Sunday 21 st '92??? ?????????????????????????????????Cannington Manor

Assiniboia

N.W.T.

Canada

 

My Dear Martha

I was very pleased to receive your letter - Friday August 19 th. Also I got a letter from Miss Thomas and one from Mother and one from Mrs. Jones the Dufferin. The times are mending. We get letters twice a week now. I am very sorry you are miserable for I know the feeling. It is a peculiar feeling really It is something past describingly dull here, for sometimes I feel as if I could not stop here - not a single person I know. But worst than all there is so few people round here. Sunday is a perfectly miserable day.? I could go where I like but there is nowhere to go or anything to be seen - so I don't see it any use to go out. All the boys go up to a lake to bathe every Sunday.? The eldest boy makes the only amusement. He is playing the piano or banjo every night and singing very funny songs. There is only dancing - that's about the most that goes on here. The eldest daughter & son goes lots of nights till about 3 o'clock in the morning. There's nothing for servants.???? Mrs. Humphreys leaves England for here August 26th so I shall soon see what she is like - but I have made up my mind not to stay here longer than my year, which is not 9 months now thank goodness - but I can tell you I have a good place - a splendid place for grub. We get plenty of sweets and pastry every day - never go without pudding for dinner. We have only 3 real meals a day -? no supper - breakfast 7 dinner 12.30 and the evening meal at 6 or half past. Every person cut their own luncheon - sometimes we have afternoon tea at 4. It does seem such a relief to have no supper to get, because I can do what I like after tea.? If I was near a town I might see something.? The flowers grow wild all over the prairie.? Really they are as good as any garden flowers could be. We have plenty of vegetables of all sorts but no fruit.? We get dried apples in barrels - also pears, prunes & apricots.? The raspberries grow wild up in the bush.? We go up in the rig and stay there and pick and make tea & have a jolly spree.? They are equal to any garden fruit.? We have made over a 100 lbs. of jam.? The mosquitoes are nearly gone now.? I am glad for their biting was awful.? The night I went to the Dufferin - when you came to send me - Mrs. Jones showed me a letter from Johnnie, which she had the day before.? He asked her about the Swinburnes - was I still there & did I talk about America now. She said she had another letter from him just before she wrote to me & he is getting on quite well. He is about a thousand miles or more from here.??? I dare say I shall never see him again.? Just fancy - the boot hole was the last place I saw him. If ever I live to go back to Hay, I shall try to see the dear old boot hole.? For it is ever in my mind- and the old armchair - and Ma - and the poor old horses wants their tea - especially when 2 came tumbling down stairs in the dark.

 

With fondest love and good wishes to you and William. Hoping William is better.

 

From your old friend????????????????? Martha

(Lizzie Lane was with her brother in Quebec please write soon - I must go to church - there is no red door watching here)