My Dear Grandpa

Enclosed you will find the undertakers account,¹ which I received from the P.O. only last night, though I had requested it should be sent in as soon as convenient.

Being informed by the children, that in a letter to their Mother you expressed a desire to hear from me, I sent them a Post Card asking that they should give the matter immediate attention. They apologized for the delay and said that they seldom hurried in such matters out of regard for the feelings of the bereaved.

From the wording of the acct. viz To. Best Wood Casket [?]. I feared you might doubt my having used due prudence in spending the funds provided. I therefore beg to state that the articles were only Best in their class. and the class was about such as I thought you would desire, though I found the expense in any class rather more than I had expected the cheapest being Twenty Two Dollars, and the dearest Forty five. I found the medium of Thirty to be a very respectable and I thought a very suitable article.

The Lot in the cemetery which is really very nicely situated costs Twelve Dollars and Eighty cents.

The diging [sic] of the grave, Two Dollars. I requested a written statement with regard to these last Two Transactions but for some reason Mr. H. who managed them for me did not obtain it, but had the deed of the land made to me, I requested him to have it altered to your name, at any rate until we heard your wish in the matter. Should you desire further information in any of these matters I will endeavour to furnish it, or should there be anything else whatever which I can do or say that would forward your wishes or the want of my Father's family I shall of course feel it my duty to do so.

I should have written to you before this but I have been expecting from day to day to receive the rent and send also.

I hear that you were much fatigued on your return to Hamilton and were regaining your strength rather slowly. Hattie² and I each hope that you are ere this restored to comfortable health, and also that Grandma may be well as usual, during this very hot weather.

Hattie, about the time of Father's death and Funeral was so poorly as to require the Doctors attendance but has since been much better, our little boy is quite well at present and laughs and stretches the same as usual. My own health I am sorry to say is but fair considering what, in my circumstances I am obliged to do this season of the year, I expect from Alice you heard anything you would desire of what transpired after you left us, if not I should be glad to wish you anything which you wish. My Poor Father asked for you, or rather of you several times, thought you had better not be sent for, for a few days because it might then be more agreeable to you to be here. He showed much affection for us all, taking even our little boy in his hands and trying to support him which he could see how he looked like. He died easy I hope, felt thoroughly resigned to go I am sure. And it was really an affecting scene to look on his pale face and resigned look as he lay cold in death. I have exceeded my power. To kind love from your Aff'ct. G'son,

John P. Baker

¹ This letter concerns the death of James Alfred Baker (1825-1876), son of Rev. Baker and father of John Puckridge Baker. Rev. Baker helped support James Alfred's second wife (Ann) Maria Mudge in raising her stepchildren until John P. Baker reported rumours concerning Maria's moral character. See W3155 more details.

² The Hattie mentioned here is probably John's wife, not his sister by the same name. John's young wife dies in 1877, leaving a little boy. Her death is mentioned in W3108 by Maria (Mudge) Baker, James A. Baker's widow. For more information on John's son, James Alfred (also "Jimmy" or "Alfie"), see footnote 2 in W3134.