On my return from the trip over the North Pacific Railroad to the
Pacific Coast last Friday, I found your excellent and welcome letter,
with enclosures. Your aunt was very much pleased with your letter and
poetry as well as with your essay. They all do you great credit, and I
think you can well sustain yourself as a writer with any young lady of
your age in this or any other land.
My trip over the northern route to the Pacific about completes my
personal observation of every part of our country. I was not prepared
to see so rich a country or one so rapidly developing. Across the
continent where but a few years ago the Indian held undisputed sway,
there is now a continuous settlement, and every ten or fifteen miles a
town or city, each with spires of the school house and the church. The
soil for almost the entire distance is as fertile as that of Illinois.
I saw your Aunt Jennie yesterday. She is quite well. All my family are
well and join in love to you. I think neither your Aunt nor I will ever
visit Europe again. We may, however, change our minds. But we are
getting a little too old to enjoy travelling, and then we have such
pleasant homes for both summer and winter.
Love to your father and mother.
Yours truly,