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Gilchrist,and the intimacy which my brother,my friend Mr.

"My great anxiety about my wife lastsstill.

"My Dear Mrs.

"My Dear Mrs.

My Dear Mrs.

caused something of a scandal; Traubel recalled that neighbors went to his mother and "protested against my

Was born May 31, 1819, in my father'sfarm-house, atWest Hills,L. I., sailor— on my New York State.

My parents' folks mostly farmers and father'sside, of English — on my mother's,.

hands,my limbsgrow nerveless, My brainfeelrack'd,bewilder'd.

It was for this and for no lesserreason that he was, able to hail Lincoln as "My Captain."

In the " presence of calamity he sobs, as a child, Oh my Captain my Father !"

Oh, my God! my God!"

Oh, my divine Redeemer! Oh, my Friend, my Saviour!"

own husband, my first, my only love, my love forever!

"O my God—my boy George!"

boy, my George; my saved and ransomed George; my son, my son!

He asked me somewhat about my life and doings at home.

My memories of Walt Whitman include many talks, in which I did my best to obtain light upon these and

I receive now again of my many translations,from my avataras ascending, while others doubtless await

(p.66.) " Camerado, I giveyou my hand, I give you my love more precious than money."

For my enemy is dead,a man divineas myself isdead.

well fortified does he think himself in his cobweb Gibraltar, that he blandly imagines the force of my

passionate, well-wishing, which I felt then, and feel to this hour, the gratitude and reverence of my

And my arriere and citadel positions—such as I have indicated in my June North American Review memorandum—were

as a statement “of all that could be said against that part (and a main part) in the construction of my

On the contrary, without waiting to understand what he has read, he talks about my letter to you being

Oh Captain, Weave in My Hardy Life and We Two Together have been set to music by Edgar Stillman Kelley

In stanza three the last three lines once read, "But I with silenttread Walk the spot my Captain lies

Must I pass from my song for thee, From my gaze on thee inthe west?" etc.

Answerer) 134 1856 Now Precedent Songs Farewell 403 1888 O Captain, My Captain 262 1865 Offerings 218

J., I give to my friend,Peter Doyle, my silverwatch. I give to H.

Said to me, "I am looking about the room, trying to collect everything that bears my marks together,

Alluded to the "courtesy" of Youth's Companion editors.As to Truth piece had this to say, "My additions

The last few days has habited himself to my reading his postals and mailing them for him.

"They'll give you about the kernel of my health affairs."

He wished to read Morse's "My Grandmother's Religion."

But it was only a "preliminary design"—one he may possibly deflect from.Advised me: "Give my best love

How deliciously like my old friend Henry Peterson is that critical exegesis on your lines!

So it would seem my words were prophetic.

Don't let Scovel print it (as the divvle did my note to him—wasn't I astonished!)

I wonder if my life-saving career draws to an end. March fourth comes near.

I can't put my hands on it just now." Friday, April 13, 1888.

And then, "Yesterday—if I had not felt my pulse—known by its regular beat that all was right there, I

These visits are in some ways my damnation! These strangers—who make me deaf and blind!

And my sister, George's wife."

I never lose my respect for the printer boys, however they aggravate me at times."

My experience has been that they have left me honestly alone, always to say my say as I wished to say

Looked rather pale, and on my remarking it, said: "It is true, I guess: I am not feeling well: these

A curious letter (dated 3/12/90) starting off—"Dear Walt, my beloved master, my friend, my bard, my prophet

and his face assumed its serious aspect.He said again: "I got two letters in my mail today—one from Doctor

Harned's boy was there, also, coming forward in the dark when he heard my voice and informing me, "I

That would be my understanding of him." W. said he had written to Mary Costelloe today.

Then he continued: "In my mail today was a letter from Kennedy.

I said that for my part I looked upon Stedman's position as thoroughly firm and genuine.

Leaves of Grass," said W. tonight, "were neither moral nor literary, but were given with an eye to my

My old fencing-master, Boulet, (no better ever lived; he taught once at West Point,) taught me always

to cover my breast with hilt and point, even in the lunge, and I think of his lessons when engaged in

My aim has been to shut Chadwick up for good, for I don't want to be bothered on a side issue by this

Channing at Providence, red-hot for you, and proposing to reprint my Good Gray Poet at his expense!!

As to "formalistic literariness," as W. terms it (in reply to my remark, "It has not all died out yet

After further talk W. said, "The sculptor was here today—took a cast of my hand." Which one?

In talking with Thomas Sergeant Perry last night we fell to discussing your work, and to my delight I

Howells and he were two of my most honored friends."

understand: why, I am as much as anybody a weigher, investigator—questioning significances—anxious to get at my

Did not till later mention my own message. He answered: "Yes—and quite a long letter, too.

