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Walt Whitman to James R. Osgood & Company, 10 December 1881

 yal.00113.001_large.jpg Dear Sirs

Please send me here by express fifteen free copies Leaves of Grass for my disposal to editors, for notice—will send you list as disposed—Send also in same parcel thirty sets of the sheets of the new poems printed on one side—(see that both sheets are sent)—

Then another thing: I have a few copies remaining (between one & two hundred sets) of my old $10 centennial authographic two-Volume personal edition of L of G.​ , moderately sought after by collectors and specialists mostly in England—which I should like to sell whenever applied to—price $10— yal.00113.002_large.jpg yal.00113.003_large.jpgYou have no objections to my selling them? I dont think it would affect the new edition the slightest unfavorably—probably indeed do more good than harm to it—but is not of much importance any how—only (to me) as putting a few dollars in my pocket now & then—which I need—

Shall not sell them if you object1

Walt Whitman  yal.00113.004_large.jpg

Notes

  • 1. The firm granted both of Whitman's requests on December 13, and included a list of thirty-eight newspapers and magazines to which review copies had been sent. [back]
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