Day: December 3, 2015

December 3, 1916 Sunday

I wrote a letter to Winnie earlier this evening. I had promised to write her as soon as I came back but I got to it just now.

I went to the service at Rosedale Presbyterian Church. Rev. Strachan was preaching, a decent sermon. I stayed in the back pew, and studied the stained glass windows during the service. I do like the worship and music but dislike the war proselytizing.  Joan, Jim MacDonald’s wife, is trying to convince me to become a Christian Scientist. They invited me for Sunday dinner up in Thornhill, but I said next week would be better.

I spent the afternoon reading, made dinner of potatoes and stewed beef. I didn’t work on the easel today but plan to get back at it full force tomorrow. I’ve been thinking about Walden and Solitude. The shack is my solitude.

Sunday December 3, 1916

c/o Studio Building, 25 Severn Toronto

Dear Winnie,

I meant to write you sooner but things got in the way and I couldn’t write until now. I made it down from Huntsville okay. The train ride was good, there weren’t many other passengers going into the city and I had the car mostly to myself. It was a sight when I arrived at Union Station.

The Shack was in a mess. I hadn’t  cleaned up in the spring when I left, so it took a bit to get things back in order. The folks in the Studio Building used the Shack for storage so I had to clear out the junk and bring it to the dump by the tracks in North Rosedale.

Dr MacCallum has visited me a couple times. You know him, he has a cottage on Go Home Bay. I’m spending the winter here painting canvases and will be back up in early spring. Things are pretty rotten here with the Temperance and Recruiting so I avoid the streets when they are busy. They have the good sense to leave you alone in the library but they’ve been stopping theatre shows in the middle to hand out feathers.

When I go up, I’ll stop by for a day or two. Remember me to your folks.

Yours truly,

Tom