Your 'Nov Boughs'1 is recieved, and was appreciated most highly—I assure you. But
this is quite rudely dashed by a debilitating sickness, which her physicians
pronounce severe jaundice, and which the utmost care to ensure her early
recovery—We brought her bed down in our best room—She is looking much
emaciated, but is made more comfortable by the change. She has allways rallied so
effectualy from former attacks, relying solely upon duk.00409.002_large.jpg upon her hereditary constitution
that I was greatly surprised and overcome—She recieved the 1 dollar—this
necessiates the aid of a little more money—say to buy ½ ton of coal, and
other necessaries, perhaps, say 5 dollars, and if George2 could add as much more, so
much better—one doctor says she will improve in a short time, the other is
not so certain. Should mail any money, I would be glad that it be addressed to the
care of G. W. Beckwith, Post Master—cause, she was very nervous when she discovered
that I had written to you some time ago, and this must be avoided—Kind neighbors
are near her—I will inform you daily of her condition—she had just laid, or changed
her carpet for the winter—
Correspondent:
Charles Louis Heyde (ca.
1820–1892), a French-born landscape painter, married Hannah Louisa Whitman
(1823–1908), Walt Whitman's sister, and they lived in Burlington, Vermont.
Charles Heyde was infamous among the Whitmans for his offensive letters and poor
treatment of Hannah. For more information about Heyde, see Steven Schroeder,
"Heyde, Charles Louis (1822–1892)," Walt
Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New
York: Garland Publishing, 1998).