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WE had no opportunity of
posting letters so that they should reach you before Christmas, but we hope
that these will for the New Year. We trust that it will be a happy one for
you all, and bring you no further anxiety over your Canadian exiles.
One more year has gone by,
and, thank God, we have managed to keep straight amidst much crookedness.
I left home yesterday
morning, but did not get into Saskatoon till this morning. I had the young
horse on, and as he had never done any road work I had to take it easy.
I did not want to come in,
but was obliged to get some Christmas stores. Jack is much excited, and
wanted his mother to write to Santa Claus and tell him he wanted a ball and
a watch, and as I am in town I do not expect that Santa Claus will
disappoint him.
We are having a few of the
English fellows round about us to dinner on Christmas Day. We have not much
amusement to offer them, but still it will be nice for all of us to meet
together on that day. All our thoughts will be in our several homes across
the sea, as I know yours will be with us.
My colt is getting on well,
and he ought to be able to take his share of the work next year. He is very
gentle, and I can do what I like with him. I might trade my team for a
better one, but I do not care to. I know them and I can trust them to do
their best whatever difficulty we may be in, and that is a great thing out
here where you have these long trips to make.
There has been great
excitement over the elections. I was called upon to act as Poll Clerk at the
doctor's, 6 miles west of us, on election day. I did not agree with the
Liberal side and so voted for the Conservative candidate. The Liberals,
however, have got the majority--a big one of 142 votes.
The proceedings were very
tame; the only stirring incident was a dog fight. I wanted to register it,
but they seemed to think that it would not do. It takes the people here a
long time to see a joke. The box of woollen goods has arrived safely, and
the contents will be very useful, only you made a mistake with the mittens;
what we use here are closed with only a thumb, like the fishermen wear; but
never mind, Mabel is knitting them into shape.
These mittens are very
important things. You cannot touch anything in winter without having them
on, for everything is frozen, and if you take hold without having your hands
covered, it sticks to you and takes the skin just as if you had burnt
yourself with fire. There is again a great talk about having a school for
our district, so I suppose the Government is going to give us one. |
