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


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