Mr. McQuesten,

Dear friend, just a wee note to tell you how we are getting along this winter. We are all well and hope you are the same.

Hannah and I¹ received the parcels you sent us at Christmas and thank you for the same.

We are having lovely weather, and we only have a very little snow, not enough for good sleighing. The weather has been so fine that the Ainsleys were breaking prairie two days before Christmas. So you can imagine it is not much like the weather was last winter.

The people of Milden are waking up at last and we now have a Milden Literary and Debating society. We hold it on Sat. evenings at the different homes around here. It was at our place last week and the house was simply packed, it was the best attended meeting yet. The debate was resolved that city life is preferable to country life. It was the first time I ever was on a debate, and had to support the negative desperately against my convictions. But we (Ed Miller and I) won and got well complimented on any part.

We also have a very flourishing skating club. The Milden boys built a sod shack in the banks of the creek in the ravine again [sic] Ainsleys. So skating has been the order of the evenings "and almost nights." But since Christmas we have had our skating parties during the day. We had a jolly big crowd New Year's day.

Well we have a very nice Methodist minister out here this winter, he is English, but not at all like the other English men we have had. His name is Windsor and he preaches every second Sunday evening.

Oh by the way Mrs. Fred Dodd arrived home two or three days before Christmas.

My Thomas Clark and wee Roy are down at Shelburne and Jessopville now.

Nigger² is so gay I have not even tried to ride him since you left.

I must close now hoping you are enjoying your self down east.

From Annie Clark

P.S. Our minister has not got curly hair but Mrs. B. seems to like him, so you may be all right yet. Isaac has sent a letter and with further which will be more interesting than mine [sic].

¹ Annie Clark appears to be Isaac's sister; Hannah may be either Isaac's wife or his sister.

² "Nigger" is Calvin's horse which he sold to Isaac Clark. See W7657 for relevant list of letters.