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Martinez, California, June 12, 1896. My dear husband, Your telegram this morning that Mother was better was a great relief
to the anxiety we have felt since sister Annie's letter came. We knew how it would help Margaret to know the good news, so
the children and I went immediately over to tell her, and we staid quite a while walking about the garden, and she soon began
to look better. I hope she will be able to rest tonight. I have sent Ah Tin with a note to David. I have not seen him, but
I suppose he wrote to his mother as soon as he heard of her illness. I am so glad that you took your sister Mary with you.
Oh what a blessed comfort it must be to your mother to have you near her now. I do hope that she will improve so rapidly that
you can leave in good time to reach New York and Boston all right, but of course you will need to return to her for a while
before going west. Is little Helen Hand with her mother? I wish you would have some photographs taken of Joanna's children
to send to us. Bessie must be a beautiful girl now. Are there any late pictures of your mother? Perhaps Mary could paint one
from life, or there might be a good artist in Madison who would come to make studies for a portrait. No more letters have
come from R. U. Johnson, but there are several pamphlets, etc. from the Mazamas and others. Mr. Wilbur sent a sermon on the
mountains, very good; and Mr. Magee inquired if you had set a date for starting to Alaska. A note from Mr. Carruth says he
intends riding a bicycle from Oakland tomorrow and calling to see you. His wife has been in Colorado for several months, ill
with consumption. Mrs. Barnes has come with her husband who is very unwell, to San Francisco, hoping the climate will suit
him better than that of Albany. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Williams, however, are reported to be in Canada in search of worldly advancement.
David gave us this morning some very nice Alexander peaches, and Mr. Wittenmyer brought a box of very remarkable late black
cherries, Bing by name, which with a lot of the Brackett red raspberries and currants make a goodly assortment of frv.it for
this month. I suppose you have had plenty of delicious Wisconsin strawberries, and we hope you feel well enough after your
journey to enfloy the good dinners you find. The river and lakes near Portage must be beautiful now, and I hope the pond-lilies
are coming into bloom. If the ferns and mosses are still fresh please send us some. If you go to Boston, the Sargent Rhododendrons
will be in their glory, some of them at Cambridge, perhaps, where I earnestly hope Pate will make it possible for you also
to be. Give dear Grandma Muir our loving prayers for her recovery, and tell her that some day we hope to bring Helen and
Wanda to see her. Louie Muir