Search Results

I have not read anything of the man himself yet—though I find that my reading & thinking for long past

Camden Dec: December 21 '82 My dear friends Yes I will give you the autograph name & perhaps a sentiment

My Dear Friend: I feel so drawn to send you a Christmas greeting.

Did you receive an invitation to the wedding of my daughter, Blanche, on the 14th of June last?

So often I think of the days of my youth, amid the calm content of Quaker society, so beautiful.

Tears came into my children's eyes. After meeting I asked them why?

I am my friend with kindest regards, Yours truly, Elisa S. Leggett.

language: "As I have looked over the proof-sheets of the preceding pages, I have once or twice feared that my

here—said: "Only that while I can't answer them at all, I feel more settled than ever to adhere to my

past—that I have always invoked that future, and surrounded myself with it, before or while singing my

thanks for your thought & deed in sending me "Nineteenth Century" criticism—you have probably seen my

unknown before our time) can take and adapt & shape for him or herself—I send you the "Critic" with my

guarantee that at the business meeting at 8 o'clock you would be elected & at nine you could come in, as my

I want your name to head the list, not merely because of my esteem for you personally, but because of

on & overhaul them) & if that will do—will certainly see the vols are sent to you— I am quite over my

anticipated— I am more than satisfied, however—every thing might have been so much worse—& best of all, in my

—There are no later or fuller prints of my books than those you have —I contemplate a final compacted

received —and I send you some thoughts of mine on Burns—(a much belabored subject—but I wanted to have my

Was't charged against my chants they had forgotten art? . . .

son and my comrade, dropt at my side that day, One look I but gave, which your dear eyes return'd with

do I not see my love fluttering out among the breakers?

Loud I call to you, my love! High and clear I shoot my voice over the waves.

Hither, my love! Here I am! here!

up from a three weeks' visit down in the Jersey woods, & find your card of 26th—The only copies of my

complete poems "Leaves of Grass," in my control, are of a special autograph & portrait edition, 1882

Walt Whitman I also supply, when desired, my prose volume "Specimen Days & Collect"—price $2.—374 pages

Sometimes I took up my quarters in the hospital, and slept or watch'd there several nights in succession

excitements and physical deprivations and lamentable sights,) and, of course, the most profound lesson of my

The second copy of book & my lending one, has come safe—too—and the card that told of your attack of

illness, & the welcome news of your recovery in the Paper; & I have been fretting with impatience at my

own dumbness—but tied to as many hours a day writing as I could possibly manage, at my little book now

(last night)—finished, all but proofs, so that I can take my pleasure in "Specimen Days" at last; but

My love to brother & sister & to Hattie [&] Jessie. Good-bye, dear Walt.

friends so closely, that your health & strength becomes part of theirs— I send you the Academy with my

I closed my review with a wish that you might try a voyage across the Atlantic.

nights—some literary meditations—books, authors examined, Carlyle, Poe, Emerson tried (always under my

cedar-tree, in the open air, and never in the library)—mostly the scenes everybody sees, but some of my

to the spring under the willows—musical as soft-clinking glasses—pouring a sizeable stream, thick as my

for the buoyant and healthy alone, but meant just as well for ailing folk:— "Who knows (I have it in my

fancy, my ambition) but the pages now ensuing may carry ray of sun, or smell of grass or corn, or call

Specimen Days —drops into Rees Welsh's shoes—It is just as well—& is indeed to me no change—for really my

me"—supplements to Heywood's paper "the Word"—(I believe I will just enclose H's letter—slips & all)—My

16—(As to the vehement action of the Free religious & lover folk, in their conventions, papers &c in my

As I write, it is a cloudy moist warmish Sunday, 10¼ a. m. pleasant—quiet here—I am up in my 3d story

I am holding my own in the recovery of my half state of health—am contemplating some change of base,

—the more I think of it, the more I am convinced that is Comstock's game, (see my letter)" (Henry W.

On March 21, 1883, O'Connor explained to Burroughs that the project had been delayed because of "my cares

To-day my soul is full of the love of the body.

"Clear and sweet is my soul, and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul. ∗∗∗∗∗ While they discuss

The first doubt lodged in my mind against the claims of the Christian Church and ministry was the first

To my surprise and horror, they spent the whole time in regaling one another with smutty yarns.

I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.

9 th Nov. 82 My dear Walt I have your card of 6 and we shall count on your coming here early in Dec.

would it not be as well (or necessary) for me to go to Philadelphia to arrange for the publication of my

barefooted every few minutes now and then in some neighboring black ooze, for unctuous mud- baths to my

. ∗ ∗ ∗ The successive growth-stages of my infancy, childhood, youth and manhood were all pass'd on Long

–49) and I split off with the Radicals, which led to rows with the boss and 'the party,' and I lost my

And then such lapses as these: By my great oak—sturdy, vital, green—give feet thick at the butt.

An hour or so after breakfast I wended my way down to the recesses of the aforesaid dell ∗ ∗ ∗ It was

just the place and time for my Adamic air-bath and flesh-brushing from head to foot.

We could have a good time here in my bark-covered shanty & in knocking about the country.

For the past two weeks my head has been ground between the upper & nether millstone of bank ledgers &

I telegraphed Thursday evening and again Friday—and was on my way to the telegraph office yesterday afternoon

In my own case when sick I find that the fact that I cannot get out makes me feel as badly as anything

My translation I hope to get finished by Spring.

this—that just now the liver is the seat of, & concentrates, that markedly defective enervation which my

My dear Walt: I snatch five minutes from writing up the wrecks.

Yet in my heart I hold and love him for aye.

