Letter from Dora Giffen to her family, March 2, 1921
MLA Citation
Giffen, Dora Eunice, 1897-1982. “Letter from Dora Giffen to her family, March 2, 1921.” Digital Gallery. BGSU University Libraries, 31 Mar. 2023, digitalgallery.bgsu.edu/items/show/41476. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.
Share
Tags
Title | Letter from Dora Giffen to her family, March 2, 1921 |
---|---|
Subject | Giffen, Dora Eunice, 1897-1982 |
Women missionaries--Correspondence | |
Missions--Egypt | |
Protestant churches--Missions--Egypt | |
Presbyterians--Egypt--Correspondence | |
Egypt--Church history | |
Christianity--Egypt | |
Missions to Muslims--Egypt | |
Egypt--Description and travel | |
Description | Letter from Dora Giffen to her family in New Concord, Ohio, in which she describes her life and work as a missionary in Egypt, the lives and activities of other missionaries stationed with her. In this letter she describes their ongoing search for suitable housing and setting up her room with mosquito nets. |
Creator | Giffen, Dora Eunice, 1897-1982 |
Source | Dora E. Giffen papers; MS-0309; Center for Archival Collections; University Libraries; Bowling Green State University |
Date | 1921-03-02 |
Rights | |
Format | Correspondence |
application/pdf | |
Language | eng |
Identifier | ms00309_b001_f002_i00020.pdf |
https://digitalgallery.bgsu.edu/items/show/41476 | |
Is Referenced By | https://lib.bgsu.edu/findingaids/repositories/4/resources/1425 |
Spatial Coverage | Cairo (Egypt) |
Type | Text |
1) 45 Faggala, Cairo Thurs., Mar. 2, ‘21 Dear Family: I am going to try and get this letter written before supper tonight, for I fear there will be no time to write later on. Tonight is prayer meeting night, tomorrow I will be busy all day with lessons until time for choir-practice, then in the evening Avis has invited us all over to their house (after supper) for a party. On Saturday morning it is my turn to help with the house-work, and on Sat. evening we are planning to have a big dinner, in honor of Betty's Birthday the next day, March 6. I will feel that I am celebrating Mother's birthday, too. Again may I say “Many Happy Returns of the Day,” Mother. Not as much as usual has been going on this past week, which is a good thing, for I have been doing some studying on the side. Our first exam comes during the last of April, before Mr. Elder leaves for America. This is his furlough year and he expects to go the first day of May. All of the new bunch of missionaries (the ones arriving this year) are to take their exams together, which is not as hard on those arriving in the 2nd and 3rd parties as it sounds, for they have been having a splendid grammar teacher from the first and we have only had a good one for about a month now. Our first one, (to use a slang expression), was punk. Mother asked about a “written lesson,” we took before Clarice and I went to Assiut. I made a good many mistakes in it but Mr. Elder put no grade on our papers. Mother mentioned the names of your new roomers in her last letter. I know Caldwell and Coltman, and know of Sutherland. I think Sutherland is the one that Ethel Hutchison said was coming from Claysville, P.A., and is some relation of hers. If he is, here's hoping good luck to you! You know Caldwell is a grandson of the Caldwell who for a long time was preacher at Antrim. I am sorry that Martin's Bible is minus some pages. I don't think that I know where cousin Margaret Russell got her piano, Mother. You home folks have sometimes mentioned showing my letters to others. I rather wish that you would not do it very much, for they are rather personal and detailed, and very few, outside of my immediate family, would understand them. Picked parts of them might be all right to read to others. To illustrate, I think I would not mind having Aunt Libbia, Mabel, Lois, and Mrs. Sleeth read them, but by no means would I want Sarah Welch to know all that I have written to you, let alone the New Concord Y.P.C.U. But I know that Mother has been, so far, using her best judgment in the matter, and I am glad that she has let the Giffen-Sleeth household and some of my best friends, read them. 2) The latest word from Miss Ruth Beatty is that she expects to remain in Assiut, taking work in the Hospital there, for some little time. The Russells, who are going to Abassynia are waiting in Assiut, also. Miss Reva is getting well nicely according to last reports. Synod meets up-country this week, I think at Minia; and the Elders are attending it and then going on up to Assiut. The Galts are staying in their house while they are away, and Lois says that they are enjoying this little time by themselves very much. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander have also gone up country and Edna Sherriff, who lives with them, is staying with Avis while they are away. My bed arrived yesterday and I like it very much. I slept in it last night for the first time and it is very comfortable. The posts are just right for nets. Being a three-quarters bed, of course my net was a little wide for it, but I easily took a little tuck in it last night before putting it on. I put the bed up yesterday afternoon and took “my” little single-bed down. Our two young servant boys want to buy it now, so Clarice and I have decided to let them have it for about a pound, which is cheap, while at the same time we will be clearing most of that money. You know it was just thrown in with the rest of the furniture we got from Jessups. The carpenter Mustapha worked a little on my chifferobe for three days, Sat., Mon., and Tues. He charged about a pound for fixing it and putting it all together; also for putting together my little walnut-stand and for putting a new handle on Mrs. Coventry's hammer. I mentioned, didn't I, the fact that I broke it while getting my chair out of the crate. Mustapha does very good carpentering work and I am quite pleased with my chifferobe and bookcase. I had Zakky, the servant, wash my windows this morning, so that I could put the curtains on whenever I find the time. Already I am beginning to feel at home in my room. When I get it all fixed up, I hope to take a picture of it to send home. At the Station-Meeting, Tuesday, the question as to where we young ladies would move to this spring, was discussed. The man who owns this house would himself like to move into our flats, at least into two of them, and we are quite willing to let him. It was decided by Association and some other bodies that next year the Cairo Study Center should be moved to the University; so if it were not for the fact that Mrs. Coventry has to be near her Faggala school, we would try to get a flat or flats nearer to the University. But very likely we will move into the Elder's house or rooms and into the rooms now used by the Study Center. Mr. Quay is away this week-end, so Mrs. Quay is eating with us and one of us is going to sleep in her flat. Baby Robert is growing nicely and is a sweet, bright baby. The Quays are moving soon into the Trowbridge House in MaCadi. The Trowbridges leave soon for a year in America and are leaving their house furnished, which is nice for the Quays, who have been using Atchisons’ furniture while they (the Atchisons) are at home. Our mumps patient was at the table (for the first time) at dinner today. The Doctor said there was no danger of her giving the mumps to anyone now. Clarice and I went to Doctor Whitcomb's house for our second inoculation for typhoid on Mon. afternoon. It did not make me feel as bad as my first inoculation did, and my arm feels all right now. Very little American male came to the mission last week, but Mother's letter came to me. I also received one of January's B.and M.s. I have certainly been enjoying the Muscoljuan this week. It is a good annual. Thank you again for it. Now lots of love to you all. I must soon be writing a birthday letter to Willard. Love, Dora |