Christine Bertram, Letter to Tom Thomson, Aug. 3, [1916?]

La Plaza [illegible]
August 3

Dear Mr. Thompson,

I cant begin to tell you what a delightful surprise and happiness you have given me in the lovely gifts of these two sketches I loved so much. I enjoyed very much seeing your pictures at the Heliconian Club. Mrs. Long and Marion were both so kind and yet so insistant to get an admission from me as to the ones I liked best and I little dreamt that behind it all was your generous kind thought some time elapsed before I knew anything about the pleasure that awaited me. otherwise you would have heard from me long ere this. I was away for some time [but?] after many delays Mrs. Long located me and invited me to afternoon tea at the Studio. You may imagine my surprise when she handed me the parcel and asked me to open it. I really was quite overwhelmed. But I know you do not want me to say too much about your goodness but I must tell you that such a gift will be an ever present joy to me.

There is only one request I will make and that is that you will come and see me in the little house and give me the opportunity of [?ing] you a little better personally and the priveledge of doing something at [illegible] time for you. I have not heard from Alex Jackson directly only through Mr. MacDonald. I wrote him after he was wounded. But I hear he is getting along very well only the inconvenience of a stiff arm, which I hope may keep him out of the war zone for the rest of the time.

I hope you are not having too hard a summer, and that you have not been in that fire swept locality. It has been very dreadful to hear of the number who have lost their lives and so many desolate homes for the others who have been spared. The old world seems to have been turned upside down. But we will still hope that things will right themselves and that soon this awful war will be ended.

Trusting you are well and wishing for every success in all you are doing.

Your sincere and grateful friend
Christine M. Bertram