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Walt Whitman to Alfred Pratt, 28 October 1867

 loc.01561.001.jpg Alfred Pratt,1  
  Dear boy & Comrade,

I have been home to Brooklyn, N. Y. on a visit to my mother, but I am now back here again, and am well as usual, and working in the same place. Your letter of August 15, and the letter of Oct. 2, have both reached me, & I was very glad to hear from you & your folks, & to get such friendly letters. Dear boy, I should like much to pay you a visit, & to be with you  loc.01561.002.jpg for a while, & to become acquainted with your father & mother—it would be a real comfort to me, & I am determined to come one of these days—I often think about it, & about you too, dear friend, & one of these days we will see each other again.

There is nothing very new in my affairs. I have had quite a pleas-ant summer, & now the fall is here—the past three weeks has been splendid weather here, both days & nights—but to-day there is a heavy rain—looks as if it had set in for a long storm—

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—I am living at a boarding house, the same place where you come to see me, but new landlord & landlady2—472 M st.—it is quite pleasant—mostly young people, full of life & gayety—then I go to my work at 9, & leave at 3—so you see it is easy enough—In about three weeks more it will be lively times here in Washington, as Congress is to meet then, & there will be some important questions brought up—but I take all these things very coolly—&, since the war is over, dont​ allow myself to get excited—

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You must write to me often as you can. I shall probably remain here this winter. I wish you to give my love to your father & mother. They do not seem at all like strangers to me.

And now Alfred I must bid you farewell for the present, my loving boy & comrade.—When you write, write to me about the farm, & the farm-life, crops, horses, &c. for I like to hear about such things too.

Walt Whitman.

Notes

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