The Mabel Easton Buyse Papers consist of correspondence, writings, memorabilia, biographical information, and photographs. Of particular interest is Buyse's correspondence, which consists of about sixty extremely detailed letters (originals or copies and extracts) written from Africa between September 30, 1917 and November 10, 1944. These letters are to Rose Alden, a Mount Holyoke College alumna, and other friends; many of them are transcripts or excerpts of original letters, prepared by Alden. These documents describe Buyse's life as a missionary in an area of Africa where the Sudan, the Belgian Congo and Uganda meet. They reflect her work for the Africa Inland Mission and give detailed descriptions of her daily life as a missionary, teacher, wife, and midwife. They discuss her teaching; her travels throughout Africa; her personal life, including mention of the books that she read; social and political conditions such as outbreaks of famine and disease and the impact of World Wars I and II and the worldwide economic depression of the 1930s on Africa. Writings, 1919-1945, consist of a book by Buyse, "Nyilak and other African Sketches," published in 1923 and articles by Buyse published in missionary magazines. Memorabilia contains cards, brochures and maps from Buyse's missionary travels between 1928-1955. Included in this series are two maps of the "Fields and Stations of the Africa Inland Mission" drawn by John Buyse in 1937 and 1938. Rounding out the collection are biographical information about Buyse, ca. 1919-1977, including a memorial letter of tribute to her, and photographs, 1913-ca. 1958, of Buyse and her husband taken in Florida.

This collection is organized into five series:

• Correspondence
• Writings
• Memorabilia
• Biographical material
• Photographs