Creator
Roland, Linda & G[eorge] Hansen
Recipient
[John Muir]
Preview
Transcription
[3]These bulblets, Children, came one dayFrom far-off sunny lands, Where they were strewn as wayside weeds From Nature's loving hands.But think not little of their lot Because of low estate- The Gospel of the Mustard-seed Should caution you to wait.Plant one inch deep with ample space In soil of any kind In window-box or garden-bed, Whatever best you find.Give little water when they sprout, Increase as they grow high, And then you cease to water them, When leaf and stem shall die.Now dig them up and find reward Before your joyous sight, As every bulblet planted then, Brings two and three to light.Such is their way: The first to sprout Brings stalks of goodly height, And hoists thereon as banners green Its leaves to wind and light.The flower-stems with hundred blooms Reach here and everywhere, So that the plant looks all the world Like Baby's curly hair.But if they kink, and if they snarl, They laugh at such annoy, They bloom, and bloom, and ever bloom, The YELLOW gold of JOY.The second looks its sister grown Precise and prim and neat, Of ready will and energy, Whatever she may meet.And though the storms at times will tear Her banners' velvet spread, It only knows in ever-bloomAFFECTION'S warmest RED.The third boasts not of height of stalk; Instead protects the ground That gave it food, with spreading leaves, The largest that are found.The flowers, too, are double size Though near the ground they stand And smile with wise and open face In PINK of sweet CONTENT.One family all, and yet diverse, They grow the whole world over, As Shamrock here, Woodsorrel there, Cuckoo-meat, Sleeping Clover.To us they all are Oxalis, The plants that love but light; That close their eyes, and fold their leaves Like sleepy birds at night.The plants that brightly reappear Like as they passed away, And blooming greet us CHRISTMAS morn, EASTER, THANKSGIVING DAY.
Location
[Berkeley, Calif.]
Date Original
1906 Autumn
Source
Original letter dimensions: 15.5 x 47 cm.
Resource Identifier
muir16_0495-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 16, Image 0495
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
