The following is an interesting letter from Alice Clemens to her sister Abbie Donohue.

Cristobal, C.Z.
Feb. 5, 1929

Dear Abbie:

Tomorrow Lindbergh is to land here, and to start back at the end of the week with the first air mail form Panama, so we're all answering our letters to get them in the first batch. They are to have a special cancellation stamp and we can get special envelopes so this will start with all the trimmings, and I hope it will reach you as per schedule. I'm mailing mine today, but it won't leave here until Sun.

I hope you are feeling better. Go easy on the walking, at least until it gets warm enough so you can walk slowly and be comfortable. I'm coming fine with 104 lbs. Now, that's 5 lbs since I came back. I've been swimming every other day for two weeks, and it surely gives me an appetite. The coach says my arm strokes are still pretty sloppy, but he thinks I'll get it in time. I can't kick yet like I should, the left leg seems to be the only one that works and I have to go easy with that one. We surely have a lot of fun at it.

Too bad about Mr. Chapman's death, but I'm not much surprised. When we were there last summer he had had a spell on the way home from working on some elevator, and they found him lying on the ground beside the walk west of Burkhardt's store. He said his tongue was still thick, but he looked as usual. Wonder if Mrs. C will stay there in Milbank. They were talking about spending the winter with Ella when we were there. Two women from here died with flu in the states, each left 3 children, and the husband of one died here of cancer just a year 1/2 ago. I hope it is over with now.

I'm taking my first music lesson tomorrow, been a long time since I've worked at it. Mrs. Walker has been away a lot, but is here for good now, and has her classes started on both sides of the Isthmus.

Love,
Alice

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