The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 10/10/1882. ¶ ¶ It was a pleasing surprise to me, dear niece, to receive to day the nicely dried plants, collected — I suppose — by you and your brother. As I was only once in your locality, ¶ I got...

Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M100a, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 82.10.10

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Louise Wehl, 1882-10-10. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id//letters/1880-9/1882/82-10-10-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

10/10/1882.

It was a pleasing surprise to me, dear niece, to receive to day the nicely dried plants, collected — I suppose — by you and your brother. As I was only once in your locality,

Louise Wehl was Postmistress at Appila, SA.

I got few plants, merely passing through on my way to the Flinders- & Elders-Ranges.

SA.

It was in the spring also, and I was then only about your age; so the life with all its hopes — many never realized — was yet quite before me. These plants now remind me forcibly of those early days of my wanderings. They are worth to the Gov. Collection here 7/6d; so if you think it worth while to continue collecting, and will keep book about these trifling items of money, I will send a post office order, when ever the value at any time is one £ or more. The form of receipt (to be passed here to the treasury) should be:

Received from Baron Sir F. Von Mueller, M.D., one pound Sterling for dried plants from near Clare.

SA.

£1/—/—

Your Signature

It ought to be a pleasurable occupation for your brother on Sundays after church; but bear in mind as a sensible young Lady, who honorably strikes out a path of her own in the Gov. Service, that that Service must in no way suffer through such byework. I had just a letter this day from your brother Edward also.

Letter not found.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.