Letter from Sarah [Muir Galloway] to John Muir, 1880 Dec 3.

00960 [4]been for so many years, Mary too is well, she thinks she has a wonderful baby he begins to pull hair and do all the funny little things baby’s generally do but of course in her eyes, it is truly remarkable. I saw Mother and Annie the day before yesterday they are both well, Annie is helping David in the store for a few weeks, it leaves Mother alone a good deal, but she does not mind it, she says she is not lonely and always seems cheerful, she goes out quite frequently and seems to enjoy herself. We are all as well as usual here, David always busy with something Anna is at home while Celia and Gracie are attending school and getting along nicely with their studies. Give my love to Louie and tell her I will be glad to receive a few lines from her, and do not be long in writing yourself. Trusting that you are both wellI am yours lovingly Sarah[1]Port Hope Decr 3rd /80My Dear Brother JohnIt is so long since I have written to you I hardly know where to begin. I see your last letters is dated June 18th and you have wondered many a mile since then. You have been away in Alaska too, I read a letter last week in the, New York Weekly Witness, written by Mr Young, the missionary you have told us about he was describing a part of that Canoe Voyage among the glaciers and icebergs with the Indians who were afraid to sail in such places. I can imagine you sitting entranced, as you behold the wonderful beauty of that morning he describes so grandly, but there are no gains without pains, for again I see you in the Canoe, with your wrappings drawn closely around enduring the cold of [Page 2][2]the early morning with the ice all around, and the many other [illegible]vations which you must endure, before the sun shines out, to light up so grandly that which you had wandered so far to study. I wish I knew more of your work, but perhaps we will have that opportunity bye and bye. Your book’s are long in making their appearance, I think you [crossed out: you] expected to see some of them out before this time. And so Maggie has left us for the far west and how we miss them all, our families took so much pleasure in each other’s company, and were so much together how truly you say “we are like winged seeds flying off in all directions and taking root so far apart” I had a letter from Maggie also from little Mary and Johnnie yesterday morning. Maggie seems to be in her usual health again[3][in margin: I see by Mother a letter that Louis received the [illegible] I sent, I knitted from patterns I brought from Scotland with me. S.M.G.]and I think by the tone of her letter that she will soon get accostomed to the change, they are very comfortably settled, and have every thing around them to make home pleasant, while John is just as kind and good as he can be. John and Maggie also little Mary went on the Cars to Lincoln to spend thanksgiving with Dan’s family, it is just about twenty miles they staid over night and enjoyed the visit. Maggie says she thinks she and Emma will take much solid comfort together. I am glad they live so near each other. I had a letter from Joanna lately, it seems strange to think of her away off keeping house. she says she is getting along finely, doing all of her work, except washing and ironing, and she tells me of lots of sewing she has done since she went there, all this seems wonderful when we think of what her health ha