Creator
[Louie Muir]
Recipient
[Ann Gilrye Muir]
Transcription
[4]
precious gift, your son who has brought joy and steadfast blessedness to my heart and life. [illegible] However it be, I trust that before many months we shall all meet in the delight of a grand reunion: parents and children and grandchildren. I long to see that lovely Fountain Lake where John first knew the charm of the fresh wilderness: and the exquisite water-lilies: how the blue eyes of baby Annie Wanda will shine over their snowy chalices!
[1] Louie’s letter to mother –
Martinez, California Sept. 29th, 1881.
Dear Mother Muir
Glorious news to-day from the far, far North! Our beloved wanderer is coming home! Safe and well, through all the perils of the Arctic seas and storms and terrible ice-fields — he comes with rejoicing, for he has looked at last upon that wild mysterious realm of the Ice-King, Wrangel Land; and now he is satisfied to come again to the clear sunshine of his South-land home. Perhaps before October is half gone, he will be here: and
06099
[Page 2]
[2]
then how gladly I shall send to you the swiftest lightning-word, that your heart also may be comforted. Two of John’s letters to the “Bulletin” have just now come, and there may possibly be another to-morrow evening, which I will at once forward to you. Afterward when the extra copies come, I will send to the others of John’s family. O what a burden of dread has been lifted from my heart by these letters. How beautiful the world seems again, and there is no shadow in the future that I can now see. Surely in all the wide world, there will be no woman more blessed than I
[3]
when I have my husband and our baby once more safe and well by our own fireside. Dear, dear Mother, if only you could be here to welcome your beloved son! I can almost see his look of surprise and intense joy if he could look upon your face when first he leaves the icy waves. California is only a five days’ journey from Wisconsin:- do you not sometimes think of coming, in our blossom-time, to behold the wonderful Yosemite, and the beautiful Sierra forests that John loves so well? How glad I should be to give you a true home-welcome, and to thank you in more than words for the
[Page 3]
[1]
[Wednesday?] Sept. 29, 1881
Dear Mother,
Glorious news today from the far, far North! Our beloved wanderer is coming home! Safe and well, through all the perils of Arctic seas and storms and [deleted: cruel ice] terrible ice-fields – he comes with rejoicing for he has looked at last upon that wild mysterious realm of the sea-King, Wrangel Land and now he is satisfied to come again to the clear sunshine of his South land home. Perhaps he will be here before October is half gone, and then how gladly I shall send to you the swiftest lightning word message that your heart also may be comforted. Two of John’s letters to the “Bulletin” have just now come, and there may possibly be another to-morrow evening, which I will at once forward to you, & afterward when the extra copies come, I will send to the others of Johns family [words deleted] O what a burden of dread has been lifted from my heart by these letters. How beautiful the world seems again and there is no shadow over [deleted: all] the future that I can now see. Surely [deleted word] in all the wide world there will be no woman more blessed than I when I have [deleted: once more] my husband and our baby once more safe and well by our own fireside. Dear, dear Mother, if only you could be her to welcome your [deleted word] beloved son!
06099
[Page 4]
[2]
I can almost see this [illegible] of [deleted: joyful] surprise and intense joy if he could look upon your face when first he leaves the [deleted: Sea] icy waves California is only a five days journey from Wisconsin. Do you not sometimes think of coming in our blossom time to behold the wonderful Yosemite and the [deleted word] beautiful Sierra forests that John loves so well?. How glad I should be to give you a true home-welcome, and to thank you in more than words for [deleted: giving to me] the precious gift [deleted: of] your son who has brought joy and steadfast blessedness to my heart and life However [deleted word] it be I trust that before many months we shall all meet together in the delight of a grand reunion: parents and children and grandchildren I long to see that lovely Fountain Lake where John first [deleted: felt] knew the charm of a fresh wilderness; and the exquisite water-lilies: how the blue eyes of baby Annie Wanda will shine over their snowy chalices!
[I?] [illegible] have been denied to California -
Location
[Martinez, Calif.]
Date Original
1881 Sep 29
Source
Original letter dimensions: 20 x 25 cm.
Recommended Citation
Muir, Louie, "Letter from [Louie Muir] to [Ann Gilrye Muir], 1881 Sep 29." (1881). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 674.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/674
Resource Identifier
muir04_0701-md-1.pdf
File Identifier
Reel 04, Image 0700
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
4 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
