April 2, 1933
Canton.

Your dandy letters arrived last night and the photographs this morning. I am delighted with them and I thank you again and again for having them taken and sending them to me. I think they are awfully good of both of you and have been showing them with pride to the people here. Right now they are on my dresser in the position of honor. Believe me it is good to be able to have you right here in my room with me. It isn't so lonely with your pictures here and now I know they will help me through my blue spells. Thank you a million times for sending them.

I am all worked up over your troubles at home. My lord, things must be awful. I have never been more serious in my life than I was in my last letter asking you to let me help. I know my help wouldn't amount to much but still it would be something. If things over there go to pot come over here. Believe me we can all live nicely on my salary here. It would be a wonderful experience for you to boot. We can have heaps of fun and let the darn depression in the states go hang.

The weather here reminds me of the weather there in California in March. Low overcast skies with sudden bursts of rain. However we have lightning and thunder with it. Take the low cast rainy skies of California and mix in the the thunder and lightning of a Texas electrical storm and you have a picture of the weather here. This is supposed to be the moldy season for clothes and leathers. I have been watching my stuff carefully and so far it has been alll right. I may send some of my woolens home that I am not using and have you keep them for me. Better to have them there than moulding in my trunk.

The people here are wonderful to us and we have received every attention and courtesy. They are making our introduction to Canton extremely pleasant. We are invited out to dinner three to four nights a week. I am surely thankful they are so nice because this is a lonely period for me.

I cabled Jeannette to come. Now if she can get her money from the bank it will be only five weeks until she arrives. After she arrives I will be all right. It seems that I am very much in love with that skinny little woman. Also I will get away from constant contact with Deeds which grows more unpleasant every day.

Granddad has always wanted me to be a public speaker. I lecture to a class of 150 now. In a few weeks it will be over 200. That should tickle him. I am mighty glad to hear that Mala's eye is so much better amd that both she and Granddad are so well and happy. They deserve every bit of happiness.

It has been too murky and dark to take any decent pictures. As soon as the sun shines I will take some snaps. I have been house hunting but to date have not found one I like. The rent runs from 50 to 100 Hong Kong for upstairs flats (downstairs is too hot in summer). That includes veranda, living room, dining room, three bedrooms, kitchen, pantry, bathroom, servants room and the roof. I keep looking and will have something by the time Jeannette arrives. That gives me five weeks to find a place. Time to spare. I must furnish it and hire three servants but that will be easy. I have been living cheap this month and do not think my bills will run over $50 gold. I have $426 in the bank now and $200 due monday for salary. After paying my bills I should have $575 gold salted away. It will cost me about $100 gold to furnish a house completely so I should have a nice little nest egg tucked away.

I do not feel free to write the details of my work here at this time. If things settle down and I can I will. I enjoy my work and am kept plenty busy. That is all you need to know anyway.

Terrill sent for his wife-to-be and expects her to come with Jeannette. I wonder If I could have been as moonstruck and hopeless before I was married. He thinks of nothing but that girl.

It's Saturday night in Upland now. I wish I could be with you for waffles Sunday morning. You would have to give me chop sticks to make me feel at ease. You should see me handle chop sticks, I am quite an artist. Can pick up a slippery bamboo shoot without a bobble-- can even pick up one grain of rice.

I will sign off and do some studying for my lecture tomorrow. I wish you all of the best of luck and hope that your problems dissapear. If they don't let me know when you are arriving.

All my love,
Stu.