Letter from Dora Giffen to her family, May 13, 1922

34 Geziret Badran,
Shubra, Cairo
10:00 P.M., Sat., May 13, 1922

Dearest Ones:
I must hurry or I will have let this week go by without getting anything written to you. It will not be a very long letter again this week. Mother's letter of a Apr. 14th, the first one written on Friday, came on Mon. of this week, May 8th, and the one sent April 22nd got here on May 11th; so that so far I cannot see but that letter sent a little later on in week get here just about as quickly as the ones that were sent on Thursday. Send them when it suits you best to send them.

Mother, I think the way you are making my blue serge dress is very pretty. I am glad you are making (or having made) one like it for yourself.

I had not heard that people from the Fayoum were beaten up in Cairo sometime this spring. I hope that your fruit was not killed by frost. Aunt E. and Edna have been enjoying the reading of your letters, Mother. We exchange letters to read very often.

Martin, we enjoyed your letter. I, too, am not studying very hard just now. This is my first evening spent in the Shubra House for thirty nine days. The Orphanage Has come to be home for me, and the home is broken up. Mr. Boyd came up on Tues., he and Mr. Atchison spent all of Tues. and Wed. in packing boxes and creating things for Aunt E. and Edna. On Thurs. Mr. Boyd took Aunt E. and Edna over town in his Ford to see about matters of business of one kind and another, and I went along to be of what little service I could. Then Thurs. afternoon word from Mr. Caldwell made them decide suddenly to leave Egypt next Wed., so that meant rush, rush, rush; and I stayed home from the S.O.S. on Friday to help them. Mr. Caldwell came up Fri. evening and talked things over with Edna; then on Sat. morning (this morning) she and Aunt Elizabeth decided definitely not to leave Egypt until about May 31st when the City of Sparta is due to arrive in Port Said. (The Edies of Khartoum and Miss Mintier are sailing on the City of Benares this week, which just reminds me that the Alters of India were in Cairo from last evening to this evening on their way to the U.S. I did not see them.

Most of the packing is done. A few little odds and ends need yet to be attended to over at the Orphanage but the house was closed up this afternoon, Aunt Elizabeth going to the Alexanders in Miss Buchanan’s car and Edna to Hazel Henry’s to stay until Monday, when we will go back to the Orphanage to spend the day but not the night. (Mr. Boyd went home this afternoon and brought some things in to Shubra for me on his way.) Things have been in too big of a rush this week for them To make plans as to what they will do between now and the date of sailing but they (Aunt E. and Edna) want to get some visiting done. I hope that they can both get rested. Yes, Mother, I will miss them keenly. They have tried so hard to help fill “the void,” that they have grown very dear. Outside of the immediate family I have never had a dearer friend then Edna. I think we seem to “fit.” She is out on a moonlight trip to the Pyramids tonight with the Henrys. I am so glad she got to go, for during these past moonlight nights she has longed for the trip, since it is her last chance.

On Wed. the Shubra Household went for a moonlight sail on the Nile. Edna, Mr. Boyd, and I went along and we had a grand and glorious time. Miss Martin and three of the Ezbekieh girls were also along. We left at 6:15 and got back to land at 9:15 and ate our lunch on the boat. We had a nice boat and the night was perfect, with just the right amount of wind for the sailboat.

Yesterday afternoon Miss Reynolds took Aunt E. and myself for a delightful ride into the Abbassia desert, and on the way back we saw a beautiful sunset. (I noticed that I have employed the adjectives.)

While I think of it, Mother, Edna pointed out to me the old Watson house in Faggala Street and the house in which was their flat, is just the fourth house towards the station from where we lived last year.

I have made quite a few acquisitions during my residence at the Orphanage, and I have not given up hope yet of making them take something for some of the things, especially for a very nice suitcase that Edna is leaving. Will mention some of the things later.

But Goodnight now. A great lot of love from your Dora.