HIROSHIMA, November, 1903.


My dear old Mate:

I am just tired enough to-night to fold my hands, and turn up my toes
and say "Enough." If overcoming difficulties makes character, then I
will have as many characters as the Chinese alphabet by the time I get
through. The bothers meet me when the girl makes the fire in the
morning and puts the ashes in the grate instead of the coal, and they
keep right along with me all day until I go to bed at night and find
the sheet under the mattress and the pillows at the foot.

It wouldn't be near so hard if I could charge around, and let off a
little of my wrath, but no, I must be nice and sweet and polite and
_never_ forget that I am an Example.

Have you ever seen these dolls that have a weight in them, so that you
can push them over and they stand right up again? Well I have a large
one and her name is Susie Damn. When things reach the limit of
endurance, I take it out on Susie Damn. I box her jaws and knock her
over, and up she comes every time with such a pleasant smile that I
get in a good humor again.

What is the matter with you at home? Why don't you write to me? I
used to get ten and twelve letters every mail, and now if I get one I
am ready to cry for joy. Because I am busy does not mean that I
haven't time to be lonely. Why, Mate, you can never know what
loneliness means until you are entirely away from everything you