Life & Letters

Correspondence

About this Item

Title: Walt Whitman to Beatrice Gilchrist, 30 August [1878]

Date: August 30, 1878

Whitman Archive ID: hyb.00009

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, Grace Thomas, Anthony Dreesen, Kevin McMullen, Nicole Gray, and Kirsten Clawson



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431 Stevens St Camden New Jersey1
Aug 30 p m

Dear Bee

I send you Edward Carpenter's letter to Herby, as requested—Also H's to me (as he may not have written to you)2—Your E.C.'s letter rec'd this morning—thanks—Nothing very new with me—I continue well—have had the best summer for several years—My brother & sister are well—he, plus—she only measurably. I think Mrs Stafford is only middling—(I havn't been at White Horse now for a fortnight)3—My nieces are still with us (though just now at Atlantic City for a few days)—they return to their school latter part of Sept—Your letter of Aug 12 was rec'd & has been read by all of us4—have you rec'd papers?


W W


Notes:

1. The envelope for this letter bears the address: Beatrice C | Gilchrist M D | New England Hospital for Women | Codman Avenue | Boston Mass:. It is postmarked: Cam(?) | A(?) | 3(?) | N.(?); Boston Mass. | Aug | 31 | (?) | Carrier. [back]

2. Whitman noted receipt of letters from Edward Carpenter and Herbert Gilchrist on August 30 (Whitman's Commonplace Book, Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.). [back]

3. Whitman's most recent visit to the Staffords had been from August 17 to 20 (Whitman's Commonplace Book). [back]

4. On August 12, Beatrice had sent to Whitman a lengthy account of her activities at the New England Hospital for Women, and had also mentioned visits with Joseph B. Marvin and Sidney Morse, who was "working away desperately at the bust of you" (The Letters of Anne Gilchrist and Walt Whitman, ed. Thomas B. Harned [New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1918], 156–158). Whitman received the head from Morse on February 16, 1878: "head rec'd—bad—wretchedly bad" (Whitman's Commonplace Book). [back]


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