The room being rather warm (with a fire!) and having been very busy all day sketching, etc., etc., and having just done my Hebrew lesson in a sleepyish sort of manner—­I have turned lazy about working at Mrs. Overtheway to-night, and am going to get on with my letter instead.  Rex is mouthing Hebrew gutturals at my elbow, so don’t be astonished if I introduce the “yatz, yotz, yomah,” etc., that sound in my ears!  I must tell you we have actually despatched a small parcel to Ecclesfield.  We crossed early one day by the ferry, and went to the Indian settlement, where we bought a small and simple basket of a squaw which she had just made, and which shows their work, and will hold a few of your odds and ends.  We send M. a little card-case of Indian work, and R. a cigar-case.  These two things are worked by Huron Indians in stained moose hair.  The Melicites who are here work in basket-work and in coloured beads.  I got two strips of their coloured bead-work, and Sarah and I “ran up” two red velvet bags and trimmed them with these strips for tobacco bags for A. and S. I thought you would like to see the different kinds of work.  The MicMacs work in stained porcupine, but I have not sent any of their work.  They are only very little things, but they come from us! We have had so much to do, I have got on very badly with my botanizing, but I have sent one or two ferns for you.  We were late for flowers.  Tell S. the Impatiens Fulva is a wonderful flower.  When you touch (almost when you shake with approaching) the seed vessels, they burst and curl up like springs, and fling the seed away.  I mean to try to preserve seed.  The Chelone Glabra as pressed by me gives no idea of the beautiful dead-white flower, something like a foxglove only more compact.  I have told you what the parcel contains that you may not expect greater things than will appear from our little Christmas Box!...

To-day has been lovely and we have enjoyed it.  Rex has been with me all day, though when I speak of his being with me I speak of his bodily presence only.  In spirit he is with the conjugations Kal, Highil, etc., etc.  He has bought Gesenius’ Grammar, and a very fine one it seems.  He lives with Gesenius, and if he doesn’t take it to bed, it is not that he leaves Hebrew in the drawing-room.  He undresses to the tune of the latest exercise, and puts me through the imperfect and perfect of [Hebrew:  khatah] before we get up of mornings! (He has just discovered that Eden was about the same latitude as Fredericton!) There is always Morning Prayer and Holy Communion here on Saints’ Days, and to-day being S. Matthew, we went to the 11 service.  After Church we went a little way up the road, and I did a sepia sketch of “our street,” Rex sitting by me and groaning Hebrew.  It was gloriously sunny, and such a lovely sky, and such an exquisitely calm river with white-sailed boats on it.  I have enjoyed it immensely....