September 22nd, 1886

Hotel Dufferin, St. Johns, New Brunswick

My Beloved Angee,

Hearing there was an English mail tonight and having an hour to spare, thought I would drop you a line. Arundel's cable at Boston on Monday "everything splendid" was a cheer to my heart. I reached that City on Saturday evening from New York having called at a town called Newhaven on the road, a nice busy little place but no good to me, though I made three calls and shewed my samples.

The Lord's day in Boston was very refreshing and the fellowship very sweet with the saints, although the difficulty in finding them will interest you when you hear it related - it would be too long a story to write. On Monday I called on our two customers who have both just received goods from us. The larger customer was very much pleased with my samples and has promised to make me up another order and send it to Buffalo in a few days.

Was expecting on Lord's day to have stayed until their prayer meeting on Tuesday but feeling on Monday afternoon that my work was done, I moved on to Portland, reaching there at 11 pm - slept at the "Preble House" and got to work on Tuesday morning - I was pleased to find that two of the largest retailers had a nice lot of our goods bought through Boston, so I opened my samples and hope it may lead to an enquiry from our Boston men for a few other kinds. It is a nice town, built on a hill commanding splendid land view from one side of it.

Left again at 12.30 noon for this town a distance of between 4 and 500 miles arriving here at 6 am this morning. We stopped about 3 hours at a place called Bangor, from 5 to 8. I called on all the leading people but did not book any orders - it is too poor for our goods - bacon and peas, as one man said, were the chief food of the people - one good shop had our foods, so that my visit may do some good - had a splendid tea at the Depot, fried cod fish, 2 poached eggs on toast, fried potatoes, green corn and baked apple, 2 cups of tea, a plenty of bread and butter all for 25 cents and the use of some soap to have a wash - "all on board" as they call it, at 8, our train started pulling the bell as if for Church for the night journey. - I did not patronise the Pullman's sleeping car, the extra charge being 2 $ or 8/- and got on very well through the night. Got my baggage clear of the customs this morning about 7 and soon got to the hotel and went to bed for 2 hours - was much refreshed with sleep and a good breakfast and have had a busy morning's work which I hope may lead to business. This is a very interesting place and the spirit of the people is not Yankee - I seem to get on nicely with the merchants who are very courteous and ready to do anything for me. There is a nice meeting here nearly a 100 recently gathered out through A. Maces [?] labours - have just called on the leading bro - a nice young man and am glad to find there is a reading tonight - Erace is about 40 miles from Boston - I had thought of running down to see him but felt I had better keep steadily on with my work and it is busy work too I can assure you. Have been very glad of my Jaeger under clothing again for a day or two - last night it was very cold and a sharp frost.

Hope to reach Halifax on Friday morning and to get a letter from you there - God bless you all my beloved wife and children - you will be glad to hear I am well in health and happy in my spirit. It is a great change in every way, but one soon gets accustomed to it. With much love to you all, believe me my dearest Angee.

Being very affectionate Husband

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