[Envelope addressed: Mrs. J.B. Dickey, Langbank, Sask., Canada. Postmark mostly illegible but probably Hoylake, England. Receiving postmark: Langbank Sask. Jan 12 22. “Geof” referred to in the letter is Geoff Hewson, who had been working on the Cairns farm for a couple of years. His mother, Amy Waters Hewson, was Alice Waters Cairns’ cousin.]
Meols, England Dec. 19th 1921
Dear Janet:
I never finished my last letter to you, but you may notice that it was written by your loving mother Alice Cairns! Well, here we are at Meols, Geof’s lovely home. Capt. Hewson has a very influential friend in the matter of steamboats through him he cabled to the Chief Steward of the “Megantic” to look after us, that is why were given such a comfortable cabin, and that is why we did not have to have our boxes overhauled here, and why Capt. Hewson was allowed to come on board to meet us before the passengers got off. Barbara is a very pretty girl, & Brian is better looking than Geof, but Geof is still the taller. It seems like fairy land here, everything so small or so large.
Dec. 23rd. Two days before Xmas! I do not feel Chrismassy at all, so far away. I told May & Edith that the boys were going to your house for Xmas dinner, they said “Poor Janet.” I told them you would enjoy having them to make the day more like Xmas. We spent a day in Liverpool just meandering up & down looking in shop windows, saw so many things that we found nothing to buy. Anyway we will buy little here to take home, we will stay awhile in Charlottetown & another day in Winnipeg, then we will buy some things if we have any filthy lucre left.
Geoffrey has been ill in bed since Monday night, his temperature was 104 Tuesday morn, the Doctor came said it was not serious if taken care of, gave him some mild medicine, he is better now & the Doctor will come to-day to tell him when he may get up. I am expecting a newsy letter from you about the Morton case etc. Amy’s twin boys! [Amy Cairns Mulligan.] It will have been no surprise to her! She asked Papa when we left if he wanted a boy or girl, Papa felt inclined to say “triplets!” but he said a boy. She will have plenty shirts & barrow coats & sweaters, enough had been given her.
Capt Hewson & Amy are too kind to us. Papa has been asked to give a talk on Canada with a touch of religion in it on Jan. 1st, to Y.M’s C. On Wed. we were at Grange Mt. to dinner, we will go there next week to stay for a few days. You & Edith could sit & talk & walk & wrinkle your foreheads & faces together as much alike as twins of different ages. I am chilly all the time or would be, only I wear my golf coat or jersey or sweater, or whatever you like to call it. The weather is mild, I think there is not so much oxygen in the air, so that the combustion in the body is slower, the body heat is less I mean to say.
Dec. 27th. Xmas is over. Geoffrey seems quite well again. Capt. Hewson took a holiday on Saturday, took Papa to Liverpool, Papa was fitted for a new suit. Yesterday & to-day are bank holidays so Capt. H. & Barbara are both at home. Capt H. takes Papa off for long walks each day. I have had a touch of bronchitis & a cold in my head but it is all gone now. Amy had a turkey for dinner on Xmas day, a difficulty arose, no pan to cook it in! and the oven hardly large enough to hold it a pan was borrowed from a neighbour who did not mean to cook her turkey till Monday.
Your letter came Xmas morn or at least, Sat morn, no post deliveries since Sat. as it has been Xmas holidays. You are having hard times with so much sickness, am glad Mr. Dickey was getting all right. Having Mrs. Sproat was expensive, but likely saved greater expense & helped to cure Mr. Dickey & save Doctor’s bills, but seems to me she would get on my nerves too, you could never have managed alone. We have lots of nice mutton here, I mean to see, if we get back all right, if I cannot buy a half sheep from Eaton’s next winter.
I expect Kidd will get in for Reeve all right against Elmer, but I hope Elmer will.
So goodby, dear child, I wish you could have more rest, and there I am leaving you the bread to bake!
Your loving mother Alice Cairns.