My dear Calvin,

As your clothes arrived on Saturday evening we are wondering if you are likely to be in Tom's neighbourhood shortly or if we are to send them. I have been congratulating myself on the mild weather, but to-day is a regular old-timer and I find my courage sinking rapidly. I regret to say that the "parson" is under a very serious charge namely of appropriating funds given in trust. As his sister Edna was anxious about a certain sum ($2.50) entrusted to her brother Thomas, I wrote him, whereupon he replied that the aforesaid sum had been left with his brother Calvin, before he left for Elk Lake. Well Cal dear it probably slipped your mind, but I was thinking, as you will probably be needing help from me by next month, you had better keep the money (hope you have not lost it) and I will pay Edna. Tom has never said a word about what his board is, you have seen all his letters. It is scarcely worth while to send on Ruby's letter of this week, you might keep it till we get next week's and send Tom both.

I have been reading the Queen's letters, she certainly, as a girl of seventeen, had a great deal of ability and of the fear of God. Her uncle the King of the Belgians incidently had so much wisdom and common sense and was such a fine man in every way. Strange that he should have had a son like the present Belgian King. He must have taken after his French mother's side of the house. It is really a good thing to read for it refreshes one's mind on so much of her early reign and interests me particularly as I used to hear your grandpapa speak of so many of the mentioned. Old Wm. IV and Queen Adelaide.¹

Yesterday Mrs. Thomsom called for me in a cab and we called on old Mr. Gordon, everyone else in the house was out and he was in his room.² Mrs. Thomson found him upstairs but his asthma and heart so bad could hardly speak.

These are very quiet days inside and a blizzard outside, so am afraid to go out. Did you see that poor Mr. Woods of Woods' Fair fell downstairs and so injured his spine, there was no hope of recovery?³ So sorry he was such a kind man to his family. Well, I cannot think of anything else to say. All join in best love.

Your loving Mother

M.B. McQuesten

¹ The Letters of Queen Victoria (3 volumes, 1908) are in the Whitehern Library.

² "Old Mr. Gordon" was the father of Dr. Gilbert Gordon who died of consumption of the bowels. He left his wife Mary (Taylor) Gordon with three children and a farm in Waterdown (W6347, W4847, W5675, W5683, W6436). She lived for a time with "old Mr. Gordon" and then with her mother Lady Taylor in 1909, when Mr. Gordon went into a sanatorium (W6436). For Taylor family, see W5382. I have found no evidence that "old Mr. Gordon" is related to Rev. Charles Gordon (W5359) or to Dr. David Miner Gordon (W4535). For Thomson relationship, see W4415.

³ I am unable to identify Mr. Woods. He is likely not the Mr. Woods who survived the shipwreck in W6336.