Letter To W.D.M. from E. McL 1920’s

LETTER TO W.D.M. FROM EMILY McLAREN 1920’s

Letter dated 24 September ? from Emily F McLaren (sister of Cordelia ) to WDMeiklejohn

Cardigan P.E.I.

Dear Will

This is Sunday morning Sept 24th at seven o”clock. My old man and I just had a cup of tea and the rest are all sleeping. My mind ran away to you. I was wishing you were here and you and I would take in the Charlottetown Exhibition this week .They always have a good time. There’s three days of horse racing and every thing they grow on farms and gardens and livestock of all kinds and every sort of handwork they can get of homemade stuff. All on the grounds and in the sheds and if the days are fine they have quite a few days of sport. But I was in last Monday and will not go this year. I will wait for you to come.

We have good weather now – I think the best of all the year for taking a trip. I went to Charlottetown on Monday last in an auto – just two hours on the way. I spent the day with an old friend – did not go around town at all.

I must thank you for my birthday card, the book and the photo. I prize them each and all. You have a good looking wife and I can see the Alley very plainly in you. You are like my brother George Douglas Alley. He was six feet four inches in height and stout broad shouldered man.

I had a friendly call from a distant relative of yours. His name is Andrew Mustard. He was told I knew about the Meiklejohn Family and he came to see me. He, I think, lives in Ontario and all he ever heard of you folks was from Mrs Home – her name was Mustard. You will likely hear from him as he took your address.

You have asked me how you were related to the Gordons. Your Granduncle James Mustard married Jennie Gordon and John Gordon, her brother, married Barbra Mustard a square swap. The Jennie Mustard we have of today is a B.A. and is principal of the Georgetown School – a very pretty little girl.

There are quite a number of your Gordon friends yet to the fore. I gave one of the books you sent me to James Mustard. He is a grandson of your Granduncle.

Well dear boy it was a mistake of mine to spell your name Mucklejohn. I know it is Meiklejohn but you will find lots of mistakes I expect for I am only a poor writer and speller. If I could only get it down as fast as I can talk you would get a lot of news but let that be as it may I am glad to hear from friends. I get letters from Lin every month. She is a wonderful old sport, she writes a good letter yet.

My son, Robert’s wife is not very well just now but I hope she will soon be well. They have one girl (Maie) works in a store. Donald, their only boy, is in the Royal Bank just got in. He is only 16 years of age.

Well now it is two o”clock in the afternoon. I was in church since I wrote the first of this letter and to be honest I did not care a cent for the sermon who ever was to blame. We had a minister back for two weeks that we had for some years. He went to the war and took command of one of H.M. man of war ships. So his old friends were proud to hear him preach again. He is Lieut. Edwin Smith now.

The farmers will be pleased with the crops this year. If the price will only be good the spuds will not be dug for some time yet.

Do you grow sunflowers out there. I was just looking in Robs garden they are there eight feet high. They grow fields of them on P.E.I. and put them in silos with corn and green feed for cows to feed on.

Did you tell me your brother is still in Oregon . I knew he was there once. There are four of my sister’s family there and one of the same bunch in Calgary .

Dollie has gone off today with some of your Gordon friends to spend the evening. They are the ones that shared in the good luck – part of Dr John Gordon’s will. He left them about nine thousand dollars between all of the family and all his sisters and brothers and nieces got a thousand or so. He was one of P.E.I.’s prosperous men. He was a splendid type of a man.

I wonder if we are up against another war. It is sad the British boys did not go a little further than they did and there would be no trouble on now. I would like to see them foreign counties wiped off the map. All together they are a poor bunch to have anything to say to. But what about my crowd – the Irish.

Well now you will think that I am running short of news.

I do wish I could get the real Coat of Arms for you but I fear I cannot. You see I have no one to ask now and I do not remember if I ever knew.

You must give my kindest regard to Vida – tell her I remember letting her fall once but I got a worse fright than she did for she had so much stuff around her she did not know the first thing about it. She was a small wee babe at the time.

I hope you are all well and happy – that is the best in this life any way.

I guess I better close for this time. Maybe you will be able to write to me about Xmas and tell me all the good news and now I will say goodbye with love and best wishes for you all.

I am aff.

Emily F McLaren