All the papers moved to my house today. Bucke took supper at McAlister's. Letters from Johnston and Wallace to Walt, pathetically here without an owner: Anderton, near Chorley Lancashire, England 15 March 1892 Dear Walt, Just a line or two, my dearest friend, my comrade & father, dearest of all to my soul, to express the triumph & joy & cheer with which I think of you & with which I receive tidings of you. Outwardly sad enough, but deep within my soul I know that all is well & that our last words should be triumph & praise. Day by day I think of you with tenderest sympathy & love. If only I could come for a moment to your bedside & imprint upon your lips a long & loving kiss. Be it as if I were with you, & here upon the paper I send you one as a token of my dearest love. X Wallace Johnston's letter of March 23rd reaches us today, and Wallace's reply to Salter.
Johnston (N.Y.) writes a striking note: 17 Union Square, New York New York, April 2d 1892 Dear Traubel; Loag is here and has told me of your grand time Wed. night. I am so sorry I missed it, but everything was so uncertain and I am so busy that I felt that a good night's rest was the best thing for me. The last postal you sent me is before me and it makes me sad to think that no more will come. What a day that was! In a hundred years not one like it nor will there be in another hundred. Everything was good about it. I liked Harned's speech very much. It was just the thing to say, all was so well said. Dr. Bucke excelled himself and did his subject full justice. But what can we say of Ingersoll? It seemed to me that what he said had been filtering through his brain since that August day in 1888 when I urged him in Saratoga to re-read Leaves of Grass. And it seems now as I think it over that his speech was just such a one as Paul would have made over Jesus if he had lived out his days and Paul had known him in the flesh. Give my love to Harned and with kind remembrances to your wife believe me Most sincerely yours J. H. Johnston