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

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 .

Christmas Graphic " —(comes out in a week or so,) in which I say a brief word about Emerson— To eke out my

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

I read, Sunday, to my wife, Longfellows verses on Sumner, in the last Atlantic, and then I read your

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

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.

My dear Reid, Hasn't this got vim enough—from your point of view, even as editor of the paper—to make

one could fail then [during the War] to admire his zeal and devotion, and I am afraid that at first my

Jersey , Dec. 3—noon Dear Pete, Dear son, I am getting over my late bad spell—I have been very sick indeed

, the feeling of death & dizziness, my head swimming a great deal of the time—turning like a wheel—with

expected—& shall go out, or try to, to-day, as it is very pleasant—You must not be needlessly alarmed, my

partially well & strong enough—The doctor is quite encouraging—comes every day—& I feel a good heart yet—My

paper—I have some spurts of visits, & company—but very little that goes to the right spot, with me—my

Liptay Care of Otto Behrens 140 Eighth avenue New York City I wrote to Nelly about a week ago, stating my

day—rather a curious fellow—a great bully, vehement, loud words & plenty of them (the very reverse of my

valued Dr Drinkard)—& yet I value what he says & does for me—He is inclined to think the seat of all my

been out, except just in front of the house in the sun, & only three times that—but don't be alarmed, my

dear friend—the probabilities are, (in my opinion any how,) that I shall get partially well yet— The

heart, lungs, kidneys—(those, according to him, are all right)—thinks it indeed not improbable that my

dear baby— Walt Whitman Frank, I wish to be remembered to Arnold Johnson in the office—tell him I sent my

I know—I send you a piece by me from the paper here —the young man alluded to was much like one of my

shall come on to Washington yet—on a brief visit—Tell Charles Eldridge I shall write to him this week—My

brother & sister & Eddy here are well—My sister at Burlington, Vt. was as usual at last acc't account

Louis—As I write I am sitting here in my big chair alone ( alone muchly ,) in the parlor by the window—It

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.

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.

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.

I am still the same—am all alone in the house to-day, as my brother has gone to New York & my sister

My dear Marvin, Your letter of 13th has reached me.

I should have made my visit the current week, but one of my bad spells has intervened —will write to

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

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

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!'

since I last wrote you has passed on, bringing no decided change in my condition—in my bad spells, (&

I have them often enough) I 'most think the end is not far off—but I get over them & my natural buoyancy

reässerts itself—(& in the main keeps control of the helm)—though to a man of my lazy-activity this

I was discharged from my clerkship on the last of June, by B.

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

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

August 5 Dear Nelly, Your good letter came all right—it is pretty much "the same subject continued"—with my

square frame, with thin strip of gilt inside, & good plate glass)—I shall look for Charles Eldridge— My

Though some bad spells still, things decidedly more favorable in my condition. I shall get up yet.

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

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

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.

July 10 1875 Dear, dear son, I am still here—still suffering pretty badly—have great distress in my head

, & an almost steady pain in left side—but my worst troubles let up on me part of the time—the evenings

Eldridge to see to the sending on here of my boxes at Dr. Whites.

Pete didn't you get my last Saturday's postal card? I wrote you one.

I got yours last Monday—Did you get the Camden paper with my College piece in? I sent one.

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

Sir: Yours of June 30, informing me of the necessity of terminating my services in the Solicitor's office

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."

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

Howard Lake June 28, 1874 My Dear Friend I Receivied received your kind & Most Welcome Letter A Short

Well My Health I But Verry Very little Better But If I Had Stayed In W Va West Virginia dont don't Suppose

when I went In the army I had a Com fortable Home Was a good Lover My Mother Leives Lives In My Father

Not Seen Her For 8 year My Brothers & Sisters Lives too I Will Close My letter By Saying I Hope you

kindness And Care to me My Children Sends their Love to you Now My Dear Friend I Hope you will write

Do you understand my bad English?

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

the Attorney General that in any changes in the Solicitor Treasury's office, I be not disturbed in my

position as clerk in that office—all my duties to the government being & having been thoroughly & regularly

performed there, by a substitute, during my illness.

Newark, New Jersey June 21st, 1874 My Dear Friend Your Letters & papers came duly at hand.

I left New York in Oct. 1868, and me and my Brother started A Milk Depot here And we until the Spring

When we separated and I commenced to Paddle my own Canoe: I have A small route And keep A Depot.

Enclosed you will find A Card which my friends say resembles your Humble Servant Very Much you shall

I suppose this is your last production: My Best Wishes from your friend, William H.

Clark Dear Sir, In answer to your note I send enclosed a copy of my poem for Tuft's College on the 17th—which

My dear Rudolf Schmidt , As you have rec'd received my letter of April 25, you know that the copies of

Commencement Poem to a College near Boston city—the College is the headquarters of the Universalists—my

I intend to send Kristian Elster a copy of my poems, & my photograph—how shall I address him?

Johnson one with the greatest pleasure—(it is one of Brady's photos)—I wish you to give my best respects

inaction—but upon the whole not so severely—& I think very decidedly gradually growing less—The worst is my

—(Unfortunately it was, however, at a time when I was feeling almost at my worst.)

June 5 Am getting along somewhat better last two days—As I write this, (3 p. m.) have had my dinner—&

March 29, 1874: "It seemed hard to see the great man afflicted, bowed down, and I could not suppress my

Grier on June 2, 1874: "He reiterated his theory that my sufferings, (later ones) come nearly altogether

the very great distress & pain I have been under in breast & left side, & pit of stomach, & thence to my

begin the use of an injection syringe, (Fountain No. 2. tepid water for clysters)—was favorable to my

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

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

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

plate are ready —I shall be coming along—will send you word when— I have hardly any thing to tell about my

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

, 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.

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