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hun.00021xxx.00596HM 6713'Come said my soul. . .'

[Come, said my Soul]about 1875poetry1 leafhandwritten; A signed draft, heavily revised, of the untitled

'Come said my soul. . .'

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

Whitman My Dear Sir I received your letter on the 8 , & was very glad to hear from you.

You asked about my Grand-Mother, she is alive, but, I cannot say well.

I attended an Academy last winter, but, my teacher went away, so I stopped going there We are having

I would send you my picture but I want you to come & see me myself. & very much Oblidge Oblige Your loving

—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

paper—I have thought much of it, through the interesting account you gave—Indeed death has been much in my

Graphic first number just out—ask Charley to get it for you—In my next—anent of Bull Run—I mention Mrs

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

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

My books, Leaves of Grass , Passage to India Democratic Vistas &c. will be duly dispatched to-night or

previously published in Leaves of Grass, "Passage to India" was Whitman's attempt to "celebrate in 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.

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.

Jan. 25, '74 My dear Rudolf Schmidt , Your letter of Jan. 2 has just reached me here.

I have been at death's door myself—& during the year have lost my dear mother & a dear sister by death

probably get well again—But I remain paralyzed yet—walk with difficulty & very little—have bad spells in my

If so, give him my address, & tell him to come & see me.

America (I have not given up my place in the Solicitor's office, Washington—but keep up communication

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

Johnson & her sister mentioned in my article —& please give them my best remembrances.

I feel that I am better, in the main—yet still have daily & nightly bad spells in the head, & my leg

I have been waiting ever since I wrote, to get the photos. of my nieces, (my dear sister Mat's girls,

Drinkard—I sent Garaphelia Howard a paper, the Graphic that has my picture—how is she?

Give her my love—Poor, good Mr.

edition you got of Shephard, four or five weeks ago—with the remaining copies (if any) of the 25 sent by my

I have somewhere between 300 & 350 of my little book of later poems, "As a Strong Bird on Pinions free

If you care to have the sole & exclusive command of all my books in existence, take this offer.

I am sick & paralyzed—a tedious prospect still before me—& should be glad to have the books off my hands

With Walt Whitman in Camden in 1889: "What a sweat I used to be in all the time . . . over getting my

previously published in Leaves of Grass, "Passage to India" was Whitman's attempt to "celebrate in 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

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

womanly beauty & development—I always thought it in her to do so—Nelly, when you next see her give her my

love—I return Willie's picture—dear child—it has pleased me much—I held it a long time in my hand &

I have overlooked—or forgotten—any request to that effect in the letter sending it)— I send my love to

Brownell—also to Garry Howard when you see her—(what you say of her in your letter I fully endorse as 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

My father & mother is still living in Bridgeville But myself & my little Family live near the capital

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.

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

I suffer much with my head, & locomotion is more clumsy & paralyzed even than usual—But my inward feeling

We are having it warm & bright & spring like here at present—very attractive out, but my head prevents

My nieces are well—the one with the hair a la Chinois is California, (Jessie,) the younger—the other

Louis, full of work—both my brothers have plenty of noble, manly work, & very remunerative.

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

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

I am not sure you will remember me, or my occasional salute to you, in Washington.

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

(I suppose you rec'd received my postal card acknowledging your previous one, briefly, & saying I should

I shall quite certainly come on—cannot now [pla]n the time, but will write before—& take up my quarters

mention I should pay thankfully—Though badly disabled, I am perfectly able to take care of myself, & my

Rein —I am alone, in the house to-day, (except Eddy)—as my sister has gone out to spend the day, & my

My brother Jeff, at St. Louis, is well—his girls are growing finely.

Dear Rudolf Schmidt The Danish edition Demokratiske Fremblik , of my Democratic Vistas , has reached

I suppose you rec'd received my letter from here of Jan. 25—about my illness, paralysis—(& the papers

Tribune , with a poem, (my latest,) Prayer of Columbus So you will see I cannot desist from writing,

Don't fail, my dear friend, to write me at least as soon as you return.

Graphic ) with acc't account of my illness —also February Harper's , and the , by this mail—I like to

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

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.

[am] feeling decidedly better than usual this morning—I have spent an hour in the bath room, (quite my

For I suppose you know that my condition is very tantalizing in its fluctuations—Like today as I write

G. of 7th March is my last no. —did you get it?

I am alone at home, with my brothers—Papa & Mother are gone visiting to Uncle John's Father's-in-law.

The let up & somewhat favorable condition mentioned in my letter of Sunday still continues.

My dear Rudolf Schmidt , My lonesomeness & sickness here, (for I am still sick, & here,) have been much

rejoiced to–day today by my getting your good & copious letter of 28th February, on your return to Kopenhagen

copies Demokratiske Fremblik , & one copy in sheets—also three copies picture paper Folkeblad , with my

Tribune ) my two latest pieces Song of the Redwood Tree , (California,) and Prayer of Columbus , which

the head—walk hardly any, (from the paralysis,) but maintain good spirits, keep up in body & face, (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.

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

Saw the doctor (Grier) day before yesterday—he made a careful ausculation of my heart—pronounced it all

Drinkard , a great talker, & very demonstrative)— Nelly, you needn't send the photos of my nieces back

Thanks for your letter of 20th—give my love to Mrs.

Without any thing very definite at this moment, my idea is of a poem, fitting in not unappropriately

All the pay I would want would be enough to pay my expenses, transportation &c., probably between 30

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.

April 10, 12 M Dear Pete, 74 Nothing very new or different in my condition, or any thing else—have hardly

Not much of a letter this time, my loving boy—as I dont don't seem to be able to write much—though, as

Thanks for your letter, statement of acc't. account , of my books Leaves of Grass &c. which have just

Forty One Dollars, fifty-four cents, on acc't of sales of my books, in 1873.

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

Comparing your rec't receipt of my books from Doolady , April 28, '73 (239 Leaves of Grass, &c.

&c)—with the of books handed over by you to Butts (168 Leaves of Grass, &c &c)—see my last letter to

Deduct 25 copies sent to Boston by my order, & 3 copies to Graphic , leaves 43 copies (@ $1.40) to be

My dear niece, I received your nice good letter—and also Hattie's a week or two before —& have been very

I am not much different in my health—no worse. All the rest here are well.

This little cut picture was one I intended to send last Christmas, but it got lost in my papers—so I

enclose it now, for fun— Best love to you, dear child, & to my dear Hattie too, from Uncle Walt— I will

criticism—when it comes I shall have it carefully translated to me—if you communicate with him, please give him my

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

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.

alternations—not perhaps quite as well, of late, (the last ten or twelve days)—& yet I dont don't abandon my

& hope— feel to , which is a main thing with me—I have a good deal of pain, more or less steady, in my

been so since—(though not enough to prevent me from eating some nice stewed oysters in moderation for my

needlessly apprehensive, Nelly dear—for I shall get better, & we will meet yet— When you write tell me about my

Tell me all the news—tell me about Charles Eldridge—& all my other friends.

minnesota Wright Co Howard Lake may 12 1874 Walt Whitman my dear friend I received yours dated April

be good for your the there are some comming coming from the different Stats states for their health. my

friend Whitman I love you when I think of the kindness you shew show to me my heart is swelled with

gratitude to you may the lord preserve you and giv give you a home in heaven my friend i have bin been

in a bad stat state of health for 10 months I have the dropsy of the heart I am getting better & 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

all night afterward—But this morning as I write, (9 o'clock after breakfast—fish, Graham bread, tea, my

in the parlor alone by the window, it is very pleasant—soothing—it is a sweet balmy, not hot morning—my