Margaret reads her letter to Kenneth. Letters between the two were often opened and read. She already sealed letters with wax. She refers to a tea party to which Mr. Bulkley had invited her, trying to make her look like a brute. She gives other…
Margaret reads an excerpt of a letter from her to Kenneth's father about the King's palace and how she thought that some millionaires in the US probably had equally "elaborate palaces."
Margaret reads about the time she was left alone. Kenneth was on an evangelistic tour and Miss. McCague had suddenly left for Bangkok with a girl who was having problems with one of her eyes. Margaret was getting used to being left alone.
Margaret writes to Elizabeth that she knows nothing more discouraging than missionary work. The failures loom so much larger than the puny successes. She tells of one of the strongest Christian couples in their church that had split.
Margaret received a cable from Evangeline, signed, "Love, Evangeline Welsh." That was how she let the Landons know she had married Evan Welsh. Margaret reads about the two dresses she received, the children being sick with colds, Kenneth's…
Margaret wrote in a letter that she was going to assume responsility for the girls' school. Many of the students were Buddhists. She describes the Siamese customs and how she thought they were superior to the Chinese and Indians customs. She talks…
A group of ladies were meeting every Sunday afternoon. It was Margaret's turn to receive the ladies and entertain them as well as give the devotional. She served tea and cake with the help of her young cook. Margaret talks about the "fix-all" man and…
Margaret cannot trust the younger woman who was working for her. She passed her second year exam and was starting her third year. She got a new servant, very capable. Her mother was Siamese and her father a Czechoslovakian who left the family and…
Kenneth took Margaret to call on a group of Chinese Christians who converted to Christ with the ministry of Dr. Amner. He built a large church and left many years ago and entrusted the church to a Brethren missionary, Dr. Toy. This was unfortunate…
Margaret was back from Phuket and was getting ready for school. She wrote to her mother painting a picture of the school. The girls were very timid about sleeping in a room alone because they were afraid of spirits. Margaret recalls the night when…
Margaret talks about the heat and its effect on the body as the Landons were still adjusting to the climate. She talks about the kids, the horrifying bedbugs, and her constant concern to protect the kids. She talks again about the Bovees and how the…
Margaret went to Nakhon with Mrs. Bulkley on her way to Phuket, because one of the Christian teachers at the girls' school was getting married. The girl's mother was not Christian and made the process to the wedding complicated. The couple eventually…
Margaret tells of the second time in a year she had to cope in loneliness with what was required of her. She reads about Kenneth's seafaring adventures, the storm, how they waited on the sea for an entire journey for a steamer that wasn't coming.…
Margaret remembers the names of two of the women she stayed with at the Anglo-Chinese girls' school. They were very hospitable. She recalls Peggy as a little two years old girl, her fondness for Miss Christiansen, Bill starting to speak and how he…
When Margaret got better she was invited to go to Malaya where she had a true vacation. She stayed in a cottage at a beautiful hill station and had a wonderful view of the area. She enjoyed fresh vegetables, read and wrote most of the time, and…
Mr Bulkley bought a baby elephant and wanted to ship it to New York to the Museum of National History, where he was a contributor. His wife was traveling on the same ship and he wanted to save the fare of a keeper for the baby elephant. He brought…
Margaret tells about Mrs. Bulkley and her difficult background. Daughter of divorced parents (unusual for that time) she married Con Bulkley, a man who actually wasn't interested in her. She had a difficult marriage of forty year with seven children.…
Peggy was having a hard time with a nose infection she had. She liked taking care of Bill and would take things away from him, saying, "No, no..." She would run away to the school to her many friends. Kenneth was gone again for about a month (there…
Margaret often had problems with her servants not being responsible enough. The Chinese servants tended to be noisy, negligent, dirty, and dishonest. But they were tremendously hard workers. The Siamese were quieter, cleaner, and more careful, but…
Margaret tells about the first Christian she met in Phuket, a regular patriarch who had been Christian for more than forty years through the ministry of Dr. Amner. He was an old man over seventy years old yet with a strong frame, who went along to…
Margaret talks about the house in Trang. She explains about property ownership in Trang and the acquisition of the mission compound. She describes the house they lived in and the building style that took into account the monsoon. She explains the…
Margaret writes that Bill was learning to run, like a drunken sailor. Peggy is trying to sing, and since she knows no tune, her singing is always "original." Miss Eakin never came back from the US, so Margaret ran the school until she left for…
Margaret remembers the "cats" the Landon had. There was a small "panther" (a cheetah type). At some point the Landons had nine cats, seven dogs and one hornbill.Â
Margaret stayed with the Sheehans for three and a half weeks. They were delightful people though uncultivated. Mrs. Sheehan was a devout Catholic and Mr. Sheehan was often singing a song (his only song) while working around the house. Kenneth sings…