Kimwha,   Korea,
January 1,   1940
Dear Father:
ast
My  first letter of the year to you.    Your letter
of Dec.   3  came yesterday.     The package which you said you had
sent has not  come yet,   but packages.are   slower than letters,
and  it will   come no doubt  soon.     After your  sending so much,
you need not ha.^e  sent anything more  for Christmas-    Your
package was not   so|long before Christmas.     Bybthe way,   you  said
you were  sending two baby  sweaters this  time,  which we  shall   be
siad to   see.v' You  spoke'once -before  of thinking thev wereitoo
large;   but  the first tones you  sent will   soon be too  small.
She wears  them yet*but   they  are tight.'   You would  be  surprised
how large  she  is.     I   think   she  is about'seventeen pounds.     I
was  surprised that Aunt  Iva  should be  sending something.     They
always want  to  send|a present,   but-of late yearaihstve been hard
up U3uaily and   could not.  |This year  on account  of the. .wedding
I   should  think times wouldhstill be hard.f Uncle Victor always
sends  a diary,   but- from your:-letter- it   seems he  is  sendihg something more  this  time,.     I had  a  letter  from him-. alf.ew days^ago,
but  it   said  nothing about   sending anything.     He was ^telling
about  thelvisit he had  from you and Aunt  Una,   about his  garden,
and he  said he had  intended  giving up his  traveling this       ---"'
suTieih-  but  that the  company ha&: requested himt  to  continue
to the  end of this year.     The  company must value his  services.
As  is  the  custom here  on New Year's day  the leading
citizens  pay  a  fee  of  fifty  sen and meet  together  in  some big
hall   (this  time  in the  8chooihou.se)   to  greet  each other.     It
is voluntary,   but., as  a matter of  ooiicv  I  thought  it was well
to have the  church represented,   so  this  is  the third  year  I have
paid my  fee along with  Song sunsaing,' he representingfthe kinder-
garten and  I  the  church.     The names of all  contributors aior_w
with  their respective  institutions are printed   in a bookietfand
distributer'  at  the  gathering.     Liquor is  the  chief thing on the
table and there are a   few  other things,   this  time two  tangerines
each and a little dried   fish.     Of  course We did  not  partake  of
the liquor.     We were there merely to advertise +he church and
kindergarten and  let  the public know thev were important  institutions.     After returning from  that gathering,  Ru+h ^nd   I went
to  a wedding feast,     Tll4 bride and  groom were not  Christians^and
I  did  not  perform  the  ceremony,   but the  famll^  invited  us.     I
have   just returned  from  +hat.