Rev. Thos Baker
My Dear Grandpa

In accordance with your instructions I wrote sending you the accounts for Willie's Clothes & c. There is his suit $1.00, his shoes $1.25 and a number of smaller claims of which as has kept account himself amounting to $3.35. The whole making a total of $14.10 (fourteen dollars and ten cents). I have also enclosed the Dr.'s Bill which I regret to say is more than I expected, so much so that after being sick so long myself I can but poorly afford to pay it, and have trusted that perhaps you would feel either more able or else more liberal than I seem to be at present, if you do not you must send it back to me and excuse me for mentioning it. A part of the bill has been for Willie he has twice required a small bottle of medicine for a bilous [sic] attack and has had to be treated two or three times for a kind of a film that is growing over one of his eyes and which the Dr. says may in course of time grow entirely over, requiring an operation to remove it, though not an expensive or very painful one, in the mean time he [?] a wash which seems to check it when it becomes troublesome, and may continue to do so for many years.

Minnie received a letter from Alice a day or so ago, herself and Mr. Harbin were in there usual health but Lottie was still quite poorly. We are not overly well in London it seems to have been an unhealthy season here, and indeed I think the sudden changes and continued wet weather has made it so all over. Jimmie has a very severe cough, Minnie has a [?] of flannel round her neck, and Willie says his chest is very sore, so I think we shall all be pleased with the approach of fall.

I am afraid that our house is not very healthy the locality being low and close to the river the water of which is much contaminated by the oil refinerys [sic] sewers but though we are on the lookout it is difficult to be suited in London at a reasonable rent about ten dollars per month being the lowest for which you can obtain a comfortable house in a good locality and that seems almost too much for my income.

You will be pleased to know that Willie, Minnie and Jimmie attend Church regularly and I accompany them when I am at home, the distance is rather long for this hot weather but if we move we will try and get a little nearer especially on account of Minnie & Jimmie. Jimmie behaves ever so well in Church as any grown-up person could do, so much so that his behavior gave rise to special remarks from a Lady siting [sic] behind them last Sunday. I was away myself last Sunday and shall be tomorrow and it may probably occur that I will be home for several Sundays following before I will be away two Sundays in succession again. We have been afraid that either Grandma or yourself were poorly I intended coming up last night while in Hamilton to inquire but it happened that we were not there as long as we expected.

With kindest love to Grandma and yourself in which we all join
I remain
Your affectionate Grandson

John P. Baker

¹ Rev. Thomas Baker oversees the care of his 7 granchildren, orphaned by his son James Alfred Baker. John Puckridge Baker is the oldest of these siblings, aged 29 at the time of this letter. For more information about the Baker family see W2953, W4141, W2960, W3328, W5496.