[Envelope addressed: Rev. J. A. Cairns, Poplar Grove, Sask. Two cent stamp with dates 1808 and 1908, Centenaire de Quebec, pictures of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Postmarked: James River Station, N.S. Oc 08. Receiving postmark illegible.]
James River Station, Octo 8th 1908
Dear Mr & Mrs Cairns
we are so very glad that we have Received your letter few days ago letting us know of your well being and that ye are all well and in good health we was longing very much to hear from you about yourself and your family and so was all the Neighbourhood. Well we are all fairly well but my wife she is not getting her health well for few years back. She is most of the time up but not able to do much heavy work she is troubled very much with Rheumatism we have adopted a girl from St Pauls home in halifax She is twelve years of age. The Neighbours are much the same as when you left them old Mrs. McLean at the Church Died a year & half ago but the rest of the family are quite well the Camerons Dochnassie are quite well but Jessie Died six months ago Hector Grant and wife & son are well and runs the place alone for hired girls is not to had Lauchie Grant are well, both himself & family are well he is able to be every day on the railroad it was a lucky day for him when you went with to Montreal all the rest of the Neighbours are just about the same as when you left them Johnny & wife & family are well Lauchlin are in general on the Section all summer so I have none but myself so it keeps me a little busy John McLean & Mary are well and they have a son he is ten months old now Sadie and her husband are living Idaho Springs Colorado they were out there near five years and came home about a year ago went this spring again he was only out there very short time when he got his fingers badly smashed and he was Idle for a while he went to work again and only worked few days when some tons of Rock fell on him he was taken home to his own house with very little hopes of his Recovery he Rallied for few days got little better than other sickness fell in & then Phenomonia set in both lungs and that for a long length of time and no hopes of his Recovery but he is mending now he is nearly five months Idle now I do not know how they will get along Malcolm Munro and his wife and daugter are living their number of years in there own house Malcolm no better but continually getting weaker he seldom come out of bed and takes bad turns Archibald McLean in the Kepppoch are well but they are getting old looking the last time that I saw them they spoke much about you and thought a great Deal of you All the Neighbours about here are always asking me about you and do I hear from you I am glad now that I can tell them something about you As for the congregation I have nothing to say at the present but that we are as calm and still as the Sea of Galilee was when calmed by the Savior I think it will take a good prophet to tell how long the croop [crop] is a failure here this summer it was too dry I am very glad that you have such good croop there you surely will have plenty Flour and oatmeal when we have to buy both we would like very much that you Mrs Cairns could be seen coming as usual to see us how my wife would like to see ye both as she always speak about you and Mrs Cairns I am very Glad that your daughter got married I hope she got a good Husband we all wishes her much Joy and happiness all the Rest of her days Now I must close Now as is getting late and the paper coming to end write soon and tell us the news. Yours Angus McDonald
[Written across top of pages of previous letter]
Angus Elsie is getting to be a big boy and very smart of his age
Mary M McDonald Josephs Daughter got married this summer to one McKenzie from Stellarton