{The Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Canada
Waterloo, Ontario}
May 23rd 1926.
Dear Mother:
As Sunday has come around again I will write you a few lines to-night. Bonnie and the older children down to Robert have gone to Church. As it is not yet dark the other children are out in the yard playing. So I have the whole house to myself and all circumstances favourable for writing except, perhaps, sluggishness of thought. We have had a fine Whitsunday to-day – bright, sunshiny and clear, but very cold with a strong north wind. I think we would have had a heavy frost this morning if it had not been for the wind. Our spring has been exceptionally cold this year and quite late. I have kept up a fire in the furnace steadily all week and am making a great hole in my 18th ton of coal. None of the stuff planted in the garden a week or so ago has come up yet. We have had several good rains, but no warmth to make things sprout. But in spite of the cold the leaves are putting out on the trees and the dandelions and other wild flowers are in blossom and the grass is green and growing, and everything is taking on a summer-like appearance. I preached and held communion in Bridgeport this morning, and we had a very fine service. As I didn’t get through in time for the 12 o’clock car, I walked home after Church and enjoyed the walk through the open country in the cool fresh air. My confirmation class made me a present of two pictures of the class with myself in it and I intended enclosing one in this letter
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but find it a little too large to enclose in the envelope. It is just as well, perhaps, as the picture makes me look quite “ancient”. I was surprised to day to receive some more remuneration for my catechetical work from the parents of the children. They paid me $21 to-day, which runs the total up to $48 for my winter’s catechetical work. This is quite good, I think, for a class of six, and at any rate shows appreciation. This brings my net earnings – aside from my Seminary salary – to a little over $200 for the year so far. I am in hopes that I will earn enough in this way to pay my coal bill for the year. I could have preached again to-night in Guelph, but after the strenuous week we had last week I did not feel like undertaking any more, and so turned the proposition down. We finished our Seminary work last week and held the graduation exercises in St. John’s Church on Thursday night. Everything passed off nicely, Dr. Bockelmann gave the boys a fine sermon, and the whole service left a very excellent impression upon the large congregation gathered there. The collection taken up amounted to over $50. All three of the graduating class have received calls – two in Ontario and one in Nova Scotia.
I am now on my vacation; but as Synod is close at hand and I have a sermon to preach and various committee reports to get in readiness, I will hardly begin to realize that vacation is here until that convention is over. I hope it will soon become warmer so that I can finish up my planting in the garden before the week is over. Bonnie has been house cleaning all week, but is nearly done now, having only the kitchen and basement to finish. It’s an institution that disrupts the even regularity of the home and one that I have never learned to appreciate. It is doubtless useful and ornamental, but I hate to be around when it is going on. However, there is an end to all things temporal and also to this letter. So good night! With love,
I am Most Sincerely yours,
[signed[ Carroll H. Little.
