From Alice Waters Cairns to her daughter Janet Cairns Dickey and granddaughter Susan Dickey Hewson (February 17, 1930)

[Envelope addressed Miss Susan Dickey, Langbank, Sask.  Postmarked Victoria British Columbia 11 PM Feb 17 1930. Two cent King George V stamp.]

808 Blanchard St

Victoria, B.C.

Dear Janet sr., Susan & all,

            Very glad to get your letters & the “Digests” both “Reader’s & Literary”.  Today is a wet day so that’s nothing new.  Papa is enjoying the R’s Digest, it is now 12 o’clock noon and I don’t have to bother with dinner till about 3 o’clock, then I’ll put on carrots cut fine, turnips, a lump – a piece of parsnip, ends of celery, cook some rice & fry some bacon, lo & behold, dinner is ready!  I have no fire on yet today as it is quite warm, will have a good one late in afternoon.  Papa has really made up his mind not to go to Spokane, & that we will leave Victoria for Vancouver on the 28th, then if Aunt Janie is not too ill we will stay there for three or four days, & call on Wickam’s on our way home, will have to stay there from midnight to midnight.  I want to go see Mrs. Billy Duke in Vancouver.  Last Tuesday we were at tea at Mrs. Archibalds, it was so wet that we took a taxi there, and Miss Archibald, Laura, had just got her new “Pontiac” so she brought us home, Laura teaches. They lost two sons through the war:  Roy in the airforce, was never heard from.  Aubrey was shot through the head from eye to eye, and of course came home blind, Laura went to England & brought him home, he lived for about 8 years, could play golf and made the most beautiful things – furniture, beautifully inlaid, was an architect by profession, helped to design the new cathedral here.  The poison from the wound began to go to his brain, so he died. 

On Saturday Laura took us to visit the cemetery where the soldiers are buried, & for a lovely drive too, punctuated by the wonderful price of new houses, and of houses being built, of course it was raining & we could not see very far.  I think I dislike houses!  Wednesday I stayed in our room all day.  Thursday we went shopping to H.B.C. (looks like our “Haughty British Cousin”) & to Woolworth’s.  On Friday we went to see the “Taming of the Shrew”.  Yesterday we went to hear a rather famous preacher.  “Clem Davis” they call him, he seems to have kicked over some denominational or clerical bucket, so was turned out of the regular run of clergy and churches, he preaches in a theater just a block from here, he looks as if he had just eaten the canary.  He has movies or plays in the evening service, had the “Prodigal Son” last night, but we went to the 1st United to hear Dr. George Pringle on prohibition.

            The Clem Davis man always has a full house.  It rained quietly & gently all day yesterday, & a little harder when we came home from church, but it did not seem to wet us much, though we must have walked a mile.  Thank you Sadie for your letter & for Elizabeth’s sayings.  Hoping it won’t be long before I do see you all,

I remain as of yore

Your loving relative

Alice Cairns

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