Letter from G[eorge] Engelmann to John Muir, 1881 Apr 11.

Geo. Englemann, M. D. 3003 Locust Street.St. Louis, Mo., April 11 1881My dear Mr MuirLet me congratulate you and Mrs Muir on the happy event, of which a kind note from Dr Strentzel has just informed me. Well, when this reaches your, the matter is already old and congratulations are out of date; what was a baby then, is now a young lady, she can at least say Papa and Mama. Who ever has once been roaming about in California wants to be there again, and who has seen [illegible] and [illegible] [harken after?] spring and fresh delightful vegetation. But whether it will come to that? I do not know yet! But as I certainly shall not (if at all) be there in season for the flowering of the Oaks I would ask you to get for me at least the two species which grow close about you. One is [illegible] cobata, which grows as you[Page 2][letterhead] Knows, [above?] the stables on the Creek; the other is [illegible] [Douglasis?], the blue mountain oak, on the bare hills above you a few specimens of each of them in flower and again a week or two later when the leaves are not yet fully grown (showing the f[illegible] flowers or [young acorns?]) would be very desirable. I would say that I found a few specimens of the Cobata also on the hills, but Douglasis is readily distinguished by the smoother, whiter bark, the [smaller and less color leaves?]; it seems to be the [illegible] tree on the [illegible] hills. And now my best wishes for mother and daughter and all of youYours truly [G Engelmann?]00988