[Written at top]: P.S. Bear steak excellent to-day.

My dearest Calvin,

Your fine present arrived this morning and we are going to have bear steak for dinner. It was extremely kind of you to think of us, I only remember once tasting it years ago, but it is quite a delicacy. The weather is beautiful, but rather enervating, one does not care to walk, but would enjoy a drive with Lucy.

We had a busy week, the Ladies Aid gave a reception for the ladies of the Congregation on Thursday afternoon, it was quite successful. I met Mrs. I. J. Buchanan for the first time. She is quite pretty, a smart American I should say, but would not have anything in common with Elsie [Buchanan]. They are living in a flat downtown. Elsie is away in Toronto all the time working in connection with Social Reform.¹ Yesterday Mrs. Thomson came to see us, and was of course charmed with my room. I told you I think, I was re-papering my bedroom and all my old things look quite pretty now with the fresh paint. And I think it is a lovely room. Had a card from Mrs. Bell, she and Florrie arrived after a very Stormy passage.

Mary has been troubled for a long time with a wisdom tooth coming in crooked. So yesterday she went down to Dr. Capon, who ordered her at once to Dr. Ernest Paul to have it cut out. He froze the jaw and she did not feel it being taken out but had a very sore jaw afterwards and will have it for some days, but it is a great relief to have it over. I have an idea that it may have caused some of the inflammation in her chin. Mattie D. has been going through a trying time too, her sight became affected and Dr. Bauer decided her system had been infected with a poisonous germ, so twice he has injected something into her veins, and she is recovering fast.

Kate MacKenzie comes to-day. Edna has just returned from the market, she is really wonderfully well. Well, Calvin dear, we must thank you again for thinking of us, we did not taste venison all last year, there was none for sale and the year before it was 30 cts. a lb. So you have sent us a very valuable present and quite a treat. I hope you will have some properly cooked yourself. We like venison boiled the best, not too much cooked, and I hope they have some jelly to eat with it.

A terribly sad thing Dr. Ross's death, his means had been lost in some of the Bank failures but perhaps he was saved from future trouble. We have heard that the Congregation was getting tired of him. They would probably tire of the angel Gabriel. It was a very sudden death too of W. H. McLaren, an abscess on the liver.

Well, I must close now. Hope you will have a fine day to-morrow and that you are taking care of yourself. With much love and many thanks from all.

Your affectionate Mother

M. B. McQuesten

[P.S.] Tom was much elated on reception of your letter, with the farm in view.

¹ Elsie Buchanan had become active in the "Social Reform" movement. She also became secretary of a Literary Club in Toronto which was a forerunner of the Suffragette movement (The Proper Sphere, 255). See notes at W4367, W9180.