Creator

Sarah [Muir Galloway]

Recipient

John Muir

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Transcription

[4]My Dear Brother John as Sarah wants me to write to you, I will more for form than anything else try if I can scrawl over this page I feel in no great humour today, I was in Portage yesterday and most of the way home it rain’d like “[siscly?]” and at night when “tired natures sweet restorer” should have embraced me I was wrestling with the toothache; I have had a very busy spring; one month from the time I commenced to [sow?] I had all my corn planted, the fact is John I have barely time to keep track of passing events, & my very intellect is [dosend?]. But “never despair”, “hope alway” “O ye of little faith” and a good many such curative pills are administered occasionally to convince me that I have already reached the “earthly [illegible] so that I am just getting into that quiescent state now to look upon the “thousand ills that flesh is heir to” as a something to expect. Life seems to be made up of “cross purposes” you see it daily in a political view, you realize it within yourself every hour, an eager yearning after something, which when attained, you are disappointed, and grasp at something else and so on it will be I suppose till we “shuffle off this mortal coil”. John may we be ready for that time and endeavour to act our part well while here, knowing that there is a rest for all who are found worthy to enter into it. I rejoice with you John that you are happy, & more comfortable than you used to as I cannot call this a letter I cannot call on you to return an answer, but trust to your generosity & benevolence to write us soon & possibly the sunny side will be uppermost with me when I write again trusting you are in good health I remain as ever your affectionate Brother David M Galloway[1]Fountain LakeMy Dear Brother I dare say you will think we have not received your letter but we have and right glad I was to see it I am glad your health is so good I hope it will continue so, I was very sorry indeed when I heard of your wearisome journey and you must be pretty stout to be able to bear so much, you give us a fine description of your room I should like very much to pop in some time and peep over your shoulder before you knew David gave me a description of your desk legs it must look very cunning I think I would like to see it I would like a little bit of supper with you too you seem to live so well now , I have not seen Maggie since I saw her with you I expect to see her very soon now, we have just got the crops in I heard to day she is gaining strength her little Annie is fine thriving well. David saw mother yesterday she is not very[5]Fountain Lake 23d May 1862Latest despatch 5 oclock Friday morning.Dear John Sarah’s letter has [lain?] 5 or 5 days on me going to Portage, and as I am going in today and it looks as if it would be sunny I feel disposed to write a few lines; you must tell me in your next when your vacation is and if you are coming up to harvest, Sarah & I have talked long of coming down to Watsons [marginalia]00295

Location

Fountain Lake [Wisc.]

Date Original

[1862 May 18]

Source

Original letter dimensions: 19.5 x 26.0 cm

Resource Identifier

muir01_0379-let.tif

File Identifier

Reel 01, Image 0379

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 1

Keywords

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

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