Creator
Jeanne [C.] Carr
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
[4]
steady preference of [illegible] is most lovely and excellent. He has made you a more individualized existence than is common, and by your very nature & [illegible] removed you from common templations. Perhaps He only wants you to love and to speak of Him. Perhaps He will not let you be a naturalist, but calls you by His suffering away from that pleas- ant path, to speak to other Souls those messages of His your soul has heard. Do not be anxious about it, He will surely place you where your work is. Do I seem to speak over conficent- ly? Dear friend, my recognition of you from the first, was just this - one of His Beloved. When you are [illegible] to look hopelessly outward You may think, Mrs Carr believes fully in me. She would, while there was enough left of my body to hold my soul. And you may think too, that
[1]
[1867]
Madison, March 15,
Dear John,
I grieve, as your sister might, at this news which has come today - that God has been leading you into the darkness, and long to be able to minister to your comfort while the burden of pain and weakness and lonely- ness is to be borne. What can I do, now, while you are so far from us. but whisper some of those sweet prom- ises which fasten the soul to the source of Light and Life? And you have these treasures laid up, so I do not know how to be useful to you in this extremity - except just to speak the words of hope and faith and courage of which my heart is full. It is hard, dear friend - it seems cruel, but let us look away beyond the suffering of
[in margin: getting a dimness in my eyes thinking of [you?] I must say good night. Make your mark now [illegible] dear on these [illegible]for better or worse as you feel. I can read your [illegible][illegible] and am always your loving friend, Jeanne Carr]
[2]
the present, let us believe that nothing is without meaning and purpose which comes from the Fathers hand. And let us try to emulate the courage I fortitude of those brave thousands, who have lately sacrificed much of the beauty and joy of life, and yet go cheerfully on with what is left, And do not let us despair of beautiful & joyous days to come. I am glad to feel that you will see more with one visual again - than most persons could with half a dozen. Dr Carr says - even that eye must not be resigned as worthless until the best skill and longest expenence has pronounced it so, for even the aqueous humor may be restored. To my precious [illeigible] boy. I put off my hands to ward off the con- equences of the blow which struck you. You are in hospital, and have to lie still and be preached to, have to let women cover your bed with tracts &
00395
[3]
wash your face when you don't want it washed. And while they are fus- sing about, dear I will hung up the Hepaticas - and the violets, and they will tell you a good many things which I do not care to say at second hand, or through an interpreter. And [illegible] you will come here and we will be eyes for you. The Cordilleras & the [illegible] mill stay in their places, they are waiting - have waited thousands of years to be set to music - the Queen of the Autettlis mill be as beautiful in her next years green as now. You will take a richer heart, and a clearer mind with which to [illegible] them, for this retirement. Dear John, I have often in my heart wondered what God was training you for. He gave you the eye within the eye. to see in all nat- ural objects the realized ideas of His mind. He gave you pure tastes, & the
[5]
she does not pity half as much as she loves you. Did you get the Stone Mason about Christmas! Mrs Merrill says there is another John Muir (I don't believe a word of it thought) & that made me consider the possibility that it had fallen into other hands. I had not your address when I addres- sed the package. Mr Butler was in here one day, and carried off your letter, and without my knowl- edge or consent copied and published what you said of the Calypso in a letter of his own to the Boston Recorder. There is no law against such an [illegible] & outrageous abuse of the [illegible] of friendship. Except the law of one's own mind - but his punishment shall be that he never lays finger on letter of mine again. The bewitching name - Calypso, 'the concealed''was his temptation - he
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[6] 441
never will find one on earth or in heaven. Nor anything nearer to her hen 'Ladyshoes'. Mrs Merrill is a woman of sense I guess, and may be trusted with my anger. And now John if you are good and hopeful and have some kind soul near to read you things I will send you some good strong sweet words from my friend and your older brother the priest, and a letter he wrote me last summer after the words. (not from them). May you feel the everlasting arms beneath your pillow, my Infinite tenderness supply all the wants of your spirit and the needs of your life. May each of these days of trial be lun[illegible] with His Presence [illegible] when the fairest scene is dark & sorrowful. Dr C. feels for you - Allie looks se[illegible] & grave at the letter which brought the news. We are all sorry, but I am
Location
Madison, [Wisc.]
Circa Date
[1867] Mar 15
Source
Original letter dimensions: 20.5 x 25.0 cm
Recommended Citation
Carr, Jeanne C., "Letter from Jeanne C. Carr to John Muir, 1867 Mar 15" (1867). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 1220.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1220
Resource Identifier
muir01_0944-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 01, Image 0944
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
4 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
