December 4, 1994 This morning I met Gertrude at the Ferry building by appointment. She was returning from the Alameda Sanitarium after an operation which removed her tonsils. A month previously she had taken scarlet fever and this later was followed by severe tonsillitis. We took the Sausalito Ferry for Lagunitas, and then the railroad to Lagunitas, but had a change of cars to make, the journey taking 1 1/2 hours from San Francisco. En route, we passed Maillard's place where I had dined in 1901, sixteen years ago. Dr. Merriam met us in his car at Lagunitas and took us up the winding road to his home on a side hill amid the redwoods and oaks. The station of Lagunitas is a lonely little place with one store, a general sort, a schoolhouse and a post office. Only one farm house is at the station. Dr. Merriam's house is well situated in a natural forest of a variety of trees. There has been no landscape gardening about the house and no cutting out of forest trees, except evenough to give space for the house. The house is of redwood with a tavern like living room with a large fireplace and a balcony in the back with bedrooms opening out on it. There is a small office in the back of the house with a fire proof vault in it for manuscripts etc. There are also large verandas with beds on them. There is running water and closets and every convenience and a small garage. Dr. Merriam has no servants, as none will remain in so lonely a place. He does all his own wood chopping and Mrs. Merriam her housework and cooking. I returned to San Francisco on the 5pm train as Gertrude was weak and tired from her tonsil operation.