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This is the first letter I have written for weeks, and I am afraid I write rather obscurely, for my hand

did not answer and acknowledge them I regret to have done so; but if you knew how great the mass of my

May 14. 1874 My dearest Friend Two papers have come to hand since I last wrote; one containing the memoranda

A great deal of needlework to be done at this time of year; for my girls have not time for any at present

May is in a sense (& a very real one) my birth month too, for in it were your Poems first put into my

My children are all well and hearty I am thankful to say, & working industriously.

Good bye my dearest Friend. Anne Gilchrist. Anne Gilchrist to Walt Whitman, 14 May 1874

London 26 Feb 1874 My dearest Friend Glad am I when the time comes round for writing to you again—though

I can't please myself with my letters, poor little echoes that they are of the loving, hoping, far journeying

Today (Feb. 25th) is my birthday dearest Friend—a day my children always make very bright & happy to

I can bide my time,—a long long growing & unfolding time.

That is because it is the under current of my whole life.

Singing Thrush" (March 15, 1873; later called "Wandering at Morn"), "Spain" (March 24, 1873), "Sea Captains

London Dec. 9. 1874 My dearest Friend It did me much good to get your Poem—beautiful earnest eloquent

My artist boy is working away cheerily at the R. Academy, his heart in his work.

I feel more completely myself than I have done since my illness.

I think my thoughts fly to you on strongest and most joyous wings when I am out walking in the clear

Good bye my dearest Friend. Annie Gilchrist.

Singing Thrush" (March 15, 1873; later called "Wandering at Morn"), "Spain" (March 24, 1873), "Sea Captains

Who would suspect that this comic strain proceeded from the author of "My Study Window," and "Among my

I'm dull at prayers: I could not keep awake Counting my beads.

I love my fellow-men: the worst I know I would do good to.

Now, when storms of fate o'ercast Darkly my Present and my Past, Let my Future radiant shine With sweet

The "In Memoriam" explains itself,—the "Watchman of Ephriam," as Osee says, "was with my God."

My dear friend It is just dawn, but there is light enough to write by, and the birds in their old sweet

My first knowledge of you is all entangled with that little garden.

My chief reason for writing (so I put it to myself) is that I can't help wishing you should know that

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

And for my sake you must not mind reading what I have written.

But so you know my dear friend they are all real to me—and I often keep them months before I destroy

Many and many a mile have I rode on a Locomotive while in charge of a Freight-train and had you by my

Walt write to me and acknowledge the receipt of this—If you cannot, I shall still keep writing, in my

it seems Centuries)—Father used to tell me I was lazy Mother denied it—and in latter years=(but O' my

own pen, ink, and paper on my own table, in a hired room, warmed by my own fire and lighted by my own

friend the past thou occupiest in my spiritual nature—.

I feel assured you will forgive any remissness of me in writing—My love my Walt is with you alway always

My Father is Dead.

abolished one of the third class clerkships in the office of the Solicitor of the Treasury, and upon my

It is, therefore, my duty to inform you that your services will not be required from and after the first

Friend It is with Pleashure Pleasure I take the oppertunity opportunity of writing you a letter As my

written. they Are Splendid. their There is a Preaspeterian Presbyterian Minister Liveing living with my

My Mother & Father was My Mother Is very old I dont don't Suppose She will Be with us on the 4 day of

In the Comeing coming year Well I hope you will get your Health Better, you Will Please Excuse this My

HOTEL CHATHAM 67 & 69, RUE NEUVE ST AUGUSTIN PARIS My dear Walt Whitman.

this suits me, born democrat as I am, but I trust it will not at all disturb the future of the thee my

My address is the Langhorne Hotel, London. Drop me a line.

, but the day has been so beautiful & the charm of the open air so great that I could not long keep my

My bees are working like beavers & there is a stream of golden thighs pouring into the hive all the time

I spend all my time at work about the place & like it much.

Meltonsville (my home office) Mr.

About that time I also, obeying an "impulse" or "law of my being" which was effectual if not "irresistible

" went for a Poet for my county.

Again this summer learned in my backwoods hermit home that Walt's Poems were in books, and that "English

In my disappointment and vexation I then said to my family "the Publisher who would publish and the Bookseller

your affection or curiosity, and that there is in your present situation a tedium or sameness which my

At any rate my writing can't hurt you unless I write foolishly and lessen your pleasure in my warm appreciation

Still Walt, he assured that causes with high an Walt, I never in my life sought or would have an office

Let the war pass away, us to of fools place not quarrel with my great friend.

man—so careful in all business matters, but I have so written it, both for information and to amuse my

Whitman who has done me the greatest honor of my life.

