My dearest Calvin,

I must write you a few lines although I am as stupid as possible after the week's doings, Especially yesterdays. Monday afternoon Mrs. Thomson took H. & me for a little drive and afterwords we called on old Mr. Gordon; he is at Dr. Kelly's sanitorium, it is the Bruce house corner of Park & Duke. Mrs. Gilbert Gordon had to give up her house and go to live with Lady Taylor, who has to have a daughter to live and be with her, so old Mr. Gordon was sent to the Sanitorium where he has a fine room and finds the electrical treatment most beneficial.

Then on Wednesday afternoon a warm day too, we had a meeting in our school-room for Mrs. Morton of Trinidad. I had to go up to Mrs. Hendrie's for her & escort her down. She and her husband are about seventy and most interesting people, she gave a very graphic account of her work and last night spoke before the Assembly.

I forgot to say that Tom finally turned up on Tuesday morning, but he had to go back to Toronto next day on business and returned Thursday. He was as brown as an Indian nearly and weighs 196 lbs. Evidently had been leading a very lazy life, they all do up there he says. By that trip to Gowganda he expected $200, but he is not very explicit, he has a third interest in a line of gasoline boats. Well on Thursday evening Tom, Mary & I went to Assembly, it was Home Mission night, E.D. McLaren, A Mr. Douglas from B.C. and a man from Quebec spoke, but Central is a most wretched church to hear in. One man said it was the worst that he was ever in, then too the platform is so little raised one cannot see the speakers well. In itself the interior is beautiful, but why ignore the acoustics altogether, as modern architects seem to be doing.

Well yesterday Friday, I had a day of it. It had been arranged by the W.F.M.S. Board to hold a Conference for discussion of new plans, so we began at 10:30 a.m. in St. Paul's school-room. Then they All went to Crawford's for lunch, meeting again at 2 and going on till after 5 o'clock. In the first place I had permission from Mrs. Hendrie to invite them to garden party. A few of the Ladies wished to go, so we had to hurry over to our house, some of the ladies wishing to [?] a little. Just at this time the rain came on, you can imagine our dismay. Then Mrs. Maclean of Guelph told me she also wished to go to Caledonia, and was dismayed to find the train left at 5:39, so she had to give up garden party and hurried off. Then the rain slacked off and we started. Well, by that time I had engineered my party through the crowd and got them refreshments in the marquee and stood and talked, I was pretty well tired out as you can imagine. I knew very few of the ministers, only spoke to Dr. Bryce and Mr. Scott of Perth. Dr. McTavish wished to be remembered to you and he & Dr. Bryce were asking where you were and how you were getting on. It was really all very nice. Mrs. Hendrie had tried to have every thing as nice as possible, band and pipers and Mrs. Hay, Mrs. Braithwaite and Phyllis. Are all very agreeable. But I was far too tired, to go to Assembly at night and was so sorry for it was F.M. night and Dr. & Mrs. Martins Goforth & Dr. Waters, your friend, spoke.

Mary went, but Tom wouldn't go, it was a close damp night, and this morning he started off again to Haileybury, he had not got his affairs up there settled, but he came down with a man on business so he would get his expenses. I was sorry he was not down for good.

Harry Lyle was married the other day in New York, Dr. & Mrs. L. went down, and Joe Thomson saw in N.Y. paper, that he married the Widow of a McLachlan who was a nurse when he married her, dying in three days and leaving her 4 millions. Think of Harry coming in for that. You will see how Procter case was settled. Heurner M. comes in for quite a fee, he was consulting Tom, as to amount. Mr. Proctor was ill some years ago of a very peculiar disease, it had never been known here but I did not understand he died of it and the family got the doctor in Old Country to give his opinion that disease would weaken the mind, but Heurner's evidence did not agree and his evidence had a great to do with an act, and Tom considered that Mrs. Proctor did well to get off with an agreement now even having to pay the sum, we are not just sure how much, anything being better than prolonging the case by appeals. It is so long I cannot remember exactly about your birthday letter to R. but it came I think within one day or day after. She is still improving but Edna does not sleep very well. Mrs. Jeffrey yesterday was inquiring for you. It was quite disappointing for you to lose Zealandia after all your work there. Glad to hear of good prospects for crops. Your barrel & box left on Saturday 22nd for Fessier c/o Mr. Pan. Our lilies of the valley have been beautiful. Wish you could smell them. Must close with much love from all.

Your Loving Mother

M.B. McQuesten

[P.S.] Your Letter of 21st reached here on Monday the 31st, but I had just written you.