My dear dear boy,

Just think of it a week of December has gone! It makes one quite nervous to think. Poor little fellow! and so you suffered severely from the cold. Well, if you have not put on your warm underwear you should have the thick. With that old wisdom tooth we must hope for a great addition of wisdom. I was expecting to hear from you about John Mott, how he impressed you. Did you go to Dr. Caven's funeral? Dr. Fletcher was laid up with a cold and could not go. I do not know if I mentioned to you that Mr. Murray had a letter from Marjorie Macdougal, Dr. Fletcher's niece, she had been up at Hawksville when Cal. was preaching up there and they were all delighted with Cal's discourse and charmed with him altogether. Emily and Kate Colquhoun went away back to their work last night, poor girls they just hate, you see, they were too young for that sort of thing, too young to stand the want of sleep and the trying ordeals on the nerves.

I was busy for a few days preparing my annual address for Auxiliary meeting on Tuesday, found it most interesting myself and will probably inflict it on the family at Xmas.

It is certainly a very grievous question what is to be done with Knox College now. There are very few men, when you come down to the point, who are men of outstanding ability, of education and of strong personal qualifications, men of force and of sympathy for young men and who are able to put themselves in a young man's place and understand what his difficulties and needs are. One seldom sees the ideal man.

We are busy now and Edna is waiting to take this letter to post. Ruby expects to be home on the 22^nd. Hope the train will be on time. Take care of yourself, dearie, May God bless and keep you ever near to Himself.

Your loving mother

M.B. McQuesten