To the School Marm:

I was told to write--I am writing--I hate to write. Love is born of a good disposition so hate is not to love--A good disposition--love--therefore I am loving to write. ¹

Next--give it up--don't know--am doing my duty--am collecting my thoughts--they, the thoughts, are wandering--one just came--saw Sardi on the fence with a black cat. Black cat struck at Sardi--Sardi retaliated. Black cat retreated, Sardi followed, not retreat, but black cat. Black cat jumped Sardi jumped--tableau closes.

Next--Sparrow in the tree, crumbs on the pi-az-za--Sparrow in pi-az-za--crumbs gone--Sparrow gone--exeunt tableau.

Next--Dinner is over, Hilda is playing with Wheeler--they are making a great racket, Hilda is looking out of the window. Wheeler is quiet, there she goes and Wheeler is kicking up another racket. Thank goodness they are quiet once more & I am collecting my thoughts again grateful for small favors.

Ma & Mary are down stairs don't know what they are doing. If not in mischief they must be doing something good. It's awful hard to keep track of your thoughts and people besides. Two things, cannot occupy the same place--there they go slamming and banging something down stairs I wonder what it is all about. There comes your mother from the regions below with her dress tucked up & elbows rolled down. I guess she has been doing something.

That puts me in mind of Edna tumbled on her nose, don't know whether nose was up or down, coming home from school, got the cranks & the headache & the desire for a piece of chocolate cake, later, she got a piece. Edna feels real smart on the strength of that piece of cake & off she goes for school. Too much--that is, the chocolate cake, her spirits, or the ice on the walks for down she came again & had to come home to have the snow brushed off before the final start. She's started again.

If that old Wheeler would keep quiet but he and Hilda are having such a good time. I have lost my thoughts and am sailing out to sea on "Pure Crystal Beverage" wagon.

I think my nose was not made to wear eye glasses on, so think must either get nose fixed, glasses fixed, or get a pair of spectacles. Which would you do under the circumstances? Resign yourself or provide yourself?

A laborer is worthy of his hire, but nobody has hired me and consequently will you tell me when I come in. Just Hilda Belle had the postman bring her in a letter that has gone around since last November and blamed if it could find any body willing to own it--guess she must have said something awfully wicked or somebody would have claimed if before this time. Such is life. Variations make a difference as to what kind of a life one refers to. At Christmas time the variations are lively. Corollary after Christmas they all tend to mince meat.

Edna is in a towering rage because the funeral of Her Late Majesty is on a Saturday and not a school day; queer things don't happen just as every body wants them--guess that's what upset her little royal highness this noon, but the chocolate cake cured her. Mary will have to tell you about her picnic on Tuesday and the Go--bang-time they had. Edna had cake again--fact is Edna is always hunting around for cake--The court has decided to adjourn so have I.²

Always as ever

C.B. McQuesten [Dr. Calvin Brooks McQuesten]

¹ Obviously Uncle Calvin Brooks, sometimes called "Unc" is visiting the family on one of his very rare visits. This may have been an extended visit after Christmas as he usually resided in New York where he practiced medicine. For more on Dr. Calvin Brooks, see his Biographical Sketch by clicking on "Family" on the Home Page and then on his picture.

² This letter was mentioned by Ruby in her letter to her brother Calvin, W4454.