Thomas Jefferson Whitman to Walt Whitman, 11 February 1873

St. Louis, Feb 11th /73 Dear Walt

Yours received last night1—We were all sorry to hear that you had had such a bad turn2—and glad enough to hear that you were gaining—

Mattie is about the same as when I last wrote—she is not failing so badly now—last night she rested better—did not seem to have quite so much pain

Still I do not think that she can be said to gain any—only she is not failing so fast and that is a great comfort—The last two days have been damp and cold and rainy so that makes it bad—I do hope dear Walt you will be able to come and see her—if [sic] would be a great comfort to her—

She sends you love and so dear brother do I

Jeff

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Notes

• 1. Walt Whitman's letter of about February 9 is not extant; it is also not listed among the poet's lost letters (Edwin Haviland Miller, ed., The Correspondence [New York: New York University Press, 1961-77], 2:363). [back]
• 2. See Thomas Jefferson Whitman to Walt Whitman, 7 February 1873. [back]