Thursday night—9—I am sitting here in the little front room alone—Mrs D[avis]1 has gone to her room—I have had rather a bad day—uncomfortably full feeling & two or three brief pronounced spells of pain & dizziness in the head—but feel ab't as usual to-night—the things & note came all right last evn'g from the Phila. druggist—best thanks— Eakin[s]2 is here to-day painting—weather fine here—Andrew Carnegie3 has sent me his books with friendly inscription—
Friday noon—A fine day—Rose pretty late & have had my breakfast, buckwheat cakes & chocolate—feel pretty well—Shall try to get out a little—out doors looks so attractive—no letters this morning—took some of the bitter water when I got out of bed—no letter has come here for you —Sh'd one come I will mail it to you St A[ugustine]—Did you see O'C[onnor]4 at Wash'n?
Walt WhitmanCorrespondent:
Richard Maurice Bucke (1837–1902) was a
Canadian physician and psychiatrist who grew close to Whitman after reading Leaves of Grass in 1867 (and later memorizing it) and
meeting the poet in Camden a decade later. Even before meeting Whitman, Bucke
claimed in 1872 that a reading of Leaves of Grass led him
to experience "cosmic consciousness" and an overwhelming sense of epiphany.
Bucke became the poet's first biographer with Walt
Whitman (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1883), and he later served as one
of his medical advisors and literary executors. For more on the relationship of
Bucke and Whitman, see Howard Nelson, "Bucke, Richard Maurice," Walt Whitman: An
Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York:
Garland Publishing, 1998).