Introduction 



much surprised to see him. Mrs. Hodgson was 

 in her garden and he recognized her, though 

 the years had ahered her appearance. Let us 

 give his own account of the meeting: "I asked 

 her if she knew me. 'No, I don't,' she said; 

 *tell me your name.' 'Muir,' I repHed. 'John 

 Muir? My California John Muir?' she almost 

 screamed. I said, 'Yes, John Muir; and you 

 know I promised to return and visit you in 

 about twenty-five years, and though I am a 

 little late — six or seven years — I've done 

 the best I could.' The eldest boy and girl re-- 

 membered the stories I told them, and when 

 they read about the Muir Glacier they felt sure 

 it must have been named for me. I stopped at 

 Archer about four hours, and the way we talked 

 over old times you may imagine." From Sa- 

 vannah, on the same trip, he wrote: "Here is 

 where I spent a hungry, weary, yet happy week 

 camping in Bonaventure graveyard thirty-one 

 years ago. Many changes, I am told, have 

 been made in its graves and avenues of late, and 

 how many in my life!" 



[ xxiv ] 



