In 1875 Henry, the 4-year-old son of renowned American landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, missed his dog, Quiz. He wrote a letter to his dad asking him to send the family pet to Massachusetts, where he and his mother were visiting family friends. Olmsted's reply reveals his playful side and his love for his son.
Dear Henry:
The cats keep coming into the yard, six of them every day, and Quiz drives them out. If I should send Quiz to you to drive the cows away from your rhubarb he would not be here to drive the cats out of the yard. If six cats should keeping coming into the yard every day and not go out, in a week there would be 42 of them and in a month 180 and before you came back next November 1260. Then if there should be 1260 cats in the yard before next November half of them at least would have kittens and if half of them should have 6 kittens apiece, there would be more than 5000 cats and kittens in the yard...
Read the rest of Olmsted's charming letter to Henry at the always interesting Futility Closet.
Thanks Bruce!
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