I know the style of my letters is queer, but if you had thought them absurd insincere you would not have

This I suppose that "nearest friend" or yourself intended as answer to my inquiry whether you were reduced

real, and immediate , I can spare you something of the small store of capital that is helping me in my

dollar I send, to report occasionally whether my idol still lives and how he fares.

I am 13 miles from the nearest village Post-script My family Physician quite lately borrowed from me,

all my money except 2 10 ct scrips, 1 gold dollar, and 8 silver quarters, which I bought to pay my (

Singing Thrush" (March 15, 1873; later called "Wandering at Morn"), "Spain" (March 24, 1873), "Sea Captains

134 East 38th St, New York, June 23/1874 My beloved Walt— I have read thy sublime poem of the "Universal

It raised my mind to its own sublimity. It seems to me the sublimest of all your poems.

I return to it as a fountain of joy My beloved Walt.

While my soul exists, the worship must be ever new.

How I would like to see you, in order to temper my heat, and expand my narrowness How absurd it is to

Singing Thrush" (later titled "Wandering at Morn") on March 15, 1873; "Spain" on March 24, 1873; "Sea Captains

So I defer my visit to you.

My wife and I Earnestly hope we may see you at our house soon.

All my Thought of late, Walt, is of you, and your great work.

All other books seem to me weak and unworthy my attention.

My wife appreciated the difference greatly .

afew a few lines that you may now know i I have you in rememberance remembrance yet you were kin to my

hospital afriend a friend in need is a friend indeed Bethuels father has gone to his home to rest and my

My first task is to write to you.

sent you myself one copy in loose sheets ( to two of those small parcels) and the editor has during my

My own opinion I wrote you in a letter the last summer. I hope, that you have received it.

With poor Clausen I sent you my picture. If you have not got, then ask it from his widow.

Clausen, who Rudolf Schmidt called "my old friend and countryman," corresponded with Schmidt after he

Your answer to my letter from Garsdal I duely duly received.

two weeks ago it took ago a new bridge as easily as I am flowing a feather away with the breath of my

Schmidt April 4, '74 Copenhagen, April 4, 1874 My dear Walt Whitman, Coming home from our "Athenaeum"

Norwegian "Aftenbladet" (Evening Paper) for April 1 the the first real criticism of your book, I found on my

The author is a young man in my years; his name is Kristian Elster, he is living at present in Throndhjeim

Here follows a photography that gives a true idea of my stature;—the face is not good.

Immediately after my return from Germany (28 February) I did write to you and sent you a long article

If my thoughts did not weaken and wither, when I try to give them expression in the English language,

something rotten in the state of Denmark, still are true, I have the greatest belief of the vitality of my

peasant on Fijen (one of our fertile isles) wrote to me in the spring for two years ago to thank me for my

Clausen, termed in Schmidt's letter "my old friend and countryman," corresponded with Schmidt after he

Do you understand my bad English?

look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books : ; "You shall not look through my

beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh is enough; To pass among them, or touch any one, or rest my

Walt Whitman Esq Dear Sir I will Sell My Lot on Royden St—for $450—all clear of incumbrance.

I.E. by being sold in what is termed the "remainder sale" of course my own feeling respecting this is

silent, and while at oxford I wandered through the Marketplace (for I love to mingle with all kinds of my

Whitman referred to Rossetti's edition as a "horrible dismemberment of my book" in his August 12, 1871

editorial decisions, which included editing potentially objectionable content and removing entire poems: "My

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

My Dear Sir, Last February, from Hong Kong, I sent you a line or two regarding an original edition of

But I, with silent Tread, Walk the spot my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.

Whitman's poem "O Captain! My Captain!

"O Captain! My Captain!"

For more information on the poem, see Gregory Eiselein, "'O Captain! My Captain!'

From the first I found it necessary to systematize my doings, and, among other things, always kept little

note-books for impromptu jottings in pencil to refresh my memory of names and circumstances and what

But before entering on my personal memoranda of the war, I have one or two thoughts to ventilate before

ABRAHAM LINCOLN—MY FIRST SIGHT AND IMPRESSION OF HIM.

It reads: 'I cannot survive the loss of the liberties of my country.'") THE EVE OF A LONG WAR.

MY VISITS AND DISTRIBUTIONS.

Looking from any eminence and studying the topography in my rambles, I use them as landmarks.

I have already distributed quite a large amount of money, put in my hands for that purpose by benevolent

I regularly carry a haversack with me, and my coat has two of the biggest kind of pockets. [ To be Continued

Here is another characteristic scene of the dark and bloody year 1863, from notes of my visit to Armory

(I think I see my friends smiling at this confession, but I was never more in earnest in my life.)

