April 7th 1913

Dear Father,

We have been having beautiful weather for over a week now. Nearly all the snow is gone and the streets are cleaning up beautifully. We have had lots of sun and a good drying wind and I think pretty soon things ought to look O.K.

Yesterday I did not get a letter written. Lottie and Ruth & I went to church in the morning. After dinner I had to go out with Mr Weed to try out his new car. He has a new one again this year. Bigger and better than any of the others. A beautiful big seven passenger sixty horsepower. He wanted us all to go but the rest of them did not feel like going except Abbie who came with me. Then I had to go away out to St James for tea. Patients of mine who once in awhile take pity on me and invite me out to tea. It was first past the flooded district so I was anxious to see what was doing. They had to b[l]ast out about 20' of the road, Portage Avenue, in order to let the water get away. It was pretty bad alright but is getting better every day now. So then I did not get home 'till about 10:30 p.m. Found Lottie and Mrs Rea quite worked up about Ruth. It seems she had run a pin into her knee. It did not bleed at the time, so they did not think anything about it but a few hours after she complained of it being stiff. So when they took off her things it was quite red and swollen. They called the Dr & etc and he told them to bathe it with hot water and boracic which they had been doing ever since they had called him up. She did not sleep very well last night but is feeling pretty good today so I guess it is feeling O.K. They did not say anything about it to their mother as it would set her off.

Last letter from Aunt Jean said she was improving. Has gained another pound and now weighs 137 lbs. Uncle Bert is having a good time and is too busy to write. He does enjoy himself when the roads are good and when he has a good car. You see Mr Gilroy left him one of his cars down there so that Uncle Bert will be in clove.

Glad to get your good long letter. Sorry you had such a nasty experience but hope that you have recovered from the effects and that it will be the last. But I think it would be a good thing to find out just exactly how your heart is. One thing more, you will have to let the other fellow do the hustling and the lifting. It's his turn anyway. You don't need to take chances.

Let me hear from time to time just how you feel. What do you think of my little suggestion in [the] last issue? Think it over. I imagine it would be a nice change for you and probably do you good into the bargain. Business has been a little dull the last few weeks. Not much doing out here. At least not yet. If this weather keeps up for a couple of weeks, and the war decides to stop, why everything ought to come back to normal. But at present it is very hard to make collections. However everybody is in the same boat so I'm perfectly content.

Now I have to go down to the telephone office and see about my phone for next year. Now that you are going to take things a little easier you will be able to write oftener.

Lots of love for Mother, Alf and yourself.

Your loving son
Wilbert

P. S. Best to Woods', Armstrongs and Uncle Norm[?]
WGH

P. P. S. Tell Tom Wood I heard he had called & am sorry I was out. Tell him to call again. WGH