Anna V. Blough letter to father and mother, Oct. 4, 1917

              Ping Ting Hsien, Shansi, China
4 October 1917

Dear Father and Mother, -

The people here tell me I am getting homesick, for I am dreaming so much of home. Well, no I am not homesick, but because of the bad mail delivery I do get anxious to hear from home. I think a number of your letters must have never reached me. Now Tienstin is flooded, in fact the treacherous Yellow river which so often has changed its course at the mouth has taken to following the Grand canal and flowing thru Tienstin, flooding to a depth of six feet. What the out come will be we can not tell. Mang [sic] thousands are affected. I suppose you are reading more about it in your papers these days than we are, for our Shanhai [sic] paper can hardly get thru, there being floods on all sides.

Well I started out about dreams. Last night I was home running the automobile to church and I could not make it go faster than the horses and was quite dissapointed [sic] in it. A few nights ago I reached home while you were in church and people turned around and looked just like the Chinese people here stare at one.

But thru the day there is little time to think of such things. At last school is running in proper order. My new teacher arrived last Friday and I got her instituted. Have turned a number of things over to her that relieve me out of school hours. She lives in the school court, and so sees that the girls do their cleaning properly, sees that they study when they should, go to bed when they should, etc. She also leads the evening prayers. I lead the morning chapel. That too is a relief to me. Of course I am not trying to get out of work. There is a plenty left to do. Have twenty four now, more than any previous time. Five new girls have come in this term and I look for more. I wish we could raise the number to thirty till Minerva gets back. I enjoy this work very much and am very thankful for the opportunity of this year in school work.

Father, you will probably recieve a check from the Mission Board for me. They have decided now to grant money for the furnaces. Am sorry they did not let you folks give it several years ago. We girls paid for it and now they will be payingus. My part will be $50.00 which I wish you would deposit to my account there in the bank. I do not need it here and just now and if it is here it will not draw interest. I may send more home later when I do not need it so as to draw interest, that when I come home I may have it for some needed things. Father I wish you would tell me what my account is now.

We are thinking a telegram may come from the coast now any time telling of the arrival of the Crumpackers and party. They should be landed now, but with the high water it may be hard to land.

Had planned to go to Liao Chou this week to Mission meeting. But we are waiting now for the Crumpackers, also for the roads to get better. Wampler was down to Liao the first of the week and says the roads have been very bad. Have had sunshine all this week for once. If it should continue it would soon dry off. This is the first without rain so far for several months.

You will soon be having District meeting. I would like to be there. You must tell me all about it.

Will send some pictures we had taken during the summer out at the hills.

Lovingly your daughter,
Anna V. Blough