My dear Cal,

Am very much ashamed of myself that I have not written before, acknowledging your letter which arrived shortly before my birthday, for which I thank you.

Have read your letters sent weekly. The last one stated that you had found a knife so I do not suppose it will be necessary to send you one now. If it is however, let me know.

We have been particularly busy here in the office for the last three weeks or so and it has been very warm for about half that time, so that sometimes I wish I were out on the prairies where you are. But I suppose occasionally you wish you were back in the city. However your main object now is to build up your [sic], which I am glad to know you are doing, and by the fall you will be able to stand the year's work without any difficulty.

I have wound up in Isabella St. for the Summer but am going back to Grosvenor St. when you come back. The old ladies will probably keep the upstairs rooms and I told them to keep the downstairs front room for you which they will be probably glad to do, so that we do not need to worry as to lodgings for the fall. I hope this will be satisfactory to you.

I saw C.A. Masten a few weeks ago and I think that probably in September we can make an arrangement whereby I will go in with him at $1000 a year. This is almost as well as I can expect and is quite 50% better than could be done three years ago, so there is no cause to complain.

The family all are pretty well with the exception of Ruby¹ who looked very badly when she came home but is slowly improving and I think she will be all right again in a month or so.

Am glad you have got such a decent little plug.² The Mother would like you to bring it down here, but I told her that it would be all right if there were someone at home to keep it otherwise it would be too expensive. I don't think she was serious about it but I wonder how much it would cost to bring it down and keep here. If young Little was going to stay in Toronto this winter we might all share up the cost. Only the trouble is I expect you will want your money back.

By the way what is John McQuesten's address and what would it cost to pay him a visit? I don't know whether I will have the money when the time comes, but it is possible I may pay him a visit.

When do you expect to come home? You had better arrange to stay a little while in Oakville where you can have a chance of ruining your digestion by overeating and lack of exercise before going back to the season's work.

Well I must close as there is something to do.

Faithfully yours

T.B. McQuesten

¹ For more on Ruby's illness see W6135. She was later diagnosed with tuberculosis.

² Tom is likely referring to Calvin's horse, his pony, "Nigger" which Cal sold in September 1907 before coming home, see W7657. Tom is using the term "plug" loosely since it can mean "an old worn-out horse" (WNCD). In April 1908, when Cal is back in Glenhurst, Tom expresses concern that Cal should have a "decent" horse, see W8208.