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Ferry, I dashed off the enclosed Sonnet, which I take the liberty of send to you, the rather to gratify my

I went first of all from Brooklyn to Washington to nurse some of my friends.

Well, I went just like that: I went 'on my own hook.'

"From Long Island I went with my parents and settled at Brooklyn.

For my part, I said, I thought Mr.

Gladstone's policy; and my wish, my desire, my animus, would certainly be on the side of the just, wise

Wilson of Glasgow, encouraging me to go on & get subscribers for my "Walt Whitman,"— saying that I may

you be willing (I hardly dare to ask it) to send me for two yr book of addresses (sent by Express at my

(I keep up my bibliogr. record always (in the "Whitman")] I made a trip to the art museum recently to

Baxter has gone to Arizona, & left bust in my care.

Kennedy My idea is to charge $5. or a guinea for the vol. & print it in good style.

This will excuse my dilatoriness as a correspondent) Rhys & I go up to lunch with Sanborn Friday—Rhys

Nothing delights me more & my limitations are so many.

By coming on I could bring my MS with me, & stay three days at least.

I have already made out a long one—going over all my scraps & records for the purpose Our brilliant young

Will send you my Herald article on him when it appears.

might insure the publication of the book; for purchasers of L. of G. are of all most likely to buy my

I wont weary you by saying more than to express my heartfelt sympathy & thankfulness & good wishes .

Eve (I free from the gnarring of the finite at my heels).

My dear father-confessor, I feel a strong desire to be clasped closer to yr your breast, to know my friend

—Well, there, my eye lights on my memorandum of it.

I have not time to copy out my translation. affec. as always W.S.

I offer my congratulations in advance.

that item about my reading proofs) before I give him the MS.

Belmont My Dear Walter (as poor Emerson wd would say) I some weeks ago devised a cunning scheme for getting

I took up the idea & having my time at my disposal, I am going to work you up a lecture.

Do you think you will be able to come by that time, my dear friend?

I have never heard you either read or lecture & shall be a thousand times repaid for my trouble. aff—

"Last of Ebb" is my favorite. William Sloane Kennedy to Walt Whitman, 28 August 1888

(my book). Glad to hear of yr your new books. Am still reading proof.

WS Kennedy I don't see much prospect of my work on you seeing the light soon, But—.

poems & prose pieces bit by bit, stealhily stealthily to-day, having the book (disguised by cover) in my

I send you the Transcript with my notice of November Boughs —hastily pencil-scrawled bet between jobs

on my proof desk.

I asked Traubel to tell you that Wilson (Glaswegian) had written me my book. cordially yrs yours W.S.Kennedy

They have made my summer glorious. My love of that man is something strong as fate.

Indeed I believe the ties of blood draw me to him & Scotland—my "forbears" being Scotch-Irish (on one

As I sit here looking up Brattle Square Cambridge from my proof-room window, the gay elastic children

Belmont Mass Oct 20 '88 My dear W.W.

Mrs K. is in Boston at a Symphony Concert and a precious ½ hour for my soul being at my disposal I feel

We are rolling out 90–100 books at once, & every page must pass under my eye twice & receive my fecit

before it goes out,—my guarantee.

I must stop & copy a page or so (my daily stint) of my Whitman bibliography (sawdusty job rather, but

That wonderful title page I look at & look at, & can't seem to get dovetailed into my mind.

My day had a sad ending.

Please give my very special congratulations to Traubel anent this big volume (for I suppose he helped

And give my regards to your Canadian nurse-friend.

March 7: '88 I was really astonished to hear my quondam college mate—young Henry Norman —was the one

I was in the first flush of my enthusiasm for you; had just read you for the first time, & after a while

matter increases my esteem.

Charity, charity, man, I keep saying (& think of my own grievous sins).

I send you a Transcript marked, and also send you my love in unlimited quantities.

My answer to it has crossed the letter enclosing yours.

For myself, after some five years work on a book concerning my own especial art, I am now waiting the

arrangements and returned and told him all about it which pleased him very much, he put his arms around my

another room and when it got close to the wall an oven door opened and in went the rod and pan with my

friend vanishing away like a snow flake before my eyes. that thought then as well as now crowded into

These are part of what thoughts were crowding in my brain as I stood watching for one hour till my friend

Cooper vanished away before my eyes. so I felt I must tell you that there is a new Crematory built in

My friend Carpenter —one of your best friends—has sent me a copy of his "Songs of Labour"; containing

I cannot express my feelings in this Commercial language, when writing to people I love, and do not try

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

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

June 18 188 8 My dear Mr.

Whitman:— I read with sorrow of your severe illness and beg to offer my sympathy.

My dear Walt: I see in the papers, with agitation and alarm, the reports about your illness, which, however

But I should be in the way, considering my condition.

especially such as this one: I was sitting at breakfast yesterday morning, when the lines came into my

longing to send you a word, but you can't imagine how hard it is for me to rouse myself to write, in my

my wretched lameness prevents me from exerting myself as I want to.

Despite my illness and inanition, I am all agog for the result.

