Letter from Maggie [Margaret Muir Reid] to John Muir, 1880 Dec 13.

[4]John and I with little [May?] spent Thanksgiving with [illegible] and family we had a pleasant time We expect them to be with us christmas. O John wont you and your beloved come too I wish you could see my Chinese primroses. John you are such a lover of flowers they are blooming nicely I have the spoted and fung[illegible]. White and several other colors of pink and purple I have a nice Calla Lilly and some others, but I lost a good many of my plants by moving so lat in the season. but I must close hoping to hear from you very soon. John and the children join me in kind love to yourself and wifeSister MaggieWhat are you busy with now[1]Crete Neb Dec 13th 1880Dear brother JohnI hope you and your dear wife are well. I wish I had an oppertunity to get acquainted with my new sister. O John I want to see you so much when do you think you can come now. I do hope you will not put it off again. of course we do not know of all you have to keep you in Cal. but we wish you could put everything one side for a while and Come [It?] is now over a month since we left Mother Brother, Sisters and our many friends for this, still more western state. of course it seems rather[Page 2][2]lonely yet not being acquainted but I think perhaps we shall like it after a while - indeed I need not say we, for John likes it very much and the children seem to be all very happy and contented it is only old and half sick folks like me who find it rather hard to get accustomed to new things. but I must say we are very comfortable. There is good schools here. also a college Anna and Jessie (having graduated from the Portage school) are anxious to attend. I think they will begin next term. Harry, May (and even my baby) John Muir has attended school here almost since we first came Henry Reid teaches in one of the schools here00965 [3]John keeps quite busy as usual he has an interest in a herd of cattle and [illegible] here and his part of the business is to buy stock for the market and keep the books. I suppose you are aware that Brother Dan moved to Lincoln last summer, which is about twenty miles from here. his lungs troubled him very much before he came here, he felt very uneasy about himself. but I am glad to say he seems to have fully regained his health, and is looking well and in the best of spirits. Dan has not been practicing medicine sense he came here until a week or two ago. but has been going back and forth to his farm about 15 miles out, building a little and getting things started generally