Walt Whitman to Louisa Van Velsor Whitman, 30–31 August 1868 a machine readable transcription Walt Whitman Kenneth M. Price Ed Folsom Transcription and encoding The Walt Whitman Archive Staff Center for Digital Research in the Humanities, University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Iowa National Historical Publications and Records Commission 2010 The Walt Whitman Archive
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 duk.00653 The following are responsible for particular readings or for changes to this file, as noted: Kenneth M. Price Elizabeth Lorang Zachary King Eric Conrad Walt WhitmanEdwin Haviland Miller The Correspondence New York New York University Press 1961–19772 41–42 Walt Whitman Walt Whitman to Louisa Van Velsor Whitman, 30–31 August 1868 August 30–31, 1868 II-9B The Trent Collection of Whitmaniana, Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library Walt Whitman Louisa Van Velsor Whitman added schematron declaration blessed checked encoded extracted transcription from Major Authors cd Attorney General's Office, Washington. Sunday forenoon, August 30, 1868. Dearest mother—

Well, here I am, sitting alone in the office, Sunday, writing again to you, dear mother. I rec'd your letter last week, all right. It is pleasant weather here, but warm—we had a heavy rain night before last, which laid the dust. There is nothing new with me, or in the office. Mr. Evarts still remains away, up on his farm at Windsor, Vermont, with his family. Ashton runs the office—Mrs. A. returned to Washington last evening, after two months' absence—she left her little boy in New York—she is not well.

The O'Connors expect to move the coming week—They have got a nice little new house, two story, five rooms—it is about four or five blocks from where I live—they pay $30 a month—They are all well as usual—the Burroughs's the same—

You would be amused to see some of the visitors I have now & then—One was a middle-aged, brown-complexioned lady, a great spiritualist & lecturess—she broke off in the midst of the conversation—then after a while told me that she had been spoken to by the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, and begged me to excuse her, as she wanted to talk with that speritspirit—I politely told her I would excuse her under the circumstances—& off she went.

Then another day a tall well-drestwell-dressed man, a perfect stranger, came, & said he had seen a good deal about me in the papers—said he had been an officer in the army—& wanted me to get him a place under government, as he was hard up—I got rid of him as gently as I could—but yesterday he came again & wanted me to let him have $10!—So you see my official life, with all its monotony, is not without a little fun, now & then, for a change.

Then I must tell you that a lady, a Mrs. McKnight, looks & acts quite a good deal like our Mary, has called upon me, a few days since—& I will tell you what for. She is quite a portrait painter, & very ambitious of being a first-rate artist. At present she seems to be tolerably good. Two of her pictures I have seen, are real good—Well she wants to make a portrait of my beautiful countenance for herself to keep, & came to ask me to sit for her—Well I consented—but don't think I shall begin until I return from my leave—So you see I have visitors & applications of all sorts—

 Monday forenoon, Aug. 31.

Well, mother, it is the last day of summer—we have had it very hot & melting here for two or three days—but there is a cool fresh breeze blowing in here, as I finish my letter—it is quite pleasant, as we have had some fine showers lately—I hope this will find you feeling well & in good spirits, dearest mother. Love to Georgy & all—

 Walt.