My dearest Cal,

Yours of 29th has just reached and we all especially Hilda are most relieved to hear that nothing was broken, she was especially anxious about the box. It is too bad you have such wet Sundays, it saves your sermons, but then it is bad for the collections, so you must not trouble about Acres bill, but just send me back the bill and I will just say you sent me bill &c. And make it appear alright. Well, only this week, I heard from Maggie (after writing her a second time for I thought perhaps she was offended because we did not meet her at the station) the reason of her not coming. When she got to Toronto Station, they would not allow her a ticket on the special train. You see they would need to be particular, for Mrs. Sanford was paying the whole thing and of course had only invited the delegates. And here none of the railway offices knew anything about it, and we didn't know which station to go to. However it was alright. Maggie I think, was so taken with her aunt, she forgot to write us, her brother and she were thinking of going to New York with her to see her off to-morrow by steamer. They are still at Queen's Park and she does not say anything about Leila, so suppose she is gone. Said the boys were very nice to her Aunt.

Mrs. Bell came up on Tuesday the first time for months, she has been busy getting the house papered and painted and of course nearly distracted with workmen's blunders. Herbie in a miserable condition of nervousness, (though Tom makes little of it) the result of taking drugs to help him through his exams. Then he is continually receiving letters from professors of the Wisconsin Univ., where he is going, directing him to no end of books that he must be posted on to be "ready for their young men," worrying the poor thing and his mother to death, for besides this he is bound by an agreement to the faculty at Philadelphia to bring out his book next year, for which he is to read up at London. He is now Dr. Bell. Ph.D.--Well he and his mother start off on Wednesday for Dublin.

By the way did you see the death of Mrs. McFarlane Miss Oates's sister. Tom went to see them last time on his way back, she died about May or beginning of June, for as Tom was just going back to Elk Lake, I sent them some lilies of the valley. Of course he would not go then; but he did go afterwards on his way back and you will well know what he suffered, being detained an hour is just ridiculous. The poor old souls felt very badly and were much exercised as to the will, which was really alright, as Tom tried to show them. I think Tom quite enjoys his office, since he has Mr. C.'s room, but I fancy does not think any thing of Mr. L.'s advice. Mr. C. is the one.

I see that Dr. Lyle and Dr. Fletcher are pressing Mr. Cunningham as successor to Prof. Kennedy. Do wish he could have stayed till you were through. They are now tearing St. Pauls S.S. to pieces to enlarge it and it is said too mean to alter church borrowing money too. It is said that Central Church's interest amounts to $100 a week and their collections are $138, so we don't see how they are going to get on.

It is dreadfully noisy and dusty here now, they have the machine for grinding the cement going from 6 o'clock and hoisting it up to second floor, but we have the windows shut and sitting at the back do not hear it so much. We are really having a very pleasant summer, the nights are quite comfortable but have had very little rain. It is quite a comfort to have Tom here to water the grass.

That was an unfortunate terrible thing of the murder of the girl by Chinaman, Ruby is terribly wrought up and indignant almost wrote a letter to the paper. It is maddening to think of the disgrace and trouble brought on by utterly silly girls. And yet I've known that some Chinamen have not wanted men to teach them and I felt disgusted with them.

They did great things in Montreal for Y.M.C.[A]. I noticed the names of your friends the Birks and W.C. Leslie. The Birks are fine givers. They did pretty well here too raising about $53000 in a few days.

The Manse is empty now, Mr. & Mrs. K. have gone to Preston. We go to St. Paul's next Sabbath, it is a good arrangement, gives the choir and caretaker a rest. We have fine singing now with the McCoy choir. Glad to have door to keep out mosquitoes, poor fellow, I am afraid it is very warm in the Shack. Have you a school-house at Glenhurst where you preach. With much love from all Cal dear.

your loving mother

M.B. McQuesten