Letters to a Friend 



southeast wind, cooled among the highest snows 

 of the Sierra, drove back the warm northwest 

 winds from the hot San Joaquin plains and 

 burning foothill woods, and piled up a jagged 

 cloud addition to our valley walls. Soon those 

 white clouds began to darken and to reach out 

 long filmy edges which, uniting over the valley, 

 made a close, dark ceiling. Then came rain, 

 unsteady at first, now a heavy gush, then a 

 sprinkling halt, as if the clouds so long out of 

 practice had forgotten something, but after 

 half an hour of experimental pouring and 

 sprinkling there came an earnest, steady, well- 

 controlled rain. 



On the mountain the rain soon turned to 

 snow and some half-melted flakes reached the 

 bottom of the valley. This morning Starr King 

 and Tissiack and all the upper valley are white. 



[1873.] 



[Beginning of letter missing.] 

 I had a grand ramble in the deep snow out 

 side the valley and discovered one beautiful 

 [ i59] 



