New Germany, N.S.,
August 22, 1907
Dear Mother:
The other evening I received a post-card of the Exposition from Pearl acquainting me with the fact that she and Jennie Lee were taking in that big [?] and were having a great old time. I have no doubt Bikle was glad to have them with him and enjoyed their visit and that they found it pleasant to be with him too. Herbert says Bikle has improved a great deal since going to Norfolk and that it was worth more than a year’s schooling to him. I wish I could see the lad, but he is making more money than I am and will have to come up sometime.
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Just now I am rather hard up for ready cash. I have had to make several payments for materials for my new church lately and also laid in my hay for the winter and I’m in about as close a pinch as I’ve been in lately. In fact I lacked about four dollars of having enough on hand to pay for my hay. I bought nearly 2 ½ tons and made over half a ton on my church lot. I think I have on hand now 3 ½ tons, which should last me a year and a half. I paid $12.00 a ton and expenses for hauling and weighing. I have my deposit in the bank still, but can’t draw it out for a while yet. I am discouraged about putting any more in. The opportunities of spending it are too good, and I hate to get into a pinch unnecessarily. The church is
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coming along nicely now. The painters are at work on the walls. They are painting them a fine restful grey. Over the chancel opening I am going to have the Kyrie in illuminated text and on each side of the opening I will have inscriptions, the 10 Commandments on one side and the Creed on the other. I received the altar clothes the other day and will have them made up shortly. The oak finish of the church is exceedingly handsome. I am in hopes of having a model church when it is done. I think I will have the consecration in Sept., though perhaps not before the 4th Sunday. I want to wait anyway till President Murray gets back. Our furnace is going to cost us more than we had calculated on. I got word that it would be not less than $100.00. Looking after things in connection with the church
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has taken up a lot of my time lately, especially this week. I am not at all prepared for Sunday yet and it is getting quite late in the week. We have been having pretty cool weather for the last few days. Frosts have been reported around and there is a good chance for it to frost to-night. We are having a few early apples now, but everything is quite late this year. No grain is ripe yet, though it is beginning to turn. People are not through with their meadow haying yet. We have had no tomatoes though beans are now plentiful and potatoes are being gravelled for the table. Our Wentzel’s Lake Reunion is coming on a pace. It is set for the 6th of Sept. and we are looking forward to it as the great last day of the summer season. The proceeds from it will go to the Home and it is in need of it too, for the funds are running low.
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The farm will do considerable toward supporting the Home after awhile. Nineteen tons of Timothy were cut off it this summer, besides five or six tons of mash hay. If the potatoes turn out at all well, there ought to be four or five hundred bushels of them. There will be also some barley and oats, and of course turnip roots and garden vegetables. I was down at the Home last week till Saturday. From there I went to Newburne, New Cornwall and Mahone Bay where I preached Sunday, making the circuit and getting back to the Home for dinner on Monday and arriving at New Germany Monday night, Herbert was booked to preach in Mahone Bay this coming Sunday evening, but Bessie says she won’t let him go for fear something might happen or rather for fear there may be something doing. So I guess he
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will have to make other arrangements. During service last Sunday night at Mahone Bay the electric lights suddenly went out. But happily I was nearly through with the service, having just said the versicle for peace. As I knew the collect for peace by heart I just went on as though nothing had happened and finished the service without any break or disorder. Some few got up and went out, but the most of the congregation were cool and stayed to see the end. I have an invitation to go with the soldier boys to encampment at Aldershot this year, but I don’t know whether I will be able to get off or not. I hardly think it possible. The encampment begins Sept. 10 and lasts 10 days. If I don’t take that in I may get down to Halifax to the Exhibition the last of Sept. or first of October. I have been here over six years within 70 miles of Halifax and have never been there yet. The Minutes
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of Synod are printed but I haven’t received them yet. They sent me, however, a couple advanced copies, which I have already given away. They are very neat and contain an excellent cut of the Bridgewater church. I will send you a copy when I get them. I suppose I will have to begin work on our paper now pretty soon. Rev. Weaver and family moved back to Lunenburg yesterday, and he said he would look after the business arrangements as soon as he got back home. I dread the starting of it till I get my hand well into it. I ought to be doing some catechising now, but something is always turning up to keep me from getting started. But I will have to close. With love and all good wishes, I am
Most sincerely yours,
[signed] Carroll H. Little
