Creator
Geo[rge] Hansen
Recipient
[John Muir and family]
Transcription
GEO. HANSEN
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
3706 HEARST AVENUE, BERKELEY,CAL.
ADVISORY ARCHITECT TO PARK COMMISSIONS,
MUNICIPALITIES AND CEMETERY ASSOCIATIONS
"[illegible] July nil., 2905. [illegible]Dear fother and mother and sisters, [illegible]
We let the child go on with his , cheery play while we, bend, the hearts athrobbing, over the worning-news that tells of the affliction in your home. A man's heart deviseth his way: but Lord directeth his steps, and from the desert you have returned to fan coolness to the heated template of the one that stayed "home", stayed home and kept home. home for your bodies, under roof end at table, and home for your souls in benediction and prayer.
It is but few nights since when I sat up in the balming evening hours and watched the stars that man was sending skyward in brightest [illegible] as they rose, they fell short of the eternaly lighted ones up there in His [illegible]; seing those stars, your mother was seing them. and we were seing them. Perchance you thought of us, as I thought of all of you, and we enjoyed the at-one-ment of Mind. I tell you how you were brought so close to me, that I could call the good wife and tell her" Mother. I smell Alhambra Valley". It was for the first time that the heat of the valley had freed the oils of gladness that the weeds of the fields, the Lilies, had accumulated for their annual offering, and so great was the wave of frankincense that it overflowed to me at the base of the holy hill.
Gratefully have I, have we, taken in the sweet smelling savour, and it is for us today, to bring back, manifold, the good that was extended to us. And how shall it be? It is said that voice shall be03591
be given to man when the time is come to open his lips. But let a greater singer voice out sympathy today, and speak to you in strength and banish fear and trembling, and give to you the peace that is past understanding.
"Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
There may be many that say, "Who will show us any good? Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
[illegible]
Location
Berkeley, Calif.
Date Original
1905-07-22 0:00
Source
Original letter dimensions: 28 x 21.5 cm.
Recommended Citation
Hansen, George, "Letter from Geo[rge] Hansen to [John Muir and family], 1905 Jul 22." (1905). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 3369.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/3369
Resource Identifier
muir15_0597-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 15, Image 0597
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
2 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
