Life & Letters

Correspondence

About this Item

Title: Walt Whitman to George and Susan Stafford, 10 June [1880]

Date: June 10, 1880

Whitman Archive ID: loc.03896

Source: The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Transcribed from digital images or a microfilm reproduction of the original item. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.

Contributors to digital file: Eder Jaramillo, Nima Najafi Kianfar, Stefan Schöberlein, and Nicole Gray



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London Ontario Canada
June 101

I have now been a week in Canada enjoying every thing quietly but finely—I live much outdoors—go riding or some short jaunt or around the farm, most [every?] day—I have a good room—good table [illegible] [plenty?] of young folks (young ladies) & a small army of fine children—a large, quiet library—but the best thing is my hostess, one of those blessed sisterly women I have had the good luck to meet in life's grim journey & have for a friend, more than once—Canada is a far finer country than I supposed—very fair land, the people nicely off—I see none very poor—I remain well for me—am to go to Lake Huron next week for a few days, to return here of course—Harry dear boy, how are you? & Mont2 and Van3 and Debby4—Love to all—


W W


Notes:

1. George Stafford (1827–1892) was the father of Harry Stafford, a young man whom Whitman befriended in 1876 in Camden. Harry's parents, George and Susan Stafford, were tenant farmers at White Horse Farm near Kirkwood, New Jersey, where Whitman visited them on several occasions. For more on Whitman and the Staffords, see David G. Miller, "Stafford, George and Susan M.," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]

2. Montgomery Stafford (1862–1925) was one of Harry Stafford's brothers. [back]

3. Van Doran Stafford (1864–1914) was one of Harry Stafford's brothers. [back]

4. Deborah Stafford (1860–1945) was the sister of Harry Stafford. She married Joseph Browning. See Daybooks and Notebooks, ed. William White (New York: New York University Press, 1978), 1:35. [back]


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