Letter from John Burroughs to James C. More

[to Dr. J. C.More, Polo, Ill.] West Park NY Oct 27, 1917 My Dear Friend, Your beautiful letter moved me deeply, & I felt like striking my [task ?] at once & responding to its hearty invitation. I thank you for your affection & appreciation. I have had a genuine friendship for you since the long gone days when I knew you in Polo & our recent meeting in the scenes of our youth have greatly deepened that feeling. We are akin by nature & we are akin by blood. For years I have had a

strong desire to re-visit Polo & have twice, while passing through Illinois, been almost deflected from my course to do so. I have a dear friend in Chicago, Prof. R.J.H. DeLoach, at whose house in Georgia my wife & I spent parts of four or five winters, & I have promised to visit him this fall or the coming spring & when I do so I will surely give myself the great pleasure of visiting you. It looks now as if I should not come till May or June, unless we decide to go to California this winter. In that case I will make the visit to both of you. Prof DeLoach is with the Armour Co. I keep pretty well & am

still writing about inexhaustible nature. I have material for two more volumes, nearly ready, but shall not publish till this terrible war in ended. [Last spring ?] I broke my left arm near the shoulder in an automobile accident, but I have the full use of it again, & consider myself very lucky. The death of my wife has greatly increased the feeling of loneliness, which I think grows, with age, I miss her more than I thought it possible I could. Yesterday I drove 25 miles, to visit her grave, & plant a rose bush from the old home farm upon it. I spent the summer in Roxbury, & came back here the last of Sept. I make my home here with Dr. Barrows.

who takes good care of me & aids me in my work. I have been alone here during Oct. & she had a course of lectures to deliver before the womans college of NY on neural disease, she will be back in Nov. Where we will spend the winter is contingent upon several things. I plan to go to Washington next week to see if I want to spend the winter there. I lived there from 1864 to 1874. Trust you keep well & that we shall meet again before many months & with greetings to your family I am faithfully & affectionately Yours, John Burroughs [on left side of page]: I wish I had a good picture of you.