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of the Metropolitan Police, No. 300 Mulberry Street, N EW Y ORK, Dec 6th, 186 7 Friend Wat Walt At my

I could tell you a long story of my actions, for the relief and assistance of our Soldiers and their

I cannot tell how my ankles bend, nor whence the causes of my faintest wish, Nor the cause of the friendship

That I walk up my stoop, I pause to consider if it really be.

A morning glory at my window satisfies me more than the meta- physics metaphysics of books."

I blow through my embouchures my loudest and gayest music to them. Vivas to those who have failed.

In the faces of men and women I see God, and in my own face in the glass.

I will take you down underneath this impassive exterior—I will tell you what to say of me; Publish my

name and hang up my picture as that of the tenderest lover, The friend, the lover's portrait, of whom

leaves upon it, and twined around it a little moss, And brought it away—and I have placed it in sight in my

room; It is not needed to remind me as of my own dear friends, (For I believe lately I think of little

Softly I lay my right hand upon you—you just feel it, I do not argue—I bend my head close, and half-

Me, ruthless and devilish as any, that my wrists are not chain'd with iron, or my ankles with iron?

received the letter I wrote in answer to yours of date "a long time ago" ( very definite ) in reply to my

I have an impression that I can give a reason why you did not answer my last though I perhaps do you

My dear Heaven waitheth waiteth for mortals when earth is departed.

My dear Sir, Allow me with the deepest reverence & true affection to thank you for the copy of your complete

My selection was settled more than a month ago, & is now going thro' the press .

I shall always hold it one of the truest & most prized distinctions of my writing career to be associated

Why do you tremble, and clutch my hand so convul- sively convulsively ?

Aye, this is the ground; My blind eyes, even as I speak, behold it re-peopled from graves: The years

night of that, mist lifting, rain ceasing, Silent as a ghost, while they thought they were sure of him, my

him at the river-side, Down by the ferry, lit by torches, hastening the embar- cation embarcation ; My

But when my General pass'd me, As he stood in his boat, and look'd toward the coming sun, I saw something

compensation allowed to counsel upon employment by this office, I feel that I am scarcely warranted in giving my

the suggestion that you reduce it to the sum I have indicated, which, being done, I will promptly add my

O maidens and young men I love, and that love me, What you ask of my days, those the strangest and sud

Bearing the bandages, water and sponge, Straight and swift to my wounded I go, Where they lie on the

knee, the wound in the abdo- men abdomen , These and more I dress with impassive hand—(yet deep in my

Thus in silence, in dream's projections, Returning, resuming, I thread my way through the hos- pitals

I had provided a big molasses pound cake for supper—but the snow was too hard, & the wind right in my

I spend quite a good deal of time, evenings & Sundays, in the office at my desk, as I can get in the

of law, mostly—but we have five or six hundred miscellaneous works—I have described to you before, my

quite bright & pleasant—I am feeling well as usual—It looks like winter at the far north as I look from my

Mason, who "used to be in my party on the Water Works."

good as such-like, visible here or anywhere, stand provided for in a handful of space, which I extend my

arm and half enclose with my hand; That contains the start of each and all—the virtue, the germs of

WHAT am I, after all, but a child, pleased with the sound of my own name?

over waves, towards the house of maternity, the land of migrations, look afar, Look off the shores of my

"My days I sing, and the land's:" this is the key-note.

I cannot tell how my ankles bend, nor whence the cause of my faintest wish, Nor the cause of the friendship

That I walk up my stoop!

The little light fades the immense and diaphanous shadows; The air tastes good to my palate.

hear—But, Mother, you must not worry about it—it will be arranged some way— There is nothing new in my

I write this at my desk—spring is quite advanced here—it is a damp, misty, cloudy forenoon—but pleasant—I

My dear friend, It gave me much pleasure to hear from you; and now I am quite full of gratitude for the

I shall keep my eyes wide open; and the volume with O'C's introduction shall come out just as it is.

BY the City Dead-House, by the gate, As idly sauntering, wending my way from the clangor, I curious pause—for

take one breath from my tremulous lips; Take one tear, dropt aside as I go, for thought of you, Dead

My dear friend, Will some of you, the first time you go down town, stop at office (or shop) of E.

Arnold—& the last from Arthur, & every thing— So good bye for this time—I send you my love, dear friend

21 Feb '67 21 of febuary February My dear Walter here we are with another awfull awful snow storm it

should go but i would have had a pretty hard time with dooing doing the work and davis to cook for with my

coal but i let every thing slide along but i think matty gets better) but we get along pretty well my

Thomas Jefferson "Jeff" Whitman wrote that Mason "used to be in my party on the Water Works" (see his

To Workingmen TO WORKINGMEN. 1 COME closer to me; Push close, my lovers, and take the best I possess;

Neither a servant nor a master am I; I take no sooner a large price than a small price—I will have my

become so for your sake; If you remember your foolish and outlaw'd deeds, do you think I cannot remember my

are; I am this day just as much in love with them as you; Then I am in love with you, and with all my

List close, my scholars dear!

