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William D. O'Connor to Walt Whitman, 24 June 1882

 loc.03047.001_large.jpg see notes Dec 21st 1888 Dear Walt:

I have your postal of the 22nd, together with the Press notice. Beautiful! Who is the lady?

After much cogitation, I have judged it prudent to withhold any reply to "Sigma," at any rate until next week. We will see whether  loc.03047.002_large.jpg the Sunday Tribune has anything from anybody.

My aim is to attack Marston, terribly, and I don't want to be led off into a side show by an anonymunculus, like "Sigma," if I can help it. I am trying to accumulate materials for the next assault, and have written in  loc.03047.003_large.jpg several directions, among others to George Chainey. Do you see what the scoundrel postmaster at Boston, Tobey, has done to him—stopped his lecture on you and your book!1 After stopping the book, they will stop discussion! Here is a text. It will go hard if I cannot  loc.03047.004_large.jpg make such a cloud belch thunder.

I have written to Chainey for full particulars.

Don't forget to tell me the price of your book when you write next. Did you send one to Professor Loomis?

Goodbye Faithfully W. D. O'Connor. Mr. Walt Whitman.

Notes

  • 1. O'Connor meant the sending of the printed lecture through the mail (see the letter from Whitman to George Chainey of June 26, 1882). [back]
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