Creator
Anne W. Cheney
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
[4]
arrived safely, & only made us long more for their native climate, but now journeying seems in the dim distance, I now plan for another fall are not yet made — That a work you have laid out for yourself! & I hate to think of your leaving Yo Semite, it will not seem like the same place when you are away, you are so much a part of the Valley in our
[1] 00683
[in margin: minds - I hear Charlie Stoddard has had a special interview with the Pope - how happy that must make him - & Joaquin's doings are as wild as ever -]
Home Thursday May 14th /74
My dear Mr Muir,
I have been to New York, & have also been very ill since I received your last nice long letter — In the winter, I had a very bad fall, which made me lame for two
[Page 2]
[3]
long, so I hope you will forgive the brevity of this note, & also the egotism which prompts me to write of my- self – We have followed you in the Overland, & father is particularly interested in the last article – shall look forward to the others with infinite pleasure, & hope the book will follow soon – The nuts &c you so kindly sent by mail from Tamalpais,
[2]
weeks, & then I thought I had gotten over it, but while I was in New York I discovered I had in- jured my back in some way, & have now been confined to the bed for two weeks, to- day I am sitting up, but with a pillow at my back, & there is no knowing when I shall get over it — I am not strong enough to hold a pen very
[Page 3]
[8]
enough to watch every blade of grass, & every leaf. We all envy you your life of freedom, & long for a taste of it, but some people in this world are obliged to hold to the conventionalities of life, & we seem to be among that class – If you should ever meet a Mr. & Mrs. Kellogg, (Mr. K. is connected with the University) or a Mr. & Mrs. Metcalf (the two ladies are sisters, just mention us, for their unmarried sister is living with us this winter, & teaching my sister & cousins, you will find them very charming people I am sure – I am not acquainted
[5]
[in margin: with them myself, only through their letters to their sister, but I know they are the sort of people you would like no more now I wish I could have written you a more satisfactory letter but ones physical affects every thing one does — With kindest regards from all , truly your friend, Anne W. Cheney]
Monday May 18th/74
I was not well enough to write any more Thursday, & have not been able to do so till this morning – I have just had a letter from “Prince Charlie” as you call him from Rome, it sounds a little homesick, but he will not come home at present but take, Switzerland,
00683
[Page 4]
[7]
as soon as the meal was over, but I waked up to the sad reality of a cold stormy day, & the duties of a housekeeper, as soon as we arose from the table – the only compensation I can think of is a letter from you, full of flowers & sunshine – I have never enjoyed a spring so much as this one, probably because I am too ill to go out of doors or busy myself much about anything, & have more than time
[6]
Germany & France this summer, & hopes to winter in Egypt, he says, if this plan fails he has no idea what he shall do, feels very lonely, & wishes for friends to travel with. We have terrible fits of longing for Cala; one came on this morning at the breakfast table, & as my sisters teacher is living with us, who is also a Californian at heart, we were all ready to leave
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Home,
Thursday, May 14th,'74.
My dear Mr. Muir:
I have been to New York, and have also been very ill since I received your last nice long letter. In the winter, I had a very bad fall, which made me lame for two weeks, and then I thought I had gotten over it, but while I was in New York I discovered I had injured my back in some way, and have now been confined to the bed for two weeks. Today I am sitting up, but with a pillow at my back, and there is no knowing when I shall get over it. I am not strong enough to hold a pen very long, so I hope you will forgive the brevity of this note, and also the egotism which prompts me to write of myself.
We have followed you in the Overland, and father is particularly interested in the last article - shall look forward to the others with infinite pleasure, and hope the book will follow soon. The nuts, etc. you so kindly sent by mail from Tamalpais, arrived safely, and only made us long more for their native climate, but now journeying seems in the dim distance, and our plans for another fall are not yet made.
What a work you have laid out for yourself! And I hate to think of your leaving Yosemite. It will not seem like the same place when you are away, you are so much a part of the Valley in our minds. I hear Charlie Stoddard has had a special interview with the Pope - how happy that must make him, and Joaquin's doings are as wild as ever.
Monday, May 18th, '74.
I was not well enough to write any more Thursday, and have not been able to do so till this morning. I have just had a letter from "Prince Charlie" as you call him, from Rome. It sounds a little homesick, but he will not come home at present but take Switzerland, Germany and France this summer, and hopes to winter in Egypt. He says if this plan fails he has no idea what he shall do, feels very lonely, and wishes for friends to travel with. We have terrible fits of longing for California; one came on this morning at the breakfast-table, and as my sister's teacher is living with us, who is also a Californian at heart, we were all ready to leave as soon as the meal was over, but I waked up to the sad reality of a cold stormy day, and the duties of a housekeeper, as soon as we arose from the table. The only compensation I can think of is a letter from you, full of flowers and sunshine. I have never enjoyed a spring so much as this one, probably because I am too ill to go out of doors or busy myself much about anything, and have more than time enough to watch every blade of grass, and every leaf. We all envy you your life of freedom, and long for a taste of it; but some people in this world are obliged to hold to the conventionalities of life, and we seem to be among that class. If you should ever meet a Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg, (Mr. K. is connected with the University) or a Mr. and Mrs. Metcalf (the two ladies are sisters), just mention us, for their unmarried sister is living with us this winter, and teaching my sister and cousins. You will find them very charming people, I am sure. I am not acquainted with them myself, only through their letters to their sister, but I know they are the sort of people you would like. No more now. I wish I could have written you a more satisfactory letter, but one's physical affects everything one does. With kindest regards from all,
Truly your friend,
Anne W. Cheney
Location
[New York ?]
Date Original
1874 May 14
Source
Original letter dimensions: 17.5 x 23 cm.
Recommended Citation
Cheney, Anne W., "Letter from Anne W. Cheney to John Muir, 1874 May 14." (1874). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 272.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/272
Resource Identifier
muir03_0076-md-1.pdf
File Identifier
Reel 03, Image 0075
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
