Tokyo
10 Aug 1911
My darling Rosie,
I ought to have written you in time for today’s mail but only had time to send a few cards to the kiddies. I expect, therefore, you you will be rather disappointed. I’ve been awfully busy lately. One or two have been away from the office and it has made it such hard work to get things up to date.
I had your letter on Saturday just as I was leaving for Nikko for the weekend and so did not have much time for writing you a long yarn but was able to send to the Post Office for the money order for 2 pounds 10 which I hope will be useful to you. It is not much dearest, but if you are pressed, ask them at the office for more and I will repay it here.
Well, I suppose you would like to hear a little about what Nikko is like, eh? Altho’ I left the office about 11:45 we did not reach the hotel at Nikko till a quarter past six. What a lovely place it is! The most lovely hills and waterfalls and running streams at every turn.
The hotel is some distance from the station, I should say about 2 miles, and uphill all the way. We have to pass the famous Sacred Bridge (I think you have a postcard of it; if not I will send you one). And from there to the hotel about three quarters of a mile we run beside a rushing torrent with the most glorious hills on either side. We had no time, of course, to go anywhere on Saturday evening.
So on Sunday morning I went to the early service at the church conducted by the Bishop of Tokyo (also staying at the Hotel) and after breakfast we started off with three other tourists (Germans) for the Terami Falls, about 3 miles distant, one of the finest sights I have ever seen! We were able to climb up the rocks and actually get right underneath the falls.
We came back to tiffin and in the afternoon a big party of us ladies and gentlemen went to see the famous Temple quite close to the Hotel. Oh dear, how I wished you could have been there too, but still, you shall go there next year (D.V.) Sweetheart. [D.V. = Deo Volente, latin for God willing].
On Monday morning my messmate [table partner in the hotel dining room] and I took a short walk before breakfast across the stream, which is a series of miniature waterfalls, the water rushing between the big boulders (I am sending you by the same post views of these places I visited).
After breakfast, a party of us went to the Jakko Falls. These are not quite so good and we had to jump from one rock to the other and at one place, before we got to the falls themselves. But still the country was very beautiful.The finest I have yet seen in Japan so far.
We were going to ‘tour’ and go through Chunenji, a very beautiful spot further up in the mountains but we changed our minds and saw Nikko instead. So I must go to the other place later in the autumn when the leaves begin to change colour. That is the time, they say! If I go I will write and tell you all about it [and] send you some more views.