Charles L. Heyde to Walt Whitman, 2 January 1890

 duk.00419.001_large.jpg U.A WOODBURY PROP. Van Ness and American Hotels L.S. DREW H.N. CLARK MANAGERS Burlington Vt. Van Ness House The Van Ness House has a Safety Hydraulic Passenger Elevator Fire Escape and the Grinell Automatic Sprinkler  
  Fine Views of the Lakes and Mountains from all parts of the House. Burlington Vt. Jany 2d 1890.

Just as crept into my bed last Eveng—Han1 called to me saying that she just got a letter from Walt2 and he had enclosed 2 dollars in it for me.—Well I felt quite elated, it just met a necessity—our milk tickets had run out—item 50 cents, and we have such a good milkman, brings Han a quart a day, Jersey stock  duk.00419.002_large.jpg fresh—sweet—how nice Charlie, she says, I do like our milkman—A'int Walt Clever" she queries I assure you that I agree with her, our good, best friend—She is growing stronger every day—

Weather mild—rainy—I rather hope to sell a painting soon—but the world is now full of paintings, controlled by dealers—galleries crowded. How fortunate that we have a homestead, and so pleasantly located—so desirable——I wrote to George3 for a small amount, 5 dollars, for winter, no reply——I shall crowd through—pretty Square—I am mortified to beg, so—I appreciate your good will.

Charlie—

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Notes

• 1. Hannah Louisa (Whitman) Heyde (1823–1908), youngest sister of Walt Whitman, married Charles Louis Heyde (1822–1890), a French-born landscape painter. For more, see Paula K. Garrett, "Whitman (Heyde), Hannah Louisa (d. 1908)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]
• 2. See Whitman's letter to Hannah Whitman Heyde of December 13, 1889. [back]
• 3. George Washington Whitman (1829–1901) was the sixth child of Louisa Van Velsor Whitman and ten years Walt Whitman's junior. George enlisted in 1861 and remained on active duty until the end of the Civil War. He was wounded in the First Battle of Fredericksburg (December 1862) and was taken prisoner during the Battle of Poplar Grove (September 1864). As a Civil War correspondent, Walt wrote warmly about George's service, such as in "Our Brooklyn Boys in the War" (January 5, 1863); "A Brooklyn Soldier, and a Noble One" (January 19, 1865); "Return of a Brooklyn Veteran" (March 12, 1865); and "Our Veterans Mustering Out" (August 5, 1865). After the war, George returned to Brooklyn and began building houses on speculation, with partner Mr. Smith and later a mason named French. George also took a position as inspector of pipes in Brooklyn and Camden. Walt and George lived together for over a decade in Camden, but when Walt decided not to move with George and his wife Louisa in 1884, a rift occurred that was ultimately not mended before Walt's 1892 death. For more information on George Washington Whitman, see Martin G. Murray, "Whitman, George Washington," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]