Dear Calvin,

I have just written to one of my friends apologizing for neglect & now I have to start on another. I have no excuse to make for having been so long in answering your letter; I can only say that I got out of the way of writing for a while & my letters accumulated so that I have had quite a time in catching up. I'm afraid I am awfully lazy but I can't write letters unless I feel like it. What a fine time you must have having snow shoeing. In spite of all the snow we have had this year, I haven't had any snow shoes on once. That wretch of a brother of yours hasn't been near us since before Xmas & there has been no one to go out with at all, so I have had to stay "to home." I was staying in London for a couple of weeks lately & they had the snow shoeing craze but we had no snow shoes there so couldn't go out with the rest. My skating too, has rather fallen through this year. I have only had two skates & they weren't anything particular. The bob-sleighing has been fairly good but I have only been at it twice.

I miss Willie George in that line & the skating as he used to come out quite often & take me out. I suppose you heard he had gone to Pittsburgh. I had a nice long letter from him not long ago & he is getting on very nicely & enjoys his work. He is in the Westinghouse Electric & MFTG Co.

We had quite an excitement in town last week in the shape of the Student Volunteer Convention. There were nearly 3000 outsiders in town. The meetings were delightful. I was at three & enjoyed them all immensely especially the one on Sunday night. Mother, Father, Winnie & I went down, not knowing whether we could get in or not, as the meeting was only for delegates, but we were very lucky. Just inside the outer door we met Mr. Hicks, the secretary of the whole business & he asked Father if he would care to take a box. Of course he said "yes," so we had a box to ourselves all evening & heard every word besides having comfortable easy chairs & lots of room. The meeting lasted over three hours, from 7.30 till nearly 11 & we would willingly have sat & listened another 3 hours.

Last Wednesday, on my way down from London I stopped off at Hamilton for a few hours. Helen Locke was down at the station to meet me & I went home with her to dinner & then we went on to see Hilda. I was so sorry to find your mother so ill. I do hope she is better by this time. Mary was out but we met her on the street. Hilda & Helen came down to the station with me & we all had on our very worst behaviour. We just escaped being arrested & carried off to the asylum. Wasn't it too bad about the student who had his foot so badly crushed at Hamilton. Well I must close this now. Hoping you are quite well & that you can talk French, I remain yours truly.

Helen [Gartshore]¹

¹ Although this letter is signed just "Helen" there are other letters from "Willowbank" signed Helen Gartshore.