Walt Whitman to John H. Johnston, 28 August 1883

About This Item

Title: Walt Whitman to John H. Johnston, 28 August 1883
Date: August 28, 1883
Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Whitman Archive ID: uva.00450
Source: Papers of Walt Whitman (MSS 3829), Clifton Waller Barrett Library of American Literature, Albert H. Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia. The transcription presented here is derived from Walt Whitman, The Correspondence, ed. Edwin Haviland Miller (New York: New York University Press, 1961–1977), 348. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
Contributors to digital file: Stefan Schoeberlein Kirsten Clawson Nima Najafi Kianfar Nicole Gray
Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Walt Whitman to John H. Johnston, 28 August 1883." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 17 April 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
Source File: uva.00450.xml (TEI)

Germantown Phila: Aug: 28 '83 Dear friend

I have been out here 9 or 10 miles from Phil. City Hall all this month at a very secluded place—good quarters, very quiet—on a visit to an old Quaker friend—his large family are all away at Newport—he is absent all day down town at business—& I have the whole premises, house, horse & carriage when I want, large garden, library &c to myself—good grub—with every afternoon a long & delightful drive exploring this beautiful region for miles and miles, Chestnut Hill, Indian Rock, the whole Wissahickon area, &c &c.

I have rec'd (June,1 July, &c) your and Alma's hospitable & affectionate letters, invitations—& I ought to be kicked for not answering them before—but "you know what a wretch I am about such things"—never mind, I appreciate them gratefully—I am well as usual this summer—nothing very new ab't my books or literary fortunes—

I shall make a permanent move from Camden before many months—as my brother's folks are ab't changing to new quarters at Burlington N J—& I shall not accompany them—I don't know where I shall go.

What a glorious summer we have had!—Never one so fine, seems to me—Best love to you all—Specially Alma and Albert.

Walt Whitman

Notes

1. On June 13 Johnston invited Whitman to meet Grover Cleveland, then governor of New York and "a great admirer of Walt Whitman": "It will boom another edition for you sure pop, and I hope you will come right over and smell the June roses with us." [back]