853 Nassaw St.
Winnipeg, Man. Can.
Sept. 19-17

My dear Will.

Wednesday just after noon - the work done up Shirlicus is off to school with the wooden doll in her arms. The new girls are taking theirs & she wanted to take hers. She feels very important now: in the mornings she gets one of her picture books and reads me a couple of pages youl'd be surprised to hear her. She is really getting on very rapidly. I expect to start teaching Billy a bit too - he has so much in his head that he does not know "by his eyes" yet. His birthday & Olives (Miss Cleudemeau's[?]) here are on the same day (Oct. 23) and they are planning for a joint celebration.

Mrs. Pryor is in the city again. She phoned - & was to come over yesterday - but it rained hard so I think she is coming today. She was sending Leslie on home last night & she and Myrtle are staying a bit longer.

Well, I got your letter of Sept. 2. (1st from soldiers Home on Monday - also one from the Red Cross and yesterday got the views of Aberdeen - The wee pictures which I divided between [?] The Red Cross was short said you were making satisfactory progress. Tha you knees were stiff but that you were walking, & motoring every day. They will not write again, unless there is something special report. Looking over your letters I am glad you are (or were) having such a pleasant time. It is a comfort to know that you will have the winter in Eng. - if you cant come home, but we are still hoping you will be home. Is there not some way you can "apply to be sent home." Mrs. Foreman told me they could. If there is any way why not apply. You might as well be here as in England. Am sorry you are homesick - that is for you - tho it says you'd like to be home Eh? But you will soon meet friends again. Eric Hargraves is in Brighton - You may run across him in some Convolesent home. He is among old Friends and having a dandy time too - Latest word was he had been under the X-Rays & they had located a "chunk" in his back. His mother laughed - because he did not say chunk of what It seems to bad that the letters are so slow in reaching you but they all tell me it is the same with them. This Mr. Foreman was 3 months without letters just before coming home & came home with out getting them - when his wife met him she was the first to tell him he had a son a mo. old. The letters will all go to Aberdeen then to the Home then down to you. Surely you hear some before this. Your letters reach me in 2 weeks & 1 day quite often now. I am sending them to Rose from now on - not enclose but just for her to forward. It is strange you did not get the ones I sent to her or hear from her. That I had got the cable on July you got my letter dated July 31. - The cable came after I had mailed it & wrote again that day I will mention here that I got the money in July and that Billy is fine & dandy. You must have missed some letters before July 31 - for I had told you before that having got it about the middle of July. I told you in my last that Billy had got his leg scalded. He made no more fuss about it, and it is almost all right now. I kept it soaked in Olive Oil. He has toothache when he eats now. I wish you were her to help see to his teeth etc.

I am enclosing a letter I had from Lulu Pocock Poor girl, I guess she has it hard still. I had to smile when I came to the "sleepy". She used to talk & laugh about her & Salem sleeping in the Bible Class & wonder how you ever stood it. I also had one which made me smile again. It was a letter of sympathy from the Emerson Ladies Aid - arriving just about 2 minutes after he went. It was a nice letter written by Mrs. Rott (accounts for the delay) She said they had had a "Lovely" letter from you in the H.E. Society. thanking them for a parcel. I shall write to Lulu soon also to the Ladies Aid - but I guess any time before Xmas will do- (will do it soon too.)
Not much news this time: have not been down town yet to get my pipes. Will go soon. Mr. B. has not been at the wood for a while so I am getting a rest It has been wet lately Tho beautiful today. I have my stomach pretty well cured up- tho gnawing away a bit yet. I wish you could see our lily now. It is having 4 big red ones in a bunch - & anther stalk coming up too. It is beautiful. I have them all in the house now. The fern is doing real well, & is large enough to be pretty again. You'll be interested in the next chapter of the phone which took place yesterday. I just had my hair all down when Mrs. Jones came in. but had it all up before she was thro' - so I set out. I said I had been thinking about her coming in to phone & wondered if she know that Mr. Jones did not speak to me since I did not know when - & that I had every reason to believe she had no Friendly feeling towards me. - nor had she spoken to the children more than a couple of times all summer - & that she had never taken the trouble to say things outside for my benefit, So I took it that I was being made a convenience of - so that they might have the use of the phone - She denied the unfriendliness etc - but I said there was no way of getting out of it - For she knew she had said things outside intended for my hearing. So at last she mentioned the butter. I gave them Miss Mattie McEwson's address last fall - They sent for butter - she & Mrs. Riley - Mrs. Jones should have been first but Riley's came first at 25¢lbs & Jones later at 30¢ & the [?] me - so I told her that Miss McE. Was not an intimate friend of mine - that I had never been in her house. & that my sister had just sent her name - because Ricky cared not fill her order so I had not had one thing to do with the butter. Well. I cleared my name there: but here's the point of the yarn & I've got to the root of it now. This skunk next door (Faulkner) - saw 2 cracks of butter coming here (mine) & told them leading them to theirs that I had taken the crack intended for them. Also - told them that he (Faulkner) heard Mr. Burchill asking me about butter - when he was here splitting my slabs. - & I guess the idea was the I was sucoking[?] this butter to Burchill (they & Jones quarreled you know - & Burchill is up in the corner house now.) Did you ever know of such a contemptible one - as this next door. I am glad I got at the bottom of it - for that certainly does finish me with Faulkners - the spies & I'll keep a strictes eye on the youngster too.

Mrs. Jones was very Fair: I always had a good bit of regard for her - (none for Jones tho') and she said that in my place she need have fret the same & that it was the right thing to speak out - That it was not going to be bad friends with me about it. She said Faulners are cool with them now. Faulkner is an Anti-Conscriptionist - & they are not and some thing was said that lead to a chilluirs, Foreman don't speak to Faulkuer's at all. So now, my dear as far as I can see, the matter is ended. I will have nothing to say to Faulkners - will speak if they do, but I will avoid having to, whenever I can. You need not bother your head about it - for I trust I am able for them now - since I know where we are at.
Well, I'll drop off here. It is 3. p.m. and if there is more to add, I have till about 10. A.M. to-morrow. Oh our own postman is back. has been away a week Billy is out pulling a nice bunch of sweet peas. They grew very straggly - but there has been a nice lot of blossoms. Billy loves picking them He has got so loving since I doctored his leg. He pats & kisses me & says Aw~. I hope Shirley's baby is bhaving well. I must fix up her moso[?] bag one & let her take it - It needs a new head.

Bye - bye my dear Will Love & Kisses from all Daddy Betty xxx