From Alice Waters Cairns to her daughter Janet Cairns Dickey (July 4, 1906)

[Envelope addressed:  Miss Janet Cairns, Digby, Nova Scotia. Readdressed to Scotsburn, Pictou. Postmarked: Poplar Grove Assa Jy 6 06. Two cent King Edward VII stamp. Receiving postmark: Digby N.S. AM July 12 06.  Although unsigned, it appears that the main letter is from Alice Waters Cairns and the addition from Amy Cairns Mulligan.]

Poplar Grove, Saskatchewan July 4^th 1906

Dear Janet,

Reggie and Mr. Dickie just came down in the buggy, with a mare and colt. Strenuous times here. Saturday we cleaned the cellar, took out load upon load of earth and potatoes. Bert did the shovelling and carrying out; took him all the morning working hard. John took the masons to town; Amy sent on for an extension table, and he had to bring out a barrel of lime and some bags of flour; well, it rained & rained when coming home, so he stopped at McLean’s on the Pipestone all night. Sunday it rained nearly all day, but cleared up about 2 o’clock and has not rained since; he came home at six, bringing his flour and lime & the TABLE. It is so nice to have a decent table again. We have not the room cleaned yet, but when we have, we will stow the table to make it both useful and ornamental. Saturday afternoon I tore at the garden, transplanted cabbages, cauliflower & tomatoes. Charley Lyons came around, too, on Sat. taking the census. Sunday Papa and I went to Montgomery, making two in a congregation of six. Monday I washed and we cleaned the porch, and in the midst, before dinner, Mr. W. Archibald and Mr. Peter Archibald called (Ray’s father). Mr. and Mrs. Pete have been through to the coast and are returning, they found land cheaper at Vancouver than in Calgary and Edmonton. Mr. Pete bought a town lot in Vancouver for $14500.00. Tuesday I baked and we cleaned the boy’s room and the kitchen cupboard. To-day I churned and we cleaned our room. Tom & Bob picked enough strawberries for our tea on Saturday; there are plenty more but no time to pick. Jimmy Dean came down yesterday and stayed all night, he & Tom went to Kennedy this afternoon. On the 26^th at Poplar Grove Mr. Ansell is to have a picnic. A young man, whom John did not know, asked him if he were Cairns, a brother of Miss Cairns who taught at McKay’s. John acknowledged the imputation, so the young man said: Tell her we would like to see her at McKays again. Amy brought toilet paper and hanger for our small outside house. F.G. was here to tea on Sunday; they say that both his horses have played out, and that F.G. has gone to Wapella to-day to get a new large team. Puss has eight kittens!!

[In same envelope, marked on outside of folded page: Not to be opened till Mamma’s letter is read.]

And you are right, those two poor wrecks are in it, right up to their necks. Suppose you’ll laugh & say I deserve it, getting out of it so nicely these last few years. Many thanks for the waist front, will send $1 as soon as I can scrape one up. Am getting on fast at fancy work just now, lots of spare time, you know.

[Written crosswise at top of page:] If you see Henry Sam, just for the fun of it tell him my feelings that time he called on me at Examination time.