Creator
[Joanna Muir Brown]
Recipient
John Muir
Transcription
[4]
all you say is certainly true but certain it so that however distorted his views of a true Christian life have been and however much unhappiness they may have caused his friends, he is in his own way sincere and one day he will awake to see the truth in all its grandeur, in all its purity. You inquire of mothers affairs — I think you know that father deeded to her the brick house which she saw fit to sell for $1200 and rent a smaller and cozier one. accordingly she has the interest on this money, the uncertain rent of the two small
[1]
Jefferson Ark. May 30, [illegible]8.
Dear John:-
Your letter concerning father was duly rec’d and your later one came yesterday, Before writing you again I have been waiting to see the result of a little plan of Walter’s I think I told you before that father had hoped to work among the colored people here and had not found the opportunity such as he expected, and so thinking that something in this direction was the
[Page 2]
[2]
only thing that could keep [deleted: father] him with us, [illegible]. concluded to build a little house that would do for him to speak in and try to get enough together to interest him, for you know he never was very fastidious about numbers, but I fear his trouble will be fruitless for on being told what the building was for father almost impatiently declared that it was of no use to try to keep him for it was now evident to him that the Lord never intended him to work here and it would be [deleted word], useless for him to go into the battle alone. He is
01071
[3]
so different from any other mortal man I ever knew that it seems just impossible to have the least influence with him when he once makes up his mind, he however says that he will remain here until August when some note of his becomes due, this was his own proposition and we were only too glad to have him stay as long as he would, hoping that in the meantime something might occur to alter his mind. Poor old father, it is useless to feel vexed with his absurd notions of duty for they seem a part of himself and must be made the best of, though
[Page 3]
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interested in your account of the fruit and work — it must be in small c[illegible]. Father sends love to you, he rec’d your letter and read it several times but did not make any remarks abut it. Walter also sends kindest regards. Write again — your letters do me good as they always have in days that are past. The flowers are for our youngest Annie.
Affectionately Joanna.
[in margin: I would like to know your opinion of the Chinese, are they a benefit to the country or the reverse?]
[5]
houses of Father’s of which I spoke and her semi-annual payments from Scotland, with this small income, in her own quiet way she seems always to have everything she wants for in Portage one can live as inexpensively as any where I know. Now for a talk about flowers, Have you the magnolia tree in Cal. and if not have you ever seen it? It grows here and I can hardly tell you what an impression it made on me, the [finest?] blossom I saw sent a
[Page 4]
[6]
thrill all over me, and oh! how I did want the home folks to see it, we are going to have some set out in our yard. Yesterday Walter brought me a vine of the sensitive plant, I suppose you are acquainted with it, the blossom is the color of the thistle, we find a great many new flowers here and I am going to get a collection of art flowers, partly because I know Mary will be so interesteated in seeing them when I go home Yes I am sure you would enjoy a visit here and there is no use trying to tell how
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happy we would be to see you. I hope when the time comes it will be so that Loui and your dear little girl can come too. We would all be so glad to see them I have always intended to ask the name of the flower which formed the center of Loui’s bouquet which was sent to mother with the wedding cake. It is late in the day to ask now but the magnolia blossom reminded me of it though so much larger. It must indeed seem quite novel to you to be employed as you now are, we were [illegible]
Location
Jefferson, Ark.
Date Original
1882 May 30
Source
Original letter dimensions: 20 x 25 cm.
Recommended Citation
Brown, Joanna Muir, "Letter from [Joanna Muir Brown] to John Muir, 1882 May 30." (1882). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 707.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/707
Resource Identifier
muir04_0847-md-1.pdf
File Identifier
Reel 04, Image 0846
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
