[Envelope addressed to Mr. John B. Dickey. Poplar Grove. Sask. Postmarked Middle Musquodoboit N.S. Sp 8 09 Receiving postmark Wapella Sask. Sp 13 09. Children of Susanna Bates Dickey referred to in the letter: George and Laura Dickey, Millie Dickey Wickham, Ed Dickey, Thom Dickey, Morris Dickey, Will Guild (married to Ida Jane Dickey). Grandchildren: Joyce Dickey (daughter of George and Laura), Ellen Guild, Jean Guild and Libbie Guild.]
[Note by Elizabeth Dickey Evans: envelope probably addressed by Laura Annand (Mrs. George) Dickey]
Musquodoboit September 8th 09
Dear John and Janet
I am going to try and write to you today. I am pleased to get your letters for I always like to hear how you are getting along but John must not work to hard he will make an old man of himself to soon. I can see it now if I had not worked as hard as I did I would be better now, so take warning by me and not try and do to much take care of your health when once you loose it you cant get it back. Well Janet I know all about how you have to work to get along with baby When my first one was a baby I think if a squaw had come in and nursed her a while it would have been a relief, Laura had to bottle feed her last baby she gave it cream one part cream and three parts water with a tiny pinch of salt and a very little soda in it, it was a woman wo studied nursing told her, and we used baby’s own tablets if her bowels got wrong she grew fine with the treatment but perhaps that might not suit all children. I would like to see you all I think you will have to come home again as soon as you can. I had a letter from Millie she gave me an invitation to go and see her but that is not to be thought of I could never stand the journey out there, I am some better than when I wrote last, but quite shaky yet,
You wanted to know about Mable Fish well I know of her but not acquanted with her she lives about three miles from us they are a nice family. Mr Graves will likely try to get her. George knows Fred and has told us about him. Well we have some sickness Joyce was a very sick girl a while she is better but not well yet, the Dr said it was caused by being to much in the hot sun, the blood congested on her head she slept most of the time for three days we had to put a mustard poultice from her toes to the knee on both legs and leave it on all night she is very nervous since but I hope she will out grow it. Well John we have had those preachers about here we call them the go preachers George and Laura went to hear them twice but did not think much of them. Well I hope you are having better weather out West than we have it has been a very tedious time to get the hay made we have one load to put in yet and the grain is getting ripe the crops look well the root crop looks fine our corn is ready to use and we have some large pumpkins and squashs so we will have some pies as well as you
Mr Sam Wilson died about three weeks ago Thomas Bates’s wife has another daughter, Sid Fleck’s wife has a daughter to. We have not had any word from Ed’s folk for some time- Thom is driving a team at Lacome, Morris is still at Calgary all are well as far as we know We are going to have a lot of plums so we will have some preserves if our strawberries did fail. the blueberries are plenty we have had them for a month to use I have not been able to go and pick but I can clean them in the house. I walked down to Will’s yesterday but they had to come after me I could not walk up the hill they are all well Ellen went to the states and Jean and Libbie are teaching.
now this is a poor letter but I will have to stop write again soon, to loving Mother