(1944) Lally and Dollan Baptized1

New Years day the Rinell family prepared for the Sunday School party, had dinner with Hellen and a party at Hedvig's home. The party was a success with 'old mother' Hedvig joining in. After the festivities came sandwiches and other refreshment. Though Gerda's temperature was gone she didn't feel up to attending.

The bug was getting around. Robert [the student?] was coughing as was Egron and little Margie who had had a bad cold for a long time. Hedvig believed that worry and anxiety was prevailing among them. The stress of the war and the occupation was getting to everyone. Gerda's fever started to climb again and she had to go to the hospital. Along with the fever, Gerda had a boil that was causing her a lot of pain. Egron went with her to the hospital.

Egron did not return to Kiaohsien until the 12th. Gerda's boil had been lanced. She was feeling better and the fever was gone. Perhaps the boil was causing the fever. Alice and Johnny didn't have a fever but were coughing a lot and were in bed. Margaretta was doing better but was not at all happy. Perhaps she was teething. Oscar worked all day with mission finances and other administrative work. Mr. and Mrs. Fong came for a visit, but didn't go home until the very last train. They had dinner in Nankoan [Mom, what is Nankoan?]

By the January 14th Gerda was getting better. Arne, however, went to the hospital with a chronic appendicitis. Now Dollan was feeling sick. Some thought she might be suffering from the same thing as Arne. Margie was happy again, but still had her cold. Johnny was still in bed. It didn't look like January was going to be a good month.

On Sunday night Hedvig was for some reason filled with anxiety.

On Monday, January 17, a telegram arrived from Tsingtao. Dollan had to be operated on for an appendicitis. Dr. Eitel worked for two hours on her, a long time for an appendectomy. The appendix had grown inward toward her back so that even her muscles were inflamed. Only a thin membrane had kept it from rupturing on her way to the hospital. When Dr. Eitel got to it, the appendix was black with gangrene and ruptured as they were removing it spilling pus and bacteria into her body. Hedvig attributed her anxiety the night before to Dollan' serious condition in the hospital. Dollan was lucky. Things didn't always work out well as was the case with Dollan's classmate Eivor the year before. No doubt her death was on everyone's mind when Dollan went in for her operation.⁸ To confirm if possible the Eivor did indeed die in 1943.

Dollan was in the hospital for perhaps twelve days. When she was well enough collies carried her down in a bamboo chair, supported by two bamboo poles, to the garden behind the hospital, as they also did for other patients.

Some good news in the midst of all these problems arrived, however. Gerda was to come home in two days. Dollan in one day.

Miss Sie visited Hedvig on Monday. More problems. Miss Sie was without a home [who is Mrs. Sie and why was she without a home?]. Pastor Han also dropped by. He was requesting help, no doubt financial help, for his daughter to get into a particular school. Gerda didn't know how she would be able to help out.

On Tuesday Oscar returned from Tsingtao [Mom, could you describe the journey by train from Kiaohsien to Tsingtao?]. Hellen was staying with Dollan. Dollan was stable, however, Gerda would not be allowed home until Friday. The cook's son, Ho-Bao-shan stopped by to visit Hedvig. He wanted to become a doctor and asked Hedvig for a loan. His courses would cost $1000 a year for seven years. She didn't say no, but she didn't know how she could manage it.

By Thursday [January 20] Dollan was experiencing terrible pain and was hardly able to stand. Though she hadn't been feeling good in the morning, Hedvig was feeling better later in the day and had some people over for fish and see-fen, bowl of soy noodles, cabbage, pork, soy sauce and ginger [?].

On Friday Hedvig promised to help Ho-Bao-shan with the full amount of $1000 per year for four years. He was to pay interest of 10% [which may have been a good interest rate considering inflation during these times I think. Len]. He was to study in Nanking where the course time was shorter than in Chee lo in Cheng do [Len, check spellings]. "May God bless him in his faith and humble manner," Gerda writes.

Friday Gerda returned home as expected. Dollan was over the worst and was in good spirits. Arne had his operation which was complete in forty minutes. He had little post-operative pain. Again Hedvig gives all credit to God, "Our Lord hears prayer and gives grace at the right time. Thank goodness!"

January 23: On Tuesday Hedvig attended two meetings and had dinner at Egron's. Everything was now fine. Little Margie's teeth had finally come through and her cold was gone. She was so much fun that evening.

January 24 [unsure on date of event here though this is the date it is recorded in Hedvig's diary]. Pastor hand preached on 1 Timothy 6:11&12.

