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—have been out in my wheel chair for a 40 minute open air jaunt (propell'd by WF. my sailor boy nurse

) —& now 4pm Nov. 14 '89 waiting for my supper to be bro't— Transcribed from digital images of the original

I had to come back to look after my farm. The heavy rains came near washing it away.

I & my man live alone in the old house, I am chief cook & bottle washer I keep well & busy, & am not

In a couple of weeks my grapes will be all off (only 1/2 crop this year) & I shall take another holiday

I wish you were here to enjoy this view, & this air, & also my grapes & peaches. Drop me a card.

Who said when I invited him to hear my lecture upon your work—"I shall come by all means.

I gave two evenings to your work before my class at New England Conservatory.

My class is composed of about fifty bright young girls studying music.

I shall have "Specimen Days" in my class during Spring term.

Toward sunset Had a good thorough bath this afternoon, hot water—my "cold" has not altogether withdrawn—I

day—I almost envy your having such lots to do, responsibilities & strong & well & energetic to do 'em—My

lassitude is one of the worst points in my condition—but whether Sidney Morse's man's answer (when reproach'd

probably say)—Well I will adjust myself for dinner, & hope you & Mrs B & all are having good times—& send my

—However, with all my deep chagrin, I c but laugh (long & well), over little Stedman & Holmes (I suppose

You say in it "as to my alleged opinion of Stedman: I have no such opinion.

My feeling toward S. is one of good will & thanks markedly—O'C says he is a good fellow, & I say so too

Stedman w never forgive my trying to comfort him . Ha! ha!

I think I shall now pitch overboard fr my book the Hartmannian lading (supplement) entirely.

time fanning away the flies &c—not down ill but not far from that—some blackberries & a rare egg for my

breakfast— Sunset —Have had my supper & relish'd it—send this hence Camden (to Phila) 8 P M July 13—

July 12, 89 Dear Walt, I write you briefly this morning before starting on my 2 week vacation to Delaware

At that time I was having one of my streaks of insomnia, & was very wretched for two or three weeks.

I go about all day with two balls of twine at my side, training the young vines in the way they should

Camden April 14 '89 Fine sunny weather—nothing special in my health—(if any difference am suffering less

My dear friend, I was glad to hear by your postal that you are getting along without an increase of suffering

My old enemy "melancholia" spreads its vampire wings still over my life and will I presume go with me

Gardner of Paisley, accepting my MS. "Walt Whitman the Poet of Humanity."

suppose his idea is that people will buy L. of G. more if they are not given the passages in question in my

. [—] I send you today a copy of my Annual report, after you have looked it over let Horace have it—I

I am well, getting a good rest since my return home, sleep about 10 hours a night right along.

read some of Brown's books if not all of them. [—] A gloomy but pleasant afternoon here as I sit at my

desk in my office and look out the window, roads very sloppy with the melting snow.

./89 My dear Mr Whitman Among other precious things from Camden which greeted me this morning is the

And now our summer "loaf" is over, & glad I am of it, for loafing does not agree either with my health

Accept my dear Mr Whitman the assurances of our sincerest affection.

Traubel, With Walt Whitman in Camden, Friday, September 13, 1889 and Saturday, September 14, 1889: "My

I have been in Camden once or twice & should have called to see you but thought perhaps my comeing coming

Whitman occasionally referred to Stafford as "My (adopted) son" (as in a December 13, 1876, letter to

Camden April 16 '89 Cloudy raw weather—(may be part of my glum condition)—No word from O'C[onnor] now

It may seem ungracious . . . to say so (for Dick is my friend and means me well) but his piece impresses

important cases and good fees on prospect I was unable to realize the cash proceeds; so I applied and got my

—I hope to resume practice in this state, some time in the future, when I have paid my debts and saved

My mother is still living in Boston at the age of 75, well and hearty.

I hope you are fairly comfortable—God bless you my old and long tried friend— "With fond affection and

My life now seems very pale & poor compared with those days.

which I derive any satisfaction, Julian & that bit of land up there on the river bank where I indulge my

is developing into a very happy, intelligent boy, full of enthusiasms, full of curiosity, & is about my

I hope I can see my way to go to W again to see him. I shall not stay here in P. much longer.

