Walt Whitman to Susan Stafford, 3 July [1887]
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Camden
Sunday forenoon July 3
Am feeling poorly to-day—the result of the long spell of hot weather—(two poor little babies have died from it in this block the last week)—I send you and George a nice little copy of "Specimen Days"1—
—Love to you all—
—If the weather changes, & I feel better I sh'd like to drive down & stay five or six hours, some day early the coming week—
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Mrs. Susan Stafford Glendale New Jersey
Correspondent:
Susan M. Lamb Stafford
(1833–1910) was the mother of Harry Stafford (1858–1918), who, in
1876, became a close friend of Whitman while working at the printing office of
the Camden New Republic. Whitman regularly visited the
Staffords at their family farm near Kirkwood, New Jersey. Whitman enjoyed the
atmosphere and tranquility that the farm provided and would often stay for weeks
at a time (see David G. Miller, "Stafford, George and Susan M.," Walt Whitman: An
Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings [New York:
Garland Publishing, 1998], 685).
Notes
- 1. The reference is to the English edition of Specimen Days, which he sent to many friends at this time. [back]