Creator
John Muir
Recipient
[Frances N.] Pelton
Transcription
[1]
Madison Sept 28th /62 O Mrs Pelton, I was so happy to receive your letter; I could feel while reading, that I had a friend in Christian love who was a friend in deed, and that I might well be ashamed of some stray half formed thoughts which occasionally shadowed my mind, while half de- -sparing of ever hearing from you again But here again is cause for sorrow. My misgivings concerning your health have been but too well grounded. Would that I were able to do anything that would give you health. I think I can realize your anxiety to be with your mother; no earthly being can fill the place of our own self d[illegible]ying affectionate mothers and such a mother is yours from the few words she addressed to myself when so homesick, I fondly trust Dear Mrs Pelton that a mother's attention and your New England air will under Gods blessing restore you to full health you mention "Little Fannie," now I often think of her. Do you remember having promised me her picture will you please to send me a copy of that one which your mother has I am sure that your feelings are of no common kind while you gaze upon the scenes of your happy youth; each object, hill stream or trees, will crowd numberless pleasing thoughts and associations upon you, Under such circumstances I think I chould almost run wild with delight. I should like to climb your granite hills, but as for
[2]
their being a substitute for my Scottish highlands it is nonsense, they can have no substitute. Scotland alone will ever be Scotland to me, my love for my own Scottish land seems to grow with every pulse so that I cannot see the name or hear it but a think goes to every fiber of all my body. One of the [most?] prominent of my future hopes is that I shall one day visit Scottland You ask [me deleted] how it is with me I answer it is well at lest in a worldly point of view I have been home during summer vacation and have again commenced the fall term. My [illegible] matters have materially improved, as has my health, so that if other circumstance, such as the unsettled state of the county, and others over which we have no control will admit, I shall spend several years in college I still continue to indulge my whittling propensity at times at the expense of poor latin lessons But in spiritual life I fear that I have been losing I feel the need of everyday Christian society, I know that Christians can by the free grace of God in Christ do all of their duty under all circumstances; but we are so easily influenced by everyday temptation that there is danger of losing ground if the means of grace be not closely followed I trust I have your prayers, may I and [others?] have a word of remembrance
[3] will you please send me Miss Merrill's address I have not heard from her since her visit to Lone Rock She wrote Cash and I did not know where to write to I did not receive your letter till lately, it having lain in the office during vacation. You can hardly conceive how much I longed to hear of your welfare I would not have written you again but I was about to start for Pr du Chin to investigate the matter I thought that if Mrs Peltons friendship was of that character spoken of by Burns as being to frail to bear transportation I should [sadly?] have confidence in that of anybodys I have found that the beaten path of friendship is not worth walking upon in many cases. I trust that your letters will not be [separated?] by such fashionable distances while your health is not very good, one or two lives just to inform me of your health is all I shall claim Give my best wishes to your father and mother May God bless you in all things. Goodbye J Muir
Location
Madison [Wisc.]
Date Original
1862 Sep 28
Recommended Citation
Muir, John, "Letter from John Muir to Frances N. Pelton, 1862 Sep 28" (1862). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 1110.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1110
Resource Identifier
muir01_0407-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 01, Image 0407
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
Wisconsin Historical Society. 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
3 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
