Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1922-03-20
mabel RES0R
WRITES AGAIN
Interesting Letter Tells of
the Christmas Celebra-
ton on Island Of
Java.
FIVE SEVERE QUAKES
Rainy Season is Cause of
Some Inconvenience to
.sfl Newcomers.


letter from Miss Mabel Rpsor, for.
mcrly OF this city, now Il missionary
and nurse on the Island of Java. read
Tuesday evening to the Young Wo-
mems Foreign Missionary society of
tie Methodist church, is, in part, as
follows:
Tjisaryoea, BuitenZorg. Java. Jan.
u, 1922.--Dear Folks at Home: l am
still living in another world. not only
really but in my mind, too. In the first
place who ever could imagine Christ
mas without snow and ice when that is
the thing l have been used TO all
my life! And that is what makes this
whole thing seem so very strange and
Interesting to me. OF course those who
so south or west in our own country
lave snOwless. warm Christmas times.
too, but it never had been my fortune
[" experience Il warm, summary Christ
mas and it seemed really odd. AS you
all know, this place is away up on
the side Of MI. Gede. and We do not
Fn0w anything about the severe heat
~ the coast towns. Well, Christmas
began on Thursday for us. as the
churches in THIS charge all had pro-
grams and it took some Of the mis-
SIonarieS away for that. There is only
one automobile and our family is so
large that some of us have to remain
two trips. which we did not think was
necessary in this case. The programs
were in Malay and some of the newer
ones could not understand il at all any
way so we decided to not cry because
we had to remain ut home. On Friday
evening while part of the folks were
gone we had the native nurses up to
DIR. Perkins to II little party at which
time the gifts were given ont and re-
.reShments served. Lovely Christmas
music on the VictrOla was the chief
delight Of the boys and girls and they
seemed 81 happy. Then Saturday eve
ming the little church up here had Il
course The brothers and sisters sang
two songs for the entertainment and
csen though il was in Malay l helped
sing for the words were not hard TO
pronounce and even though did not
know their literal meaning | knew
enough about it to keep in line and
sing.
Id like To have you see the way We
put away our dignity that day and
just enjoyed every minute Of the time!
/ am on night duty but of course | got
up for titan that day and didn't go
back to bed either. At l2::O i went
to DR.. Perkins house and it stands
out quite clearly in my memory for it
was the first timc had really walked
and left my crutcheS behind. ]
think eight weeks is much too long
tor broken ankle to require to heal,
dent you: am still trying to find
the good in my breaking the ankle any
way, for DR.. Perkins says that it will
he the greater part of Il year before
| will be able to walk easily and that
it will he IL constant and clingng
friend all my life. Now that's q
pleasant prospect. But to get SAck to
Christmas. When l arrived ] found
the dining.rOom decorated with beau
titul red roses and all the doors and
windows thrown wide open and the
sun shining in SO bright and pretty.
Prom the doors which opened onto the
Gcde in the distance and closer the
tea plantations and the coc0anut groves
and then coming right to the yard we
saw the lovely rose harbor which is
Mrs. Perkins pride. We had place
cards if you please, done in water
color by Mrs. Pincknry. wife of DR..
Pickncy. who is up here for the present
and waiting to go to Sumtra. The
dime" was just as good as We have in
the states at the Christmas time.
Very likely everyone there thought
of home during that meal hour but not
n soul seemed to forget that they were
here and that this was home this
Christmas and that there must not he
aiythin. sad about the day. We sat
long and talked. and then we hia
some snap shots taken and the fun
which goes with that sort of thing.
We went back to our own homes to
gather again after the chillrcn'S pro
gram in the evening, and il was then
we opened our letters and gifts around
n lighted Christmas tree and glowing
Fireplace. The tree had come from
America 10 little Paul Stamer, and as
this is his first Christmas he willingly
yoye ms his tree for the night. l had
such n good time that evening" and we
nh had a nice lot of gifts to open and
il made us all happy.
For a week we had been practicing
songs for early morning carols and so