[The final sentence of this letter suggests that Susan was looking after things at Cairnbank in the absence of Rev. and Mrs. Cairns. Susan was 19 at the time this letter was written. Bob was Alice Waters Cairns’ youngest son and Elsie was his wife, although they were not married until November 1930, after this letter was written. They also farmed at Cairnbank.]
[Note written at the top of the page: I was just going to write a word to your mother but I have written a whole letter.]
808 Blanchard St
Victoria, B.C.
Feb. 10th 1930
Dear Susan,
We went to the Cathedral yester morn, & to Reformed Episcopal in evening, and for a long walk in afternoon in a park, where, on top of a hill we climbed, we could see afar off the mountains & quite a strech [sic] of the Pacific ocean, — so there was no time to write yesterday. Your letter appeared under the door this morning, you wrote it on Wednesday. The preparation for Fritz’s reception has made you quite a lot of extra work. Tell Bob they will make as much fuss for him I quite expect. The daughter of Mrs. Gordon – Mrs. Simon – is going to take Papa & me out for a drive in her car this afternoon. On Wednesday we were at a tea given (for 50 yrs) in the S. School Hall of the Church very much as we give them at Poplar Grove. Papa & I only have two meals a day, breakfast at 10, a dinner-tea at either 4, 5, or 6, as it suits our goings out. On Thursday I went with Papa to Parliament, which is sitting now, we had tickets so we sat “on the floor of the House,” of course on chairs. That’s about all the gaiety I have taken part in. This morning I did my washing, a combination & doz. hankies, pair of socks, stuck them out the window with the window sash, but they did not seem to dry although the wind blows, but it seems to want to rain so I brought them in and hung them on the bedstead.
Papa thinks again we won’t go to Spokane, but no one knows, he is so changeable, it does cost a lot and it is only to make a short stay of a day or two. Papa is out now, to replenish our food supplies bread, butter, grapefruit & some meat, perhaps mutton. Mrs. Simon, the daughter of Mrs. Gordon, just came in and asked us to go for a drive in her car at half-past two. [Sentence lightly crossed out and note “Twice written” added.] I hope Grandpa will be in then, he does not know about it. But he was also going to look up the Prairie Club which has its existence over Woolworth’s, so who knows what time he will be back when he gets talking? I have written to Elsie today, as I ought to have done before. If the cats are let out and kept out, they won’t dirty the house. Any eggs for Mrs. Spooner yet? I am glad to have you at the head of affairs at home.
Your loving but nostalgic Grandmother, Alice Cairns