A GLIMPSE FROM MY NOTES.

I can say that in my ministerings I comprehended all and slighted none.

It has given me my plainest and most fervent views of the true ensemble and extent of the States.

Tennyson, It is a long time since my last to you.

illness—some three months, afterward was recovering at Washington, when called here by the death of my

To-day, a cloudy & drizzly Sunday, I have taken it in my head, sitting here alone & write—follow the

letter of May 14 has come to hand to-day, reminding me of your being in Armory Square Hospital & of my

I send you my love, & to your dear children & wife the same.

it is just comfort enough to be together, almost without any thing else)— I remain about the same in my

red, (though looking now very old & gray, but that is nothing new)—weigh 185 now—am badly lamed in my

am well situated here—but very lonesome —have no near friends, (in the deepest sense) here at hand—my

O'Kane has undoubtedly sent you all the copies of my books remaining in his possession—he received originally

And since then he has delivered about 30 Leaves of of Grass to my order—leaving only 30 or 40 more to

As said in my note, you now, (with the exception of about 350 copies of As A Strong Bird , which are

at my printer's in N.Y., & which I can send you an order for,) you now have my books in the market.

Strong Bird on store in N.Y., which I can send you an order for, if you wish, at once.) you have all my

Dear boy Pete, Nothing particular or new in my condition—I have been to the Doctor's to-day—had quite

Good bye my loving son. I will try to do better next week.

Well Pete, my dear loving boy, I have just come in from a 15 minutes walk outside, with my little dog—it

Philadelphia you think I would like to see, give 'em my address—I am glad to see most any one for a change

Washington to New York, & so was some in hopes of seeing you in Philadelphia)— No change in my condition

or prospects—the young man, Walter Godey, still works as my substitute in the Solicitor's office—I havn't

—My sister has just called me to my dinner—so I will close for this time.

I am very much the same—My being disabled & want of Exercise for 16 months, (and many other wants too

what the doctor calls gastric catarrh, very obstinate, causing me really more suffering & pain than my

I have bad spells enough, thank God I also have middling good ones—& as I write this have just had my

Pete I thought I would send you a little change enclosed—all I have by me to-day—(but I have plenty at my

with the frogs & lilacs in the spring—I keep a bully good heart, take it altogether—& you must too my

Dear boy Pete, Both your letters came this week—also one from my friend Eldridge, he too speaks of meeting

with snow, as I look out—not the least thaw to-day, as it is cloudy—I rise pretty late mornings—had my

mutton-chop, coffee, nice brown bread & sweet butter, very nice—eat with very fair appetite—I enjoy my

the same as before described—no worse, no better, (nothing to brag of anyhow) I have mentioned about my

—Still I go out some, though very stiff—& lately some spells in my head rather bad & queer.

What I have said in former letters about my general strength still holds good—otherwise I am in a bad

Jersey Friday afternoon Jan January 30, 2 o'clock Dear Pete, I am having another of my bad spells to-day—but

folks, every one I know—I am feeling as well as usual, as I finish this letter—Good bye for this time my

Monthly just out (February)—shall have another in the March number —Can't seem to do, without occupying my

day—nights are worst for me—I cant can't rest well—has been so now for a month—But I must not fill my

letter with my complaints—To-day is just a Year, since I was paralyzed, (23 d Jan.

January '73)—What a year it has been to me—Good bye my loving boy—write me all the news & gossip.

Jersey, Feb 20–1874 Friday afternoon—2½ Dear boy Pete, Well Pete, dear son, I have just had my dinner

(stewed chicken & onions—good,) & here I sit again in the same old chair, in the parlor, writing my

time comes— Have not written any for publication the past fortnight—have not felt at all like writing—My

—I have a poem in the March Harper —as I believe I mentioned in my last.

Take care of yourself my darling boy— Your old Walt, as always.

sunny to-day here, though middling cool—I am sitting here in the parlor alone—it is about 10—I have had my

off—they go by constantly—often one right after another—I have got used to them & like them— —Did you see my

Nash—& to Parker & Wash Milburn—& in short to all my friends— Your old Walt Walt Whitman to Peter Doyle

feeling quite an improvement, or let up, the last two days & nights on the bad spell I spoke of in my

think if I was fixed so that I had you with me every day, I should get well—good bye for this week, my

Dear Pete, Here I am yet, in my big chair in the parlor—I am up & around, but not very well—I am having

O'Connor— I have no doubt I shall feel better—my sickness comes & goes—& my relief spells the same—I

me a long time, & which I had quite given up—which puts me in better spirits—good bye for present, my

Dear son, I send you my letter a day ahead this week —Nothing new with me—rec'd the letter of last Sunday—also