Lapwai Feb 24 1874
Rev. J.Lowrie D.D.

Dear Sir
I sent to Dr Lowrie, last week, two post orders of $50 each, as part of the money refunded, he sent me to pay my expenses to this place. The remaining $200.00 I hope, God willing to send to him by the close of the year – if not sooner.

The orders were from the Lewiston post Office, and were numbered 2490, & 2491. I do not know if Mr Montieth had them made payable to Dr Lowrie, or to Mr Rankin, (treasurer of the Pres’n B.F.M) I suppose it is immaterial which name was used. Both Dr. L. & Mr R. are so well known in New York.

I wrote to Dr. Lowrie months ago, and although, if I remember rightly, there was nothing in the letter especially requiring an answer yet, I was in hopes an answer would come, and it has not as yet. But the letter or answer may have miscarried; or perhaps Dr. Lowrie has been too busy and there were so many letters before him, which required an answer and mine could wait.

The Nez Perce mission is doubtless so well ‘reported’ to Dr. Lowrie that I can tell him little new. He doubtless knows that Mr Coyner reached Lapwai about two weeks ago, and has taken charge of the school while I am, at present filling the post of assistant teacher. The roads (mountains) between here and Kamiah are impassable at present and there seems to be some doubt about accommodations for more missionaries there – (i.e. a room) I will need to wait until Mr Ainslie can go, and see about it. (The accommodations for missionaries here are much inferior to that among the Choctaws – but; this is, comparatively, a new mission.)

I had charge of twenty six Indian boys and girls & two white boys in the school and Indian children from their want of knowledge of the English are much harder to teach than whites. But God has been very good to me. I only missed one day from the school room on account of sickness – and I am much stronger then when I left home.

I think I spoke to Dr. Lowrie about the Nez Perce language – the great need that it should be reduced to a written form & the need of books to aid the missionaries and others in acquiring it – and I think I told him that I had begun to do something in that direction. I have had rare facilities here – better than I could or can have any place else in the reservation. The Spokane’s and several other neighboring tribes speak the Nez Perce (or dialect of it) but in none of them has it, as yet, been reduced to a written form (save a few hymns & a translation of the Gospel of Matthew, by Mr Spaulding.

Mr Whitman (a nephew of the martyred Whitman) has been among the Nez Perce or kindred tribes since he was fourteen years old and he is now more than forty. He understands the Nez Perce perhaps better than the natives themselves and he is also a very fair English scholar – the only one on the reservation who thoroughly understands both languages. He has been employed as farmer & interpreter by the Agency nearly ever since I came here, and has given me lessons in Nez Perce, about one evening each week. With his help I have ‘dug out’ the Nez Perce prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, adverbs, all we could find – the cases of nouns (six like the Latin) &c and we are now at work upon a list of verbs (there are no articles) Besides this I carry note book & pencil in my pocket, and take down words from the natives – They have become accustomed to these i.e. pencil & paper) and good humoredly repeat the word over & over until I can catch the sounds, so as to spell it. Altogether, I have collected nearly 1000 words with their English definitions.

I had it in my thoughts, if possible, to prepare a books something like Father Byingtons ‘Choctaw Definer’ only it would need to contain a little more Grammar as some of the parts of speech are inflective more than the Choctaw and there are so many suffixes & prefixes used, and more explanation is needed – But, I would try to make it as condensed as possible only giving so many explanations &c as are absolutely necessary.

What does Dr Lowrie think of my plan? Is it practicable? Could the book be published if it were prepared? I give lists of the words to Mr Ainslie & the Rev Montieth, as I prepare them and Mr A. tells me he finds them of use to him every day and I know that even the M.S.S. I have already prepared would have been invaluable to me when I began my work here. But M.S.S. copies are very tedious making. All the Indians to whom I have spoken are very anxious for such a book to aid them in understanding the English. But enough of Nez Perce.

I have been able to do little ‘outside work’ as yet – save a little work among the native women in my room on Sabbath afternoons. They come over after church, and we have an informal meeting (a little like my ‘Mothers Meeting’ in the tenement hovels in St. Louis). For several sabbaths the wife of a heathen ‘drummer’ has been among the number and appeared to be deeply interested. I have learned to read the Nez Perce (Mathew) so that they can understand me, and with the help of one of the older women who knows a good deal about the Bible and the help of illustrations of Bible scenes (English Scripture cards) and such words as I know – we do the best we can. The story of the Cross was all a new story to this drummers wife. I could see, and I noticed a difference in her face the last sabbath as she sat with her sleeping babe strapped on her back listening intently – a change as if she had begun to think.

I do not know if Dr Lowrie will be amused or displeased when I tell him the liberty I have taken with his name. The most of our pupils had a given name when they came to school or recieved one then; but only two had family names or seemed to know about them and I wanted them to connect the idea of ‘family’ with their names. When I spoke to them about it a number of them wanted me to give them a list of names from which to select. Among the best boys are three brothers, Joseph, Felix & Frank. The oldest Joseph (who I have destined in my thoughts for the ministry (God willing) chose the name ‘Lowrie’

Afterward Walter so that now he signs himself "Walter J. Lowrie retaining the name Joseph by which he is best known (as his middle name) so that there are now three ‘Lowrie’s’ at Lapwai for his brothers took the name with him as their ‘family’ name. Was this right? Or wrong? Joseph is I hope a Christian man and I think I know will bring no reproach upon the beloved name of him who has gone to be with Jesus.

I did not intent to weary Dr Lowrie with so long a letter when I began – forgive me- And shall I not have an answer to this one? Please I shall be a little anxious until I hear that the money has reached Dr L in safety and then besides if he has time I would like a little talk at least for

Yours truly

S.L. McB.