Oct. 13, 1935.
Dear Mother:
I have had my dinner and have had my nap, and now before I begin anything else, like horseshoe for instance, I will endeavour to spin out my letter to you. I don’t have much news, it is true; but a letter without news is perhaps better than none at all, and I don’t intend to forsake you as long as the Lord gives me ability to think and strength to write. This may not be long, as I am getting up in years, as you very well know. This morning Arthur and I went down to Kitchener to First English for Church, and heard Rev. Jacobi, one of my former students, who at present is Pastor of that congregation. He preached a fine sermon, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I wish I could hear him every Sunday instead of our incumbent, I will not say ‘incompetent’ pastor. We are having to-day the most ideal weather of any day since we came home from the South. Up to to-day it has been constantly and consistently cool, with heavy frost every morning and ice in the puddles; but this morning as I went before breakfast for my daily swim, it was like ‘the good old summer time’, and I splashed the waters of the lake with great glee and coming out took a sun-bath, which was both soothing and invigorating in the superlative
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degree. Everything is so beautiful now with the autumnal colouring which nature puts on the trees and other foliage to perfection. I am enclosing a little envelope full of leaves to give you some idea of it all; though it will not give you the full effect as it loses in brilliancy through the desiccating process. We have now passed almost the first month of our work in the school; and I think I can truthfully say that so far I have enjoyed it more than ever before. There has not been a ruffle so far on the smooth surface of the waves of the school. If only the financial situation were better, we might all be quite happy. But perfection of happiness or of anything else for that matter is not attainable here below. And perhaps it is well ,as otherwise we might not want to go to heaven, which would be a disappointment to our gracious Lord. Bonnie has been wanting to write to you all and honestly intends to do so; but she is so taken up with her work that I have a great job to get her to bed even after 11 o’clock, and no time is left for other things. Last night she started to write to one of you – I don’t know which one it was – and when she got three lines done Herman came in for supper bringing a friend or two with him; and after that was over she wrote three more lines when Mrs. Hirtle (Roy and Seward’s mother) came in to call and stayed a long time. Then it was too late for her to finish her letters, and she called it off as a bad job. And so it happens continually. So if none of you get any letters, you will know what is the matter and will not blame a busy woman. I think
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I am busy myself when I get down to working out exegesis or some other theological lecture; but I fully confess that I cannot hold a candle to my ‘better half’. Besides it would be dangerous to do so. You may draw your own inference as to whether it would be dangerous to me or to her. Carolus and Marge come up every day or so, and frequently stay for a meal. They seem to prefer coming here to going to Marge’s parents, whom they visit only occasionally. Marion’s “Howey” comes practically every night and they either stay here or go to a show or somewhere. They seem to belong together and stick closer than a pea to its pod. Herman, they say, has a girl, but doesn’t have much time for her. He gets to bed too late and out of bed too late too. Little Frederick is as sweet and bright as ever. He never leaves for school without telling his mother goodbye and if he should forget it he always runs back and starts again. To-morrow is Dominion Election day. We think we are going to turn the Tories out and put the Liberals (who correspond to the Democrats of pre-Roosevelt times) in. The issue is somewhat complicated owing to the large number of parties putting candidates in the field, but we hope that King will have a majority over all. He will get five votes out of this household and should get six, but Arthur, who has just come of age, did not see to it that his name got on the polling list. Monday promises to be a day of great excitement in the Dominion.
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Since I have got down to politics, which is proverbially dirty, I think I had better stop, or I might wind up with something worse, if such a thing is possible. We all hope that you are keeping well and enjoying life in your own quiet way in the soft setting sunshine of life’s glowing evening. May God bless you!
With love as ever, I am
Most Sincerely yours,
[signed] Carroll
