Creator
Louie [Strentzel Muir]
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
August ---- 1885
6 A.M.
John:
0, my beloved husband, why do you strive against the guidance of your good angel that would lead you in the dear Lord's ways, where there is rest and peace. Our hearts are aching with the thought of your poor tired body being dragged away from the velvety meadows and cool balmy woods, far through the dusty sagebrush to a country of sultry nights and sunstruck day s and cyclone!
Even your mother and sisters would understand. My father and mother at last realize your need of the mountains! Then, as for the old ranch, Why, it is here, and a few grapes more or less will not make much difference this year.
But it will make a difference to Wanda, the tender little heart that sobs every night "Oh, if baby only could kiss papa goodnight" it would make a difference whether you come back shadowy and ghostly, or strong and well to love and guard her through years and years. She went to sleep cooing over your letter, and three times in the night she woke me by crying out "Baby wants Papa's bonny letter" which baby and I have been pouring over, but as there is no Northern P. map among them, we do not feel sure of any special station or hotel where we could find a wanderer like you, so we thought out messages had bettertravel on to Portage and await you there.
But Wanda begs so often to see the bonny rivers and fountains and waterfalls so she can look at them with dear papa so that I sometimes get excited and feel like starting off right away, just out two selves for the mountains. My ride every other day over the home ranch dispels the illusion however; that is all I have strength for these past two weeks ; with much panting and struggling for breath between times. Dr. Gibbons thinks I will get over that trouble in three or four weeks, but I must rest most of the time. The old doctor came here yesterday morning, will remain here until tomorrow ; visit going on very pleasantly, although Grandma steadily maintains her own view of affairs. He brought a nice black setter puppy, very playful, with which baby is quite greatly pleased and she is quite friendly to the doctor.
Wanda is very well and enjoys roaming about the orchard with Grandpa, but in the house she bestows her attention mainly upon Grandma, who seems to be, as she promised, getting well because of having the baby here.
Location
[Martinez, Calif]
Date Original
1885 Aug 1
Source
Original letter dimensions: 20.5 x 25 cm.
Recommended Citation
Muir, Louie Strentzel, "Letter from Louie [Strentzel Muir] to John Muir, 1885 Aug 1." (1885). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 1613.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1613
Resource Identifier
muir05_0340-trans.tif
File Identifier
Reel 05, Image 0340
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
5 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
