The Walt Whitman Archive
Life & Letters
Correspondence
About this Item
Title: Walt Whitman to William D. O'Connor, 14 March 1883
Date: March 14, 1883
Whitman Archive ID: nyp.00481
Source: The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, New York Public Library. The transcription presented here is derived from Walt Whitman, The Correspondence, ed. Edwin Haviland Miller (New York: New York University Press, 1961–1977), 3:331–332. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
Contributors to digital file: Kirsten Clawson, Stefan Schoeberlein, Nima Najafi Kianfar, and Nicole Gray
431 Stevens Street
Camden New Jersey1
March 14 '83
Dear friend
Your telegram just rec'd—Your letter rec'd last Monday—I had however sent proofs of the entire Introductory Letter by Sunday night's mail hence in a parcel to Washington—& I have just sent a letter directed to (Acting) Chief Clerk L S S, asking him (if not already done) to forward the parcel to you at Providence—
I last night forwarded proofs of good part of the G[ood] G[ray] P[oet] to you at Providence direct—will forward the rest in a day or two—
I send best love to Nelly, I send best sympathy and love to the dear sufferer Jeannie2—Love too to Dr and Mrs Channing,3 & their children—
Beautiful sunny day here—noon—the window open as I write—Dr B[ucke]'s book is half in type—Send the proofs back soon as convenient—(no immanent hurry)—
Yes, I like the letter very much—
I am well as usual—
Walt Whitman
Notes:
1. This letter is endorsed: "Answ'd March 15/83." It is addressed: Wm D O'Connor | Care of Dr W F Channing | 98 Congdon Street | Providence | Rhode Island | p o box 393. It is postmarked: Philadelphia | Mar | 14 | 7 PM | Pa.; Providence | Mar | 15 | 1 PM | R.I. [back]
2. On March 14, O'Connor reported that his daughter "Jeannie is very ill, confined to her bed, perhaps never to be well again" (see Horace Traubel, With Walt Whitman in Camden, Saturday, March 23, 1889, 407). [back]
3. Mrs. Channing and Mrs. O'Connor were sisters. Whitman visited the Channings in 1868 (see the letters from Whitman to Peter Doyle of October 18, 1868, to Ellen M. O'Connor of October 19, 1868, to Charles W. Eldridge of October 20, 1868, to Abby H. Price of October 21, 1868, and to John Burroughs of October 22, 1868). [back]