Fan Fsai was killed and probably Kia-hsiang-po's son [Mom, who were these people?]. He left his wife and small children.

Wednesday, January 25, was Chinese New Year. The cook invited everyone to dinner. Hellen made a surprise visit from Tsingtao. Dollan was doing better but had had some bad days. Her operation [impacted - can't read your writing mom] call peritonitis, her fever went up and she had puss which needed to come out of her incision. When they had her turn on her side [Mom, did they ask you to turn or did you turn on your own?] the puss flowed out like thick yellow-green gunk. She was probably over the worst but was of course very weak. When Dr. Eitel made his rounds and visited Dollan he looked at her, placed his hands on both sides of her face and said, "I prayed for you all night!" Dollan was well enough now to send Hedvig a large photo of herself taken just a week before her operation. [Mom, could you describe Dr. Eitel for me? What did you look like, accent, mannerisms, etc.]

Saturday, January 28. Hedvig read Psalm 103. [Len, Quote here]. She felt that these verses were meant specifically to her from God, "Wonderful truth and promises from God has been given to me. How wonderful to belong to Him to be His child . . ."

Johnny came over with good news. Arne left the hospital early in the day. Dollan was laughing and feeling much better though still weak.

Sunday, January 29. It was a good Sunday. SS [who is that mom?] preached on brotherly love. A lot of people were in attendance, especially young people. Later Hedvig ate at Egron and Gerda's. Also invited were Li-yua-lan, Yang Chi Hoan and Ki tsuen yong [Mom, who are these people?].

Monday, January 30. Robert had not been well all day having been suffering from severe earache. No word had come from the 'sickies' in Tsingtao.

Tuesday, January 31. In the evening Oscar and Arne gave Hedvig a surprise visit though Arne was still feeling week. Word about Dollan was she was starting to get up and might be allowed to leave the hospital the next day and stay at the Eitel's.

A letter arrived from Margaret [in the States?] dated September 16, 1942. It took about a year and a half to arrive - 502 days. A letter arrived from Mrs. Eitel thanking Hedvig for the flowers she had sent for her birthday. Hedvig appreciated the note, "they are so sweet these people."

Friday, February 4. Miss Sie had been Hedvig's guest since Tuesday. They were good for each other really. Miss Sie would wait on Hedvig; Miss Sie did not have a home and so enjoyed Hedvig's home and company.

More good news had arrived. Both Hellen and Dollan were expected home the next day. Now Principle Wong had been ill with a boil in his throat, 'but is better now since prayer,' Hedvig writes.

A light snow had fallen for which everyone was happy. Parents were registering their kids in the grammar school registration that day and the next. The school would be crowded with students as usual.

Faber Krankenhaus

Dollan hoped to make a dream come true and become a nurse. The only place she could do so was Faber Krankenhaus, but she was thought too young at 15 1/2. Dollan didn't think she was too young, but; there was not to much that could be done about it. Instead she was asked to help take care of little Margie.

Baptism

The day for Dollan and Lally's baptism was at hand.2 In preparation of her baptism Dollan had written a letter to Ida and Ester in Sweden confessing she had stolen 10 öre. [Assuming here that Dollan had written a letter home to Sweden to receive one in return]. Dollan received back a letter from Ida and Esther that all was forgiven. The stolen 10 öre was a thing of the past and of no more consequence.

Dollan was fifteen and Lally about thirteen. The weather was cold!3 But this did not bother Oscar because he was wearing rubber boots and pants to the waist. He was to perform the baptism. The gardeners heated the baptismal waster in large metal woks on the wood burning stove. The woks were then balanced on a long bamboo pole and carried with a minimum amount of splashing about a city block to the baptismal or 'baptismal grave' in Swedish.. Two woks at a time. Dollan and Lally were baptized first and then the Chinese. Dollan had long blond braids and both wore white Chinese cotton gowns with long sleeves, high neck collar, slits on both sides and buttoned up one side, a typical Chinese gown. Both carried Bibles until they were to step into the baptismal.5 This was the closest that Dollan ever felt to purity she later said. 6

Music Lesson Finished

Dollan stopped her music lessons in the spring which probably did not cause any regrets.

Dollan's Birthday

On 10 July Dollan celebrated her birthday, "Yep !!!!!!! I am sweet 16 and had been Kissed !," she said.

[Previous Chapter][Table of Contents][Next Chapter]

Footnotes