The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-01-04
LOCAL WOMAN TN
FOREIGN FIELD
Miss Lauretta Dibble Sends
Word from Mission
in Africa.
ENJOYS HER WORK
From Greenland's icy mountains,
From midas coral strand.
Where Afl'ic's sunny fountains
Roll down their golden sands

And in the very heart of Africa en-
joying the happiness which comes to
those who have dedicated their lives to
service, is Miss Lauretta Dibble, the
Kenosha girl who went to take up mis-
sionary work several years ago. How
ever from her description of the life in
Angola, Africa, the continent is not all
sand, but civilization obtains in places.
Miss Dibble, the daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Claude Dibble Of 426 Florence
street, has been in Dondi, Angola, West
africa, for a year. Previous to that
she worked in Portugal for a year,
gathering an efficient knowledge or the
Portuguese language and customs. The
nearest seaport to the Congregational
Currie Institute at Dondi is Venezuela,
and even that is two days journey to
Miss Dibble's school. This makes COM
munication with her home folks rather
difficult, but each letter that arrives
here ID full Of action and description Oh
the interesting life at an African mis-
sionary center.
Recent Letter Interesting.
The most recent letter receivd by
MI. and Mrs. Dibble from their daugh-
ter is written rather impersonally for
the benefit Of all her Kenosha friends.
It abounds in interesting incidents.
Following are several extracts from
the letter:
Dear, dear home folks:
$50 much has happened during the
last few weeks that | find it hard to
know where to start and what to tell
"If the president of the United States
nd the governors of several states, as
we'll as number Of other lesser fig
ures, such as mayors of principal cities,
etc. ETC., should come to dine at your
home, wouldn't you feel that was the
first thing to be told Of in your next
letter? l think you would and l do,
go here goes for an account Of our
association with the mighty.
4 con September %, Mr.. Tucker, Mrs.
fucker. Mr.. Mcdowell and / went in
ented auto to Belmont to compliment
as the Portuguese say) His Excellen-
Nv. Norton de Mottos, the high COM
missioner Of Angola. The gentlemen
We're readily granted an audience with
His Excellency, and his wife received
Eeona and me socially. We had such
nice visit with her; she was altogether
charming and gracious, and was de-
lighted to find we spoke Portuguese
and that / had seen so much of her
native land, Portugal. During our call,
We told her what great pleasure 1t
would be forus to entertain her at the
mission. She said she would be very
happy to come if it could be arranged.
We repeated our invitation later to His
Excellency, and he said they would
most certainly arrange to come before
returning to Loanda, the capital of
Angola.
Natives See Auto.
"We were only about an hours ride
from Cammundongo, another OF our
mission stations so we went on over
Nhere 10 spend Sunday with our friends.
II was the first time an auto had ever
rome to that station and excitement
gcigned supreme among the natives.
do not remember the first time | saw
an auto so presume / cannot quite
appreciate what it must mean to these
natives to see machine come putting
and snoring without anything appar-
entity to make it go.
"Monday morning work was started
bright and early. When the students
were told of the coming visit of their
excellencies, they went to work with
Great enthusiasm you may be sure.
More than a half mile of new road was
made, beside clearing about five miles
of old road. Exhibitions of the various
departments were prepared and gem
eral cleanup made. -
Il taught the girls dear Nttle Por-
tucuese song, % Pastor Solitario,' and
went over few other hymns and
songs, including "A Portuguesa3 the
Portuguese national anthem.
TUESDAY morning we were up with
the sun and you know that is early in
Africa near the equator. My particu-
lar task was to arrange the flowers
throughout the house, lay the table.
write the place cards, etc, etc. We had
lust nicely gotten ready when the party
did appear.
Royalty Present.
aThere were in the 'comitivs,' His
Fxcellency, Norton de Mattos, the high
commissioner Of Angola; Her Excellen-
cy. Dona Esther de Mattos; Dona Rita,
their daughter, and her husband, the
Governor Of Benguela and Bic. There
we're also the administrators of-Vila de
silva Porto, Ondulo, Bailundo and
Wanbo, three military officers of high
rank, and several others.
"Breakfast was then served. found
the Governor of Bic at my right and
the Capitao Ferreira at my left were
from the Mimic and Combra respect
lively. and so l discoursed at length
about both places mentioning acquaint-
ances Of no little note. The Governor
Of Benguela was just around the corner
Of the table at my left and he asked me
il / could not say, in spite of my in
fatuation with the northern part of
Portugal that l really liked Lisboa
better. las, it was out--the mecca of
every Portuguese was his terra and
Mad not saidsa single word about it! l
scarcely knew what to say, for had
had such wretched time with my
health there that dislike recalling my
months in Lisbon. Furthermore l had
used Zip all the extravagant adiectives
knew in Portuguese in describing the
northern part.
~Please give my most cordial greet
ings to all my friends at home. ! wish
had time to write to them individual
y but that is quite impossible. Please