Christmas Letters -- Murdoch Mysteries

Chapter 1, 1875

Christmas Letters

Chapter One

SAINT CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA DAY, 1875

MY DEAR BROTHER WILL,

I PRAY THAT YOU ARE WELL & I ASK GOD EVERY NIGHT TO KEEP YOU SAFE & PROTECT YOUR SOUL.

I AM STILL EXCITED I CAN WRITE YOU NOW EVERY WEEK. TWO MONTHS WAS A LONG TIME TO GO WITHOUT HEARING FROM YOU! THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT IS THIS WEEK & I AM FEELING THE CALLING OF GOD TO PREPARE MY SOUL FOR HIM. AUNT EMILY SAYS I AM TO PRAY & ASK TO BE WORTHY OF HIS GRACE. TODAY IS SAINT CATHERINE'S FEAST DAY. I THINK SHE IS MY FAVOURITE SAINT BECAUSE SHE WATCHES OUT FOR GIRLS LIKE ME SO I AM GOING TO PRAY TO HER. I FEEL CLOSE TO HER, LIKE SHE IS PROTECTING ME LIKE YOU USED TO DO.

IT IS ONE MONTH UNTIL CHRISTMAS & YOU COME BACK! I AM CROSSING OFF THE DAYS ON THE CALENDAR I MADE. BY THE TIME YOU GET THIS IT WILL BE EVEN SOONER.

THANK YOU FOR THE BLUE HAIR RIBBON & THE BIG ORANGE MAPLE LEAF. THEY ARRIVED YESTERDAY IN ONE PIECE – HOW CLEVER YOU WERE TO FIND A WAY TO SEND THEM THAT KEPT THEM UNWRINKLED! AUNT EMILY LET ME WEAR THE RIBBON TODAY IN MY HAIR. SHE CAUTIONED ME AGAINST THE SIN OF PRIDE BUT NOW I LOOK LIKE THE OTHER GIRLS AT SCHOOL WHO HAVE RIBBONS THAT MATCH OUR SCHOOL PINAFORE. I MADE SURE THE RIBBON STAYED CLEAN & PRETTY & EVEN THOUGH I WAS SAD ABOUT THE RIBBON MOTHER GAVE ME WEARING OUT, I WAS HAPPY TO HAVE A NEW ONE FROM YOU AND I HAVE PUT THE OLD ONE IN THE BIBLE AS A BOOK MARK.

I PUT THE ORANGE LEAF IN THE BEDROOM WINDOW JUST AS YOU TOLD ME TO, RIGHT NEXT TO THE RED MAPLE & THE YELLOW ONE FROM YOUR LAST LETTER. YOU ARE RIGHT, DOING THAT IS LIKE HAVING STAINED GLASS & THE COLOURS SHINE IN THE ROOM. AUNT EMILY LET ME USE SOME CANDLE WAX & PRESS IT BETWEEN TWO PAPERS WITH THE HEAVY HAND IRON SO IT STAYS NICE.

I LOOKED UP THE 'GENUS' & 'SPECIES' OF THE TREE & I FOUND IT TO BE VERY INTERESTING, JUST AS YOU SAID. AUNT EMILY LETS ME READ ANYTHING I WANT FROM HER BOOKS AT HOME. SHE HAS SO MANY, BUT NOT AS MANY AS YOU HAVE AT YOUR SCHOOL I GUESS AND NONE AS GOOD AS THE NEW DICTIONARY YOU HAVE!

I HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL AT YOUR STUDIES. PLEASE TELL ME MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING IN YOUR CLASSES & ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS. I ALWAYS LIKED THAT BEFORE. HOW OFTEN ARE YOU ALLOWED OUTSIDE IN THE WOODS? ARE YOU ALLOWED TO MAKE OBJECTS LIKE YOU DID AT HOME?

DID YOU GET THE SNOW WE GOT ON MONDAY? WE HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE BACK DOOR OPEN BECAUSE OF THE DRIFTS AND IT HAS BEEN VERY COLD. AUNT EMILY HAS TAKEN IN A NEW BOARDER SO I AM SLEEPING IN HER ROOM ON THE TRUNDLE. I DO NOT MIND AS IT IS WARMER THERE.

IT HAS BEEN A WHOLE TWELVE WEEKS SINCE I BEGAN CLASSES. THE WALK TO SCHOOL WITH AUNT EMILY UP ROBINSON STREET AND OVER TO ALMA IS NOT TOO BAD EVEN WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD, BUT WHEN THE WIND BLOWS IT MAKES IT HARD GOING. EVEN IN THE SHORT TIME SINCE YOU WERE AWAY THE TOWN HAS BEEN VERY BUSY BECAUSE OF THE RAIL ROADS AND IT HAS BEEN VERY LOUD. I LIKED TO HEAR THE SOUNDS OF THE SEA AND IT SEEMS STRANGE NOT TO HEAR IT ANY MORE. THE TIDAL BORE IS NOT THE SAME THING!

I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING USED TO THE SOUNDS OF ALL THE TRAINS BEHIND THE HOUSE, BUT NOW I LOOK FORWARD TO THEM BECAUSE I IMAGINE WHERE THE TRAIN IS GOING AND WHERE IT IS COMING FROM. THE VILLAGE SCHOOL HERE IS FULL OF CHILDERN FROM ALL OVER AND WE HAVE NEW STUDENTS COMING IN TO START SCHOOL EVERY WEEK, MOSTLY THE IRISH MOVING INTO THE VILLAGE BEFORE THE PORT CLOSES, AND I LIKE HOW THEY SOUND WHEN THEY SPEAK. AUNT EMILY SAYS THAT MOST OTHER CHILDREN HAVE SEVERAL BROTHERS & SISTERS BUT I DON'T MIND, I HAVE YOU!