Search Results

My folks at the house are all well.

I shall be pretty busy now for a while after my absence gathering up the ends of the strings and getting

them in order in my hands again—fortunately for me I have good, honest, faithful, capable assistants

"Ingersoll's Speech" of June 2, 1890, was written by Whitman himself and was reprinted in Good-Bye My

in my memory as a childish recollection.

No, I have never seen you with my physical eyes, but I feel as though I had, and it is my love for your

May this be my excuse for thrusting my small personality into the path of your Kingly one.

Even my Bible is not so bemarked.

Good bye my master and my friend!

Noumeáa Nouvelle-Calédonie (Colonies Françaises) 3/7 1890 Dear Walt, an important event took place in my

As I have no fortune whatever, and journalism does not suit my temper, I obtained a situation in our

My opinion, too, is that Bruno is one of the martyrs of free thought, one of our martyrs, and one of

On my arrival here I suffered from this Oceanian climate, but am getting better each day and will, no

Morris by this very post; be assured, dear Walt, of all my love Gabriel Sarrazin My address is as follows

compliments" been off my table.

Literature," and then with my beautiful mother's death, my reckless son's divorce, and other Orestean

You know I am one of those who have the privilege of sharing my scrip with you, my dear elder bard, when

something that is my own to share.

My table is covered with letters I can't get time & strength to answer.

Thursday Feby, 13 189 0 Dear Walt Whitman During my travels so far away from home; I have often thought

of writing you, just walk as once before into your grand presence & explain the interesting parts of my

occasionally (as while here) with an $800.00 order, I continue west to Denver & Leadville and upon my

long confinement which in my case & very many others was a gross injustice upon free men I enjoy the

varied & grand sight now ever so much and while Beer & music is yet one of my standards & enjoyed by

3-12-1890 Walt Whitman, My Dear Friend:— Allow me to express my ineffable gratefulness to you for the

immense delight your "Leaves of Grass" have thrilled me with, in the form of a few of my rhapsodies

under the ban of your warm regards for my poetic productions—(properly belonging to the 21 & 22 centuries

poems, which were received with much pleasure by the public—But they were the poorest specimens of my

work—Had it been otherwise—that is, one of my most select copies,—the people would have recoiled from

I suppose you rec'd Engineering Record of N Y. with obituary of my dear brother Jeff at St Louis—Love

1890, contained an obituary of Thomas Jefferson Whitman, which Whitman wrote and reprinted in Good-Bye My

Dec. 29, 1890 My Dear Friend, Thinking of you and wondering how your Christmas was spent has tempted

Please accept my thanks for the $2 which you sent the children.

Whitman occasionally referred to Stafford as "My (adopted) son" (as in a December 13, 1876, letter to

Edinburgh, Scotland, July 31, 1890 My Dear Walt— Again I salute you.

I wish I had been at the birth-day fest, and heard the beauteous words of my friend Bob.

"Ingersoll's Speech" of June 2, 1890, was written by Whitman himself and was reprinted in Good-Bye My

Your great kindness—most fatherly, most tender—to D r Johnston & myself stirs my heart more deeply than

Thanks to you from my heart—and God bless you!

The "Rejoinder" was later reprinted in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891) (see Prose Works 1892, Volume 2: Collect

sane people about the institution more or less sick. 2 out of the 4 doctors in bed nearly every one at my

Whitman: "Because you have, as it were, given me a ground for the love of men I thank you continually in my

My dear Friend, I am very curious to get a fuller idea of Ingersoll's dinner speech.

Am getting ready for my Western jaunt on July 7th. Saw item abt yr will.

With the full-perfumed love of my soul, I close, W S Kennedy William Sloane Kennedy to Walt Whitman,

"Ingersoll's Speech" of June 2, 1890, was written by Whitman himself and was reprinted in Good-Bye My

Feb. 27, 1890 Dear Walt: Here I am back from Pokeepsie Poughkeepsie in my little study to-night with

But few of my friends have visited me here, but here I sit by my open fire & have long long thoughts

How many times have I planted you there in my big chair by the window, or here in front of the open fire

Give him my love if you write him. I think I told you we were housekeeping in for the winter.

