions received to establish a cemetery for British and Americans. One day they discovered that without saying by your leave the governor Chang Tsung Chang had buried six of his Russian bodyguard there. The Association protested that that was not what they had purchased the ground for. However they helped get an adjoining plot for the Russian use. There are perhaps fifty or Sixty Russian soldiers buried there. But Chang is long gone and assassinated and no one is responsible for the Russian cemetery, which makes not only it but the British-American one open to pillage. The Association was to have an annual meeting but there has only been a meeting once in five years. There is neither consul nor business man here now who was here when the association was formed. It is suggested that our Union Church committee be made the responsible party for the care of the cemetery. Another of the matters which was up at our annual meeting was the subject of organizing into a congregation which would receive members. At present we are only a group who have our English service on Sunday. Some years again the matter was up but not favored partly because it was felt that a good many would not come in. The proposal made this time was that we have Associate members who need not lift their lines from where they are now connected. This removed much of the opposition from tht side but there developed opposition from another standpoint. Some feared that if we foreigners organized a Union Congregation it might militate against the formation of a Chinese congregation in connection with the university especially if we took in as members any number of the English speaking Chinese. The first night we adjourned the meeting for a week. The second night after a long talk it was decided to ask the present Church Committee to stay in office until they were able to consult with the Chinese Services Committee as to the possibility or probability of forming a Union Congregation, which could be responsible for services in both Chinese and English. We are to call a Congregational Meeting when we can report. So I have not yet been relieved of my responsibilities as chairman of the Church Committee. The December meeting of the Literary Society was a musical one. Dr. King gave a lecture on Beethoven and his work. Dr. King and Miss Faye Hibard illustrated it on the piano and Dr. Waddell on the violin and one selection on an orthophonic victrola. On Thursday morning we expect Dr. Mary Gant and Miss Allegra Doyle to arrive. The latter is our guest while Mary is guest of the Sargents who were in language school with her. It will be their first visit to Cheeloo as this is Miss Dinwoody’s. Quite a number of our mission has visited the station now. We had Mrs. D.G. Menzies last summer and Miss Shipley on her way back from General Assembly meeting. December 27 We awoke to a white world this morning as about four inches of snow fell in the night making trees and shrubs look very beautiful. It is rapidly melting in a slight drizzle this morning. It is good that we took our trip to the east suburb yesterday for the roads will be bad for a while. On Sunday morning as Mr. Wolfe and I were going down to the station to meet the folks our car skidded on the street which was icy where we had thought it only wet. We slewed around between a water cart on one side of the road and a truck on the other, but without any injury ended up facing exactly opposite direction from what we were going. We went back and made a detour to avoid the spot both going and coming. I have never learned to drive a car yet. In Honan after Bill has three times broken his bike frame and twice his pedal crank he has invested in a motorbike. I do not know whether or not it will stand up to his weight. It is only seventy-five pounds weight and is supposed to make 20 miles an hour. It will probably not do it on his roads. But it is nice to end up a journey not tired out pumping so that you can do your work. He got this machine through Bob McCann who is Frazar’s agent in Tientsin. We were hoping that we might have a letter from you by the Christmas mail. We had a fair amount of mail but we are not very good letter writers ourselves and so cannot expect to get a great deal. Last year the university tried to get a skating rink but it did not succeed. They are trying again this year. They have got a mat building put up but there is not any chance of ice yet. I do not suppose I shall skate as I have no skates and it is not worthwhile buying for all one would get out of them. In Tientsin and Peiping they have good skating. We shall soon be into 1934; then we shall be saying that furlough is due the next year. I do not know whether or not it will come in 1935. But at any rate that makes the forty years since we came out to China and will probably mark the end of our work here if we are spared till then. It ought to be our concern to make it the best year of the forty as we shall not have another opportunity. We hear from others that you arfe very busy. Let us have a note occasionally. Even a short one is better than only hearing from others. We trust that you are finding your work to your taste and that it is of real value to you. With love from us both Your dad Robert A Mitchell