Dear Mother:

I am on my vacation—Josephine and I came down here Monday and go home tomorrow, Saturday. The girls got off to Japan last Saturday and left instructions that the boys were to entertain us as if they were here, we were to be their guests just the same. So the servants have done their best and are feeding us on the fat of the land, that is out of Miss Hillman’s garden. Corn, beans, tomatoes, cabbage and potatoes. They even left the store room key for us to take anything we need for they claim they visit us in Seoul more than we do them here, but of course we have not made free with their things. We brought canned meats and butter & milk and plenty of bread & cake with us. Have had to draw on their store room for milk & butter as we ran short. Alice and Bob (that is Mr. & Mrs. Sharp¹) came down Wednesday and stayed with us till this morning.

As I sit and write here on the veranda I can see the harbour full of ships and enjoy the delightful sea breezes, a thing which we miss in Seoul, 25 miles inland. We can see the trains as they go back and forth a stretch of the track a quarter of a mile or more, 12 passenger trains a day, so you see it is quite interesting here, but there are some drawbacks too. We haven’t had a good night’s sleep yet. The delightful breezes by day, by night become perfect gales, rattling the windows so that it is impossible to sleep soundly. Rainy season is not over yet and last night we had a terrific rain storm. The rain came in through the bricks altho’ the walls of the house are a brick and a half thick. Miss Miller’s² room, which is on the front of the house was beautifully papered in the spring and it has been just ruined by this season’s rains. Everything is damp and moldy. I am so afraid I won’t have any gloves to wear this fall. I’ve watched and sunned my blue kid ones you sent me to go with my dress.

I went into town two mornings to get our girl started in the day school here. We married one of our Ewa girls to a young Chemulpo man and the ladies are going to use her for their day school teacher. She was a little girl when Page 210 →I first came to Korea. It was so amusing to watch her teach & discipline her pupils so much like we do that I told Miss Paine she & I were doing it by proxy. We imitate our old teachers and now our girls imitate us. So the world moves on from generation to generation. We are not always able to so impress our girls. We sent one to her father yesterday because we were hopeless of doing anything with her, so for the good of the other girls we thought best to get rid of her. It is a disappointment after spending years of time and money to have to let them go.

Our school opens week after next and we must get ready next week. I do not think we will have a very big school the beginning of the fall. We began by making the rule that only those whose clothes were furnished from outside should be received, so we did not have many, and until the people forget that we once furnished the clothes I suspect they will be slow to send their children.³ Actually they seem to think they are being cheated out of their rights. You people in America have no idea the problems we meet in the work. We are anxious to push self-support.

My ink has given out in my pen. Is Georgia back in school again? I have not yet received any word of her trip. I do hope she will give me a full description.

Seoul will be busy soon for the Presby’s of the Southern Church & the M. E. South both hold their annual meeting there this month. The Northern Presby’s hold their meetings in Pyeng Yang, and it opens on the 9th of Sept. We have our next one the 17th of Feb. (think of it) so that Bish. Moore can get through all his conferences in time to get home for the May Gen. Conf. which meets in Los Angeles.

Seoul—Saturday September 5

Took a notion to come back home last night—one’s own bed is best after all. Steamer leaves today I fear I am too late to catch it but will try to get it off in time—Found Georgia’s good letter awaiting me.

Yours—

Lulu—

Dear Mother:

Your letter of Aug. 10 just at hand doubly welcome because the last mail Page 211 →brought me no home letter altho’ a nice one from Miss Lowry came in which she said you and Georgia were both well.

You must read between the lines. Are my letters so blue? I’ll try to do better. I am hastening an answer off tonight for two reasons. A mail goes tomorrow and so you may be able to get a comparatively fresh letter and then school takes up Monday so I might be so busy that it would be several days into next week before I’d get a letter off.

We have just been reading about the proposed tunnel under Bering Str[ait] ($20,000,000). If I go home via Siberia this time the next time perhaps the shorter R.R. route will be finished and think of missing the sea altogether! Georgia doesn’t think she would mind the sea. Some people never get sick. You and I are too bilious to stand it rough.

I am so glad Laura is going to write me. Her letters are worth waiting for but I’ve waited almost 2 years already. I’m afraid she will have to squander a good deal of postage on it. Her last one came to me in an envelope almost the size of one of our reports and was unfolded.

Yes, Mr. & Mrs. Morris⁴ were probably married two days ago. We expect them about the 23rd and they stop with us.

Don’t fear for Miss Paine or me. I guess we are getting too old for such a radical change in our ways of living. If one marries at all it had better be on the sunny side of 30 anyway. If I had an annuity of 1000 dollars a year I’d like nothing better than to spend my remaining years with you and your newspapers, but alas! I see no prospect of any rich relative leaving us a fortune that would bring us the desired income.

Things seem to be at a standstill politically. I think Russia & Japan will compromise.

It is time to get the mail off so must close. I do hope this will find you and Georgia well and happy. Wish I could look in upon you tonight.

Much love

Yours—

Lulu E. Frey.

I am walking but my ankle is yet bandaged & badly swollen. A week tonight since I fell.