My dearest Cal,

Have just been doing up a little parcel for you, which I hope will reach you safely. I came across them at a bargain. I thought, after you had all or rather both of you had gone away last week I felt rather blue, but felt cheered by the thought that at least your health was keeping up wonderfully.

Your work, I know, is not encouraging and you cannot see any prospect ahead of you, one seems to be working in the dark, but we must just try to be patient. Advances are not made in a day, and I think, perhaps we are both too much in a hurry. But we must just remember that you have really been only a comparatively short time at this work; and you certainly require to have time for more reading before you could launch out into any more important literary work.

I thought your address to the young men very good indeed, but remember, getting up an occasional address is a very different thing to having to prepare regular discourses for every Sunday in the year for years. It is a great mercy that we can just leave ourselves in the hands of an all-wise Father for guidance and direction or else we would often despair altogether. Though it is very hard to have faith when one seems to wait for years without any answer to our prayers and when one sees people who are perfectly godless prospering & apparently having a very good time, while Christian people, who have always been striving to serve and obey God, meet with constant trial and disappointment and spend their lives in a constant struggle. Some day, surely, there will be a glorious recompense.

Hedley promised to send for Ken's [Trigge] things to-morrow and send them off. Heard from Ruby, she had dined with Dr. A & had a fine dinner on Thanksgiving Day. Tom took tea with Mrs. MacKay, Willie is at a Clifton Springs, but Gordon said "the women there bothered him a lot and he met a mad woman in her nightgown one night." Which, as Tom remained, would "throw him a fit."

In this morning's Globe, did you see reference to an appreciation of Dr. Thatton written in an Indian paper by a Hindoo pupil. I forgot to speak to you about his death. I was so sorry to hear of it. It is raining and blowing so hard that I cannot get to post with my parcel till to-morrow so must tell you not to buy any small handkerchiefs.

Mary is spending a few days with Florrie Bell, as Mrs. B. is away. Well, I have no news at all. It is a very bad day for Louisa Laurie's wedding, she is marrying Parke, the druggist.

On Monday we had a meeting of our Presbyterial executive and I invited all the ministers' wives also and gave them afternoon tea as a little farewell compliment to Mrs. Vincent. It seems as if soon, we would have no friends left. Well, we must all cheer up & be grateful for what we have, I am always ashamed of myself, when I feel grumbly, I try never to say it. With much love my dear dear boy.

Your loving Mother

M.B. McQuesten