Letter from John J. Hearne to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)
'Mr. Mackenzie King'
(14.F.33)

I have the honour to enclose a copy of a personal letter which I wrote to Mr. Mackenzie King a few days ago and a copy of his reply.¹ The occasion was as follows.

The Prime Minister has, as you are aware, been ill of pneumonia. He was out for the first time on Saturday afternoon the 8th March. He walked down Wilbrod Street which is parallel to Laurier Avenue. Laurier House is within a stone's throw of No. 415 Wilbrod Street.

I was with the children, talking to some friends outside our house when the Prime Minister, accompanied by a man servant, came along on the opposite side of the street. He looked pale and drawn in the sunlight the brightest we have had this year. His step was slow and unsteady but that was mostly because the street was in a deplorable condition after the storm.

I could not cross to greet Mr. King because of the snowbanks on either side and the water which, in places, was shin-deep on two-foot ice. We all saluted the Prime Minister. I said 'It's grand to see you out, Sir, welcome, welcome'. He doffed his hat, hailed us, and said 'Thank you kindly, thank you all my friends. It is good to be out'. He waved his stick at the children warning them to be careful not to get wet or climb on the banks (which are loosely packed after the heavy fall and dangerous). We spoke for a while across the street. Mr. King said he'd never seen so much snow or known such a storm.

The Prime Minister seemed immensely pleased at the little informal reception on his first day out. He kept on waving his hand back at us as he went down the street.

My letter is a little² fulsome. But Mr. King has been really ill. The press was full of rumours about his resignation and his successor while he was away from Parliament and I have heard that he was annoyed about it. So I thought it was the moment for a word of greeting. His reply is gracious.