Creator
John Muir
Recipient
Sarah [Muir Galloway]
Transcription
[in margin: I climbed to the high summits the other day among great sloping banks of perpetual snow. The Sierra in this vicinity reaches its highest altitudes. When we move to Big Meadows I will be able from some of the peaks to look over into Nevada. [illegible] a fine view of Mono Lake. We sleep under the open sky upon spruce branches]
At Camp in Spruce Grove near upper end of Yo Semite two miles from the north wall, Aug' 1st 69 -
Dear Sister Sarah Just think of the blessedness of my lot - have been camped here right in the midst of Yo Semite rocks & waters for fifteen days, with nearly all of everyday to myself to climb, sketch, write, meditate, & botanize. My foot has pressed no floor but that of the mountains for many a day I am far from the ways & pursuits of man I seldom even hear the bleating of our 2500 sheep - the manifold overwhelming sublimities of the Sierra is all in all. I am with Nature in the grandest most divine of all her earthly dwellings places I had a letter from Prof Butler of Madison last month saying that he was about to start for California by railroad in Company with his son Henry & a man of war by the name & title of General Alvord & requesting are to join the company in visiting Yo Sem' - The Big Trees etc. I may be able to meet him in the Valley & I mean to go down into the Valley tomorrow & seize this opportunity of sending you a line We mean to move our sheep in a few days twelve miles higher among the summits on the South fork of the Tuolumne We will likely reach the plains & the open world again about Oct 1st A few months will Call upon me to decide to what portion of Gods glorious star I will next turn. The sweets of home - the
smooth waters of civilized life have attractions for me whose power is increased by time & constant rambling but I am a captive I am bound, love of pure unblemished Nature seems to over- master & blur out of sight all other objects & considerations. I know that I could under ordinary circumstances accumulate wealth & obtain a fair position in society & I am arrived at an age that requires that I should choose some definite course for life But I am sure that the mind of no truant school boy is more free & disengaged from all the grave plans & purposes & pursuits of ordinary orthodox life than mine - But I wonder what spirit is conjuring up such sober affairs at this time I only meant to say a word by way of family greeting & tomorrow I will be among the sublimities of Yo Semite & forget that ever a thought of civilization or time-honored proprieties came among my pathless lawless thoughts & wanderings Darkness is coming on Good night Remember me to the small people & to Muirs in general throughtout all their tribes & families J M
00477
[Original letter in possession of Sarah Muir Galloway]
At camp in Spruce grove near upper end of Yo Semite two miles from the north wall, Aug. 1st,'69.
Dear Sister Sarah:
Just think of the blessedness of my lot - have been camped here right in the midst of Yo Semite rocks and waters for fifteen days, with nearly all of every day to myself to climb, sketch, write, meditate, and botanize. My foot has pressed no floor but that of the mountains for many a day. I am far from the ways and pursuits of man. I seldom even hear the bleating of our 2500 sheep. The manifold overwhelming sublimities of the Sierra are all in all. I am with Nature in the grandest, most divine of all her earthly dwelling places...
I had a letter from Prof. Butler of Madison last month, saying that he was about to start for California by railroad in company with his son Henry and a man of war by the name and title of General Alvord, and requesting me to join the company in visiting Yo Sem[ite], the Big Trees, etc. I mean to go down into the Valley tomorrow and seize this opportunity of sending you a line.
We mean to move our sheep in a few days twelve miles higher among the summits on the south fork of the Tuolumne. We will likely reach the plains and the open world again about Oct. 1st.
A few months will call upon me to decide to what portion of God's glorious star I will next turn. The sweets of home, the smooth waters of civilized life have attractions for me whose power is increased by time and constant rambling, but I am a captive, I am bound. Love of pure unblemished Nature seems to overmaster and blur out of sight all other objects and considerations. I know that I could under ordinary circumstances accumulate wealth and obtain a fair position in society, and I am arrived at an age that requires that I should choose some definite course for life. But I am sure that the mind of no truant schoolboy is more free and disengaged from all the grave plans and purposes and pursuits of ordinary orthodox life than mine. But I wonder what spirit is conjuring up such sober affairs at this time. I only meant to say a word by way of family greeting. Tomorrow I will be among the sublimities of Yo Semite and forget that ever a thought of civilization or time-honored proprieties came among my pathless, lawless thoughts and wanderings.
Darkness is coming on. Goodnight. Remember me to the small people and to Muirs in general throughout all their tribes and families.
J. M.
I climbed to the high summits the other day among great sloping banks of perpetual snow. The Sierra in this vicinity reaches its highest altitudes. When we move to Big Meadows I will be able from some of the peaks to look over into Nevada and have a fine view of Mono lake.
We sleep under the open sky upon spruce branches.
Location
…upper end of Yosemite two miles from…north…
Date Original
1869 Aug 1
Source
Original letter dimensions: 31.5 x 19.5 cm.
Recommended Citation
Muir, John, "Letter from John Muir to Sarah [Muir Galloway], 1869 Aug 1." (1869). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 1308.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1308
Resource Identifier
muir02_0121-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 02, Image 0121
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, see http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections/Fees-and-Forms-.html
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
3 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
