Letter from Dora Giffen to her brother John Willard Giffen, March 12, 1921

1)

45 Faggala, Cairo
Sat., March 12, ‘21

Dear Willard:
For a long time it has been on my mind to write a letter just to you, but because I know you get to read my home letters I have put off writing to you for so long that even this birthday letter will not reach you before the twenty-ninth of March.

Many, many happy returns of the twenty-ninth! And lots of love and twenty-two kisses. Do you feel old? If you do, remember that I am twenty-four and that you never can catch up to me.

Thank you so much, Willard, for that photo that Dr. Finley brought with him. I was so glad to get it, but it did give me just a little twinge of homesickness, it made me want to see you and the rest. You are not looking very well, and a letter from home today inclosed one that you had written while you were in bed. Do take care of yourself, Willard. I know that Mother must be anxious about you.

And I am just wondering how you found Father, Mother, and Martin when you were home at the Christmas holidays. I suppose you found Martin taller. My! It gives me a queer feeling to think he is growing up. I suppose I will not be able to think of his being more than fifteen until I see him the next time. Does not that sound as if I had been away from home for years. But it will be years before very long. Time goes just as fast out here as in any other place. And Martin is sixteen now, not fifteen.

How long will it be before you expect to be thru school and I can count on seeing you out here? I was just thinking that six and a half years would not seem so long if in the meantime you had arrived on the scene. I am sorry that your work at Valparaiso has not been more enjoyable. No doubt you are beginning to feel that there are some very needy fields in America; and there are. The first few weeks I was in Egypt I could not help but wish that I had been placed in one of those American fields. But the more I go among the people here, the “gladder” I am to be here.

There ought to be a splendid opening withing the next two years for a physics professor in Cairo University. And that University is in a position to do lost for the Egyptian people, for it is the influential class of Egyptians who are sending their boys there. But of course such a position might not appeal to you. The reason I mentioned it was because I was told by Mr. Vandersol that he was teaching physics besides some other subjects, but that the University was hoping soon to get a regular science department organized and equipped and a special chemistry and physics teacher. You see Cairo University was opened for the first time about the first of last October.

When I was at Assiut last Christmas, Prof. Hickman, who is head of the Science Department in Assiut College, too Clarice and me over to 2) see his Science Hall. It is a splendidly equipped building, and Mr. Brown, Prof. Hickman’s assistant, said they had a splendid department and his teaching work was no easy job. Mr. Brown goes home this spring but I think possibly they have another short-termed teacher to fill his place. He says he expects to be back after taking further work along his line in some American university.

In one of my home letters I mentioned having attended a “Father-Son Social” at the University. The students themselves carried out a well-arranged program and the parents there, some of whom were very high-classed Government officials, seemed very much pleased. Mr. Wendell Cleland was saying the other day that he faculty had recently attempted to instill into the students some principles of student government and they were very much encouraged the other day when two students, seeing a fellow student steal a watch from a coat hanging on a tree, instead of beating around the bush and going to someone else to tell what they had seen, (they) went straight to the student who had done the stealing and told him what they had seen. The guilty student professed utter innocence, then the two students went to the authorities and told what had happened and did not spread any unnecessary reports among the other students.

At Association one day Prof. McClenahan gave us a very interesting history of the rise and beginnings of the University. God has certainly taken care of it and those in charge are to be highly commended for their courage and faith. I mentioned in one of my letters, didn’t I, the fact that next year the Cairo Study Center will be, very likely, in the University, carried on in conjunction with it. At least our Association passed on such as motion and it is very likely that the other missions involved will pass on it too.

Well, Willard, Assiut has seen a good many changes since we saw it in 1906. But it is still the same old place. I wonder how much and how many of our old haunts you remember? The old water wheel beside the P.M.I. is still there, but the old flag station (or hut, one might call it) by the railroad is replaced by a new little two-story structure. A good many people inquired about you while I was there, in fact not a week passes but someone asks about you. R.G. and John Lorimer have asked me about you several times. Last week I was saying something to Lois (Knipe G.) about there being no honor-system in Valparaiso and she said that last year she was troubled so much with high school students cheating. In fact there seem to be very few places like our college in that respect. In spite of her faults, Muskingum is a dear old school and I am proud of her and of little New Concord, aren’t you?

Willard, one day when I was out at Uncle Johns they told me to inspect a small wooden stool they had there, and when I turned the bottom side up, lo!! There was the name of Willard, written in pencil and in your handwriting. I thought it remarkable that the pencil-writing had stayed so clear for fifteen years or more.

I enjoy some much going out to Uncle Johns and we often exchange letters to read. They do so like to hear from you all. I wonder if you could find time to write them a little note sometime. Uncle John is not at all well just now. An attack of bronchitis has made him quite weak and kept him in bed for several days.

I don’t believe I ever thanked you for those 8 pieces of your music that I brought with me. You told me I could take my choice, which I did, Thank you very much. Come over some night and we’ll have some music, both with vocal and instrumental.

Now this has been a poor excuse for a letter, but my letters have to be written when I can find the time, whether I feel like writing or not. I’ll close with a birthday hug.

Your sister Dora