My winter has been flat stale & unprofitable.

In his March 9, 1892, letter to Traubel, Greenhalgh wrote that "Walt has taught me 'the glory of my daily

In all the departments of my life Walt entered with his loving personality & I am never alone" (Horace

Whitman, late in life, said to Horace Traubel: "[I] take my Ruskin with some qualifications."

volumes of Horace Traubel's With Walt Whitman in Camden (various publishers: 1906–1996) and Whitman's "My

Whitman Esq Feb 24.1890 My dear, venerable friend It was my intention to have noted my recent call upon

you, with my expressions of the great pleasure that visit had given me, but I have been prevented doing

so, from having taken cold in my eyes, subjecting me to a sort of vagabond life for the past week.

delighted to have you acknowledge this note, if you feel, it will not be a task— Accept dear friend, my

Whitman 1740 N. 15th st.Phila My father was John F.

I am now quite used to my new situation, and my opinion, too, is that such a change of base will be something

I was poor, unfit for journalistic work and, nevertheless, wanted to free my intellectual life from pecuniary

In this way I secured my "bread and butter," and, now, can set to my intellectual task; I can read, write

I wish you, dear Walt, a bright and happy new year; be assured of all my love Gabriel Sarrazin see note

You know I am well on my 71st year—lame and almost helpless in locomotion—inertia like a heavy swathing

ample dropping pall over me most of the time, but my thoughts and to some extent mental action ab't

I have had my daily mid-day massage (another just as I go to bed).

Tho't of going out a little in my wheel chair but it is bitter cold today here and I shall not.

I have just had a drink of milk punch—am sitting at present in my two-story den in Mickle St, alone as

My copies of the Eng[ineering] Record with article have not come—slips also not come—I hope they will

—& will ask you if convenient to jog the editor's memory—Horace, ab't the kind mention & offer ab't my

and will write you further—also ab't the sculptor—am unwell to–day— Walt Whitman Tho' I sit up & eat my

rations & have my right arm & (sort o') mentality I am paralyzed & utterly disabled here—cannot walk

across the room—my respects to Worthen —show him this— Walt Whitman to Horace Tarr, 13 December 1890

Studio 2 W. 14 th st New York Febr. 12 90 My dear sir I have delivered your book to Mr. Bancroft.

I take the pleasure to mail to you some proofs of my drawings and ask you to accept them with my kindest

Thanking you for your kindness at the occasion of my visit to you, and wishing you good health I am most

both—Logan's letter rec'd & gladly—With me slowly jogging along (down hill)—easier the last few days of my

watching half an hour or more—was there last evening at sunset—Suppose you rec'd the papers, accting my

birth day supper (I am now in my 72d y'r you know)—Dr Bucke is home in Canada at his Asylum busy as

a bee—is well—I have heard of my lines & note ab't the Queen's birthday in the English papers —my last

is W S K's letter just rec'd —fine & a little warm to–day—has been almost cool here four days—made my

breakfast on bread & canteloupe—still have my supper at 4½—no dinner—fair excretion business—out in

wheel ch'r last evn'g—my grip has call'd in upon me again the last two or three days (probably the great

the weather & stoppage of sweating)—not yet so bad as formerly—bladder botheration—a sister of one of my

war soldiers call'd yesterday—a nice smart old maid—my soldier still lives & flourishes—in California—Anson

My visits to you this winter have been such a pleasure to me & it is one of my greatest regrets in leaving

I can hardly realize that I shall see all my dear family so soon.

Please give my love to Mrs. Davis, & keep a great deal for yourself, my dear, dear friend.

Nov 14th 1890 My dear friend Thanks for your kind remembrance of me in your note & enclosure.

I have my youth renewed to me in the extreme delight I take in our country home.

