Letter from John Muir to Sarah [Muir Galloway], 1872 Dec 19.

& all her little ones & John Fare well with love ever the same John MuirMerrill has gone to Salem Oregon to spend the winter with his uncle 00637 Yosemite Valley Dec 19th 72My dear Sister Sarah Your long good letter dated Oct 27th is received I am always glad to hear from any part of home & though I may sometimes seem slow in replies It is not because of lack of love but only because of the amount of work I have on my hands I mean to give up letter writing in a great measure because it consumes too much of my time & in spite of all my hiding so far in the Mtns is constantly increasing. George s picture I knew at once. My friends com- pelled me to sit for my picture in town last month. I was terribly dazed & confused with the dust & din & heavy sticky air of that low region therefore I dont believe my picture will be worth having. but I will write to a friend & have him mail a copy to your address - I have none of them. I am very happy, & all the world is kind to me A friend in Manchester Eng sent me the other day, a hundred dollars worth of instru ments. Prof Carr says I am not changed a whit since he saw me in Madison How grandly you all are being clustered about with children. Remember me to David & to all your little ones & big & to old Mrs Galloway I am glad to hear of herhealth & general comfort Her bodily eyes are shut but I know that the far-seeing eyes of her soul are open wide & that she sees a far richer landscape in the spirit world than we are able to conceive A pure human Soul is never blind, the whole being becomes one transparent eye ball filled with God who is Light I hope the little pond with the grand Osmundas is untrampled. I hope to see it someday after these long ramblings come to a close in the afternoon days of life. I hardly hope to be here more than a year or two longer. My life work is over all the world My love to Maggie [Original letter in possession of Sarah Muir Galloway]Yosemite Valley, Dec. 19th, \u2772.My dear sister Sarah:Your long good letter dated Oct. 27th is received. I am always glad to hear from any part of home, and though I may sometimes seem slow in replies it is not because of lack of love, but only because of the amount of work l have on my hands. I mean to give up letter-writing in a great measure because it consumes too much of my time, and in spite of all my hiding so far in the mountains is constantly increasing.George\u27s picture I knew at once. My friends compelled me to sit for my picture in town last month. I was terribly dazed and confused with the dust and din and heavy sticky air of that low region; therefore I can’t believe my picture will be worth having, but I will write to a friend and have him mail a copy to your address, I have none of them.I am very happy, and all the world is kind to me. A friend in Manchester, Eng. sent me the other day, a hundred dollars worth of instruments. Prof. Carr says I am not changed a whit since he saw me in Madison. [see letter to Mr.Carr.Mann,16 1572,re instruments] How grandly you all are being clustered about with children. Remember me to David and to all your little ones and big, and to old Mrs. j Galloway. I am glad to hear of her health and general comfort. Her bodily ;eyes are shut, but I know that the far-seeing eyes of her soul are open wide and that she sees a far richer landscape in the spirit world than we fare able to conceive. A pure human soul is never blind, the whole being •becomes one transparent eyeball filled with God who is Light.I hope the little pond with the grand Osmundas is untrampled. I hope to see it some day after these long ramblings come to a close in the afternoon days of life.I hardly hope to be here more than a year or two longer. My life-work is over all the world.My love to Maggie and all her little ones and John. Farewell, with love ever the same,John Muir Merrill has gone to Salem, Oregon, to spend the winter with his uncle