Simcoe, Wednesday afternoon, Sep. 28/98.
I’ve just written to Willie & enclosed to you a few jottings on incidents you refer to in your letters, & I was glad to get them off my mind. Well, yesterday a most lovely day, never remember a finer, with a sky absolutely cloudless. Mr. Matt Fo[r]ster drove me to the old homestead again to see them all there, Mr. & Mrs. Brock, & his sisters Sarah & Charlotte, & we enjoyed awhile there, had dinner. The thrashing machine arrived while we were there, so we did not stop long. I enjoyed walking in the orchard, the beautiful & heavy crops of apples over head & the branches bending almost to the ground with the weight, & stores of them laying under feet, which the pigs eat up. It’s a fine spot & as quiet as Sundays. Next homeward bound, but off the “bit”. He took me to see a very old friend of theirs & Sarah‘s, Mr. & Mrs. Hair. He was born at Pallinsburn East Field. His uncle was Dr. Johnson of Berwick, whose mother lived at Tweedmouth, had been about Broadmeadows in his early days, Barte his Christian name, & Barte of Church St. would be either a cousin or nephew, but he had no trace other than the name, & I told him Barte had Askew associations. Mrs. Hair was a Jackson, born at Tweedmouth, but lived 5 years in Church St. , now Henderson’s [7:44] Henderson’s [sic] Yard. Her Father was a carpenter & built the joiner’s shop up the yard. Margaret is her Christian name (a twin) & born in Bonnars Row. Her father, Geo. Jackson, built them houses there. They came out in 1834 in the “Good Czar” & sailed from the Carr Rock. Mr. Hair came out in 1845. Rare crack they were, & a fair good memory. She is real Berwick & was so delighted to hear me speak it. A real canty[1] couple, family men & women, & doing well, good farms & everything plentiful. I plucked 3 beautiful apples off one of their dozens of trees to take to Berwick. He would have packed me a barrel if I would take it. “More than half goes to waste, don’t trouble with them”, every where the same. Mrs. Jackson’s Grandmother, Mrs. Menzies, died about 1830 & buried in the Old Church Yard Parade. Had mother or father been yet with us, what readding [sic] out they would have had. It just diminished the pleasure & interest as I listened, to think we would not have such a pleasure as listening to them threading each link. What was most interest they went to Spittal from Berwick to the Presby. Ch., but the father had a seat in Ch. St. Church, Revd. Mr. Young, so that when wet they all went near at hand. Mother would know them surely. [7:45] The daughter & daughter-in-law made a grand tea. It was their tea time when we got there, 5:30, & we had grand cracks over the cups & much amusement. Altogether we did enjoy the visit & came away feeling we could have stayed a long time. We yoked & left at 7, a finer moon light night I never was out in, balmy fine air & not a cloud the size of a “man’s hand” visible. We leisurely drove home & arrived at 8:30 after a pleasant day’s outing. We spent the remainder of the night very enjoyably, & I got some of my “Mails” perused.
This, Wednesday, morning – another lively morning – I got up early & finished my Mails, appreciating them much the same were June & July, & after breakfast, the batch of Sept. 15th was brought from the post office (no delivery here), & I got them done, also Sir W. Grey’s sketch & all council meetings & such like I’ve fastened up for reading if spared to cross the Atlantic. I’ve got the gist of all but like to take time over such lengthy & important matters. Mr. Forster & I went to the station & got information about going to La Fayette, so Sarah & I are going in the morning at 10:30, first to Chicago. I’ve telegraphed Matt to come there & meet us, tho’ he is 119 miles off. [7:46] Sarah hasn’t seen Matt for 15 years, & he was keen for her to come with me, tho’ she couldn’t readily make up her mind, but she agreed this morning & I am pleased. She will come back with me & that I think in a week, but no telling once we get there. She went to her room to do some preparing. She lives a little way off & just opposite the cottage which aunt & her came to on arrival here from Berwick. We called as we came from the station & gave her the information. We shall see Father Matthew’s sister at Detroit, Mrs. Nolan. Her daughter, Mary, was here over Sunday night & is now out at Brock’s farm, the old homestead, & beside Sarah & Charlotte Forster, Sarah’s cousins. They live with Mr. Brock, their nephew & he farms Sunniside. Now I am again up to date. It is nearly 6 o’clock & I’ve been writing all afternoon, & it’s always a treat when I get all committed to paper.
[7:47]
[1] British Dialect: Cheerful, Sprightly