Dear Calvin,

Mrs. Muriel has brought my rent,¹ so I enclose $2.00, lest you should be short for the tea, and I will send you more, if you get the under-drawers. We have had two students preaching for us these two Sabbaths that Dr. F. [Fletcher] has been ill. The first one was Mr. Findlay Mathewson, the last one, a Mr. Cameron, who said he knew you at our Collegiate.²

Be sure and go to see Mr. Dickson amongst your first visits.³ It is most extraordinary that Mary has not heard one word from May Sutherland.⁴ You would have thought she would have been sending a card at Xmas, if she had time for nothing more. There seems to be nothing more to say. With much love.

From your Mother

Mrs. McQuesten

¹ Probably the rent from 1 & 3 Bold Street, the attached houses that Mary and Isaac had shared with her parents, the Bakers. She had inherited her father's house and Mr. Chisholm managed to save the other from the bankruptcy. They were badly in need of repair and as repairs were made Mary rented them out as boarding houses (W2364, W3763, W3959, W3964, W4067, W4098, W4535, W4544, W4769, W4771, W4803, W5012, W5436, W5820, W5854, W5898, W5984).

² The student preachers were likely from Knox College in Toronto. A Finlay Matheson[sic] and a Hugh Dallas Cameron graduated from Knox in 1899 (BDKC 146, 31). The Hamilton Collegiate Institute was the high school where the McQuesten children attended. It was located at Caroline and Main Sts. (Johnston 220).

³ Possibly Dr. James R. Dickson, Mary's father's old friend (W3121, W3339).

⁴ May Sutherland was a friend and Mary (daughter) repaid the visit in January 1902 at 66 Bloor St. W., Toronto (W4525) These Sutherlands may have been related to Mr. and Mrs. John William Sutherland (nee Graham) 120 Duke St. near Whitehern. Miss Leslie S. and Miss Graham lived with them (Tyrell 156; DHB3.42, DHB3.71, DHB3.150, DHB3.165; W4513, W4535, W4902). James William Sutherland (1860-1942) soft drink manufacturer, also lived near Whitehern at 14 Duke St., had two children and attended MacNab Church, but I have been unable to establish a family relationship between them (DHB3.203).