Monrovia, Liberia

Feb. 24, 1934

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I have been on the tennis court every day since I got here and if my Uncle [Lester Fry, Shirley Fry's father] hadn't insisted I would not have bought a racket. My tennis is terrible but I have two years to better it. The racket was a good Spaulding but it had ordinary gut stringing and down here you have a tropical gut, one that will stand a moist climate. The gut on my racket is still holding but it is loose as a net and the frame, which is a ply frame, is loosing its shape a little and the plys are coming apart. I guess the glue can't stand the climate. I won't need a racket for awhile but the climate certainly wrecks one ordinary racket for use in the States.

A new Jersey boy up from Cape Palmas is staying at the Episcopal Bishop's house and has been around here quite a lot. He is a good sort and is an American, so that helps. I think he is the engineer at the mission down there.

Tonight we are having Dr. and Mrs. Kamaromy up - she is American. The moon is about half-full and we can hear the tide coming in from the opposite side of the Cape. As you know, the town here is on a cape, Cape Misirado.