My dearest Tomity,

It is a cold world indeed these days! I hope you have been wearing your gauntlets and have not had your ears frozen. We were hearing yesterday of how terribly the train men have been suffering from frozen hands, poor fellows they have a hard life. I have gone out as little as possible. Mrs. Mullins asked me on Sabbath to dinner to meet Rev. Dr. Talling who has been supplying St. Paul's.

It was snowing fast but not at all cold, so I went down to Knox in the morning to hear Rev. J. Wright of White Horse. He is a fine man, I am sure, and powerfully built which is a good thing for the Yukon, but he was not at his best for the poor man came up from Peterboro, train late of course, so he only reached here at 1 Sabbath morning and he had a cold.

Had another Committee meeting Tuesday and have one to-night. It is possible I may appear in Toronto on Saturday, some desire to hear the young Toronto minister Mr. Fasken, Mr. Stevens of Church of the Covenant and Mr. Robinson, St. Mark's. Mr. Little tells me Mr. Robinson is worth hearing. Will let you know if I come.

Am enclosing a quotation I came across, which deserves more than one reading; and I want you to think it over well. I know that if I gave way to myself, I should just fall into the careless easy-going way of a great many professors of religion, one has to be continually pulling one's self up and taking the time to ask, "Is this thing right or not?" For the world is composed largely of sheep who follow each other's lead. One day when you were home you said "Cal. will not be up to vote, he has a conscience-and as he is to be a minister he ought to have." Of course, you laughed as you said it. Now just read over what Kelman says, he has put it better than I can, but I pray you, do not be easy-going, always think [illegible] for what is honest and right to the very utmost, no half and half life. You are constantly coming in contact with clever educated men, who are perfectly ignorant of what it means to serve God in every thing; in a great many cases they think religion consists in going to church, and of a course a clever man soon sees the emptiness of that and despises these people. So one must not be influenced by these men, for their eyes are blinded, they have never heard the voice of God and know not the strength and power that comes to the Christian man, who walks with God, who is guided by Him and who obeys Him. I do not think that young people always grasp the idea that it is through obedience to the teachings of God, that we receive strength and instruction how to manage our lives. If we obey the voice of God, the Holy Spirit teaches us what to do. When you pray, pray that the Holy Spirit may teach you, many people think the Spirit is just the influence of God, but that is a fatal mistake, the Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and if we fail to honour Him as such, we offend grievously and can expect no help. I thought I would just put this all before you, because it is not often preached so plainly as it ought to be, and you have no opportunity of meeting helpful people, so I just have to try and make up by writing, for meeting the generality of people one would scarcely know there was a God at all, but when one looks at what miserable failures most people make of their lives though all the time they may appear most successful, one must see that it is only the life lived to help others for His sake that is the life for which we must strive. The minister is not the only man that should have a conscience.

Edna arrived on Monday most thankful to get home. It was too bad Cal. and she had such a time on Saturday night, missing the train. It wasted poor Cal.'s time and she had to carry her telescope and go up that road all by herself, at nine o'clock at night; Cal. had left her at suburban train as she expected to find some of them at the Kirk.

Our gas-grate is just delightful, and heats the library beautifully. Mr. Leitch has about decided with me that Mr. Eakins is the best we can do. I think he has forgotten all about his first ideas as to his dress, and so many have spoken highly of him. If I come down you will have to go with me to hear the parsons. With fondest love, dearie.

Your loving mother

M.B. McQuesten

[P.S.] You might pin enclosed up in your room, it is a fine thought and most true.