RK-808

Ft Youkon June 27 1861.

My dear old Bruno.

I hear with the greatest delight from all, how you are "pitching into" the work, and that you are on all sides spoken of as a "good boy" -

Nothing like work to make men of us Bruno! I feel that I could be somebody in the world if I could only work. A small girl Cora somewhere says "tis a sad thing to be lazy" (But co isn't lazy)

To hear of your cultivating & ploughing calls very strongly to mind the happy hours I spent at it in the good old days, whose pleasures I was

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was so foolish as not too appreciate. I suppose you, like me at that time, can't see the "beauties of cultivating". But i faith Bruno when you've been once a few years away from the dear old home you'll have your mental vision wonderfully cleard up. Believe me you'll never see as happy - or at least not happier - days than those you spend at home with enough of hard work to make you appreciate your leisure hours.

Is old Don as steady and docile as ever? I used to plough or cultivate - a half day steadily sometimes - with him without using a rein, not even taking one into the field. But the old fellow would rip the tops of the last & first hill of young corn at every row. But he paid for that by never putting his foot

upon a tree or hill of corn. A clever old fellow Don. Need'nt tell me that horse hasn't reasoning faculties. But poor grey Charlie was the D-l when the flies were thick. How he used to make me swear sometimes. I suppose major Puddledrink[?] & Jenks & cracky are steady old stagers by now. Why dont some of you tell me about the horses & cattle.

I was sorry to hear of dog mose's melancholy decease. I didnt have him long enough to love him very well, but I suppose he was to you a souvinir of me.

What is the general arrangement of the nursery grounds & garden now? Are all the trees still alive in the old orchard. What was the "new orchard" when I left, must be called "old" by you now I suppose - I remember every tree in these[?] tend[?]. There must be

be some very grand clumps of evergreens in some parts of the grounds.

By the way do you remember where I buried poor old dog Jule many years ago, among some several small crab apples quite near a large burr oak, a little south west of the willow slough? I planted an evergreen or two over her bones. If the spot is not trodden by cattle please (in case these are dead) put another one there if you know the spot. When I return I must remove her remains to some spot near where we have killed rabbits and quail with her. -

What of Peter Scratch, the "dirt dog" with a tail?

I hope Bruno you are "pitching into" the study too. It is a kind of work often harder at the start than manual labor, but far more necessary too. Ill write longer lectures[?] next winter - Brother Bob.

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