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                <title level="m" type="main">Walt Whitman to Susan Stafford, 6 May [1881]</title>
                <title level="m" type="sub">a machine readable transcription</title>
                <author>Walt Whitman</author>
                <editor>Kenneth M. Price</editor>
                <editor>Ed Folsom</editor>
                <respStmt>
                    <resp>Transcription and encoding</resp>
                    <persName xml:id="kc">Kirsten Clawson</persName>
                    <persName xml:id="ss">Stefan Schöberlein</persName>
                    <persName xml:id="nnk">Nima Najafi Kianfar</persName>
                    <persName xml:id="nhg">Nicole Gray</persName>
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                <sponsor>Center for Digital Research in the Humanities, University of
                    Nebraska-Lincoln</sponsor>
                <sponsor>University of Iowa</sponsor>
                <funder>National Historical Publications and Records Commission</funder>
            </titleStmt>
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                <edition>
                    <date>2013</date>
                </edition>
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                <distributor>The Walt Whitman Archive</distributor>
                <address>
                    <addrLine>Center for Digital Research in the Humanities</addrLine>
                    <addrLine>319 Love Library</addrLine>
                    <addrLine>University of Nebraska-Lincoln</addrLine>
                    <addrLine>P.O. Box 884100</addrLine>
                    <addrLine>Lincoln, NE 68588-4100</addrLine>
                </address>
                <availability>
                    <p>Copyright © 2010 by Ed Folsom and Kenneth M. Price, all rights reserved.
                        Items in the Archive may be shared in accordance with the Fair Use
                        provisions of U.S. copyright law. Redistribution or republication on other
                        terms, in any medium, requires express written consent from the editors and
                        advance notification of the publisher, Center for Digital Research in the
                        Humanities. Permission to reproduce the graphic images in this archive has
                        been granted by the owners of the originals for this publication only.</p>
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                <bibl>
                    <author>Walt Whitman</author>
                    <title>Walt Whitman to Susan Stafford, 6 May [1881]</title>
                    <date cert="medium" when="1881-05-06" xml:id="dat1">May 6, 1881</date>
                    <orgName xml:id="loc">The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.</orgName>
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                <person role="sender">
                    <persName key="Whitman, Walt">Walt Whitman</persName>
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                <person role="recipient">
                    <persName key="Stafford, Susan">Susan Stafford</persName>
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            <change when="2014-01-21" who="#ss">checked</change>
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    <text type="letter">
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                    <name type="place">Camden</name>
                    <date when="1881-05-06">Friday afternoon</date>
                    <date when="1881-05-06">May 6</date>
                </dateline>
                <salute>My dear friend<!--<ptr target="n0817"/>--></salute>
            </opener>

            <p>I am sorry to hear of your feeling so unwell, &amp; have thought about it probably
                more than you think—bad enough any how to feel sick or half sick, &amp;
                specially so with one that has so much depending upon her, (&amp; a pretty ambitious
                spirit too)—I thought I would write you a few lines, &amp; may-be it might
                cheer you a little—Things go on quite the same with me—a little more
                quiet than usual since I got back from Boston (I suppose you got the letter &amp;
                papers I sent you while I was there)—I had a lively time in Boston—Susan
                I wish you could have been there the evening of my lecture—it was such a
                collection of people as would have suited you, &amp; been a study—different
                from any I ever saw in my life before—fully one half were
                women—something different in all of them from the usual crowd—about 300—(I will tell you more when I see you)—</p>

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            <p>As I write this part of my letter, just come up from dinner—we had a great fat
                sweet baked shad, just right—what is better once in a while for dinner than
                good fresh fish, &amp; potatoes?—(I remember you too are fond of fish
                sometimes)—shad are unusually good &amp; plenty now—I wish I could send
                you &amp; George down a couple of big fresh ones, such as I see them bringing in
                every haul, from the river—A middling fair rain here to-day &amp; last
                night—it is raining as I write—well I am glad of it, for it will do a
                power of good—our street begins to look first rate with the long rows of
                trees, five squares of them now all out in leaf—strawberries are already
                huckstered about the street—I 
                suppose <choice><abbr>bro't</abbr><reg>brought</reg></choice> from the south—<pb xml:id="leaf002r" facs="loc_jc.00509_large.jpg" type="recto"/><choice><abbr>Rec'd</abbr><expan>Received</expan>
                </choice> a long good letter from Mrs. Gilchrist<!--<ptr target="n0259"/>-->—I think Beatrice<!--<ptr target="n0260"/>--> must be
                regularly established as a woman physician in Edinburgh—Mrs. G. is going on
                there to visit her, &amp; for a change, as she is not yet real well—Herbert<!--<ptr target="n0262"/>--> is
                painting away &amp; I guess having a good time, with lots of company &amp; fun
                &amp;c.—I was out a few evenings ago to spend an hour or two in north Camden
                with some friends, a Quaker family, three sisters quite elderly, one (the oldest) a
                widow with a grown up son &amp; daughter—they sent for me to come to
                tea—the five live together—they are neither poor nor rich—keep no
                servant—but O such quiet, happy kind, affectionate ways—cheerful too,
                &amp; plenty of good things—but <hi rend="underline">the manners</hi> "the
                peace of heaven"—I enjoyed myself first rate just being with
                them—(besides the good things)—</p>

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            <p>Susan what do you hear about old Mrs. Morgan? I suppose she is needy enough, poor
                old woman, &amp; if you have a chance I should like you to send her things to the
                amount of <hi rend="underline">two dollars</hi> a month, as I told you, &amp; I will
                pay for them—(if you <choice>
                    <orig>cant</orig>
                    <reg>can't</reg>
                </choice> go yourself, may-be you can send by Debby or Patience)—</p>

            <p><hi rend="underline">Evening ½ past 8</hi>—Well I will finish my letter
                &amp; put it in the box—maybe you will get it to read Sunday—This 
                afternoon 4 to 6½ I took one of my usual jaunts over in the busiest parts of
                Philadelphia—Market and Chestnut Streets—crowded with myriads of people
                &amp; vehicles—all seemed to be going as if the devil was after them—the
                crowds &amp; rush &amp; excitement seemed to be much greater even than
                usual—well I took some three hours of it—then slowly across the river
                &amp; home—had my supper, &amp; here I am in perfect quiet up in my room,
                finishing my letter—Susan my dear friend I hope this will find you all right
                &amp; well again—but if still unwell, try to keep a good heart—</p>

            <closer>
                <salute>Love to all—</salute>
                <signed rend="right">Walt Whitman</signed>
            </closer>
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