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Walt Whitman to Richard W. Colles, 24 August 1886

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Yours of Aug. 8 rec'd—I send (same mail with this, same address) a copy of John Burroughs's book— & can send another. "Leaves of Grass," author's special ed'n—& "Specimen Days" would be £1—s2 (one pound, two shillings [—] the two Vols.)—Sent best by post office order to me here.2 Before you decide to reprint J B's little book write me—there are several things I sh'd like to post you up on—

Walt Whitman

Correspondent:
Richard W. Colles was probably one of the many students of Edward Dowden who became fervid admirers of Whitman. For more, see Philip W. Leon, "Dowden, Edward (1843–1913)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998).


Notes

  • 1. This postal card is addressed: Rich'd W Colles | 122 Tritonville Road | Sandymount | Dublin Ireland. It is postmarked: CAMDEN | AUG | 24 | 12 M | 1886 | N.J.; PHILADELPHIA | AUG | 24 | 1886 | [illegible]; DUBLIN | 4 | SE 3 | 86. [back]
  • 2. On September 18 the poet sent the two books, and on October 18 he forwarded copies of Anne Gilchrist's essays (Whitman's Commonplace Book, Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.). See also the letter from Whitman to Richard W. Colles of November 18, 1886. [back]
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