{Lutheran Theological Seminary and Waterloo College
Waterloo, Ontario}
March 27, 1921.
Dear Mother:-
Your very newsy and interesting letter of the 21st inst. was received a few days ago and was greatly enjoyed. As I am to preach to-night in Conestogo and will probably be late in getting home I have concluded to start your letter at least this afternoon. We are having a somewhat troubled Easter day as far as weather conditions are concerned. It has been marked by clouds and wind and intermittent showers with occasional glimpses of the sun. But in spite of the inclemency of the elements there was a large congregation out at St. John’s this morning. I assisted in the communion and also read the German liturgical service. The communion was not large – about 50 odd communicants – it never is on Easter. The reason is that they have here the rather deplorable custom of communing on Good Friday evening. At that time there were 502 communed. Over in St. Matthew’s, Kitchener the big communion is likewise not on Easter, but on Maundy Thursday commemorating the institution and first celebration of the Holy Supper. Any thing that detracts from the Easter Communion is not to be approved as that ought to be the one great communion of the year. But it is difficult to alter custom that has become ingrained from long standing. Pastor Bockelmann preached a very able and eloquent sermon this morning from John 20:11-18. Pastor Bockelmann is a fine homiletician and has a special talent for finding
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suitable themes and divisions. To-night he will have a Service of Song and Praise and English communion. He wanted me to help him in this also, but I couldn’t do it owing to my engagement at Conestogo. So he got Prof. Willison in my place. While I think of it, the reason why Prof. Willison writes the Canadian news for the Lutheran is because he is the official contributor and I wouldn’t dare to usurp his functions. The United Lutheran Church is run on the bureaucratic system as you know if you have kept pace with its development. Besides I hardly ever see The Lutheran. They cut me off when my subscription expired and I never felt that I had money enough to renew it with the additional expense of the premium on American money. We also have not taken it at the Seminary this year. So it is only occasionally that I have seen a copy of it. However at our last House Committee meeting we ordered the Treasurer to subscribe for it again for the Seminary Reading Room and when it comes I will perhaps see it more frequently. But I haven’t cared very much, since it seems that Melhoone has superceded Sandt as far as the policy of the paper is concerned and it is not nearly as conservative as it was as the organ of the General Council.
I am sorry you can’t stand Pastor Fegley any better than you do, but I am sure there must be a reason, and from what I’ve heard of him I don’t think his style and bearing would appeal to me at all. If you can get more out of Dr. Peeary’s sermons I see no reason why you should not transfer to St. Andrew’s, if you so desire, as you are much nearer that Church than Holy Trinity.
We were surprised to hear of Clarence and Lena’s trip north. Wish they had come around to see us while they were up this way. We would have tried to make it interesting for them if they had come. Tell Pearl
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we thank her very much for her efforts to brighten up our home for Easter by sending a box of violets and will take the attempt for the deed; for the poor little violets rotted on the way and were a mass of slime and stench. They came in good time, about Friday I think, but the trouble was that they were air-tight and packed too wet. They were no doubt beautiful when they left, but their beauty was fragile, evanescent and faded quickly away and putrefaction the common lot of all things terrestrial was their doom. It was, however, thoughtful and good of Pearl to send them and we appreciate her act of kindness in this regard.
We too are having an extremely early spring. We have already had salsify and leeks out of our garden, and on the 22nd I planted lettuce and radishes, and yesterday I put out all my onion sets. I would go into the gardening on a grand scale, only I haven’t had it ploughed yet. I never knew so forward a spring since I have been in Canada.
Marion is quite well again and was back in school last week. Notwithstanding her loss of two weeks she stood second in her room. The teacher told her she might have been first if she hadn’t missed the examinations. Carolus came through with honours. Herman didn’t quite make the passing mark on account of falling down badly on arithmetic. Arthur is quite a scholar. He can spell almost any word you can give him and can read like an expert. He took the Bible Good Friday morning and in the shortest kind of time memorized the whole Gospel for Easter which he can still recite word for word. The children are having their vacation this week. This is quite as gratifying to Robert as to the rest as he is very lonesome when they are all in school. Little Eileen can talk in two languages and is the cutest child I think I ever saw. She knows the use of money and comes to me nearly every day and
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says “I want ten cents.” Happily a copper satisfies her just as well and she doesn’t discriminate between it and a ten cent piece. She enjoys being out with the other children and has a great time out of doors these nice warm days.
Glad to hear the new babies are coming along fine. We hope to have good news to send you by around this time next month. We haven’t any help engaged yet, but Bonnie is in quite good spirits and I hope to scare up some one in the mean time. Mrs. Bockelmann made Eileen a beautiful red sweater which she brought up yesterday. She looks fine in it. Meda is sending two sweaters which she knit for Marion. These are expected to arrive this week. All this helps out considerably in these times of high prices. Well, my letter is getting long and I must close. With best wishes for the joyous Eastertide, I am
Most Sincerely yours
[signed] Carroll H. Little.
