Baptist Chinese Mission
                                             Fresno, Cal.
                                                   June 19,1900

My dear Papa,

                         My conscience hurts 

me for not writing to you last week as 

I had promised myself and wrote Mama 

I would do.  But I let one thing and 

another put it off till Sat. night, be-

cause we have no school or prayer- 

meeting that night and I am usually 

lonesome and at a loss as how to 

spend the evening.  Sat. afternoon (from 

the selfish wish to escape the loneliness 

here) I went visiting, first in 

Chinatown, where I was given my supper 

(crackers, salmon, apricot pie, cake, apricots, 

and such delicious tea , which I drank 

with a China spoon) and entertained part 

of the time by the children’s singing “At 

the Cross” and “I Will Follow Jesus”, right 

before the idol shelf where a taper
 

    Then I went to the Cloyds, who 

buried their sweet baby last Sunday, 

and found there a site characteristic 

of this country – a family camping in 

the corral, (Mr. Cloyd keeps a horse feed 

and sale stable) who had come all the 

way from Phoenix, Arizona, and thirteen 

fine horses and mules with them; were 

going to settle in Hanford.

    Then I came home, thinking “Now I’ll 

start my letter”.  As I drew near I 

saw there was some commotion, even 

the neighbors staring at the mission, 

and did not wonder when I found 

Miss Stein, trying to ride a wheel with 

Chin Sing to help her.  She wanted us 

all to stay in sight for propriety’s 

sake.  So I watched her and Lota till 

after eight, when Chin Sing went home 

leaving the wheel in the school room.

    That was too much temptation for 

Mrs. Schonecke and me; so we tried

and wasted an hour at it.  The wheel 

is to stay here all the week and I should 

like to ride, but have no one 

to teach me.  Chin Sing will teach 

Miss Stein while I teach, evenings. 

If we dressed like Chinese women, 

it would be easier to learn!

    Miss Stein has often asked me to tell 

you about our prayer meetings, because 

as a general thing, each one present 

takes some part in the meeting. As 

I was accustomed to that, or at least 

to its being understood to be desirable, 

in our young peoples meetings, it did 

not strike me as being as wonderful 

as she thought it would, so I have 

forgotten to write of it.  Then the inordinate 

conceit of each Chinaman makes it 

easier for him to talk.  To my mind 

the good of it all depends on what they say 

and the spirit in which they say 

it; and of that I cannot judge, be-

    And I seem no nearer to understand-

ing the language than I was three 

months ago.  I summoned courage to 

ask Miss Stein for her dictionary the 

other day, and after the worry of finding 

it and the cautions concerning its 

use which had prevented my asking for 

it sooner.  I got it , and in spite of her 

assurance that I could not learn to 

use it without help, have found the 

characters for the first two verses of the 

14th of John.  I got the boys to pro-

nounce them for me.  I have little 

heart to study though because of the lack 

of competent direction and the fear of 

learning wrong so as to make it the harder 

for me when I have a chance to learn 

aright.  But this, too, is in the Lord’s hands 

and I will try to use the means at hand, 

hoping He will give larger opportunities 

in good time.

heathen, was read with much interest. 

Is there any way to determine what the 

word “perish” means , as used in Rom. 2-12? 

And what did Jesus mean when He said 

“If ye were blind ye should have no sin”. 

John 9:41.  As anyone, who was not an imbecile, 

truly “blind”?  If any are, surely, the 

poor, uneducated, among the Chinese, 

are so!  I thought of that verse Sat. after-

noon when that Chinese woman was 

clapping her hands while her children 

sang “I Would Follow Jesus” (Salvation Army 

teaching) , with that idol in sight.  She says 

she believes in Jesus, but believes the idols 

too!  And will not give them up though 

her husband and children wish to.

    Certainly our duty is plain, to obey 

the Lord’s command; but it makes 

my blood run cold to present the light 

and have it refused.

        I am not sure that I understand

“the establishment of (Christ’s) reign over the 

lives, activities, and fortunes of men.”  Do you 

mean that nations will keep their present 

modes of government after Christ’s coming, 

except that they will be gradually 

purged from wickedness?  Or do you think 

this purging will be accomplished under 

the administration of the Sprit before 

Christ’s coming?

    And in speaking of the several orders 

of being “present at the transfiguration” 

do you include the three apostles?  Should 

Moses and Elias be considered different 

“orders”?  If so, in what’s the difference?  That 

one died, while the other was translated?  And how should that affect 

their condition?

I hope you will write as fully to me 

on subjects as the “flowing of the 

ink” will possibly allow; for here I 

have little to stimulate thought, and 

almost nothing to gain information 

from. ( I hear a fire bell; it rings

The fire department must be efficient as I 

never hear of the fire so suppose they 

are not serious.)

    The only thoughtful educated person I 

have met in this neighborhood is old Mr. 

Cooper, who is a Spiritualist.  He is from 

Boston, as I imagine I should have 

guessed if no one had told me.  I have 

had only one extended conversation with 

him.

    I am sorry if I gave up the creosote too 

soon – a month after I reached here seemed 

a long time to me.  I still crave it sometimes 

after eating (feel the need of its aid to digestion) 

but otherwise do not miss it.  Soon after 

receiving your last letter, Mr. Schonecke got me 

½ gal. port wine (for 25 cts) and I have 

taken nearly a quart; take it about ten in 

the morning.  I got port because the doctors had 

ordered it for several “run down” ladies here, 

so I supposed it would be best for me.  I know you 

would  prefer a sour wine, but I do not

enough!   I getting along very well 

“baching”, but fear I’ll never be Yankee 

enough to really prefer it as women here 

do.  Since the chance for a mountain trip this 

summer includes cooking for myself, it is well 

    I have this experience now.  I should like for 

many reasons to try the mountains; but can 

stay here independently if the money for the 

trip is hard to get.  I wish I could 

send you some apricots; they are fine now.  

They have no taste of a peach to me now.  The 

only ripe peaches for about two weeks yet are 

the tasteless varieties.

If you have cause to be glad of association 

with Dr. Eager, how much more have I!  May 

God bless him in every way.

    I received a nice letter from cousin A. Dix Liddle 

last week, asking for information about this mission 

for his, the Des Moines B.Y.P.U.

    I’ve written a long letter as usual!

                                      Your loving daughter,

                                                                   Dollie