Creator
John Muir
Recipient
Sarah [Muir Galloway] and David [Galloway]
Transcription
Feb 9th [4] the slughing is good now Ask for Oak hall which is about 10 miles from Madison South then ask for McKuby's district, or if you don't wish to come to school I will be in Madison any day you set you had better come to school t[illegible] and I will give you a lecture I lecture every Saturday evening on chemistry or [illegible] Philosophy sometimes to sixty or seventy you know it does not require much [illegible] to be a district school philosopher Dave has'nt visited my school nor I his But I saw him once and he said he was infimibly happy among his generous dutch, he has singing schools and Sabbath schools and writing schools I hope Maggie & John are happy and the wee [baby?]. May you all be always blest. Good by John Muir
[1] [Feb. 9, 1862] Dear Sarah & David I got your letter a good long while ago but I have been so busy I have hardly known where I was Mother wrote me that you were all pretty well I am well as usual, the usual blessings attending district school teaching do not seem to yield the [illegible] consequences which I had anticipated The Monday morning that I commenced I did not know where to look nor what to say nor what to do and I'm sure looked as bashful as any maid, A [illegible] turtle upside down on a velvet sofa was as much at home I heard a scholar declare that the teacher didnt seem to know bran, but all moves with regularity and ease now I couldnt get my clocks out with me at first
[2] and as I had not a watch i set to work and made a clock to keep time untill I had an opportunity of getting my other one from Madison It cost about two hours work and kept time by water poping in a fine jet through a three cent piece I have a big wheel set on the [illegible] which tells the different classes when and how long to recite and a machine too for making me a fire in the morning at any hour I please So that when I go to the old log schoolhouse these cold biting mornings I find every thing warmed and a good fire I sometimes think of a "fixin" to box the boys ears for at first the cry of "He don't half whip" came loud and angrily from all parts of my parish And indeed I did think it an awful 00285
[3] thing to skelp the little chaps [illegible] though so many did give proofs so rich abundance at times of being mischief to the end of the toes my voice would shape for hours after each hazel applications but now they cause precious little agitation of comp[illegible] of [soul?] My scholars however nearly all man to believe themselves they are neither good nor bad certainly not such children as Pollock speaks of so good and guileless as to seem as "made entire of beams of angels eyes" Sarah how would you like to have a new home every five or six days I often wish I could come home among you all a day or two but bye [illegible] you told Mrs Parkins that you was coming down some day I hope you will
Location
[Oak Hall, Wisc.]
Circa Date
[1862 Feb 9]
Source
Original letter dimensions: 19.5 x 23.5 cm
Recommended Citation
Muir, John, "Letter from John Muir to Sarah Muir Galloway and David Galloway, 1862 Feb 9" (1862). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 1095.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1095
Resource Identifier
muir01_0335-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 01, Image 0335
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
Copyrighted
Copyright Statement
The unpublished works of John Muir are copyrighted by the Muir-Hanna Trust. To purchase copies of images and/or obtain permission to publish or exhibit them, click here to view the Holt-Atherton Special Collections policies.
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.
Copyright Holder
Muir-Hanna Trust
Copyright Date
1984
Pages
2 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