"Doctor returned me the slip, with reference to my future use of it—it is there in the note."

W. asked: "Did they understand my note?"

"I don't know whether too much or not, but I like to know my men—who they are, what they do.

Bucke called my attention to it at the time.

me—it is urgent, persistent: he sort of stands in the road and says: 'I won't movetilluntil you answer my

I have had my own troubles—I have seen other men with troubles, too—worse than mine and not so bad as

This is my permanent address.

Yet I felt that if you liked my poem [See In Re Walt Whitman] you would write.

to you to have arrogantly confounded your own fine thought and pure feeling with the baser metal of my

Seeing bundle under my arm he asked me at once, "What have you got there?"

—which, upon my opening, he examined with pleasure and relish.

have had a sculptor visitor—his name is O'Donovan—he is from New York—he has come on proposing to take my

Then I told him what S. had detailed and he laughed, "Well, I put my foot in it there, to be sure—for

He called my thoughts in another direction.

"It is a persistent cold: and it leaves me very weak: I am hardly able to blow my nose."

I shall have Specimen Days in my class during spring time.

chair here, folding my hands on my lap, and having you do my work!

My friend and yours, R.

"O for the light of another sun,With my Bazra sword in my hand!"

He said: "You have opened my eyes."

Bucke today referred to my letters in writing to W. This was a mistake.

But my first impression was a bad one and I have not moved from it.

"My half is in seeing you tickled," he replied.

My friends were fewer than my enemies but they blew a trumpet loud enough for everybody to hear."

That fits my intentions to a t—describes my ideal absolutely.

My book claims no merit save that of sincerity.

way of hearty appreciation of the new thought it might have gone much further and still come within my

Give Walt my love & remembrances. I trust your marriage will bring you much happiness.

Give my love to the wife.

It would not have been my explication—no, not at all.

W. assented, "That is true—I have had my experience of them."

My phrases would have been, original liars and intending liars—which is not so good."

word of truth in it, yet necessary to be asserted again and again—like the 'give-em-some-more-shot, Captain

And to my assent— "Well—I'll examine this as it stands—see what is suggests—see what comes of it: perhaps

I quoted my dentist who got off an old saw while he was working on one of my sensitive teeth: "Seeing

My dear Whitman: I find your book and cordial letter, on returning home from a lecturing tour in New

I have had the first edition of your Leaves of Grass among my books, since its first appearance, and

My first notion is one of disappointment.

It's not in my line at all.

keep, if not fairly, at least not markedly worse and I hope to find you "right side up with care" on my

But the main thing I want to talk about to you today is my visit yesterday to Lord Tennyson.

But after all I fear I can give you but a faint notion of the pleasure my visit was to me.

Give Horace my love and show him this letter, tell him to keep it.

oblivious to my presence.

W. had just finished his dinner, and talked well during the 20 minutes of my stay.

"Yes," he said to my inquiries, "I woke well this morning—pass along reasonably well.

Yes, the summer has been a severe one—but the profuse sweatingness, so to call it, has been in my case

For instance, where he says—the world is my country, to do good is my religion.

Called my attention to brief editorial in the Boston Herald.

Davis had gone and my exclamation: "How beautiful in their own element!"

honey—don't make enough of the other side of the critter—and there is another side, as all you—all my

To my demur, explaining: "I know that is the harsh view—that there is another.

I spoke of having read "Song of the Rolling Earth" aloud in my room—of the delight it gave me.

It is about here somewhere among my trash and would serve well for you to know.

My taste is alien—on other currents: I do not seem to belong in the Swinburne drift.

I find it difficult to account for my dear woman's taste.

It's a good sight for my old sore eyes: leaded, double-leaded.

Dowden sent it to me himself: I have always kept it near my chair—I wanted it handy.

On another occasion he said of it: "Sylvester is on several sides my friend—my friend, I think, for general

49 Comeragh RoadWest Kensington, London W.16 Aug. '91Yesterday came to my hands your card of 2d inst.

My visit here has been a great success—I have been well received and treated on all hands, I shall feel

richer for it for the rest of my life.Keep good heart, dear Walt, till I get back—but in any case be

I shd. have acknowledged yr wedding card & offered my congratulations, wh.

"Yes, my own, too. But we must take care, not to offend against him.

Gave me a letter for Kennedy to mail on my way home.

Traubel:Pardon my long delay. How the time flies!

For if there's anything I pride myself on, it's my toleration, hospitality.

My feelings never hard, though frank and clear, I hope, at all times.

That has always been my impression." He referred to the Holmes' Atlantic Monthly piece.

"My today's mail has been chiefly an autograph mail.

Not a day but the autograph hunter is on my trail—chases me, dogs me!