But soon I shall be freer, and my first act shall be to collect the Oliver Stevens letters into a pamphlet

since I first bought the "Leaves of Grass" and before that time I had most earnestly proclaimed to all my

Gilchrist has and to write my name also in my copy. I make this request because Mrs.

I learn from her that your health is better and she showed me a card from you which to my great delight

The bits about the Creek are just delightful to my mind: you have so impregnated your pages with the

Give my love to them at Glendale. Herbert H Gilchrist.

Y.) and My Life on It as Child and Young Man…Printing Office—Old Brooklyn…Lafayette…Broadway Sights…My

I have been exercised deeply about it my whole life.)

Again he was ask'd to yield, this time by a rebel captain.

The rebel captain then shot him—but at the same instant he shot the captain.

From today I enter upon my 64th year.

Camden New Jersey U S America Oct: October 13 '82 1882 Evn'g Evening I send you by same mail with this my

received your elegant little volume—Dr Bucke has also his —I am well as usual— Walt Whitman do I address my

appreciated by me—I am also very much pleased to have the photo, both to tell me how you look now and for my

Now my dear Walt I don't want to hurry you or worry you but now that you have L. & of G. and S.D. both

any less desirable—I hope S.D. will sell and that Rees Welsh & Co. will feel disposed to take hold of my

Ford Yours of Sept: 25th rec'd received —& accordingly I send you (same mail with this—same address) my

O. order — When you see Edward Carpenter tell him I am well & hearty (considering) & send him my love

handsome " Buster og Masker " has safely reach'd reached me—best thanks—I will soon send you a copy of my

prose " Specimen Days —Dr Bucke's book is not printed yet—My volumes are now published in Philadelphia

suppose you have rec'd received the "Specimen Days" I sent a while since —I am well as usual—reeling out my

The worry of Ruskin —he has at various times sent to me for six sets of my ($10, two Vol. volume ) centennial

Leaves of Grass is that they are too personal , too emotional, launched from the fires of myself , my

William, (as you seem to be destin'd destined to defend the banner) I say here once for all you have my

permission to make any extracts, at any time, should you so like from any of my letters— W W Walt Whitman

but I expected to come down myself, or send word—but one thing or another delays the publication of my

coming week—I will bring you one when I come down—there is lots in about the pond & the old lane &c. and my

dark equinoctial storm—but I just wish I was down there this minute—a day there in the woods— —Where my

dictionaries &c. you can think of, & everything else— —Nothing very new with me—I still keep well—eat my

My feet strike an apex of the apices of the stairs, On every step bunches of ages, and larger bunches

Cycles ferried my cradle, rowing and rowing like cheerful boatmen, For room to me stars kept aside in

I open my scuttle at night and see the far-sprinkled systems, And all I see multiplied as high as I can

; No friend of mine takes his ease in my chair;— I have no chair, no church, no philosophy, I lead no

man to a dinner-table, library, exchange; But each man and each woman of you I lead upon a knoll, My

I thought my letter would have the effect of making him cautious. Now for Tobey.

I think you will like it as well as my first letter.

My Jeannie has been very ill this summer, but is getting better, and will go to Providence on Friday.

Camden N J Sept: September 12 My dear friend I just write to tell you that I have heard of your dear

father's death, & that you have my true sympathy—Love to Arthur and Emily & all—It is no time now to

Camden Sunday Sept: September 10 My dear friend I went round last evening to call on Mrs Rogers, & thought

yesterday—he is well & hearty & seems to be having good times—I shall write to him to-day—Well the work on my

new book "Specimen Days" is finished, & I feel as if a troublesome job was off my hands The enclosed

the pond, the first three summers '76, '77 and '78 I was down there at your house—We could not get my

miles from Philadelphia— (While I am writing this it is a very pleasant quiet Sunday—as I sit here by my

Camden Sunday Sept: 10 Dear Harry Thanks for your good letter—I have had my hands full the last six or

eight weeks getting my new book in shape, seeing to every thing, and watching the proofs day & night

job two or three times a year)—I have had the mighty good luck to keep well this summer all through—my

letter a lady opposite is singing & playing the hymn "Nearer my god to Thee"—how beautiful it sounds

— Love to you my darling young brother W.W.— Walt Whitman to Harry Stafford, 10 September [1882]

Camden N J Sept: September 6 I cheerfully give permission to print "O Captain My Captain" in your book

On the 5th page is my touch at Comstock. I hope it will do you good.

I will do my best to keep up the controversy. Tucker has fairly cowed Stevens & Co in Boston.

My private advices are very amusing. Pity Osgood was such a craven, though better for you.

of type, binding, general appearance &c. with L of G—same price—As I write (Sunday afternoon) up in my

same size, same sort of type, binding &c as L of G—same price—as I write, (Sunday afternoon) up in my

I will do my best to keep up the controversy."

Camden N J Aug: August 27 All going on well with me—the type-setting of my new prose book "Specimen Days

As I write, (Sunday afternoon) up in my 3d story room, heavy clouds & rain falling in torrents.

My brother & sister well—I saw Mrs.

He did not even ask about your health, or any other human thing, & made me feel that my call upon him

I had resolved, for reasons of my own, not to call upon any of those fellows, & I feel like throttling

Herbert for making me depart from my resolution.

If you have a copy of my "Notes" to spare, send it to O'Connor. I have but one.

Evans said 'you shall not live in my house then' she was greatly distressed but finally agreed to go

I am writing by this post to Eustace Conway, my lawyer friend in New York, a gay young spark, a fine

If he meddles with your book in New York, I will do my utmost in all directions to have him removed from

His taking up for that miserable Chadwick against me, misrepresenting and falsifying my argumentation

The Unitarian Index did a rascally thing lately in reprinting Chadwick's letter verbatim, without my

Underwood excused himself for not printing my answer on the ground that it was too "personal"!!!!!