My dear Poet: I spent last evening in fighting for you, in reading you, and, in a feeble way, expounding

up the balance, and that moreover, adulation would as soon turn the head of Moosilanke Moosilauke , my

My friend Baxter sent us his copy of your big book with notes, one or two, from you, pasted in.

I send you my heartiest wishes for the prolongation of your noble life in content and in as great a measure

Give my love to Dr. B.

My Dear W Whitman, Yr letter & papers both rec'd with thanks.

My article is scientific , I even reverently analyze Shakespeare's technique & prove that he inclined

I had been reserving this piece of work until I moved into my new house.

I sent my article on poetry to the Century. They ordered an article on E.E. Hale, wh.

Bliss , rectory Episcopal church—he expressed great sympathy for me; in my straitend circumstances, and

placed a 5 dollar bill, in my hand, as he has done once before, this winter, which got me 1/2 ton of

I would much rather paint, could I sell my pictures.

Dear Walt— Just a line as you have been much in my thoughts lately.

Sharpe, my old harper friend that I told you of, died a few days ago—"very quiet & gentle" says his son

The Money Order is sent in my name. Edward Carpenter to Walt Whitman, 13 January [1889]

I go now & get a wrap up: I have not given up, & never shall the pub. of my apotheosis of W.W.

It just meets my ideal. A book is doubled in value by pocket-form. My cousin has gone.

I am sorry to tell you that after all my careful economy & saving, the various things into which William

But I have been trying my best to put into order; but must soon drop all & go for a time, or I shall

If ever the people that owe money to William would pay me, I should not be so worried about my daily

It is like taking my life to have to give up a home with no prospect of ever having one again.

So I said, I will keep you informed of my whereabouts. & with love always— Nelly O'Connor. Ellen M.

My dear Sir.

think of you, and I am sure that it affords me much more than that to give this personal expression to my

say entirely my own way, and put it unerringly on record."

In another place the feeling of pride leads to this exclamation: "My Book and I—what a period we have

These snowy hairs, my feeble arm, my frozen feet, For them thy faith, thy role I take, and grave it to

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

loc.04657xxx.00948[To-day completes my three-score-and]1889prosepoetry1 leafprintedhandwritten; Printer's

[To-day completes my three-score-and]

328 Mickle Street Camden New Jersey March 31 '89 Thanks, my dear E C S, for the box of noble books with

for the loving cheering (I fear flattering) long letter, wh' has done me good, & I have read twice—My

I wish to convey my best regards to the printers, proof-readers & print-plate presser &c — I have been

July 12, 89 Dear Walt: I write you briefly this morning before starting on my 2 weeks vacation to Delaware

At that time I was having one of my streaks of insomnia, & was very wretched for two or three weeks.

I go about all day with two balls of twine at my side, training the young vines in the way they should

My dear Mr.

But I want also, at least in fancy, to reach my hand across the sea, & to take your hand, & to tell you

I think of seventy years as quite the vestibule of age, because my own father is rigorous, at least in

—feeling so-so—Ed has gone over to my friend Tom Donaldson's —D seems to take a fancy for Ed & he reciprocates

—I am sitting here in the den in my big chair—Ed is leaving here soon Londonward—is there any special

drumming trip to New York and Boston—y'rs rec'd last evn'g —mutton & rice broth, Graham toast & tea for my

Feb: 8 '89 Am thinking a good deal ab't you to-day—have rec'd the card N[elly] sent & it has rous'd my

tho't's & sympathies greatly—Nothing new or special in my condition— Love to you & N— Walt Whitman Walt

Hda de El Rosario Jesus Maria Chihuahua Mex October 27 de/89 My dear Mr Whitman Your kind package of

a long time on road I was delighted I assure you to get them and they occupy the foremost place in my

of the old familiar faces—but I seem to be hoping against fate—as the manager here will not accept my

While I appreciate his valuation of my services I would prefer to go East—but have been treated too kindly

My dear Walt Whitman, I was very glad to have your postcard two or three days ago, & to find that you

My work—editing &c., made me come away at last sooner than I wished to.

through a quiet & picturesque cwm or valley,—so reaching this place, Carmarthen, where I stay with my

have been dipping more & more into old Welsh romance & poetry, of late; eking out with a dictionary my

I am paying a visit—it is a vacation—to Benjamin Jowett, the Head of my college, a venerable and dreadful

It makes one realize how much your generation—my father's generation—has done for progress, I only hope

My father is extremely well, and enjoying life. Mrs.

