Farewell with love.
I will some time send you “Big Tuolumne Cañon,” Ascent of Mt. Ritter,
Formation of Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Lake, Other Yosemite Valleys (one,
two, three, four, or more), The Lake District, Transformation of Lakes to
Meadows Wet, to Meadows Dry, to Sandy Flats Treeless, or to Sandy Flats
Forested, The Glacial Period, Formation of Simple Cañons, of Compound
Cañons, Description of each Glacier of Region, Origin of Sierra Forest,
Distribution of Sierra Forests; a description of each of the Yosemite
falls and of the basins from whence derived; Yosemite Shadows, as related
to groves, meadows, and bends of the river; Avalanches, Earthquakes,
Birds, Bear, etc., and “mony mair.”
Yosemite Valley,
April 13th, 1873.
Indian Tom goes out of the valley to-morrow. With this I send you “Hetch
Hetchy.”
Last year I wrote a description of Hetchy and sent it to Prof. Runkle.
Not having heard of it since, I thought it lost in some waste-basket,
but to-day I received a Boston letter stating that a Hetch from my pen
appeared in the “Boston Transcript” of about March 12th, 1873, which
may possibly be the article in question. If so, this present H. H. will
be found to contain a page or two of the same, but this is about three
times as large and all rewritten, etc. That Tuolumne song of five cantos
“Nature loves the Number Five” may perhaps be better out. If you think
it unfit for the public, keep it to thyself. I never can keep my pen
perfectly sober when it gets into the bounce and hurrah of cascades,
but it never has broken into rhyme before.
Love to all and “Fare ye well, my ain Jean.”
The kerchiefs have come from Bentons and a package of books from Doggetts.
Yosemite Valley,
April 19th, 1873.
The bearer of this is my friend Mr. Black, proprietor of Black’s Hotel,
Yosemite. He will give you tidings of all our valley affairs.
I sent off a letter and article for you a week ago. I find this literary
business very irksome, yet I will try to learn it.
The falls respond gloriously to the ripe sunshine of these days; so do
the flowers.
I hope that you will be able to send me word when you will _come_, so
that I may arrange accordingly. Mr. Black will give all particulars of
trails, times, etc. If Moores have not gone ranching, send Mr. Black
over to their house. It will do her good. I fondly hope she is growing
better.
Love to all.