18 Ave. Alladollah Teheran, Persia

Allaho Abha!;

My Dear Mrs Platt;

In order that you may see how we look when at our very worst I am enclosing to you a photo, the last one we have had taken & I hope I will not have to be so punished again. I scolded about it so that every one else in the bunch was disgusted with me.

The tallest one in front with a silly smile is Miss Kappes & the thinnest standing behind her is Miss Stewart. The young man next Miss S. is Mirza Mohammed Labeeb who has recently returned from [page 2, right side of image 58] Acca. The little girl in front of him is his sister’s daughter. Between Dr Moody & Goodseah is a little girl who came from Kazvein to go to school, the other young man next to me & behind Goodseah is one we like very much, Mirza Noor ed din, we like Mohammed too very much, when I first came here he came to see us every day & was ever so kind knowing a little English, he was very helpful. Anot thing that will interest you is Manutcher, a young man who lived with us five years & was our interpreter has gone to if not already arrived in America as [“an” scribbled out] interpreter for another man whose name is Jenabeh Fazel. he is a Persian & knows no English [page 3, left side of image 58] but goes directly from Acca to teach. he is a very spiritual man & I am sure every one will like him. While I am writing about people I want to ask you if you have ever chanced to meet Mrs Pliny Watson of Pasadena. We were very good friends but like so many others whom I knew well I could not keep up a correspondence for lack of time. I am sure you would love to see her.

Perhaps Miss Kappes will have time to write some in this letter, but perhaps not. She is in the midst of examinations preparatory to the final ones given by The Board of Education.

There are over 200 girls in [page 4, left side of image 57] the school each one under Miss K’s personal care, & not only 200 but all the relatives, many of whom praise her highly because of the improvement of the behavior of their girls at home.

The 3rd day of Naurooz March 24 all the girls assembled in the school one room very nicely decorated with Persian flags they had made themselves was used as an assembled room for a very few invited guests, each class in turn came up on the verandah facing the room singing a song & each girl was given a little bag of sweets & a new little silver coin. Miss Kappes made a speech all in Persian to the visitors & girls explaining The Girl Scout Movement which she wants to start & has written Josephine Daskam Bacon [page 5, right side of image 59] for instructions. Mr Caldwell had a lot of war buttons, some victory loans & others he gave them to Miss K. & she uses them as prizes also for special merit & to those who are to be members of The Girl Scouts & those who come to the school meeting the 9th of the Persian Month. The first day they were given out the women were so pleased that others came to the school afterward with their contribution to the 9th day meeting & asked for a button.

We have talked a lot about sending you a Persian flag & some day you may be surprised when it comes for we have decided to send you a lovely silk one & it is being made, one just like it has already gone to Abdul Baha & one will go to [page 6, right side of image 60] Mr Wilhelm, & in order that you will get it without duty it will be sent to The Persian Legation in Wash. D.C. & a letter to you at the same time.

The Imperial Bank of Persia deals with The Guaranty Trust Co. of N.Y. they will sell you a draft at any time before the war the American dollar was eleven krans, each kran being about 10 cents. just now I think they do not give more than six krans and we do not know when things will be any better.

Yes, we know about Washington Coffee & like it very much. Miss Kappes’ mother sent her some by the Caldwells, she takes a little bottle of it to [page 7, left side of image 60] school & the woman servant gives her boiling water so she can have a cup of coffee. when money is sent to Abdul Baha he knows best what to do, but as yet we have not heard of any in connection with you perhaps some traveler returning from there will give us news.

I am sure you want to hear about our garden, but I cannot tell you really, for we have so many beautiful roses, two years ago I wrote to Wash. D.C. for “American Beauty” last Spring 4 came dry as possible, this Spring two more came. 5 months on the way & one of them seems to like the sunshine of Persia, it is growing wonderfully well. Many people lost their Marechal Niels from a severe cold snap [page 8, left side of image 59] in Feb. but ours were injured only & we will still have many roses. we spend 6 krans twice a year for fertilizers & do all the work ourselves with magnificent results. I get up at 5 a.m. & if I don’t have to visit a patient early work in the garden often for two hours.

I have written a very long letter & it is all in one sitting - My best love to you & all the good Bahais you know.

Yours in El Abha,

Sarah A. Clock. (M.D.)

I wrote to Wash Coffee thinking we might deal with them, but the cost of postage & price prohibited us from sending for it at that time.