Feb. 9, 1926: (an excerpt from one of Mead’s general bulletins available in Letters from the Field, p. 51)

... Yesterday it poured and I had a couple of hours when no children came. I spent it taking stock. And that resulted in a feeling of intense relief, for if anything should happen to my work now I’d still have a sizable amount of material to show for these months. Which relieves my mind immensely. For it seemed such a gamble to put a long trip and all the time it took to learn the language into a doubtful venture which might have been hopelessly cut short by illness or hurricane or what not. And when I add to this the assurance which everyone gives me that the last few weeks are always the most fruitful, then truly I have cause for rejoicing. ...