Catoctin clarion., 1917-02-08
News From The Orient
NANKING, CHINA,
Sept. 81. 1916.

Dear Mother:-
We reached Shanghai on Sept. goth.
just one month from the day | left home.
Tonight | start for Nanking, arriving
there Friday. The University does not
open until October 10th, so l have some
time in which to get settled and acquaint-
ed in my new home. There are some
lovely people here and one is bound to
find congenial souls.
There are so many details that want
you home people to know, and they ac-
cumulate so rapidly, if don't jot them
down right away I'm apt to forget them.
| hustled away from Shanghai on Friday
morning reaching Marking at 2.3O and
home at $50. am delighted with the
prospect of spending my school year arwith
Miss w, for it was in her home that
Mable H. spent her school year. BY the
way, number of people here remarked
how like the H. girls | am, even before
they knew under what Church Board l
am.
AS we came into the harbor at Shang-
hal, the water was dotted with queer
jeniks and sampans. Your first impress
sions are bound to be good. Tied up in
the river we passed three huge German
ships, interned since the war began; also
we passed one of our own ships. Oh!
but the Stars and Stripes as it floated
there from our ship in Shanghai harbor
did look great. Itnever looked just that
way to me before. There were many in
teresting sights along the way from
Shanghai to Marking. At first the coun-
try seemed to be perfectly level, great
stretch of fields dotted with Chinese vii
lagos and interlaced with canals. The
canals are really beautiful, on them hun
dreds of house boats, homes of the natives
and along them many beautiful bamboo
trees. | was very much surprised to see
whole beds of tall huge sunfowers, broom
corn, golden rod growing as tall as men
and fields of wild asters so common at
home. The sunfowers, | was told, were
used for food. have told you of some
of the food served in Japan, but China
has many fruits and vegetables to offer
which are really delicious. l must par
ticularly mention the wonderful Chinese
persimmons, which are very large resem-
bling tomatoes, and also the fresh figs.
Going about Shanghai is really quite
safe. The streets are well policed, al
though these objects are queer looking.
They dress in khaki and wear huge red
bandanas. The little Chinese girls walk
ing along in their loose wide trousers are
very attractive, and some of the men are
not so very bad looking. The sun is very
hard on you, giving you violent head
ache in an incredibly short time. After
my neck was one big blister / bought
helmet hat and now am picture, tho
far from work of art.
Prices here are horrible. No wonder
it pays to bring or have your freig hit sent
from America. The money problem il
quite bother here. Of course they use
the Mexican dollar system. At present
your silver exchange is poor. Also, am
told that as the salaries are paid in Amer.
lean gold and the buying price on it here
may vary, your income is not apt to bt
the same two months in succession
There is so much tuberculosis in Chint
that father would feel quite at home
even tho there is no State "San" wher'
he could visit. ] am told that so many
of the pupils have had it and they are
so terribly afraid of it. When schoo
opens will be very busy. Comfort thu
school kiddies at home by telling that w
have school six days in the week. will
be glad when begin the study of th'
language. Above all do not worry about
me, it would be time wasted. am wei
and happy and know will love my work
In my next letter will have so mucl
to tell, for the next few days we vii
tour the city. We will be so glad whel
the home letters begin to arrive. Writ
often.
Affectionately,
NJ. P. F,