My dear Cal,

It was very interesting the interview with the Jap. I was somewhat relieved to receive your mailed copy for "Tatler" seemed to have disappeared, however I had thought you had other work to do. I was quite pleased at receiving a caller on Sabbath afternoon from Mr. Frank Stuart. He said he had gone upstairs to see you, but you were gone. It was so very kind & thoughtful of him to call & ask if we would like to send you anything. I had just met him once or twice at Mrs. Thomson's but they all think so much of him. He looked so smart too with silk hat &c. Well we all went to the Musical Festival on Monday but it poured rain, coming down in torrents on the drill shed roof making rather too much noise. The music was certainly fine especially St. Cecilia's Day and Sir Alex McKenzie is a fine leader. And Dr. Harris led the Coronation Ode and he certainly deserves credit for training the chorus, for they sang remarkably well but one noticed, as soon as Sir Alex McK. took the baton in hand, how wonderfully he lead the orchestra. Unfortunately, there were few male voices but the altos & sopranos sang beautifully and all in perfect tune. But the pity was they had to sing in such a building as drill shed you could not hear a word & Ethel Wood had a marvelously beautiful voice, and you knew she was singing with exquisite shading, but could only hear it very imperfectly. The Tenor Virgo[?] was ill with cold. The other was good, what one could hear of it. On Good Friday we had Mrs. Irving & Katie, Mrs. Mullin, Heurner & Robin to tea. I had tried to have a ladies' party but Mrs. Thomson & Mrs. Robertson could not come so when I asked Mrs. Mullin & she demurred because Robin was to be up, I just asked him too & Heurner. Had not had them for years & H. enjoys a good "tea". Hilda is going to a cooking class once a week, terms being reduced to $1.00 for last term. So she had learned some extra touches, so we had an elaborate Tea, but will not make your mouth water, by giving details. When you come home at Queen's Birthday you shall have the same. It quite revived my spirits to hear of you coming then for I had felt very blue and somewhat hopeless, feeling we were to see you so seldom. Stuart said Sandwell was not on Herald at all now, I did not understand he had left entirely. It is not thought in Toronto that the News will succeed, there is no room for it, time will tell. We are expecting Reggie Whittemore up for a little visit next week.

Mrs. Hill is calling the Bold St. houses Hereford House, Isn't that a grand name?¹ In to-night's paper we see Jack Farmer taken to the hospital with appendicitis we saw him at the concert. Mr. Culham has gone to Baltimore to consult, he has been in very poor health for some time. Do not know what is the matter. To-morrow Katie and Mrs. Irving go home. On Sabbath, we were nearly worn out with Easter singing. A great deal of poor singing is very trying. Miss Carey is in very poor voice now, and Mrs. Fenwick is not what she once was. Then as we have Annie F. and she articulates very badly and so much tremolo. She should not sing at all in public just yet. Florrie Bell up for tea yesterday and brought up with her a photo of Charlie Locke in silk hat on side of head, long overcoat & cigar with his arm around a girl a very fast looking pair, after all the Bell family and their friends had exclaimed in horror at the very idea. The girl turned out to be Herbie. The make up was really capital and the photo was cabinet size. We are having such a lot of rain. I was glad to read how the Recorder was holding its own in Montreal. The Gamey case is beyond me, I cannot afford time to wade through it. Walter James has got into the Bank of Hamilton. I do not understand it for he is nineteen and I understood they would not take anyone over 17. Well, my news is exhausted. It is very cold as well as wet, poor John Fox has been in hospital for weeks with rheumatism, caught cold after mumps. So sorry for him & his mother. Will send you a little Easter poem, composed by Frederick's blind sister. Laura Hostetter was selling them to help her, the printers did 300 for nothing. If you remember pass it on to Ruby, when you write. She seems to have enjoyed her quiet holidays, but they were very short. With lots of love my dear dear boy.

Your loving mother

M.B. McQuesten

¹ For Bold St. houses, see W4225.