Letters to a Friend 



truth concerning snow-structure and three con 

 cerning the forms of forest trees. 



These earthquakes have made me immensely 

 rich. I had long been aware of the life and gentle 

 tenderness of the rocks, and, instead of walk 

 ing upon them as unfeeling surfaces, began to 

 regard them as a transparent sky. Now they 

 have spoken with audible voice and pulsed with 

 common motion. This very instant, just as my 

 pen reached "and" on the third line above, my 

 cabin creaked with a sharp shock and the oil 

 waved in my lamp. 



We had several shocks last night. I would 

 like to go somewhere on the west South Ameri 

 can coast to study earthquakes. I think I could 

 invent some experimental apparatus whereby 

 their complicated phenomena could be sepa 

 rated and read, but I have some years of ice 

 on hand. J T is most ennobling to find and feel 

 that we are constructed with reference to these 

 noble storms, so as to draw unspeakable enjoy 

 ment from them. Are we not rich when our 

 six-foot column of substance sponges up heaven 

 [ 160] 



