Creator

A[sa] Gray

Recipient

John Muir

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Transcription

Botanic Garden. Cambridge, Mass., January 4, 1872. My dear Muir:Your letter of the 18th Dec. has been here 4 or 5 days. To-night comes the nice glorious package by express. I have taken out the plentiful Torreya seeds, poked through a wilderness of superb Pilea mucroermata and some Liliales ail in firstrate condition, but dare not go farther in the warm room for fear of awaking the Primulas. Yet they, I see, were so admirably put up that they must needs be in good condition.I am sick with a bad cold on lungs and throat, and dare not go now into the cold,where it will be kept till tomorrow my assistant overhauls them.What a splendid plant-finder you are, and I envy, while I shudder over your walk. It seems to me here and now just astonishing. Yet I dare say if I were with you and had my travelling legs on I should have gone with you.Considering the very cold weather we have had, I wonder how the plants got here without repeated freezing and thawing, which makes the mischief. But here they are, all right.It was well thought of in you to prepay the package. How much? I can't see any record. But your next must let me know. Our establishment foots all such bills, and is very thankful to us besides.Pray find a new genus. or at least a new species, that I may have satisfaction of embalming your name, not in glacier-ice, but in spicy wild perfume.What Pine seeds were those you sent in a letter-envelope not long ago? Have been here 2 or 3 weeks.Your vivid delineation of Glacier-life in its last throes, is reproduced in Silliman's Journal for January.Good Torrey was here a month ago -- lively, but growing feeble.Ever Yours,A. GrayWith heartiest wishes for the New Year.57400563

Location

Cambridge, Mass

Date Original

1872 Jan 4

Source

Original letter dimensions: 20.5 x 25.5 cm.

Resource Identifier

muir02_0633-trans.tif

File Identifier

Reel 02, Image 0633

Copyright Statement

Some letters written to John Muir may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

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.

Page Number

Page 3

Keywords

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

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