Creator

[John Muir]

Recipient

[Jeanne C.] Carr

Preview

image preview

Transcription

[Original letter in mounted set of letters to Mrs. Carr, #68]Yosemite Valley,May 15th, 1873.Dear Mrs. Carr:The robins have eaten too much breakfast this morning, and there is a grossness in their throats that will require a good deal of sunshine for its cure. The leaves of many of the plants are badly disarranged, showing that they have had a poor night's sleep. The reason of all this trouble is a snowstorm that overloaded the flowers and benumbed the butterflies upon which the birds have breakfasted too heartily.The grand Upper Yosem[ite] fall is at this moment (7 A.M.) coming with all its glorious array of fleecy comets out of a cloud that is laid along the top of the cliff and going into a cloud that is drawn along the face of the wall about half way up. These clouds are shot through and through with sunshine, forming with the snowy waters, and fresh washed walls, one of the most openly glorious scenes I ever beheld. A lady on Black's piazza is quietly looking at it, sitting with arms folded in her chair. .A gentleman is pointing at it with cane, while another gentleman is speaking loudly and businessly about his "baggage"'. Eyes have they, but they see not.Looking up the Valley the cloud effects are yet more lavishly glorious. Tissiack is mantled with silvery burning mists, her[Portion of letter lost][In bound typewritten set of Muir-carr letters, the above paragraph is continued as follows] Tissiack is mantled with silvery burning mists, her gray rocks appearing dimly where thinly veiled. Over the top of Washington Column the clouds are descending in a continuous stream and rising again suddenly from the bottom like spray from a waterfall. 0 dear, I wish you were here. I may write this cloud glory forevermore, but never be able to picture it for you.24th. with this l send No. 1 of explorations in Big Cañon. There will be two more.[2 short paragraphs are cut from page]I have been looking anxiously for dear Kellogg, when is he. going to start? farewell with much love,John Muir

Location

Yosemite Valley

Date Original

1873 May 15

Source

Original letter dimensions: 21 x 13 cm.

Resource Identifier

muir02_1135-trans.tif

File Identifier

Reel 02, Image 1135

Copyright Statement

The unpublished works of John Muir are copyrighted by the Muir-Hanna Trust. To purchase copies of images and/or obtain permission to publish or exhibit them, see http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections/Fees-and-Forms-.html

Owning Institution

University of the Pacific Library Holt-Atherton Special Collections. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.

Copyright Holder

Muir-Hanna Trust

Copyright Date

1984

Page Number

Page 3

Keywords

John Muir, correspondence, letters, author, writing, naturalist, California, correspondent, mail, message, post, exchange of letters, missive, notes, epistle

Share

COinS