My dear dear boy,

This morning had a call from your old friend Nelson, he was hoping to see you, of course I told him all about you and he told me he had been doing Evangelistic work through Canada through the country I think. Had left Dowie some time ago. His address is Fergus. The friend who was with him (Brooks by name) as you were not here, would not give him time even to sit down (I had opened the door) but hurried him off¹. I was sorry for I like his face and would like to have seen more of him. We received the paper yesterday, I am very glad you had the opportunity and such a good one of meeting the Premier ² for the really most important event in connection with the Coronation was the meeting together of the Colonial Premiers.

In your letter, you were speaking of Ken's affair, well, you see on talking with me, he never for one moment thought it possible that he could give up drinking himself, he said, it would not be the thing at all to ask a man & take nothing yourself therefore we could not think of it. You see, I had thought he could make up his mind at least to give it up himself, but he did not even propose to promise that and then the more I thought of it, the more I feel convinced that it was all wrong, I do not see that any man is likely to become a Xtian who is engaged in such a business, for he is doing wrong to his fellow and no blessing can come to him. When Ken left me, he professed to see it, as I did. I wrote to Mrs. Trigge, regretting the result, but she has not answered me; they will probably be convinced that we treated Ken badly, by not saying what we did at first, but you see, I never knew till he told me, that the business involved him in such a practice. I thought he could be an abstainer, if he wished. Ken could not be in a worse place than he is with that man Beardmore, although I do not think Ken admires him as much as you think he does³

To-day Tom & I went up to the cemetery to prune the shrubs, for Frederick came down & showed Tom what to do with ours on the lawn, this is the time to do the spring shrubs! he says. I am glad to say H. does not seem to be fretting at all, but is quite cheerful, I think she felt so thoroughly convinced that she had done what was right. You know it is a terrible thing for a girl to take a man who is not decided in his principles. Tom and I also took a look at the collection of fowl at Dundurn; the most terrible set of mongrels you ever saw, Tom was wild with them, thought they would do for a comic article. Oh by-the-way about Thanksgiving, much as we would all delight to have you here, I feel sure you ought not, it is such a tiresome journey, that I would much rather think of you as taking a good sleep and resting yourself, even if you go to Ottawa, you are up half the night. I asked you before I think, is Mr. Leslie any good at helping on young men who want to do right⁴? Am thinking of K.[Ken Trigge]. Must close, with much love from all.

Your loving Mother,

M.B. McQuesten

¹ H.W. Nelson had been with Calvin in Chicago at John Dowie's "`Zion' Divine Healing Mission" in July and August, 1896 (W-MCP1-3b.009, 16). After Calvin left the mission, Nelson wrote to him about his faith and conversion (W-MCP1-3b.066).

² I am unable to find an article about Calvin's meeting with the Premier during the Coronation of Edward VII which occurred on August 9, 1902. The Montreal Herald printed a special edition for the Coronation on that date to which Calvin, likely, contributed, but his articles are unsigned. "The Tatler" did not appear on August 9 or 16.

³ See W4635 for Kenelm Trigge's family and for his proposal to Hilda and Mary's rejection of him.

⁴ A.C. Leslie, see W4651