I think every hour of the day, (& night too when awake) of Hattie—& of how it must be there with you & Jess1—but keep on much the same, with my doings & affairs—
—I know well enough, dear brother, how gloomy & blank all must be to you & Jess.
—I wish I could do something to help—
W W mhs.00022.002_large.jpgCorrespondent:
Thomas Jefferson Whitman
(1833–1890), known as "Jeff," was Walt Whitman's favorite brother. As a
civil engineer, Jeff eventually became Superintendent of Water Works in St.
Louis and a nationally recognized figure. For more on Jeff, see Randall Waldron,
"Whitman, Thomas Jefferson (1833–1890)," Walt
Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New
York: Garland Publishing, 1998).