From “Imperial Gazeteer of India” (Oxford 1908) “The town of Dhar is 33m W of Mbow, situated among lakes and trees surrounded by barren hills......... it contains.... the chapel, school and hospital of of the Canandian Presbyterian Mission”
c/o Mrs Mathews
Mkow, C.I
25-5-94
My dear Haswell,
First let me ask you to thank Uncle Dan for reminding you to write. I know how much there is in London life to take up time & thoughts, so that I am not altogether surprised that you, or indeed any of my loved ones let the time slip by. But in India it is different, we, at least I can speak for myself, are constantly reminded about home letters, for no sooner has one mail gone, than we begin to count the days for the next, and we ask each other if we have good news from home. I do thank you very much for your long, interesting letter. How thankful I am that you gained certificates on leaving college. But which college were you in? I feel sure thaat you must have given satisfaction to your Professors or they would not have nominated you for a post in India. I do not understand how you lost itt on account of age, were you too young or too old? Well never mind for I do not think India a good place for young men, there are more temptations & then the climate is a hard one to live in even when one enjoys good health. I have sufered much but I am happy in Mission work & for this reason alone I do like India. this is the best place I have been in, but even here it is very hot in the day, but we do have cool nights and lovely mornings. I start out at 7 a m & return home between 9 & 10 then go out again about 5 o’clock p m . I like the medical work, have had to atend a little girl with cholera, such a patient little thing 4 years of age, her father is a preacher & her mother a Bible woman, they all went to a village 10 miles off, where cholera broke out & she took it, her name is Malti, her baby sister 2 months old took smallpox but has recovered, they have to be put out of the mission compound in a half built house & there are snakes about, I saw one they had killed, so poor people they have trouble and much discomfort, but are so patient. I had heard that Mr Gladstone had retired and hope as good or better a man will succeed him. The only paper I read is “the Christian” & so do not hear many things. Your description of the new Tower Bridge is good & if I ever return to London you must take me to see it. I have never heard a word about this or the Watkin Tower, so you see you gave me News. I do not hear much about the Opium Commission but I do see the dreadful effects of Opium every day in the dispensary, poor wee babies are brought to be treated, but we will not/ indeed cannot, prescribe for them until the opium is stopped. In conclusion let me beg of you, who are so ambitious, not to allow others to outrun you in the Heavenly Care. Remember it is written ‘Seek ye first the Kingdom of God & His Righteousness & all these (i.e. earthly) things shall be added.
Your loving Aunt Emily.
(p.s. at the top of beginning of letter) This is a Military statue & there was a Grand Review on the 26th for the Queen’s birthday, 2 Native Regiments of the 7th Hussars passed here, the 2nd Hussars & Middlesex went the other side.