Creator
Julia M[errill] Moores
Recipient
[Muir Family]
Preview
Transcription
232 N. Ala. St., Indianapolis,April 8th, 1881.My dear Friends:Your letter of March 27th reached me on the 5th of April. "And a little child shall lead them." You are given your first lesson in this sort of love. I thank God that He has in His goodness brought to your hearts this treasure. We all rejoice with you. Janet says, "Ah, this baby will be a poet. I wish she had come on my birthday only five days before." Merrill smiles and makes some funny remark about there never having been such a child before. Of course there never was to these parents. I appreciate it all, the joy of the father and mother and of the grandparents. The curiosity, the wonder over the perfection of this gift of God. Do I not recall the happiness in the dear old homestead when Merrill came? God thus comes to us in His own image. The dear Saviour comes in His sweet love, 'setting a little child in their midst.' And now, how blameless must be the lives, lest these little feet go astray. What prayers will go up to the dear Father, a fervor in them, which they never before knew. God bless and keep your darling, my dear friends.Kate and Mina and all of the kindred rejoice in your happiness. Your story of the apple, peach, and plum and cherry blossoms and the fragramce of the vines seems all like a miracle. No spring has yet blessed our eyes. The trees are dead apparently, the vines closely trimmed and not yet trained hang aimlessly about. Only a faint tinge of greenness is on the grass. Yesterday a yellow crocus opened its eye for a little while under the fickle sun, but fell asleep again disheartened.This morning a robin came and tripped before the dining-room window, sweet harbinger of spring. By his side an English sparrow hopped, who with his mates has not driven this dear robin from the evergreens where he yearly builds his next. By the way, tell me sometime what you think of these English sparrows. I want to love all birds.When you write to your mother remember me to her. Neither Merrill nor I can ever forget her kindness to him. He is hard at work and happy in his profession. Janet is sighing over a sprained ankle which keeps her shut up in the house. Charles has been home for a vacation and gone back to college, increasing in wisdom and stature. Tell me the baby's name, and kiss her sweet mouth and dimpled chin forYours truly and affectionately,Julia M[errill] Moores957
Location
…Indianapolish, [Ind]
Date Original
1881 Apr 8
Source
Original letter dimensions: 20.5 x 25 cm.
Resource Identifier
muir04_0492-trans.tif
File Identifier
Reel 04, Image 0492
Copyright Status
Copyright status unknown
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