"O for the light of another sun, With my Bazra sword in my hand!"

Heyden's "The Last Words of Al-Hassan" contains the lines "O Allah, for the light of another sun, / With my

Didn't my lower stomach shout to my upper stomach with loud halloos!

But that my illness makes me unfit for composition, I would like to review Donnelly's reviewers so far

My talk with him must have sunk in. Goodbye. Nelly sends you her love. So do I.

My eye is now under battery treatment (assault-and-battery treatment, you would think to look at it!)

and just as soon as I can recover my sight a little better, I will plunge into the volume, which now

August 31, 1888 My dear Walt: I got your letter of the 6th, a postal card of the 11th, divers newspapers

I have had it on my mind for a month to write, but have had a bad time.

My hope and heart are high for you. If the weather will only let up! Good bye.

My eye got open at last, but is still bleary and bad.

My present woe is a festered pen finger, sore as death, and preventing me writing.

It is one of my afflictions, though without pain.—I will try to write soon.

Sometime when you are sending you can return me the article for my collection.

I keep up my spirits as well as I can, but find it all pretty depressing.

I had been feeling depressed and sorrowful—perhaps my own bad state had something to do with it; but

anyhow, the brave hand-writing was like Chevy Chace to Sidney, "stirring my heart as with the sound of

He is certainly the winter of my discontent mentioned by Lord Bacon in his play of Richard III.

years Whitman increasingly considered him an antagonist; late in his life, Whitman commented: "Some of my

being quite crushed with the dead heat we have been having, and sick with obstinate bowel trouble and my

My belief in your getting better is invincible, for your stamina is indomitable.

EDITORIAL•DEPARTMENT THE CENTURY•MAGAZINE UNION•SQUARE•NEW•YORK 25 July 1888 My dear Mr Whitman: I hope

Were I near you I should like to have the honor of paying my personal respects to you.

If you would write your name upon my 1855 edition, which I intend to present to a public library, I should

New York Sunday 11/3/88 My dear Mr.

Whitman: You will remember my calling a few weeks back when I remember that I do so as a friend of Earl

I am as you know Wellesley Sayle an Englishman & am proud to be one of many thousands of my fellow countrymen

I shall most likely call at Phila on my way where I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you again.

Camden NJ—US America Sept: 13 '88 Still kept in my sick room & the summer season is ab't over.

My little 140 page November Boughs & the big 900 page Vol. Complete are nearly done.

decidedly better—I want to send a package to Mr Pearsall Smith's by European Express with several big Vols. my

Camden Wednesday Sunset July 11 '88 Am setting up & have just eat my supper—The flowers rec'd this day—perfumed

gain—the last three hours I am up & shall probably work back before long as I was before—Five days ago my

My head (physical brain) & spirits good—legs & bodily strength gone .

Camden Wednesday P M Sept: 19 '88 Still here in my sick room.

Camden Friday Evn'g Oct: 19 '88 It is dark & I have had my dinner & am sitting by the fire & gas light—anchor'd

& tied in my old big democratic chair & room, the same as all summer, now in the fall & soon the long

winter & (if I live) probably through all—I have been occupied most of the afternoon writing my autographs—there

are to be 600 for the Edition of my complete writings—it will be ab't 900 pages, & include all —a last

I wait with anxiety—I told you ab't my dear friend John Burroughs being here—he is now back at West Park

Jan 10 '88 Am sitting here by the fire alone early afternoon & will write you a few lines—have had my

machine—After a dark storm, (with snow,) nearly a week, the sun is out this afternoon & there is a half-thaw—My

Nothing delights me more—my limitations are so many.

I am still imprison'd in my sick room, yet sitting up & reading & writing & (in limits) talking & being

worst no prospect of real improvement—I mean in any body or leg strength, wh' is very low indeed—but my

—and at same time a big Vol. (900 pages) comprehending all my stuff—verses & prose—bound in one—Shall

I am sitting here anchor'd in my big chair all day—Write when you can— W W Walt Whitman to William Sloane

& my works' future—the backward & contemporary reference.

less evidences of gradual physical deterioration —but spirits good—appetite &c fair—& you know I begin my

70th year now in ab't two months—thank God indeed that things are as well as they are & that I & my

fortunes (literary & otherwise) are—Rainy & dark & raw here all day—I was out yesterday four hours to my

friends the Harneds —was taken & bro't back in my phæton —a lull in my Herald contributions —I send

March 24/88 Dear Mr Whitman My father and other members of the "Society of Old Brooklynites" are anxious

Camden Thursday Evn'g Oct: 4 '88 Still here in my sick room—everything much the same—Book printing &c

—The box of chocolate & cocoa came—delicious—many thanks—I had some for my breakfast this morning—Remain

Reprinted as "Interpolation Sounds" in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891).

When reprinted in "Good-Bye My Fancy," the poem included the note, "General Sheridan was buried at the

My Canary Bird

mentions in a letter to Richard Maurice Bucke on February 16, 1888: "it is chilly here as I finish this—my