Emma to Joe, 12 August 1923

Maple Lane Farm

Hampton

12th August 1923

My Dearest Joe,

Your "dandy" letters home are the greatest comfort. Last Sunday's was only four days coming. I am glad you are in your new quarters and very relieved to learn you've had rain enough up there to dampen things a bit. We're still needing it here - though it rained twice since last Sunday but when things are so dry and a fine shower is followed by hot days with wind it soon looks as if it had never rained. Just now of course with harvest at its height some are not so anxious to see it start in real wet. 

Our grain is all cut & stocked up - 17 loads in - the wheat is threshed (a fair crop not so plump as some and the heads were short - but nothing to discourage a fellow growing wheat). 'Bert Northcott and Jas. Stainton have a brand new outfit - Case tractor operating this season - but we had Ashton's this time - because he was in the immediate neighborhood at the right time. 

Last Tuesday as soon as our grain was cut "Papa" and I with Chris and Miriam to hold down the back seat - started on a tour - Toronto - Hamilton - Brantford and on to the old Chant home at Cathcart (a village on the Woodstock road, about like Taunton) where we visited over night at "Papa's cousin Joe's. He is about ten years older than "Papa" - farms a 360 acre farm - had 80 head of cattle (short-horn) 100 pigs, etc. Two boys at home (24 & 17) one (28) married on the next farm - Joe's brother "Kit" (who lives in Toronto & runs the correspondence end of Shaw's business college) was visiting up there with his family (3 boys & 2 girls). So we had quite a "gathering of the clan". Then we came home via Paris, Galt, Guelph, Acton, Georgetown, Brampton and the Dundas road into Toronto where we took Chris & Miriam through the Prov. Parliament buildings and Riverdale zoo - 

Today Doris and Reford are over visiting Beulah. Two days after we got out of quarantine Papa took Doris & Stanley, Allen & M and me over to B's to pick garden raspberries (we hadn't any this year on account of moving the bushes over to the West orchard) got a milk pail full in a couple of hours and home in time to get supper.       

Partly owing to measles & partly on account of Granpa being here occupying the spare bed, and I guess, partly on account of Papa returning the radio machine to him when it was satisfactory Emerson hasn't been out here since 24th May - We'll have to make a special effort for next weekend Aunt Ella and Charlie will likely be here by then.

Your cousin MacGillivray is to be married next Thurs 16th in Rochester N. Y.

Rev. Jones is taking a bunch of 15 boys from George's age up to 15 years out camping for a week somewhere along a creek east & north of Hampton. George is one of them - but Chris has had his treat - and we couldn't spare both at once. Mind you, between them they milk four (& sometime five) cows now. I haven't had to milk at all this summer - which is "fine as silk".

Our neighbor Mr Mumford has been having an awful time - He started the season so bravely too - with two hired men from the old country - a trained nurse for the baby, and a fine woman to cook. One man left as soon as seeding was done. The other seemed such a nice lad, everybody was getting envious of Mumford having such a steady hustler - but one night early in July he left - told Ref & Ted one night previously that it was so blamed lonely he couldn't stand it. The "foreign lady" he had to eat his meals with couldn't understand nor speak a word of english and the boss never said a word beyond orders - the nurse is gone now, and also the Finlander - and the family are struggling along alone. He comes over, here in all his difficulties - has borrowed Ted and all the detachable parts of our old binder to fix his (wh. is second hand and the same make) Mrs M goes out and helps him stook & mow away grain etc. regards it as a great lark apparently - I like her - I think she's a real person - in spite of her money and college education -You just should see their car now. She says he never tightens a screw nor cleans a spark plug nor "feeds it oil" so what can one expect?

Joe, dear, do settle the dispute that's been going on in this family ever since you mentioned your little deal in real estate. What house is it? (I'll bet I know, but you tell us, so I can say "I told you so"! to the rest of 'em)

I mean to write regularly from now on. Let us know when your cullers exam is - as soon as you know - Well, Goodbye for this time

Your loving

Mother

Envelope addressed Dear Lake, Ontario, J.J. McF Ltd, Camp 3