San Luis Obispo
April 22d, 1870


My dear Anne,

My dear, I have not yet mustered up sufficient courage to write to my dear mother. I write to you now simply to satisfy your natural anxiety about Alex's health. He is still indoors; comes to the corridor of the garden to sit awhile during the warmth of the day; but he is very weak. Some days he appears to be mending; at others stationary. He has had no crises since I wrote to you. I cannot say that there is a very immediate danger, but there is no question but that he must get better soon, and be able to move to a warmer atmosphere, or else he cannot stand it, and must succumb. He has good attendance, and his wife takes good care of him. He still attends to the Express matters in his back room; but does not come to the business part of the establishment. He cannot. I see him every day, but do not stay to talk with him much. I have opportunities constantly, of course, to hear of him. He has plenty of help to attend to his business.

I send you tomorrow's Tribune. Shall I continue to send it? I send you a picture of my baby, James Alfred. I think I only sent you one of Walter before.

Tell my mother that I will write to her fully in a day or two. You cannot either of you imagine how much of my time is occupied. If I only had method, I could make money, combined with a little economy, but as it is, I am all the time busy, but do not progress. I never learned method at home, and after experience has not implanted it in me.

The weather is very fine here now. You would hardly believe that I have an acre of barley behind my house which in two weeks time will be fit to cut for hay, and that further on, in the Priest's garden, there are several acres already cut and cocked.

Let me call your attention to an article in the "Tribune" I send herewith, on [the] American Free School System. I expect that some of my utterances will shock you somewhat, and that my language at times appears to you rough, but I publish a paper to suit the community I live in, and I am generally commended. All I complain of is lack of cash.

Expecting to hear from you soon, and promising that you shall soon see my handwriting again, through my mother, I remain, my dear Anne,

Your affectionate brother

Walter Murray

P S I am momentarily expecting the stage, or would write more WM