Emma's Letters

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 Tuesda...

Maple Lane Hampton 14th May '23 My Dear Joe, Anymore it seems the better chance I have to write the more difficult it becomes for me to settle down to it. All week I think how many letters I will write on Sunday and when the time comes it seems harder than ever - I see I have written one letter since I wrote to you in March! And, some how the people I write to are growing fewer all the time. Well! we've seen some fine (and rare too) samples of Ontario weather since Easter haven't we? There was frost (white) again last night - last Wednesday it snowed for an hour or more, faster and bigger flakes than I ever saw before, and yet the grain is up, green and growing. The maples are almost leafed out. Things look fine - only it stays so cold. We have fire in the box stoves every evening if not all day, and Allen's wood and ashes job seems likely to last all summer. I managed to catch a first-prize cold in my journeying around. Doris told you I went to Berta...

Maple Lane Farm Sunday evening 26th Nov '22 My Dear Son, You certainly have put us all in your debt now! Doris got those dandy pictures (and, I guess, two letters) and I've had two fine letters since I wrote two weeks ago, and last night about 8 o'clock some one 'phoned us via Runnells that a deer was at Solina station for us. It was soon hanging in our woodshed. Tomorrow we'll divide "tastes" of him around the neighborhood and your stock will go up about 25%. Your ears will probably burn considerably this next week. Any way it's a fine buck and we are very thankful for it. You should see the "chesty" way your Dad marches every body that comes around to see it!  Now listen, we would have shipped you more apples before this but for two reasons, one being scarcity of sound bbls. I am sorry that it's been left till it's so much [illegible word] but when they reach you have the top on and throw some blanket or something over t...

Hampton R.R. 1 6th March '21 My Dear Son Perhaps you have written and we have not got the letter, but do you know! the last word we had from you was dated 6th Feb'y. Both Doris and I have written to you since and perhaps your letters went astray. I have been trying to think maybe you were homeward bound and would bounce in some night instead of a letter but you haven't done that either so far so I'll try to reach you once more. At S School today Nora told Doris that she has had a letter from you, so I guess I'll have to give up my one theory - that you are laid up. Do you know I wonder what has made Granpa Chant decide to come down here so early this year? He has written to say he will (if it suits us) come this month. I thought maybe Aunt Ella has to come to Toronto for treatment for her teeth or something and didn't want to leave him, but he doesn't give a hint of anything of the kind. It's all right anyway if the weather isn't any cold...

Maple Lane Farm 8th Dec 1919 My Dear Son, It's getting deep into the time of year when I'm always farther behind with my "works" than at any other times, but I'm going to write this letter before I go to bed, so there! I'll have to mend Chris's overalls and hear Stanley spelling and see to bread afterwards. Well! Papa's trip "up north" was pretty successful in everything but seeing you and we knew you couldn't have made it on such short notice - I didn't know for sure when he'd be going when I wrote and Douglas didn't get my letter till after Papa got there!  The venison has been quite a treat, so many of our neighbors never tasted it before. Last Wednesday night Mrs Percy Langmaid "entertained" the L. Aid and their husbands.  Papa and I went up to Toronto on Friday and came home Sat, stayed at Uncle Arthur's. It was raining "cats & dogs" when we came home from the station (by the way Jo...

  Maple Lane 1st Sept 1918 My Dear Joe We've all been so occupied with our visiting for a couple of weeks that letter writing has been neglected. If you have been in Massey and Webbwood today you've likely heard that Douglas and his family (including Katie) have been down to see us coming all the way in their "car". If they have not had any trouble by the way they are home again by now. They left Espanola Sunday morning got to North Bay first night brought Aunt Ella and Charlie with them and reached Bracebridge Monday night and got here via Orillia, Port Perry & Hampton a little after six Tuesday night. Ella and C. went up to Toronto to the Exhibition from Monday morning till Thurs night by train and Friday 30th morning early they set off home again going by 5 points.  John is a great little lad now - calls me "Gran". He and Allen got along fine - he was very fond of the babe - only he got the idea that she belonged to his Mama and would run to t...