a certain oxygen pressure — otherwise these characters disap- 20^ 

 pear and new ones originate." 



WHILE thus engaged, 1916 opened and Wherry received 

 this Christmas letter from his mother (December 25, 

 1915): 



Papa had a carbuncle cut out of his back just three weeks ago 

 & he has been in bed ever since. They dress it twice a day & put 

 such a big pack of cotton on top that he cannot lie on it . . . 

 We had a good many callers & several Mohammedans told me 

 that they were praying for his recovery. I let 7 Hindus go into 

 the bed room to make their salaams. They brought 2 large brass 

 trays full of apples, oranges, sweets, nuts &c. I gave most of 

 it to the servants & some of it to the Christians . . . Nellie 

 still expects to go home in March unless they begin to blow up 

 ships going via China & Japan . . . With 6 servants, there is 

 no one who can do nurse's work! cook, kit, sweeper, bhisti, 

 gariwalla & watchman. The latter sleeps all night. Last night 

 I saw an old white horse filling himself with grass from our 

 garden. He and buffaloes & their calves eat our few flowers, 

 too. 27th Sad news at noon today of Mr Kelso's death. I think 

 Jamie & John would appreciate a letter from you, Will. Jamie 

 you know is Prest of Allegheny Semy, Pittsburg Pa & John 

 is a Prof at Wooster College. Alec has a church some place in 

 Pa. Mary is teaching at Northfield and Bessie is here. She 

 studied nursing. 



Two weeks later she could report that "Papa is now able to 

 be up" and continued: 



... A young Eurasian has been attending to the dressings. 

 She has taken the regular course of medicine here but Govt 

 doesn't call anyone a Dr with this degree . . . Every day 

 nearly, orders come for his books. He has a young man 

 to attend to the book orders. It sounds big but after all hardly 

 pays, as things are gotten very cheaply. . . . Your papa is 

 now here on the veranda trying to make the wick work right 

 of the little oil heater you gave us, Will, as we were leaving San 

 Francisco. I think it needs a new wick put in which we have. 

 For a tin of Snow Flake oil which is the best we can get here 