I settle myself in my chair, get the glasses on my nose, and lo! every note is for an autograph.

Amer—about April 10, I shall return here again and my address will be—— I am writing this at my desk—as

My mind advises me that I must suspend operations for to-nighttonight.

I took it in my hands.

he asked,and on my acquiescence—"So me, too. I think it one of the best—the very best.

he explained—Flynn came in the other evening and took it away in his arms.As we sat there talking, my

Adding: "My use of the word has been contested.

Yet I am sure of my correctness.

Bucke had also written: "I have been thinking over the Riddle Song and have made up my mind that the

"Horace, I made the puzzle: it's not my business to solve it.

But I wanted something down there and thought I would start off on my own hook and get it.

There's something peculiar in my notion about this book.

Give the new mother my love: tell her I glorify her in my thanksgivings—that Walt Whitman glorifies her

Left article with Bonsall on my way to Philadelphia.

He explained, "It is my intention to have them all bound up—to have them brought here.

For one thing, it is too trifling; for another, it is against my habit, my confirmed determinations.

, only of such as came into my mind at the moment.

They must go as they came—my hand, word, knowing nothing of birth or death.

. & I will bring out my book on you sometime, perhaps sooner than we any of us know.

I wrote from London Canada to Frederick Wilson peremptorily ordering him to return my ms to me.Do write

W. then: "That is striking—it is what I am trying to say—why Kennedy's book fails to excite my enthusiasms

Expressed gladness, asked after him: "Give him my love.

—"Not a bit—on the contrary, the closer contact enlarges my appreciation.

or two, I have wished for about a page—will no doubt have something to say myself—but cannot make up my

I always keep to my own method—to write as moved to write, and what: and what depends upon the moment

Remarked, "How much the drop-light does for my eyes!" It was "an eye-saver, sure enough."

W. counsels me, "Give all of my friends there best remembrances, and give Brinton my special affection

Laughed at my "lynx-eyes," etc.

For my part I didn't think either Parnell or Gladstone in themselves important—that they stood for anything

"My copy of the Critic did not come this week. Was there anything in it I should see?"

I then promised to bring him my copy.

Immediately on my entrance, almost, he spoke of a volume he took up in his hands—Roden Noel's "Essays

W. much enjoyed my story, exclaiming: "That's John Bull—that's the bull of him—supercilious, disdainful—thinks

—and as a general thing they go right: though it goes against my grain to send off a letter or what not

Rossetti.No. 4Washington, Dec. 3, 1867 My dear Mr.

of the full volume of my poems.

I cannot and will not consent, of my own volition, to countenance and expurgated edition of my pieces

My Prefatory Notice explains my principle of selection to exactly the same effect as given in this present

I had previously given it a title of my own, Nocturne for the Death of Lincoln; and in my Prefatory Notice

At my suggestion that Longaker should have been over, he declared, "We do not need him.

But it observed my warning: "Don't become alarmist." And so did Ledger.

Saying, too, "My mind is too active: I wish it would rest. It is as active as 40 years ago."

Wished my own article in about ten days, if possible.

the darkey says—all the day up to this afternoon, when Mary made and brought me a cup of hot tea—at my

"If it is not, it is my fault—there is plenty of wood here and I have all the time there is.

He had received my Engineering Record.

I wrote on the blank side and mailed the letter out to my niece, Jessie—at St. Louis."

I have never yet fully made up my mind whether I should most like to have that fine balance of critical

"I had my swear out about it: I hope there was no risk run: so far I feel all the better for it—have

[This was money in my possession belonging to Walt. J. B. 1912.]What a blank there in New England!

I sent you my last report.Faithfull,W. D. O'Connor.—Emerson gone! The world grows darker.W. D.

tissue which I do not seem to get in my own established environment.'

Considerable talk followed my return to him of Bucke's letter spoken of yesterday. "Oh!"

"Warrie, give me my handkerchief. It is back here." Much coughing."This is Christmas morning.""Oh!

I found by drinking coffee or tea or even milk punch it stirred up my brain, so I stopped.

It's my fault altogether."3:40 P.M. Burroughs went up and into the room.

McAlister says at this hour, "I still adhere to my opinion. The rally is only temporary." 7:50 P.M.

He saw me flitting about with my black dress on and said to me, 'O Mary!

He tells an anecdote of my brother which is thought characteristic."

But for my own part I want it clearly understood that I do not in the least share such a notion: not

He knew my step—and of course knew my voice. "Shall I strike a light?"

I turned the letter over in my mind a good deal today, and this evening, as I ate my dinner, the light

I spoke of my preference, rather for the independent instinct of the Irish woman.

W. then: "Yes—so do I: I abate nothing of my democratic sympathies.

"He is one of my prime favorites—the earliest of all."