My dearest Calvin,

Yesterday I wrote you a long letter of advice, so to-day I must write another kind . Winter has come back, the ground and trees are covered with snow and it is snowing fast, but it is not cold and it makes a variety. I have been so long in the house that enjoy any change. However, I am recovering, went down to tea on Sunday and on Monday went down to dinner and as it was a lovely mild sunny day, ordered a carriage and Edna and I went out for an hour. We drove in various directions to see all the changes and new houses every where. It seems a great pity that the fine old places of which we were so proud are all being cut up. Houses are built close up to Inglewood, forming Inglewood Crescent. And we hear that Arkledun is to be cut up in the same way. You see Mr. Turnbull has given up the Bank of Hamilton; his going will be a great loss financially to MacNab St. I do not know, if he sent his usual cheque to Mr. Ketchen, but Mr. K. has gone for two weeks to Atlantic City, being absent one Sunday.

Last night I dreamed you had come home and would only stay one day and rushed off to Rochester with a big trunk on a Sunday too, much to my distress. I have got a most interesting book, the History of Niagara, written by Miss Janet Carnochan, whom I knew very well. She has done a wonderful work, in gathering up all that remains of the events of the early days. Through her efforts, you know, a very nice Museum was built at Niagara-on-the-Lake and a great number of interesting articles of the olden days collected. She writes in a very easy interesting way and Dr. A.H. U. Colquhoun has written an introduction, highly laudatory but it is all quite true.

Do you know where I would like to see you, in some good library, safe from these nasty Canadian congregations, who are too ignorant to be interested and who have not enough Christianity to make them earnest, and then you would be free to preach on Sunday when you liked. You did not say, if you had been preaching since you went back. I had saved all the British Weeklies till you were settled, but I am sending you three to-day as you may find them entertaining. There was one with a remarkably fine sermon by Alex Whyte on the Sabbath. Cut it out and keep it, it might be useful to you some day. It came in well for Mr. Ketchen, as he was just preaching a course on the Commandments. I do hope those people are feeding you well, insist on it for they have had a great snap with you. It would be a great change from Washington. Miss Fisher called yesterday, she keeps up wonderfully. Poor Miss Gailler died very suddenly in Toronto the other day. She was living just opposite Miss Fisher. Mrs. Cobourn died too leaving large estate, but has not left much to the Hopes. She left $14,000 and sufficient to purchase a home for her servant. My news is exhausted. I do hope you manage to sleep, it seems to me, it will be so hard to amidst all the aggravations of this period of uncertainty. All join in best love.

Your loving mother

M.B. McQuesten

[P.S.] The text on my calendar to-day is, "I will show thee, what thou shalt do."