Creator
Geo[rge] Hansen
Recipient
[John Muir]
Preview
Transcription
fully contemplate their blindbness, that prevents them from knowing what I know. I am overcoming, now, not in some future day or period. I know that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which is revealed in us" . For to me, my kingdom is at hand. God gave us this little child to "lead" us, and I have followed gracefully. His days of schooling have now begun, but never shall our" understanding of witty inventions" get nearer to him than his body if we can assist it. It is not us that teach him; it is us that are taught by him. He would not have a cold, if he had not been taught to and permitted to have one. He reasons by himself that if anybody can "catch" a cold, he can kill it; and no wonder when we, with the earnestness of devoted children, observe him as he sqeezes a "cold that he caught" under a board, and "smashes its head all to pieces". -Our laws require him to be infected with poison thru vaccination. The word "cold" he learned from others, not from mother and father; and so does he not yet know the word "fever", But "fever" he has, so mortal senses say, and suffer he must. But he tosses about in sleepless night, and asks the mother why the nights are so hot. Last night, when undressing, he asked "Mama, is this going to be a cool night? - And ere other thoughts could affect him, I ventured "Haens-chen, Papa is going to ask dear God to make the night cool. Will you ask him too?"And - O God, I thank thee for the land we live in. - the night was cool."Papa," he said , when waking the other morning after his tossings: "papa, you must not snore so loud; it keeps me from sleeping.O, if we could but cure this age from its superstitious belief in fever, and substitute "snoring" for it. I would gladly proplong my unpleasant habit that has come with my afflictions.And now, my paper gives ouut; the little man shall be here almost any moment, sheltered in rubber coat, hat and boots, and then, but more seconds, and mother calls for dinner .And I have no "dinner" with you, but we all of us, broke "bread" together.Love to the other children from[illegible]
Location
Berkeley, Calif.
Date Original
1906-01-12 00:00
Source
Original letter dimensions: 28 x 21.5 cm.
Resource Identifier
muir16_0035-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 16, Image 0035
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 2
Keywords
John Muir, correspondence, letters, author, writing, naturalist, California, correspondent, mail, message, post, exchange of letters, missive, notes, epistle
