1900
United States, Canada
April 7th, 1900
Chicago
My Beloved Angee,
I fear I have missed the mail going out from New York today, so that you will have to wait for days longer than I intended you should – left New York on Wednesday at 1pm and reached here on Thursday at 3pm – just 26 hours – the train so far as elegance & comfort of the fittings was concerned & the dining car service were all that one could ever wish but the old trouble of the excessive heat was to me almost unbearable – the weather was really like Summer and the sun very powerful and yet with this the porter said the people were complaining of its feeling chilly & some were recovering from the "Gripp"[?] so that he was obliged to keep the steam on – well it made me feel quite ill and if I could have got into a refrigerator car I think I could have stood that with less inconvenience – I have often had to complain of the same thing. On reaching the Hotel, a splendid room was given to me but this had been freshly painted so that I had a fresh discomfort and although the room was lofty, yet it was very close so that I could not sit in it with any comfort. Was thankful to find my own company in the evening – I was early to arrive in the room & there were only a few there, but what do you think happened – the moment I entered some commenced clapping their hands with delight & said after, "there you do not get such a reception as that everywhere you go". It was the prayer meeting night & a very blessed one it was too.
Yesterday I commenced the work and was engaged all the morning with three of the large houses but the heat of the warehouses & the cloud of tobacco smoke did not suit me a bit – men are smoking all day long – the hotels and streets are full of it. In the afternoon I lay down upon my bed for an hour & got a little rest & before supper had a 10 cent ride on a car some 6 or 7 miles out in the country but did not go far enough to get out into fresh country air – after supper a dear brother called upon me and we had a nice talk over matters of common interest to us.
Today Saturday it is quite warm again and I must soon cast off some of my flannels – I left my thick rug cape and dressing gown in N.Y. as I am not likely to want these for the next 4 or 5 months – am very sorry to see the disasters at the Cape again – poor Roberts will find what Buller found a wily treacherous foe – but it is very serious for England with her large army there and yet unable to subdue them. It must have been very sad news for the Queen to hear the attempted shooting of the P. of Wales - what a fearful spirit is abroad the spirit of anarchy – the sympathy with the Boers is very marked all through this country – most of the papers are not to be touched with a pair of tongs, but it is said that all respectable Americans are in fullest sympathy with England – am glad the Queen has been preserved so far in Ireland and has had such a loyal reception – the goodness of God to her & the nation over whom she rules.
Well I will now close this note and with much love to you my beloved wife & to dear Mildred & all friends believe me ever
Your very affectionate Husband