September 28, 1908
Kelowna, B. C.
My dearest Kathleen,
First and foremost I want to thank you for your photograph. It came yesterday. I am awfully pleased with it, much more pleased than I thought I could possibly be with a photograph when I want the original so badly. I have looked at it quite a lot (it is right in front of me now) and the more I look the more I like it. Whatever you may say about it, I think it is like you and consequently it meets with my entire approval. I very nearly didn’t find a little slip of paper that I wouldn’t have missed for anything. It slipped out unawares and fell upside down on the floor and if I hadn’t been hoping to find something of the kind and consequently made a very diligent search I should never have noticed it at all. May I be personal and say that I like the way your hair is done. I should think it would look awfully nice.
The carpenters left the house today and to all intents and purposes their job is finished. There is about half a day’s work to be done later, but nothing of importance. Haven’t they been a time? I am so glad to be rid of them. The plumbers are here instead which is nearly a case of out of the frying pan into the fire, but even they will be done by the end of the week and then peace will be restored.
I believe the last time I wrote was just before we went off to play a couple of tennis matches. We got beaten by both places, which to be quite honest surprised me very much. I played with one Ford, with whom I have been playing in matches lately, and so far we were unbeaten and began to think we could beat most pairs round here, or at any rate I did. I am afraid tennis is about over now, except for a few friendly games if the weather keeps all right. I haven’t had so much tennis for a long time now. We went on our trip in that launch I sent you a photograph of. Coming back we ran up close to shore all the time and passed some ideal little camping places, but all so far away from anywhere as to be little or no use. People go there who are enthusiastic fishermen. It may be very nice to fish steadily from daylight till dark for a week on end, but doesn’t sound tempting.
I saw a fine display of Northern Lights last night, the best I have seen. It is rather a fine sight. It makes you feel uncommonly near the north pole, though really I believe we are no nearer that chilly place than you are. I haven’t had my letter so far this week and it has come on a Wednesday or before regularly for months. Perhaps you are in your cottage on the moors or perhaps the mails are late and I may get it tomorrow. I hope I am not in disgrace as a delinquent letter-writer even though I may have deserved it at one time but not lately. I think you must be too busy cooking and sketching really; at any rate, I hope so.
I have got back to work again now and have all kinds of odd jobs to do before the winter comes. I hope to try my hand at carpentering this winter and see if I can’t make a few things like book cases, a kitchen table, and various odds and ends that won’t look too amateurish. I am also going to make a sofa. The one we did in the spring has shown me possibilities that didn’t occur to me before and I think I can make one now which, though it may not look very imposing, shall assuredly be comfortable, much more so than most sofas or I shall be grievously disappointed.
You may think me crazy, but I want an answer to a question about your photograph. Have you ever noticed that a mark, say a finger mark on glass will stay there practically indefinitely? No, that isn’t the question I want answered. I was looking at your photograph by lamplight and the light shining on the glass showed up some impressions that I do not think were made by the paper pressing on it nor yet by your fingers when packing it; and what I want to know is did you do anything to that photograph that might possibly have left an impression on the glass. The impression is gone now, obliterated by another, and I was hoping at the time that it wasn’t mere idle fancy that made me see what I took to be a distinct impression of your lips. Did you, Kathleen?
Yours as always,
Robin
It was very nice of you to wear my brooch when you were photographed. I like to see it there. You really are a dear and I am really most awfully pleased with the photograph.