Thewholebottomofthevalleyisfullofvariousstreamspostingbetweenstripsofforestwithabravesoundofwaters。Inoneplacewehadaglimpseofafallsomewayhigherup，andthensparklinginsunlightinthemidstofthegreenvalley。Thenupbyawindingpathscarceaccessibletoahorseforsteepness，totheotherside，andtheopencocoanutgladesoftheplantation。Herewerodefast，didamightysatisfactoryafternoon’sworkattheplantationhouse，andstillfasterback。OnthereturnJackfellwithme，butgotupagain；whenIfelthimrecoveringIgavehimhishead，andheshovedhisfootthroughtherein；Igothimbythebithowever，andallwaswell；hehadmudoverallhisface，buthiskneeswerenotbroken。Wewerescarcehomewhentherainbeganagain；thatwasluck。Itispouringnowintorrents；weareintheheightofthebadseason。LloydleavesalongwiththisletteronachangetoSanFrancisco；hehadmuchneedofit，butIthinkthiswillbracehimup。Iam，asyousee，atowerofstrength。IcanrememberridingnotsofarandnotnearsofastwhenIfirstcametoSamoa，andbeingshatterednextdaywithfatigue；nowIcouldnottellIhavedoneanything；havere-handledmybattleofFangaliiaccordingtoyesterday’sinformation-fourpagesrewritten；andwrittenalreadysomehalf-dozenpagesofletters。
Iobservewithdisgustthatwhileofyore，whenIownIwasguilty，youneversparedmeabuse，butnow，whenIamsovirtuous，whereisthepraise？DoadmitthatIhavebecomeanexcellentletter-writer-atleasttoyou，andthatyouringratitudeisimbecile-Yoursever，R。L。S。
MYDEARCOLVIN，-Noletteratallfromyou，andthisscratchfromme！Hereisayearthatopensill。Lloydisoffto’thecoast’sick-THECOASTmeansCaliforniaovermostofthePacific-Ihavebeendownallmonthwithinfluenza，andamjustrecovering-Iamoverlaidwithproofs，whichIamjustabouthalffittoattendto。Oneofmyhorsesdiedthismorning，andanotherisnowdyingonthefrontlawn-Lloyd’shorseandFanny’s。Suchismyquarrelwithdestiny。ButI
ammendingfamously，comeandgoonthebalcony，haveperfectlygoodnights，andthoughIstillcough，havenooppressionandnohemorrhageandnofever。SoifIcanfindtimeandcouragetoaddnomore，youwillknowmynewsisnotaltogetheroftheworst；ayearortwoago，andwhatastateIshouldhavebeeninnow！Yoursilence，Iown，ratheralarmsme。ButItellmyselfyouhavejustmiscarried；hadyoubeentooilltowrite，someonewouldhavewrittenme。
Understand，IsendthisbriefscratchnotbecauseIamunfittowritemore，butbecauseIhave58galleysoftheWRECKER