Creator
Charles Reid
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
[4]
John who was the inventor of nonsense if you know just thank him for this letter I must say I never experienced his help so much as since I commence blethering out letters to you. I guess I have read the most of your book that we have, it is a very interesting history there is in it manny sudden raising and fallings of empires many great and [poops?] battles. many noble and mean [Captians?] and Generals many wise and ignorant Kings. I wish I had the other volumes. If you have any hope you will let me have them if you are through with them John always forgets to take his one home. William has got a letter from you by [Hendry?] but there is a part of it so dull that he cannot make it out so[illegible] is rather small please write a little sooner this time you need not waite till you get an afternoon to write one all nice and sleek just sit down some night and illegible[abble] it out rough and ready just as it comes and long to mind that and try and scare me [illegible] or [illegible] never mind. no more off present [illegible] remains your famous [illegible] Charles Reid
00232
[1]
[Rossie?] Dale March 10th 1808
1. Now Johnny read then Johny rhyme 2. To me a roaring letter 3 And when your done just say Yours of the 4th Amen 4. And send it with the carrier
Dear friend John
Yours of the 4th [inst?] was received by me in due time and I was glad to hear from you for I though you was longe in writing but it came at last and after reading it I could not pick anything out of it to worry it was so neat and complete. So here I be without one word to write write a [illegible] I am in good health hoping this will find you in good health although John this is a very common pharse in letters yet I am glad I can say so. I am working along as usual. Spring will soon be in and then rat a tat a [illegible] at all the time in a billegible] but no rise in g[illegible]
638
[2]
You said in your letter that time to store wisdom bins was precious truly John you said the truth for our lives even with old age (which is not every ones) is very short for soon the place that knows us now will know us no more for every and [but?] a mile when compared with eternity for as one said could some unknown bird come from some unknown region every thousand year and take one small particle of dust away from this earth by the time the whole earth was removed it would but be the beginning of eternity although it would take thousands of thousands of years to remove even one small handful and then to look at one of the hills and think of the time it would take to remove it we would be apt to say it would take forever.
[3]
But I believe John I wont tell you any more of my secrets for you don't have any pity for me I suppose it is because you are more a [dreamer?] in the de[illigibleness] but If the old [illegible] had [illegible] through the ground And seen you at the beginning it The'd have though you were trembling and blushing for fun And her wonder at the beginning [o't?] Come dont hurt yourself laughing John Your elegy on the tree was very fine You seemed to mourn its death but I dont for it took a long time to accomplish it, but it is down and hauled out the way the [illegible]abogle broke one sledge but we made another with some pump[illegible] in it and if it had liken too we would have had to buried it or blown it up with powder.
Location
Rossie Dale [Wisc.]
Date Original
1858 Mar 10
Source
Original letter dimensions: 19.5 x 32.0 cm
Recommended Citation
Reid, Charles, "Letter from Charles Reid to John Muir, 1858 Mar 10" (1858). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 1037.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1037
Resource Identifier
muir01_0039-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 01, Image 0039
Collection Identifier
Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc
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
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Pages
2 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
