I felt my Book1 would not be complete with out at least one or two of your letters and
though I have some 30 or 40 to myself & mother hardly any of them are suitable
(for one reason or another) for publication. I therefore asked W M Rossetti2 if he (on reading my M.S.S.)
could look out two of your most characteristic letters: he has kindly done so; sending me last night one written by you Dec: '77 about loc.02176.002_large.jpg W.R.'s Selection,3 in which you speak against an expurgated editon
etc:
Rossetti speaks of it as "an uncommonly good letter." And I indeed, think it manly and characteristic and also a letter of considerable literary interest, one that will help the readers to understand you; hence, I shall venture to print it in my Book, unless I have a letter or telegram to the contrary from you.
What I wrote about Dr. B.4 sings discordantly in my ears—but in truth I was and
am angry at his cool request to hand over your letters (& mothers) to him: his
injudicious literary zeal does you and every body else harm loc.02176.003_large.jpg however, I will
say no more on this head.
My M.S. has been cast & makes 430 pages!
I am very busy
With love to you & friends Yours affectionately Herbert Harlakenden GilchristCorrespondent:
Herbert Harlakenden Gilchrist
(1857–1914), son of Alexander and Anne Gilchrist, was an English painter
and editor of Anne Gilchrist: Her Life and Writings
(London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1887). For more information, see Marion Walker Alcaro,
"Gilchrist, Herbert Harlakenden (1857–1914)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D.
Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998).