Charles L. Heyde to Walt Whitman, 8 September 1891
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C Studio 21 Pearl St
Sept. 8. 91
My dearly esteemed Brother and most reliable Friend—
Han1 rec'd your Camden paper, with memorial of yourself, and last contribution2—God bless you Walt. She regrets deeply that she cannot write to you—her fervent emotions,—
Walt she cannot write. She cannot see to thread her needle. Yet she never wearies of speaking of you—She will endeavor to write a postal, to assure you that your letters, with enclosure comes safe to her hands, and that she opens them first—sometimes she hands them to me, afterwards, to read—I am not well—our dear Friend—
C.L. HeydeHave paid my taxes, this year—an assessment for water pipe of 15 dollars is yet unpaid. Could I raise 5 dollars toward it 'twould encourage me much.
Charlie
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Correspondent:
Charles Louis Heyde (ca.
1820–1892), a French-born landscape painter, married Hannah Louisa Whitman
(1823–1908), Walt Whitman's sister, and they lived in Burlington, Vermont.
Charles Heyde was infamous among the Whitmans for his offensive letters and poor
treatment of Hannah. For more information about Heyde, see Steven Schroeder,
"Heyde, Charles Louis (1822–1892)," Walt
Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New
York: Garland Publishing, 1998).
Notes
- 1. Hannah Louisa (Whitman) Heyde (1823–1908), youngest sister of Walt Whitman, married Charles Louis Heyde (ca. 1820–1892), a Pennsylvania-born landscape painter. Charles Heyde was infamous among the Whitmans for his offensive letters and poor treatment of Hannah. Hannah and Charles Heyde lived in Burlington, Vermont. For more, see Paula K. Garrett, "Whitman (Heyde), Hannah Louisa (d. 1908)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]
- 2. Heyde may be referring to Whitman's letter to Hannah dated September 1, 1891. [back]