Creator

Janet Douglass Moores

Recipient

John Muir

Transcription

[4]

you left us. We have all been reading the article you wrote for Scribner. Some of the school girls said that I must tell you how much they had enjoyed it. Ellie Graydon, Kate’s next younger sister intends to recite parts of it for our literary society. That is a pretty story of Mr. Lamon. I should think you would miss him. Don’t you sometimes get very lonesome and you like things better than people? Are’nt you ever coming back? I have wondered if I should recognize you. One day I went to our front door and there stood a gentleman. whom for a few seconds I imagined to be you. I scarcely dared more than imagine. then he spoke & I recog- nized him, Mr. Whiteford, a Scotchman who married a cousin of Mammas. I suppose it was the Scotch in him, that made me think of you. 00778


[1]

Tuesday Afternoon. Mar. 5th. ’78. 232 North Ala.

Dear Mr. Muir,

It is nearly six years since you last wrote to a little Indiana girl. She neglected to answer for so long a time, that finally she was ashamed to write. Will you accept her apologies? Last summer I often thought of writing to you, sending you pressed buttercups and forgetmenots and telling you about our long tramps, but somehow I was afraid to begin

[Page 2]

[2]

I don’t think I should have such trouble to keep up with you as I used to have after walking so much with the boys. We hear every week from Merrill, who tells us College news. He is in good health, tall, broad and dark and I have heard it said, “the next best looking fellow in Yale”. Charles is five feet ten, does not resemble Merrill at all, is quite fair and looks a little afraid of his size. I am five feet and a half (inch). You see I havn’t kept up with my brothers in this particular, but I had much rather be short than have them so. Charles and I still attend the College at Irving- ton, four miles away. At first we thought it rather hard to go so far to school every day, but we are used to it now. We have often walked it. I sometimes wish we had the Vermont


[3]

air, with our flat country, it would be so easy to walk then. We have about two hundred students in College. about forty of them girls. The “wee Katie” as you used to call her is now a senior, fair and sweet but a little too sober. She writes well, and is a fine greek scholar, is now teaching a class in the “Anabasie”. There are five children younger than Katie, one of them, Jennie is very bright she used to say that she intended to be a poeter. Janie Ketcham is at home now after an absence of five years, three at Vassar & two abroad. She has improved much and is a handsome and interesting girl. She has kept her eyes open, is a great talker a sweet singer, speaks French well & has considerable talent for drawing. You see we have not been standing still since

[Page 3]

[5]




Wont you send me your picture, because, you know, I’d be ashamed if I happened to meet you not to know you? Miss Elisa Hendricks was here this afternoon. She very often takes Mamma out to ride. Mamma sends love, also Charles, who says all he wants is an invitation to come out there. Hoping that you and the Yosemite are in good health and spirits. I am yours affectionately, Janet Douglass Moores.

Location

[Indianapolis, Ind.]

Date Original

1878 Mar 5

Source

Original letter dimensions: 16.5 x 26 cm.

Resource Identifier

muir03_0733-md-1.pdf

File Identifier

Reel 03, Image 0732

Collection Identifier

Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc

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

3 pages

Keywords

Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters

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