My darling Tomty boy,

I wish you very many happy returns of your birth-day. Dear, dear! child we are getting old! Is it possible you are twenty-four? I am sorry you cannot be with us, so that we might celebrate the occasion, but I think it is a good thing for you to have some form of recreation and exercise, it keeps you from getting stupid. I hope you will get sufficient food to support you, for you had gotten thin .

The club here has decided not to take our property, too near the railway; so we must just trust for something else to turn up. The catalpas are beautiful, but with the heat and wet will not last long. Was very glad to be inside the cabin on Wednesday afternoon, there was quite a shower, which made everything very wet. We had a little "Tea" on the verandah this afternoon for the Clarks (Violet is going to be married). Grace Rioch, Kate Colquhoun and the McLarens. I wish you could have shared in the ice-cream &c. It is really very warm, the least exertion, one is bathed in perspiration. It will be a great relief to have no house-keeping for several weeks.

Have heard from Calvin; he seems to be "not so bad." I wish sometimes I had insisted on his taking just a pleasure trip, it would have perhaps been the wisest course. To get his mind entirely off himself. I am not at all pleased with this letter, it is not my idea of a birth-day letter but the heat has melted my brains. We would all have liked to send you some fine present, but could think of nothing you needed, so am enclosing the wherewith to select something. May God bless and keep you ever in His fear, my dearly loved son.

Your mother

M.B. McQuesten