Anna V. Blough letter to dear ones at home, Feb. 23, 1914

              Ping Ting Hsien, Shansi, China
23 February 1914

Dear Ones at home, -

Have written to Warrens but want to add a little to you at home. This next Monday Bro. 
Crumpacker and several men coming in from the coast are going hunting. This week he went out 
and got several pheasants. I was invited to dinner thee that day and so had some too. It is very 
good meat. Today Dr. Wampler went out and got one and a rabbit. The rabbits are a little larger 
than those at home.

Then on Tuesday Dr. Wampler goes to Shanghai for the Medical Conference Emma is going to 
take advantage of the company on the road and take a trip to Peking. Can go the greater part of 
the way with them and We girls do not travel lone here when we must put for the night at an Inn. 
When going to the coast we always stop for the night at a Junction. So with the doctors along 
she will not need to take a native along.

Boys, I must tell you a sock story that amused me so one eve I could hardly keep a straight face 
the other party was out of sight. A year ago we gave our helpers here each a pair of plain gray 
socks as you wear at home for Xmas. Well they were prized so much that they were put away for 
over a year. But the other week one eve Yato came in and had those socks on. How did I know 
it? Well it was very evident. They were pulled up over the outside of his thick padded trousers 
half way to the knee. It was so funny that we girls nudged eachother ad put our news papers up 
pretty high and when he went out took a good laugh. The girls said that at the coast where 
educated and refined Chinese were, they wore the socks over the trousers and foreign silk garters 
on the outside. Of course they all wear a band a round the bottom of the trousers and bind them 
down, both men and women. There are no loose trousers at the feet. Very few women wear 
skirtsI have seen about five in this town and some of those only on dress occassions.

When the doctor goes to Shanghai I am sendin a package along. It is not Christmas time or any 
other time, but is a chance to send somethings. What I am sending are some things quite common 
here. There is a package labelled for Elmer. It is a flint such as all tobacco users cary, I mean the 
men, the women (and all smoke) use matches. Take the piece of flint firmly in one hand with the 
stuff that looks like rags, hold this right with it, and then strike it hard with the steel edge. This 
one made the sparks fly here. Then there is a piece of carved stone for Robert. You can get Ida to 
help you fix this for a watch fob. It is used here as ornaments on clothing, sewed on a cap etc. 
Then there is on marked �childs cap�Give it to Edgar. I think he wil appreciate it most of all. 
Other things are in that are not for anyone special, keep them to show. Wish the folks there could 
all see some of these things. Maby you can arrange for them to see them. I should say that childs 
cap is very co monly worn here. Usually shoes are fixed to match looking like some animal. Some 
time I will send shoes. The womens shoes are not the smallest, as I did not succeed in getting the 
smallest. The foot is boud in such a way that toes are turned under the big toe, then the instep is 
all but broken and the heel raised and the woman walks on the big toe. It just reminds me of pigs 
feet without the divided hoof. That is the part that goes in this shoe. The flap at the back goes 
up, a band tied about the part where the ankle ought to be and this holds the shoe on. This one I 
send you was worn by a bride and then when they got so poor there was no money they sold 
their wedding shoes. The pair of blue towels in which it is all wrapped is often used as a girdle 
about the waist tho sometimes as a towel. You can use it as you like. Hope it goes thru alright. 
Boxes are a minus article here, and if there was a one it would be smashed till it got there as all 
that come this way are.

Hope the calendar come soon, you said one was sent but it has not come and I feel lost without 
one.

My best wishes for you all.

Lovingly,
Anna V. Blough