{Lutheran Theological Seminary and Waterloo College
Waterloo, Ontario}
May 28, 1922
Dear Mother:-
We are having a perfect day to-day. The sun is bright and warm and a cool breeze is blowing, giving ideal conditions. The grass and the trees are beautiful with the fresh verdure of spring and the birds are singing in the trees and the air is redolent with fragrance from their blossoms. It is almost too fine to stay inside, but I must take a few moments at least to write my letter to you. Our Seminary is now over for another year. We had our Commencement on Friday night in St. John’s Church, Waterloo. Rev. Schmieder preached the sermon to the lone graduate, Dr. Hoffmann had charge of the Liturgy and I functioned in presenting the diploma and the prizes. Mr. Maeder our graduate delivered a very pleasing address. An offering of some $30 was received. Just before the exercises in the Church the Alumni held their banquet to which all the Seminary professors were invited together with their wives at 75₵ per plate with toasts thrown in. I spoke on “Our Graduate” and gave them something in a somewhat humourous vein. Our College Closing and Oratorical contest will be held on the coming Friday evening after which our vacation proper will begin. We will have only one graduate in the College this year – a young man who will enter the Seminary next fall. So we are not losing any though we are not gaining great headway as far as the Seminary is concerned. We would have had more but have added another year to our College course, which was quite necessary for efficient preparation. I still have two examinations in religion to hold this week before my work is over. I have been quite busy collecting the funds from delinquent students for the past week or so. I have it all in now but $41 and expect to get that this week. The tuition and other fees amounted to about $3500 this year and were collected from 75 students. This will give you some idea as to how our institution
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is growing. When I came here in 1917 there were less than 20 students and even last year we had only 45 all told. If our Seminary grew in proportion to the College we would soon have Canada filled up with Lutheran pastors with some to spare for the Foreign Field.
My garden is making good progress. I finished my first hoeing of corn last evening and everything seems to be growing nicely. I set out 57 tomato plants and will have two or three times as much corn as I had last year. My last planting of corn isn’t up yet, but everything else is showing up. We are having some plastering done tomorrow and the whole outside of the house is to be painted this week. Rev. Gartung from Nova Scotia is in town and was present for the Alumni meeting and banquet. I saw him at the banquet but haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet. He is here to be married. He will marry a young lady from Dr. Maurer’s Church early in June. Our graduate Mr. Maeder is also to be married soon as is also one of our graduates of two years ago who has a parish at Heidelberg near here. This June promises to be quite an eventful month for our Seminary students.
We advocates of Standard time gained another victory last week when the Supreme Court Judge handed down a decision quashing the Kitchener Day Light Saving by-law. But this has so far had no effect upon the Kitchener Council which by a majority of one is still holding out for Day Light Saving. It will have this effect, however, that Waterloo will not now adopt it. And if Kitchener wants to be odd we can’t help it and will simply leave her to the enjoyment of her mix-up and misery. The Mayor of Kitchener is a strong advocate of the new time. However, he called the Council together to consider the action to be taken after the decision was rendered, but the eight councillors who favoured Day Light Saving stayed away from the meeting breaking the quorum so that no business could be done. But I think this year will see the last of the craze even in Kitchener.
I haven’t thought much about my trip as yet as I have been so busy with other things, but I want to make it if possible and hope to spend the month of July with you. Our Synod will close the 24th of June. I will require a few days after that to get my garden
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in shape, after which I know of nothing to detain me. I still think it is hardly practicable for me to bring Marion with me. Bonnie is quite anxious to have me go, not that she wishes to get rid of me, but that she thinks I should have a vacation away from Waterloo. The children are all well and playing always out doors these fine days. The baby doesn’t walk yet, but crawls all around and tries hard to talk. She can sing the first line of Ehre sei dem Vater and get the tune of it, having picked it up from the other children. Arthur said he made 100 on his examination in arithmetic the other day. The public school runs on till the last of June or there about.
I got home last Sunday night from Elmira. One of the members of the congregation brought me back in his automobile without cost to myself. Consequently I cleared $9.50 which came in very handy during this long month. I had a fine congregation out that night and rather enjoyed preaching there. Well, I must close for this time. With love and all good wishes, I am
Most Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Carroll H. Little.
