Our friend H.L.T.2 set rather a bad precedent immediately after my coming here!3 For 3 days in succession he wrote each day to the Dr.4 & to me. But yesterday no letter came at all. Of course, this was only what one could reasonably expect, but after so much pampering & indulgence one becomes unreasonable. And, as he said in his last letter that you had reported a miserable day, I cannot help feeling anxious about you. However, loc_vm.00906_large.jpg the morning's mail will soon be here, & we shall perhaps hear something of you—or, more probably this afternoon.
I intended to write to you last night but hadn't a good opportunity.
Yesterday morning was a little showery, but warm. Dr. & I drove down to town, & amongst other things called at Edy's.5 The photo taken of Dr. the other day was not a success (Dr. had moved) so he had to sit again, & two negatives were taken.
Yesterday afternoon the annual Athletic Sports were held here, on the grounds in front of the Refractory Wards.6 The weather loc_vm.00907_large.jpg turned out gloriously fine, & the sports were very successful & went off without any hitch. Quite a crowd of spectators, officials, employe's, patients, &c, & the whole scene was very pretty & picturesque. The patients were entirely well behaved & all seemed more or less happy.—The relationship between all classes entirely human, simple & kind.
The Revd Mr. Richardson7 had promised to come, & I had quite looked forward to meeting him as the chief event of the day for me. I knew that he had met you here—is mentioned in Dr's book—& hoped to get some reminiscences & facts from him. But I was disappointed. He was very pleasant & kind, & I had quite a long talk with him, loc_vm.00908_large.jpg but found at the close that I had got nothing of any importance. God speed him & good wishes to him!
Quite a lot of people here to tea.—Rev.d & Mrs Richardson, another Rev.d ("Short'8?)—Drs brother, W.J. Gurd,9 Mrs10 & Miss Bucke11 from London, another niece—also Miss Bucke12—& two or three little girls.13
Drs brother14 & W.J. Gurd had just returned from a month's "camping" in Muskoka & were quite enthusiastic about it. Some talk too of Canadian politics, English ditto, which I quietly listened to & noted.—
Later four of us drove off in carriage—Dr. calling in at Dr. Sippi's15—I going on to town with loc_vm.00909_large.jpg his brother, & W.J.G. & afterwards driving back to Sippi's for Dr. most lovely moonlight night—Jupiter large, lustrous, regal. Arriving at home Dr. got his glass out—could see three of Jupiter's moons,—one with the naked eye.
This morning eventful to the household here—Pardee16 went away @ 8 o'clock for Toronto. a youth from Toronto—(Archie17—the Inspector's son)—who has been staying here for 7 weeks—along with him. Miss Gurd18 (Mrs B's cousin) to Sarnia19 Mrs B. with her for the day.
loc_vm.00910_large.jpgJust as I had finished the foregoing Dr called for me to accompany him to town, & brought me two letters from Traubel. I was delighted to find that you had been out on Sunday with beneficial results.
What a wonderful fellow H.L.T. is! That he should be a devoted son to you is not surprising; but that he should be so zealous, ardent, & affectionate towards us is astonishing! I wonder continually how he gets time for all his work, & energy to support him through it all. But he is a true son of yours in his generous comradeship.
He forwarded me a letter loc_vm.00911_large.jpg from my old school chum, & dear friend always, Fred Wild.20 "Tell Walt," he says, "that I love him all the time." And that he means it, from the bottom of his heart, I know very well.
I write this @ 1.30 pm. Day gloriously fine—sky almost cloudless.—I wish you were here to sit on the Verandah & to look out on the beautiful grounds in front, with their dappled shade & sunshine.
But the messenger will be here soon, & as I want to write to Traubel before he comes I will close.
With a heart full of love to you always, & all good wishes,
Yours affectionately, J.W. Wallace loc_vm.00912_large.jpg loc_vm.00913_large.jpg loc_vm.00914_large.jpg loc_vm.00903_large.jpg see notes Sept. 21 1891 loc_vm.00904_large.jpgCorrespondent:
James William Wallace
(1853–1926), of Bolton, England, was an architect and great admirer of
Whitman. Wallace, along with Dr. John Johnston (1852–1927), a physician in
Bolton, founded the "Bolton College" of English admirers of the poet. Johnston
and Wallace corresponded with Whitman and with Horace Traubel and other members
of the Whitman circle in the United States, and they separately visited the poet
and published memoirs of their trips in John Johnston and James William Wallace,
Visits to Walt Whitman in 1890–1891 by Two
Lancashire Friends (London: Allen and Unwin, 1917). For more
information on Wallace, see Larry D. Griffin, "Wallace, James William (1853–1926)," Walt
Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New
York: Garland Publishing, 1998).