There is nothing important or new in my affairs here—I am still in the same Office—find my work mild

1 O TAKE my hand, Walt Whitman! Such gliding wonders! such sights and sounds!

change of the light and shade, I see distant lands, as real and near to the inhabitants of them, as my

see Hermes, unsuspected, dying, well-beloved, saying to the people, Do not weep for me, This is not my

race; I see the results of the perseverance and industry of my race; I see ranks, colors, barbarisms

F2 I have run through what any river or strait of the globe has run through; I have taken my stand on

New Orleans, San Francisco, The departing ships, when the sailors heave at the capstan; Evening—me in my

room—the setting sun, The setting summer sun shining in my open window, showing the swarm of flies,

, futurity, In space, the sporades, the scattered islands, the stars —on the firm earth, the lands, my

less in myself than the whole of the Manna- hatta Mannahatta in itself, Singing the song of These, my

my lands are inevitably united, and made ONE IDENTITY; Nativities, climates, the grass of the great

—I am yet young but have had more experience for my age than many Desiring to thoroughly understand the

work I have undertaken I make these inquiries—My dearest wish is like Burns'— "That I for poor Columbia's

You objects that call from diffusion my meanings and give them shape!

Why, when they leave me, do my pennants of joy sink flat and lank?

My call is the call of battle—I nourish active re- bellion rebellion ?

It is safe—I have tried it—my own feet have tried it well. Allons! Be not detain'd!

I give you my hand!

my brother or my sister! Keep on!

I walk'd the shores of my Eastern Sea, Heard over the waves the little voice, Saw the divine infant,

I maintain the be- queath bequeath'd cause, as for all lands, And I send these words to Paris with my

22 Oct. 1867 22 October Well Walter my dear i have just received your welcome letter with the 10 dollers

says if this medicine dont don't help me he know as any thing will sometimes i think it will help me my

Y., on a visit to my mother."

me of the 1st November 1867,— whereupon the whole matter was treated as having been withdrawn from my

consideration, and all the papers relating to it, were, with my letter of 5th Nov. 1867, transmitted

Air, soil, water, fire—these are words; I myself am a word with them—my qualities inter- penetrate interpenetrate

with theirs—my name is nothing to them; Though it were told in the three thousand languages, what would

air, soil, water, fire, know of my name?

When I undertake to tell the best, I find I cannot, My tongue is ineffectual on its pivots, My breath

ON my northwest coast in the midst of the night, a fishermen's group stands watching; Out on the lake

for something to repre- sent represent the new race, our self-poised Democracy, Therefore I send you my

—at last I accept your terms; Bringing to practical, vulgar tests, of all my ideal dreams, And of me,

Mother, all the news I have to write about my affairs, is the same old thing—we have had another long

this week—they have carried all their measures successfully over the President—I am writing this at my

O lips of my soul, already becoming powerless! O ample and grand Presidentiads! New history!

(I must not venture—the ground under my feet men- aces menaces me—it will not support me;) O present!

Sunday, August 11th/67 My dear Walt I received your letter and was right glad to get it I am in rather

fashionable calls but of course I must submit to it. but what I enjoy most of any thing else is sitting in my

WHAT am I, after all, but a child, pleased with the sound of my own name?

It is at my room 419 N.Y. av. . Please call for it. Yours truly Geo. F.

no unreturn'd love—the pay is certain, one way or another; (I loved a certain person ardently, and my

18 Jan 66 thursday Thursday januar January 17th My dear walt we are all as well as usual and have got

the smoke that helps her very quik quick off those bad spels spells good bie walter dear Jeffy makes my

more she is such a mischieveous girl i get up very early and that seems to be the only time i can get my

st Warren St. i think they will make a great deal out of the job in new york New York but it is only my

Bowling Green Febry February 24th 1867 My Dear Friend I was thinking to day today whether I had answered

good berth in Tennessee but being of a modest disposition of course I cannot call his attention to my

My dear Walt. Your welcome letter was duly received for which accept many thanks.

The tax on my part the last year was quite as much as I received— Well, what we want is to have them

it harm'd me, giving others the same chances and rights as myself—As if it were not indispensable to my

A happy New Year, my dear friend!—And here is a lot of luck for your new vol. of "Leaves."

My dear Nelly, I will be at the house in time to go with you & see the Capitol lighted.

Nov. 1, 1867 My dear Mr. Church: I send herewith the proof of Democracy .

My dear Walt, I introduce to you Mr.

the air I breathed froze me; A thick gloom fell through the sunshine and darken'd me; Must I change my

Galaxy Office Oct 15 /67 My dear Sir: I am pleased to hear that your article will be ready by the 21st—a