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Burlington VT1
Aug 6 1891
Mr Walt Whitman
Dear sir—
I have visited your sister Mrs Heyde2 nearly every day of late
but do not consider her dangerously ill.
She is now beginning to eat again and will soon be all right—Mr Heyde3 is evidently
drinking heavily and no reliance whatever to be placed upon him;
Mrs Heyde has plenty of money at present, having some 60$
in all—She is afraid Mr Heyde writes
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in a begging sort of way. She says you must pay no attention
to his demanding
Your sisters trouble is wholly with her stomach. Often has
catarrhal attack which produce jaundice and indigestion—
She will be well as usual again soon—
Respectfully Yours
L. M. Bingham
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Correspondent:
Dr. Leroy Monroe Bingham
(1845–1911) graduated from Bellevue Medical College in New York in 1870
and moved to Burlington, Vermont, in 1874. After the death of Dr. Samuel W.
Thayer in 1882, Bingham began treating Whitman's sister, Hanna Louisa Whitman
Heyde. According to the Vermont Medical Monthly, "From
about 1878, for a period of 20 years, he was one of the most active and the best
known surgeons in Vermont" (Volume 17, Issue 12 [December 15, 1911]), 306. For
more information, see William B. Atkinson, M.D., The
Physicians and Surgeons of the United States (Philadelphia: Charles
Robson, 1878), 375. Whitman sent a copy of his book, Complete
Poems & Prose (1888), a volume he often referred to as the "big
book," to Dr. Bingham on November 3, 1891. Bingham thanked Whitman for the
volume in his letter to the poet of November 16,
1891.
Notes
- 1. This letter is addressed: Mr
Walt Whitman | Camden | New Jersey. It is postmarked: BINGHAMVILLE | AUG | 7 |
1891 | V T.; | CH[illegible]R | AUG | 7 |
1891 | V T.; | CAMDEN, N.J. | AUG | 9 | 9AM | 1891 | REC'D.; | CAMDEN, N.J. |
AUG | 9 | 9AM | 1891 | REC'D. [back]
- 2. Hannah Louisa Whitman Heyde
(1823–1908) was the fourth child of Walter and Louisa Whitman and Walt
Whitman's youngest sister. Hannah was named for her paternal grandmother, Hannah
Brush Whitman (1753–1834), and her mother, Louisa Van Velsor Whitman
(1795–1873). Although Walt Whitman had a close relationship with his
younger brother Jeff Whitman, Hannah was his favorite, most beloved sibling.
Until she married, Hannah lived at home with her parents and her brothers.
Educated at the Hempstead Academy, Hannah taught school in rural Long Island. On
March 23, 1852, Hannah married Charles Louis Heyde (ca. 1820–1892), a
landscape painter. It is possible that Walt introduced Hannah to Charles. In
August 1852 the Heydes departed for Vermont. The first decade of their marriage
was marked by constant moving from boarding houses to hotels, mostly in rural
Vermont, as Heyde sought out vantage points for his landscape paintings. In 1864
the Heydes settled in Burlington, purchasing a house on Pearl Street. After
Hannah's marriage and relocation to Vermont, Mother Whitman became Hannah's
faithful correspondent; Walt also kept in touch, sending letters and editions of
Leaves of Grass after publication. Hannah faced
several health crises during her marriage, partly due to the ongoing trauma of
emotional, verbal, and physical intimate partner violence that she experienced.
In the 1880s and 1890s Heyde increasingly had difficulty earning enough to cover
household expenses; in addition, he may have become an alcoholic. He repeatedly
asked Whitman for funds to cover their expenses. Whitman sent both Heyde and
Hannah small amounts of money. After Heyde died in 1892, Hannah remained in
Burlington, living in their house on Pearl Street until her death in 1908. For
more information, 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]
- 3. 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). [back]