The Walt Whitman Archive
Life & Letters
Correspondence
About this Item
Title: Thomas Jefferson Whitman to Louisa Van Velsor Whitman, 11 February 1873
Date: February 11, 1873
Whitman Archive ID: loc.00464
Source: Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. The transcription presented here is derived from Thomas Jefferson Whitman, Dear Brother Walt: The Letters of Thomas Jefferson Whitman, ed. Dennis Berthold and Kenneth M. Price (Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1984), 156. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
Contributors to digital file: Elizabeth Lorang, Kathryn Kruger, and April Lambert
St. Louis,
Feb 11th /73
Dear Mother
Mattie is about the same—she has not failed so much within the last few days—indeed I do not know but that she feels a little better—but she is weaker—yet does not suffer so much If the weather should prove good I hope she may still gain again—yet the Dr gives no hope—if she can keep up till Walt gets well enough to come to see her I should rejoice
I received your letter this morning dear Mother—I knew you would all feel badly—but as Mattie was failing so very rapidly I then thought she would not live even a day—I cannot say that Mattie worries much about the children—the fact is that she has been sick so long and suffered so much that I do not think she appreciates how near the end is
If there is any change I will write immediately. Love to all
affectionately Jeff