853 Nassau St. Winnipeg, Man. Can.
August 26 - 17

My dear Will.-

Sunday p.m. Shirley at Sunday School, & Billy on the front steps. He won't go - get's lonesome. It is dull & seems by turns today - threatens rain - getting real Fall-like. This morning there was the smoky smell that goes with Autumn. The mornings & evenings are quite chilly, and it is dark by 8. I was telling the children last night that papa would not be able to sit on the veranda much if he did not come home soon. I wrote a letter to mother this forenoon also made a copy of your letter telling of being wounded. I had made a copy for Ruby. They can send them onto the others. I know they will be interested in knowing about it. I should have written to another sooner. I wanted to write to Hattie Caswell too. I wrote to you on Friday so there is not much news yet: Conscription may come on Tues: if the Gov. Gen. signs the paper, as he is supposed to do. That will settle it. I wonder what Quebec will do. They should be able to raise a fair-sized army there alone. It is a wonder if they do not make a disturbance.

It is very quiet around at present. The Faulkner family have been away for a week - and We feel we can speak out loud now. It has been a great rest with the children; Stanley has been coming into the yard quite - a bit lately, but I think I'll shut down on it again when he comes back. Shirley will be at school too it will be pretty quiet for Billy. Shirley is quite excited about school. She lost a tooth last week - one of the front lower ones, & she looks kind of funny - but will be more so when the next 2 or 3 go. Nellie had 4 out at once - early in the summer - but his new ones are in now. Grandma Gunn has not come home yet. Walter kept her, when her when her ticket went out. It is a good change for the poor old lady - Mrs. Coad up there (Mrs. MConaghy's mother) is her sister. So she has lots of friends. Neatie is rather a cold, hard woman. Their family all went down & had a fair group taken on Saturday. Billy has been "happening" over there, after tea, or at tea-time the last while & Neatie gives him a cob of corn. (cooked.) Shirley was there last night & had one too. I must buy them a few cobs there were 40¢ a dz. yesterday, & I thought them a bit [?] I got 2 small baskets of plums & preserved them yesterday - 6 ½ quarts. They & the strawberries are all the fruit I have got yet. Am not going to do much. They are "tightening" up on sugar now. Easton's won't sell more than 10 lbs to a customer: other won't sell more than 20. My sack (100 lbs) is to be up any day now, so I'll be fixed for a long time. I think the flour will last till about the end of Jan'y. I have not bought any since last Fall - & we have not used any potatoes scarcely all summer

Do you remember our Lily. Alice Flett gave it, so it must be about 5 years old or more - well its actually getting a bud on it. I must have an eye on the old cactus rs. Lloyd gave us- It is at least 9 years old and has not bloomed yet, I am wondering if you have rec'd any of the letters with the little photo's in them. They started right after the last one you got I think so you should be getting them right along. We have not been having any taken lately. I don't see Anna & Thorey so often. Tho' Thorey did come often - & phoned regularly - when we heard that you were wounded. She asked me to let her know when I send you another parcel. I am just waiting to hear if they let you have parcels there - I asked you in one long ago - since you were wounded. Shirley has just come home with a pretty card about 5 x 8 inches, to hang up. She wrote Sunday & got 8 little cards, & took them back. She is very proud of it & has it hung up behind her bed. It has a wee bunch of pansies on it.

I had Mrs. Foreman over for a cup of tea yesterday about 4. p.m. the children were out - & we sat so long it was 5 by the time we finished the children came in - so it did for supper - just bread & jelly & a piece of fruit cake. She is tied down with the two kiddies. I like her.- she is ‘the genuine kind'. It is her sister sleeps here. This girl "Olive", we call her - knows of a place where they buy crochet work or any fancy work, at a high price. She is taking down a piece she made, & wants me to send down a yoke I am making for Lena (I did not tell Lena I was at it yet). And get her valuation on it. If it is much more than I was going to charge Lena ($2.50) ($1.85 profit) I will tell her to sell it. I will also send my dinner mats, just to see what they would pay for them, & if it as worth while I will make a set to sell, - Anything at all to keep us "going". I think I'd make this yoke of Lena's, in about 3 days if I had not much to do. I will have a little sewing to do when we have to stay inside.

We count on going to Broadway to-night - Olive & us. We did not get last Sunday - Add had not his decent clothes, & it was cold & dark. It looks like rain today too. Mr. Matthews has been away for a month, this is his first Sunday back. I like him fairly well - but did not take to her at all. I love singing, but that's all I don't think I'd go 2 steps out of my way to speak to her. Miss Mae Reid says she is an "ideal ministers wife" (but that one would not be inclined to like her). So if she's ideal pastors wife that's enough - we are in different swims.

I'll be able to send my letters up with Shirley in the mornings now, in good time for the 10 o clock. It is now nearly 4 so if I am writing to Hattie I will have to hustle. We have to leave for Church before 6.30 - or be late. I do hope you are better, every way. It seems such a long time since we heard, - Your last letter was written Aug. 5 and this is Aug 26 - 3 weeks ago - you will have had your operation, and I am so anxious to hear if they got all the shell out this time. If you are not sleeping, or eating you will not be very strong to stand it. You were lucky in a way, to be wounded when you were before they reached [?] - I saw in Saturday's paper that there are 3000 casualties not such but - at Ottawa - the first will be along to-morrow I expect.- & the report says they will be the longest lists for a very long time. There are quite a few poor officers - so there will be a lot of need. Poor fellows. Have you the names & numbers of the boys who carried you out? & Roberts & The Serg't - I should send them each a little box, or something - a tin of tobacco or anything small. I guess it would be hard to get their addresses.

Did Serg't McLeod get to see you I shall likely hear thro' Mrs. McLeod, what he thinks - if you will sent home - or kept in England - & have to face France again. A sort of "Séance" man has been foretelling things at one of the theatres & he tells that the war is to end in Dec. It can't end to soon.

Now, good-bye dear, love & kisses from us all.

Betty
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7.30.p.m.

I came on rain just at church time, so we had to stay at home. Have just written to your mother, and will write to Bella soon again. My, but it was a blue looking eve. Must get my family to bed in good time - School in the morning. I am lucky to have Olive (Miss C.) sleeping here. I never see her in the mornings - she is away before I get up - tho' I'll be up earlier now. & she gets home about 8 - dark at 8 now. Wonder if there will be any mail to morrow. There seems to be a lot of mail coming across lately - 5 lots week before last.

Be sure to tell me if there is anything you want sent.

Good-night, my dear. I hope you are sleeping better,

Your Betty