RK-814

The Youkon Russian Am. New Year's Eve

1861

My Dear Mother,

It is now about 10 o.clock in the evening by your time and I fancy you are all sitting togeth er somewhere, very likely in the dear old parlor - Some of you are thinking of me; you are at some time this evening I'm sure. It is nearly two years since I left home, and all the young folks must have changed a little; But I'd rather think of all as I left you, rather than try to fancy your present appearence.

It is very pleasant for me to believe you are thinking of me - yet I would rather you should think less frequently of me if you do so with pain - I trust however that you have ere this come so to look upon my absence as a matter of course that it does not grieve you as at first.

I sometimes long for home till my heart aches and I think I will not possibly be induced to stay longer than till the fall of 1862 - But when I take a philosophical view of the case I see that I ought probably to stay a fourth winter if I can. - Longer than that I will not stay by any possibility that I can now foresee. And it is possible that I will go home in the fall of 1862 even if I get permission to remain a fourth winter.

You may be sure that all my feelings are in favor of my leaving here soon and I believe it would be for my interest pecuniarily as I would be a year sooner earning money in some way. But I would do a great deal more for zoology by going out in the summer of /63 instead of fall of /62. At least I think so Should

Should I find that my collections are not like to be worth the expense and trouble to others it the expedition costs others, you may be sure Ill carry on for home at the once and as hard as paddles & snow shoes will take me - But I cannot believe that my operation here and on the Anderson will fail of good results - whether the spring at Athabasca is wor worth staying a year for, is the question.

You need not fear my dear Mother, that my long absence will sever or weaken our tie that binds me, ever, so strongly to the good old Home and its inmates. When I think how very very much I love home I sometimes fancy tis a little hard that destiny puts me in a position where I must stay so long away. I believe I never longed for home more strongly than I do now, when ever I will permit myself passion to run uncurbed. But there is a pleasant side to every part

part of my prospects in life and I try to look steadfastly on that. Better, it is, to pine for Home than to have none - or one that is not loved!

I confess that I care perhaps too little for my picuniary prospects. But if pover ty pricks I'll pull, at the spur, not kick like a mule I trust. Meantime I'm doing that I would best like to (but probably could not!) were I worth a fortune.

As far as your fears for my health are concerned; Dismiss them all. Do you remember the puny chap that the least exertion knocked up and that you used to visit at night to see that he was well covered in [a?] warm bed - That Individual has changed his con stitution for that of a nor west voyageur and will undertake to walk all day with a load on his back and at night sleep with one blanket, and the mercury 20[degrees] below zero, as safely as 'tother chap did in his warm bed.

2 Mother

The "hardships" of this "howling wilderness" are I assure you no such terrific things as they are cracked up to be.

For a day or two it has been 40[degrees] below zero yet for two hours each day we have been out playing foot ball abo less warmly dressed than the Major, Charlie and Frank are at this moment probably as they sit in the house at a warm fire. Why this is I cannot tell, or only in part - But I think you will by this time be convinced that your fears for me on account of cold are groundless. Yesterday I went two or three miles to set my traps for a carcajon. I was gone nearly two hours. - The mercury frozen - and I wore thin underclothes a cotten shirt, a capote, moleskin (cotton?) breeches leather shoes, and warm mittens, socks and cap. Nothing more, and had my hands bare will setting my traps - Let the hardiest man