I have caught some of the pantheistic feeling of oneness in my spirit with nature & I have not been so

I am anchored here, but it is at best a foreign port—Pennsylvania has been the home of my family for

over 200 years and it is the place of my affections.

enough—I get down to the river side at sunset in wheel chair & if the evn'g is pleasant stay an hour—had my

tea—(eat only two meals a day)—miss Alys a good deal —sell a book occasionally—am sitting here now in my

den in Mickle St. in my big chair all comfortable quiet out—my last poem piece was rejected & sent back

I have been at work all this morning getting ready my first lecture on insanity for the students; which

evening about 7 o'clock—All yesterday I was very busy looking into matters which had accumulated in my

absence and today, as I have said, about my lecture.

I found Mrs Bucke and all the children quite well on my return and Horace will tell you all about them

I have been showing Horace something of my W.W. collection and H. is to take some copies of L. of G.

Iu .5 Camden Sept: 29 1890 Dear friend, Yr's just came telling me of y'r moving—As you don't mention my

If so, let them go—I wanted to go on record embalming (as much as I could) my tribute of dear W[illiam

I continue on ab't the same—slowly letting down peg after peg—my mind & my right arm remain'g abt the

I am sitting in my room in Mickle Street in the big old ratan chair with wolf-skin spread on back—have

England October 16 th '90 My dear Sir The only excuse that I can offer for trespassing upon your privacy

your works I am having printed a volume of verses, and as I wish to show—though inadequately I know—my

I am quite aware that my work at its best, can be but an unfitting sequence to your name, but my tribute

Camden P M July 9 '90 Getting along pretty well—Still hot weather but a lively breeze comes in my windows—am

sitting here at present in usual cane chair in my den after my daily bath—Shall probably get out in

good inscription and the little autograph notes which will make it one of the most precious volumes in my

I feel richer than ever now that I have my "Leaves" all back again and these treasures added to them

this past week but now it is dark, dark, and blowing and raining like all possessed—but I sit here in my

And what do you think of my suggestion to write some autobiographical notes, jottings?

Whitman— I have taken so much pleasure of late in re-reading your work that I would not render my spiritual

I have read "Pioneers, O Pioneers" over and over again to my many friends, who study not books but life

I have your picture in my room, and I never see it or take up your book without feeling what a glorious

I send you a few poems of my own. I shall be glad if they please you.

I am not a person that makes literary visits, but I wish that I could meet you this summer, on my return

Sept: 19 Perfect sunny day—am feeling pretty well—grip palpable tho'—(cold in the head feeling)—ate my

breakfast with rather subdued appetite—bowel action this forenoon—miss Mrs: D[avis] somewhat —call f'm my

New York decidedly, but it is probable they will have it in Phila: —there is some opposition to me or my

his endorsement & advocacy, & think that speech at the Reisser dinner one of the chief pinnacles of my

snakes & bed-bugs are not half as loathesome as some humans can be)—I call the H man whelp altogether in my

page on the following day, and the account in the Camden Post on June 2 the poet reprinted in Good-bye My

1890: "I think you are right to stand aside (personally) from this I[ngersoll] demonstration but for my

At my request he sends the paragraph on the back of his own photo.

My drawings and my clay greatly interest her and a large company of boys & girls who flock to her porch

God sends my due—or approximates it. My busts sell, but my landlord stands at the door.

My lectures succeed, but the money they bring takes me back home, & then comes a dying whisper—"nothing

reverential terms his meeting with Walt Whitman: "The memory of that 'good time' will ever be one of my

most valued possessions and it is associated with my most unique experience.

and, while I cannot send you anything particularly new, I re-dedicate to you all, as follows, one of my

s Purport," "For Us Two, Reader Dear," and "My Task" (?). The cluster was rejected by B. O.

Horace to meet me at Dooner's to breakfast that day—hope to see you toward noon—same day—Sunday— No, my

That same day, he wrote Horace Traubel: "I am over my eyes in work and my right arm is helpless and painfull—it

cool—have signed & sent the contract with Rheinhalter Bros: 18 Broad st: Phila: architects &c: for my

burial house in Harleigh Cemetery —Ralph Moore to have control & charge under my name & be my representative

day & clear evn'g, after snow-storm &c—I have the grip at last & quite badly—am sitting here alone in my

den—nothing very new—my eyes failing—Expect to give (& wish to) my "Death of Abraham Lincoln" memorandum

Camden noon Sept: 26 '90 Am getting along ab't as usual—Some nice oysters (with a bit of lemon) for my

breakfast—cloudy & wet inclined to chilly to-day here—was out in wheel-chair last even'g—I enclose my

, (the piece in Trans[cript] rec'd—thanks)—sold a big book yesterday—have just lit a little fire in my

Hurd, literary editor, or kept till my return. Had grand visit of 3 days with Dr. Bucke.

