The Walt Whitman Archive
Life & Letters
Correspondence
About this Item
Title: Walt Whitman to Beatrice Gilchrist, 21 September [1877]
Date: September 21, 1877
Whitman Archive ID: hyb.00006
Source: Walt Whitman Collection, 1842–1957, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania; The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Transcribed from digital images or a microfilm reproduction of the original item. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
Notes for this letter were created by Whitman Archive staff and/or were derived from Walt Whitman, The Correspondence, ed. Edwin Haviland Miller, 6 vols. (New York: New York University Press, 1961–1977), and supplemented or updated by Whitman Archive staff.
Contributors to digital file: Alicia Bones, Anthony Dreesen, Eder Jaramillo, Kevin McMullen, Nicole Gray, and Kirsten Clawson
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Camden
Friday
afternoon Sept 211
Dear Bee
Your letter came an hour ago, & we have all read it with deepest interest—praying that all will go well with your dearest mother—& having no doubt it will—Hattie has been quite unwell for two nights, & yesterday—a sort of Cholera morbus & fever—but is pretty well to-day,—is dress'd & down stairs again—the rest all well—
—I rec'd a letter from Herby—he said he had written to you all, at the same time with mine—He had arrived at Esopus, & was having good times—
—As I was down by the market here three hours ago I met Mr Stafford, & have had a talk & a short ride with him—he came up with a load of cabbages, which he sold, & has just started for home—All are well, (although Mrs S is hardly so, either, I think overworked & too much tasked & nervous)2
—I have rec'd I think from Edw'd Carpenter the Daily News (London) with a long very fine resumé-article on Thiers—which I will bring or send you, for yourself & (by & by) your mother's reading—
—I am feeling comfortable—go out some hours every day, enjoying the fine Sept: weather—
Affectionately
W.W.
Notes:
1. The envelope for this letter bears the address: Miss Beatrice Gilchrist | 1929 North 22d Street | Philadelphia. It is postmarked: Camden | Sep | 21 | N.J.; Philad'a, Pa. | Sep | 21 | 9 PM | Rec'd. [back]
2. On the same day Whitman recorded in his Commonplace Book: "Saw Geo Staf[ford] at the market, (sent the little dinner basket to Ruth—Geo: wanted me to go down with him)" (Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.). [back]