Dear Calvin,

So glad to receive your letter this a.m. Glad you were out to dinner, it makes a change. Fancy Miss [Mina?] has much to learn, what can you expect when their pastor has so low a standard. Tho' I sympathize with people in those small places, they must get desperate sometimes. I am getting sometimes that I do not know what to do with myself, I do not feel interested in anything and I feel so lazy, that I cannot wake myself up at all, altho' there are a hundred things which ought to be done.

The new leaded glass about our front door is a great success, and well worth the money. I'll send the Saturday Post once more at least and the others you can see at Xmas. You speak of gloves. Have you been buying any nightgowns? Thought you needed some good warm ones of good size at neck.

Tom is very busy now on the war path, not much for himself, but to get in Controller Allen as Mayor, he having pledged himself to fight the Railway. Hilda has a letter from Lizzie McLaren. [Hon?] Oliver is said to have even kept his hat on in the House when "God save the King" was played. We did not know the Deans were here yet. Sorry they left B. [Bracebridge] but hope the new man may be some help to you, hardly likely when he is from Quebec to be a Pres.[sic]. I tell you, work away at your sermons for the Sunday after Xmas and then you can enjoy the week with us. Perhaps you could arrange something for the Sunday. With much love.

Your affectionate mother

M.B. McQuesten