Llano County, TX - Letters:  Letter from John H. McLean to Juan F. McLean, 1902
Wednesday, June 12, 2002

Submitted by:  lab@boone.net  (Linda Barton)
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Transcribed from a letter in my possession written to Juan F. McLean of Woolsey, Ga. 
from John H. McLean of Llano, Texas on April 19, 1902.  Written on printed letterhead 
of McLean & Spears Law Offices of Llano, Texas.

                                                       Llano, Texas    April 19, 1902

My Dear Uncle,

     Again it has been longer than I had dreamed of since your letter came, but I am going 
     to lay the weight of the blame on cousin Alice this time.  Tell her that I  have been 
     practicing up on penmanship so that even she might decipher the heiroglyphics.  "So she 
     can read them?"  My letters! - the very idea.  I thought my writing was as legible as
     - as- Horace Greely's any way.  It is true, in order to save time and an unnecessary 
     expenditure of energy, I fail to dot my i's and cross my t's, and in many instances my 
     n's, r's, e's and i's have a mystifying resemblance to each other, but even she ought to 
     be able to supply, by the imagination the cross to a T and the dot to an i.  And it does 
     seem to me that a first rate guleer? grabbler ought to know whether an n is an r or an 
     e is an i.  Anyhow the difficulty is now forever removed for my writing is so plain now 
     and easily read, "that even a --" oh, I mean that "he who runs may read."

     We have been having a most beautiful spring and I wish you could see our country now.  
     We have had rain at the right time and but little cold weather since the spring pretended 
     to open up. The whole country has an air of tropical luxuriance and the whole face of the 
     earth is aglow with the blush of flowers, and the breath of nature is laden with a 
     thousand delicate perfumes and the ear of the universe is filled with the melody of song.  
     If cousin Alice can't read this tell her to come on down and see it and smell it and hear 
     it for herself - it is well worth her while.

     Your letter has gone the entire rounds and we all rejoice that you are recovering 
     strength but deeply regreat the encroaching feebleness of Aunt Mary, and hope by this time 
     she, too, is on the recuperate.  Now that the frost of winter has vanished and life-giving 
     spring is here, you all must inevitably received renewed life and vigor from your favored 
     position at the "top of the world".  No, it is no use for you to try to renew that old 
     controversy with reference to the relative superiority of our respective states.  While 
     we can boast of being the center of the surrounding country, we can lay no claim to being 
     the top of the world.

     Your reminiscences of sixty years ago are fascinating to us.  It seems strange and we can 
     hardly realize in this age of conveniences that there are living men and women whose 
     memory antidates(?) them - all, running back to that period when the qualifications of the 
     school teachers were to teach the three R's, make goose quill pens, and be strong and brave 
     enough to whip the biggest and most unruly boy in school.  In my humble judgement a little 
     muscle is not altogether out of place yet.  Refractory youth in Soloman's time was about 
     the same as it is now.

     I am busy again as is usually the case when I write you, our county court is in session 
     now and our district court convenes May the 1st.  Besides the usual labors incident to 
     courts, I am billed for a commencement address in an adjoining county on May ?th to which 
     I want to devote some time.  A little later on, if I don't forget it, will send you for 
     your criticism the manuscript of the proposed address.  It is to be one of those 
     extemporaneous speeches, based upon a good deal of preparation.  

     All the Llano McLeans and kindred join in sending love to you and yours - our uncles, 
     aunts and cousins.  We are looking forward to the promised visit with much pleasure.  
     I planted an extra supply of watermelons this year.  As for my own individual feelings 
     will say that I am seezed with an insatiable desire to have you visit us again.  I did 
     not get all the good I might have had nor give you all the pleasure I should have given 
     during your visit.  When cousin Alice or Exor comes to see us, I want you to come again 
     - or come by yourself, if you can't come when they do.  I will have you a barrel of 
     Georgia water shipped down.  If you don't come then I am going to take advantage of the 
     first real cheap excursion and go to see you and I will stay a whole lot longer than I 
     did the last time too.

                                      Your affectionate nephew,
                                                 J H McLean