My dearest Calvin,¹

I hope this reaches you to-morrow to wish you very many happy returns of the day. It is a great pleasure to think you are now happily settled and that your people seem pleased and satisfied. It seems too bad that you will not receive a regular birth-day present, but there are a number of things on the way in the near future that you may consider as such. My last purchase was a fine glass water-jug for which I paid 9cts, so I got one for ourselves also. We have been having quite cold weather, yesterday a north-east wind and rain, but to-day sunny and warmer. Mary and Edna have gone off driving to get hepatica roots. It will be getting lonely with you soon.

We had a Miss Campbell for dinner and tea Sunday, a missionary from India in the Zenana and Medical Mission. Her father and mother are the veteran missionaries in North Formosa in connection with Scotch mission, she was born there and knows all our missionaries. It is somewhat trying to have these wandering speakers for interdenominational societies, for we are doing the same work in connection with our own.

We had a most appropriate poem from the Bard on the Stone Wall Catastrophe, fortunately, the top stones were not broken at all. Well, Cal. dear, we trust that next birth-day will find you well and comfortably settled in the Manse, and with much love and earnest prayers that you may be greatly blessed in your work, I am,

Your loving mother

M. B. McQuesten

[Written on the back of the envelope]: Curtain's Hilda proposes O.K. Sat.'s letter. chairs in light brown. Bring nursery [?] walnut with big bureau. Judge Cronin.

¹ This letter was in the same envelope with a letter from Hilda to Calvin (Box 12-267, not transcribed here) both with same date. Also both letters edged in black, in memory of Ruby's death on April 9, 1911.