[No envelope. Appears to be written Christmas Day 1901, while Alice was away visiting relatives.]
Monday evening.
Dear Janet.
I am glad you are getting on so well. I posted letters to you to-day, and too late for the mail I posted the Xmas box, I was so sorry, for I wanted you to get it in time for Santa Claus, and wrote a request on it to Sadie not to deliver it till you sent or called for it, so you could put things in stockings. I wore my new waist to-day up at May’s, they thought it so pretty. Aunt May especially admired your velvet collar with the lace stock on. Charlotte is quite good-looking. Bernard is not much of anything, subdued. I am having a lovely, lovely, lovely time. Aunt May brought Papa 6 handkerchiefs, 12 for me, gloves for you & Amy, necktie for John, books for Tom & Bob. Tuesday. Grandma & I saw the Misses Smallie off to Wolfville. They took a parlour car. Grandma is making me a bonnet, she has sold more than $30 worth of fancy work this summer. You are to take your choice of the gloves but you can give Amy the ribbons off the handkerchiefs if you do not want them. I do not have time to do any sewing yet. It is so nice to see old friends again. My foot is better. Put lemons and some molasses and sugar in the mincemeat. May has a dogskin coat. My address will be after this 44 Evergreen St. Roxbury Mass. A Miss Sulis a C teacher is at Hillgrove. Do you know Bessie Blair who was drowned at Ottawa, your cousin Robbie Randolph is married to her sister Helen!
Xmas day.
I am just going to the train for Yarmouth with Grandma’s bonnet on.
Your aff. Mother Alice Cairns.