
My best thanks to you, my dear, good old friend for your most welcome p.c. of Dec. 23rd from which I was more than glad to learn that you were then in impr[damage] health. I have also received [cut away] good letter from Horace Traubel (written on Xmas day) in which he says that Christmas Eve found you in notably good trim & relieved from many of your discomforts of the past few months. This is indeed good news for me, for Mr Wallace & for all your friends here, who join me most heartily in congratulating you upon the improvement & in the earnest hope that it may continue—
I have given [damage]
kind message &
they send you their love & best wishes.
Mr. Wallace has kindly sent me a copy of your p.c. to him. Thanks to you, too, for your kindness in sending the book to F.W. I have not yet seen him.
We have had two magnificent days here, thin frost, bright sun shine, blue skies, a slight fall of
snow last night following a really fine sunset; luminous starlight nights. I have
been longing for a vigorous tramp over the hills & fells, to taste the "caller
air" & to enjoy the rural delights I love so
well. But alas! I am chained to the town by inexorable duty—which you help me to do more than I can tell you—and sick
folks are numerous at this time of the year—But my work has its compensations
[damange]obably, nay, certainly, heightens my enjoyment &
appreciation of the beauty, the mystery & somewhat of the meaning of the shards
of External Nature which you have opened my eyes to
see.
Yesterday afternoon I had a walk through our Bolton Park where, save for the flute-like notes of a solitary blackbird and the cheery chirrups of a few sparrows, an ominous silence prevailed in the blackened leafless trees; & I fear that the six weeks' frost & snow have been fatal to a great many of our woodland songsters.
This afternoon I had an hour's skating & very exhilirating exhilarating was it to glide over the ice upon which the setting sun was gleaming, & reddening the faces of the skaters—
Jany 7th
This morning there was a dense fog & Jack Frost had ornamented our windows with
his inimitably beautiful pr[damage]
& hung our hedges
& trees with his white rime, transforming them into silver filagree work. The
afternoon was beautifully fine & sunny & this evening the children's party I
mentioned in a previous letter comes off. About 50 prettily dressed little boys
& girls have just had "high tea," to which they have done ample justice, &
the general jollification & juvenile revelry are now at their height. There are
games, romps, dances, bon bons, crackers, Magic Lanterns, & mirthful fun of all
sorts in which I have been participating & what is better, enjoying as much as the youngest of them!
Oh that you could come & join our merry throng, as "the
Carpenter" came to old Elkanah Dyzer's place & see
the gladsome "gales of glee" that sweep around that room. [damage]
hear there re-echoing peals of laughter & see the joyous faces of those happy hearted children from whom I have just
escaped in order to finish this letter to you as the mail goes tonight!
With kindest regards to all the members of your household & with best heart love to yourself
I remain
Yours affectionately J Johnston