I fear I can't see you on my return, as my ticket takes me back (excursion ticket, via northern N.

had sleep of a couple of hours—A suspicion of better, very faint but palpable, this forenoon—ate all my

of past month—head ache all the forenoon—rather pleasant day, sun out most of the time—anxious abt my

Burroughs and Stedman (at Horace's request) also to Edw'd Bertz Potsdam & R P Smith London— 5 p m—have had my

any doctor in yet & probably will not—what I have is mainly an expansion & perhaps concentration of my

By this time you will, I trust, be in possession of my printed notes and of the numbers of Great Thoughts

I feel to him just now as though he were my grandfather or an aged uncle; as though I once knew him but

my remembrances were like an infant's."

A similar occasion last year on my birthday Dec. 8 suggested the enclosed "Snow Thought" It is now a

glistening road & through the keen, frosty air has exhilirated me & sent the warm blood tingling to my

Camden Aug: 18 '90 Frank Sanborn's letter f'm Belgium enc'd —the Transcript copies my "rejoinder" complete

Rainy dark forenoon here—I keep ab't well as usual (has been very hot here again) made my breakfast of

Harned's family have ret'd f'm Cape May—Am on the watch for Symonds's to send you soon as I find it am'g my

Whitman's "Rejoinder" was also reprinted in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891).

going ab't same—bad grip bad bladder bother, &c: &c:—hear often f'm Dr Bucke he is well & busy—made my

broth toast & tea—am writing a little—will keep you posted & of any thing printed—(ups & downs—most of my

things are yet rejected)—rather a gloomy three weeks the last—the death of my dear Brother in St Louis—cloudy

Camden Jan 31 '90 P M early Ab't the same as usual—a rare egg & Graham bread & prunes & coffee for my

the wolf away & the benefit of very light food-eating, wh' is decided for an old fellow— I enclose my

when printed—$10 each, one paid —So far have escaped the grip, (but I guess I have the am't of it in my

Philips and two photographers visited the poet on January 29 and "'took me' in my room—(bo't two big

. | Apr 28 | 8 PM | 90, London | AM | MY 1 | | Canada; N. Y. | 4-29-90 | 11PM | 12.

I send you my last screed in Critic N Y, (have sent other papers too)—Am getting along fairly considering—fair

It was later reprinted in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891).

Sept: 5. 1890 My dear Master I am sincerely obliged to you for your letter of August 19.

With the explanation you have placed in my hands, in which you give me liberty to use, I can speak with

The conclusion reached is, to my mind, in every way satisfactory.

either by your detractors or by the partizans of some vicious crankiness—sets me quite at ease as to my

I will tell my bookseller in London to send you a copy of the "Contemporary" in which there is an essay

Whitman's "Rejoinder" was also reprinted in Good-Bye My Fancy (Prose Works 1892, Volume 2: Collect and

My Whittier is in Funk & Wagnall's safe & is highly complimented by the editor of the series.

volumes of Horace Traubel's With Walt Whitman in Camden (various publishers: 1906–1996) and Whitman's "My

Camden New Jersey U S America January 22 1890 My dear E R Y'rs regularly rec'd & welcom'd (I often send

change or happening—fairly buoyant spirits &c—but surely slowly ebbing —at this moment sitting here in my

transcript that appeared in Pall Mall Gazette on February 8, 1890, and that Whitman used in Good-bye My

And so,—though I have nothing else to write about,—I want to send you a line or two again to express my

loving sympathy with you and my best wishes.

room which D J's description & photographs have made so familiar—solitary and ill—It reminds me of my

mother's condition in her last years—lame, suffering & much alone—and my heart goes out to you like