Lady of the Decoration | Page 4

the
short-haired missionary reads aloud to me, the girl from South Dakota
keeps my feet covered up, and Dear Pa and Little Germany assist me to
eat.
The captain has had a big bathing tank rigged up for the ladies, and I
take a cold plunge every morning. It makes me think of our old days at
the cottage up at the Cape. Didn't we have a royal time that summer
and weren't we young and foolish? It was the last good time I had for
many a long day--but there, none of that!
Last night I had an adventure, at least it was next door to one. I was
sitting up on deck when Dear Pa came by and asked me to walk with
him. After several rounds we sat down on the pilot house steps. The
moon was as big as a wagon wheel and the whole sea flooded with
silver, while the flying fishes played hide and seek in the shadows. I
forgot all about Dear Pa and was doing a lot of thinking on my own
account when he leaned over and said:
"I hope you don't mind talking to me. I am very, very lonely." Now I
thought I recognized a grave symptom, and when he began to tell me
about his dear departed, I knew it was time to be going.
"You have passed through it," he said. "You can sympathize."
I crossed my fingers in the dark. "We are both seeking a life work in a
foreign field--" he began again, but just here the purser passed. He
almost stumbled over us in the dark and when he saw me and my
elderly friend, he actually smiled!
Don't you dare tell Jack about this, I should never hear the last of it.
Can you realize that I am three whole weeks from home? I do, every
second of it. Sometimes when I stop to think what I am doing my heart
almost bursts! But then I am so used to the heartache that I might be
lonesome without it; who knows?
If I can only do what is expected of me, if I can only pick up the pieces

of this smashed-up life of mine and patch them into a decent whole that
you will not be ashamed of, then I will be content.
The first foreign word I have learned is "Alohaoe", I think it means
"my dearest love to you." Any how I send it laden with the tenderest
meaning. God bless and keep you all, and bring me back to you a wiser
and a gladder woman.

KOBE. August 18th, 1901.
Actually in Japan! I can scarcely believe it, even with all this strange
life going on about me. This morning a launch came out to the steamer
bringing Miss Lessing and Miss Dixon, the two missionaries in whose
school I am to work. When I saw them, I must confess that my heart
went down in my boots! Theirs must have done the same thing, for we
stood looking at each other as awkwardly as if we belonged to different
planets. The difference began with our heels and extended right on up
to the crown of our hats. Even the language we spoke seemed different,
and when I faced the prospect of living with such utter strangers, I
wanted to jump overboard!
My fellow passengers suddenly became very dear, I clung to everything
about that old steamer as the last link that bound me to America.
As we came down the gang plank, I was introduced to "Brother Mason"
and "Brother White", and we all came ashore together. I felt for all the
world like a convict sentenced to four years in the penitentiary. When
we reached the Hotel, I fled to my room and flung myself on the bed. I
knew I might as well have it out. I cried for two hours and thirty-five
minutes, then I got up and washed my face and looked out of the
window.
It was all so strange and picturesque that I got interested before I knew
it. By and by Miss Lessing came in. Now that her hat was off I saw that
she had a very sweet face with pretty dark hair and a funny little
twinkle behind her eyes that made me think of you. She told me how
she had come out to Japan when she was a young girl, and how she had
built up the school, and all she longed to do for it. Then she said, "Your
coming seems like the direct answer to prayer. It has been one of my
dearest dreams to have a Kindergarten for the little ones, it just seems
too good to be true!" And she looked at me