{The Evangelical Lutheran Seminary of Canada Waterloo, Ontario Canada}
April 11, 1926
Dear Mother:
As another Sunday has come around again I will try to write you a few lines to-night. I preached at Bridgeport this morning and got home in good time for dinner. I didn’t have as large a turn-out as usual down there, though it was not the fault of the weather, which barring its coolness was ideal. Next Sunday I will be at Galt again, morning and evening. So you see I am keeping pretty busy. The cold weather still continues with us. Cutters and bob-sleds were running yesterday yet, though the snow has pretty well gone from the fields and I imagine even the country roads are getting pretty scratchy. We still have considerable snow around the house and the Seminary, and my garden is still covered from one to two feet deep. I’m afraid I will be late in getting my garden started this year, but it may do all the better when it does get going. There are not only no leaves yet on trees or shrubs; but not even a perceptible swelling of the buds is noticeable. We have had to keep the fires going steadily, both here and at the Seminary. I am on my 16th ton of coal for the year, which is the most I ever burned in one year. The fuel cost eats a big whole in one’s salary. We had our upstairs all papered last week and also the parlour down stairs and the halls. We were in a mess for a few days, but now that it is done it looks very pretty. We expect to have some painting done on the floors yet, but I don’t know when the painter will get around to that, as he seems to be filled up with jobs; but I
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hope he will get it done in time for house-cleaning, so that we won’t be upset more than once more this spring. I think I told you in my last letter of Dr. Hoffmann’s having pneumonia. He was desperately ill right from the start and kept gradually getting worse. Last night they thought he would die through the night, but to-day, the 9th day, he showed a slight improvement in one lung and hopes are reviving that he may yet pull through. All his children together with their families – from Toronto, Phil’a and New York – are around his bedside. His son-in-law, Dr. [?] of Phil’a, said he never knew a man in Dr. Hoffmann’s condition to recover. So, if he should get well, it will be almost a miracle. Dr. Hoffmann is 64 years of age and is very popular, both as a professor and as a man, and has been very prominent in our Canadian Church life for many years. His departure would be a great loss. So we are hoping and praying that he may be spared for years more of usefulness. Enclosed I am sending you a few snaps taken by Carolus. One is of our parlour showing the new paper, one is a snow elephant with Mr. [?] the German sculpture at work on it, and the other is a fall in the snow while snowshoeing, the operator being one of the Christiansen boys. All these pictures were taken on Easter Sunday April 4th. I trust you have had a happy Easter and that you enjoyed the services of the season. To-morrow we resume our work at the Seminary and the children go back to school. With love and best wishes, I am
Most Sincerely yours,
[signed] Carroll H. Little.
