Anna V. Blough letter to home folks, Aug. 21, 1915

              Ping Ting Hsien, Shansi, China
21 August 1915

Dear Home Folks, : -

This is Saturday forenoon and if I hurry real much I may get this written in the half hour till our Prayer Meeting at 12:30. We have a half hour Prayer Meeting each day at that time. You see that my speed has increased on the machine and it is fully as easy now to write on it as by hand, and in some ways easier.

This week my language teacher sent word that I would have to get another teacher as he has tuberculosis of the lungs and needs to stop and rest. I think it will be good for me to change. He is not the best teacher and I have had only him since here except a few weeks this summer at Liao Chou. But it is very hard to find a competent teacher in this town and if we send away for one they want such big prices. They get the local dialect here and I have bee trying to learn the Mandarin first so that in going to other places I could understand and be understood. Then they have very little ide of teaching too. But I guess someone will be found.

This week I feel quite victorious over the fleas. Guess it is not necessary to pass my plan on to you, tho I think I will tell it anyhow. When they get after me in the day time I can return the complime and chase them. But I do object to keeping the conquest up all night long when I ought to be sleep. So last fall I decided if they bother me this summer that I would make a trial of some experiments. They found me before anyone else around, so one eve I took two of my narrow sheets for my single bed and sewed them up on the sewing machine, making a big sack with only an opening to get in at one half of one end. When in I draw it up close to my neck and have had a number of nights without one flea, tho if one does get in I have to turn the whole thing wrongside out. But it is a satisfaction to sleep without them to pester. When I get in a room where I can have my bed in the middle of the room, and have place for a larger and higher one I think they will not bother so much. I want to send for a good bed before long, for there will be room for it in the next house. I found this summer that a wider bed was more comfortable. I have only a second hand one here, three feet wide.

This afternoon Anna Hutchison and Winnie Cripe are coming. They will live with us for several days before they go on home. I will give one of them my bed and set my cot up in my study for myself.

This week one of the large timbers that support the roof in our new house gave way. They have proped it up till they can repair it. It may mean that they will have to remove the roof, tho we hope not. They have not been working on the inside of our house for sometime as the workmen are busy on the church and other buildings, but they will soon begin.

The weather is very warm now and I am glad I do not need to be on the road now. We hope it will cool some before the girls must return to Liao, or it will be very hard travel.

This week the news came announcing the birth of little Ralph Shick. Martha wrote such a good letter describing him. I wish I could see those little fellows.

I just now see the boy come in with several watermellons. Some