Anna V. Blough letter to dear ones at home, Oct. 23, 1918

              Ping Ting Chou, Shansi, China
October 23, 1918


Dear Ones at Home,-
Week after week goes by and no word from home. I know you have written letters, but we hear the censor is behind and so they are delayed. My last from home was mothers telling about Everett leaving for camp. That seems like a long time ago. But some day they will come. I wonder if ours are so delayed.

This last week Ping Ting has suffered a pretty bad epidemic. It came from the south and has been bad all along the way. It is a bad form of influenza. Over Saturday and Sunday some twenty girls at the school were sick, also Minerva and one of the teachers. I had planned to go out to the villages this week but cancelled that and staid [sic] home. In every room over here there were from one to four girls sick and have hard time to get over it. Last week Grace Clapper who is with me in my bedroom had it pretty bad too. I had a sore throat like she did, but lacked the headache and other complications. I went on about my work, going out to a number of villages. Do not know if it was a light form of it or not, but hope it will pass off at that for I should not like to get it in its more severe form. I shall be very happy if I am able to avoid it, for the last year I have been susceptible to colds that I did not know how I would get along this winter. Since I am getting out to the villages and have the country rides and walks I feel so good again and I guess I never had a bigger appetite. So I feel pretty good about that. 

At last writing I said we hoped to get passage on a boat the fore part of March. We can not do that and will try for a boat, the latter part of March. Nothing is yet sure, so do not make any definite plans. I try to do my work as it should be done, but sometimes my thots [sic] run riot and it think of the home going in spite of other things to do.

Mrs. Crumpacker has the grippe too, so I have been teaching some of her classes with the women in the afternoon. I like that so very much. Teaching the girls is good, but I like best to work with the women. 

Last evening a cable came from the Board asking us to postpone all building operations possible. There are a few things that will be needed but some can be put off if necessary.

Doctor Wampler was called to Liao Chou this week again. The Oberholtzer baby was sick with Dysentery and some complications. Dr. Brubaker wanted him for consultation. Do not know when he will get back. Do not know if I told you that we have a Christian Chinese doctor helping at this place. He is trying to get into the work that when Wampler goes home in the spring he can take over the work. He only finished his work in the spring so now when Dr. Wampler is away we are not without all medical aid.

I am wondering so much about our boys, if any more of them have gone to camp. It would be a great comfort to get mail these days and know what is really going on. And then Everett is already gone and I wonder where he is and what he is doing.