Saturday February 14th

I did chores all morning and Dad. & Frank cut up the old apple tree in the pigyard. They had some pretty hard sawing in it. This afternoon Dad and I took the team and waggon sleigh and hauled it up to the house where Dad. split a lot of it. Frank went down town and got his tooth filled - and sent off a lot of valentines. Bert. Thompson came over this afternoon to see if we had any Black Orpington hens. There was just one left of the ones that Huby hatched out three years ago of the eggs he got from Bert. I know she wasn't laying and was glad enough to get rid of her, I would have sold her for fifty cents or less but Bert offered me a dollar for her so I let him have her.

Dad. had quite a visit down at Alfred's last night, the old peddler, whose name is Foster was there. Lula was in Toronto but got home before he left, she told them that Art Ryersie who had brought her home heard down town that Blaikie was dead, but as we have heard nothing about it to-day, we feel pretty sure there is a mistake somewhere. It has been milder to-day a little though still freezing hard. It snowed a little but was mostly sunny.

Sunday February 15th

Enah and I walked down to church this morning and Frank went down to Sunday school and church. This afternoon Cousins Clare and Phoebe came over and also Quint, Huby and Lila. Dick was in bed all morning and went down town this afternoon and says he is going to church to-night. Huby said Aunty Maude was pretty sick to-day. Dad. and I walked down to church to-night and went around to see Aunty Maude on our way home, she was sitting up on the sofa but looks pretty miserable, we got home about nine o'clock and Dick soon after we did. It is still pretty frosty but getting milder I think. cloudy most of the day and to-night.

Huby told us of a great joke they played on old Tom the cook on the Vigilant. It seems he is quite a lady's man and gets a letter occasionally from a young lady he met in St. Thomas. Young Archie McQueen knew this and put Bill Daves, Parks and a few more of the bunch wise to it and they with Mrs. Walt. McCalls assistance composed a letter to Tom, from his girl telling him to meet her at the Fair corner (so as everything could be seen from the Dominion Hotel windows) at noon yesterday and to be sure and bring a bottle of gin along. When Tom. got the letter he never caught on and was in a great state of excitement all morning and kept his eyes on the Fair corner. meanwhile Archie had been getting togged up in a lot of Mrs. McCall's clothes. he is rather small and good looking, and about two o'clock slipped out of the side door at the hotel and around the block up to the Fair corner, of course old Tom was right there to meet him and Archie immediately inquired about the gin so Tom told him to go over to the hotel and wait for him at the head of the stair, while he got it. He rushed into the bar to get a fifty cent bottle but Walt. told him that they didn't have any smaller than a dollar and a quarter bottle.Tom was in such a hurry that he said anything would do so took a big bottle up stairs and rushed the fair one of to his room. Archie told Huby afterwards that it would have been rich