It took me several days to absorb it and make my extracts &c.

(I fear my digestion must be poor to-night judging from the tone of the foregoing!)

I keep toiling away kicking my MS into shape, adding touches &c &c W S Kennedy William Sloane Kennedy

My first visit to William's grave since last July when I went away.

if I had some one to give me a lift in my work, it would be a boon, but I guess my lesson in life is

Gardner of Paisley, accepting my MS. "Walt Whitman the Poet of Humanity."

suppose his idea is that people will buy L. of G. more if they are not given the passages in question in my

He bites hard—says "it wd be a vast pity if the book were to fall through," owing to my obstinacy I suppose

I send you today a piece I wrote for an uncle more than thirty years ago about my old wanderings in the

I promised Horace to send him a copy of my Saguenay poem but please tell him I cannot find one and fear

My Annual Report is out—I have written for some copies and shall send you one as soon as I get them I

Camden April 16 '89 Nothing very different or new in my affairs—the past ten days bad rather—sort of

last rec'd—have no opinion or comment or suggestion to make —did you receive (& send on to O'C[onnor]) my

February 15, 1889 Am sitting by the oak fire all day—no visitors or letters—but sort o' get along with my

papers & books—Kennedy, Boston, sends kindest inquiries ab't you with sympathy & greeting—My friend

Walt Whitman: My dear Sir, I take the liberty of sending you in the same mail with this, a little pamphlet

Should it prove so, my object will then be attained.

—tho't it might be instigated by my tonic—& have intermitted it to-day (for the first since you sent)

—am sitting here after my supper, & shall go out in wheel chair to river side—y'r letters rec'd —weather

Camden Evn'g: Jan: 1 '89 My best loving wishes for the New Year to you and William —O if deepest wishes

, though slowly—I & many are looking more than he knows toward W's propects—Best love & sympathy to my

My dear Comrade, Will you permit me to add by anticipation my warm congratulations to those of your many

Now, my dear friend, you will doubtless hear many more agreeable things than the foregoing said about

years since I had the pleasure of meeting you at your home in Camden, and I can scarcely express now my

My good friend and fellow-laborer on the Journal, James Chisholm —An American citizen born and reared

Whatever remains for us in "The great labor-house vast of being" let it be a comfort to you, my dear

Camden P M Aug: 4 '89 Nothing very new—have not left my Mickle St: quarters this summer (hardly can )

—am feeling fairly to-day—my friend Traubel has written (at their request) & sent on to "Liberty" (Boston

Whitman I think it must have been my guardian angel that gave thee the "impalpable nudge" to write to

I am worse & not better, & now I have to go off for I don't know how long to the Pyrennees, leaving my

My road has seemed so shut up—I am laid aside in the midst of all the work I care for—fit for nothing—and

24 May 1889 My sir.

I pray then you to rec to my a copy.

tho't no more definitely of the Baltimore Hospital scheme —am sitting here as usual comfortable enough—my

sister Lou just been here, has been down to see my bro: Eddy —he is all right— Walt Whitman Walt Whitman

My dear Walt The enclosed will interest you.

We are here for my wifes health, which I am glad to say is much improved. Ever yours T. W.

Camden New Jersey U S America Dec: 24 '89 Still (after a sort) hold possession of the ship —but my grasp

growing fainter & my eyes dimmer—Wish to specially write to thank you for kindness —Y'r proof just rec'd

noon Feb: 24 '89 Sitting here by the oak fire dawdling over the Sunday's Tribune and the Phil: Press —my

last three days & nights—nothing very new—sunny & very cold here—some strangely favorable notices ab't my

of G. with Sands at Seventy & Backward Glance as epilogue & am busying myself at it (to commemorate my

finishing my 70th year)— Best love— W W Walt Whitman to William D.

require it—I never undressed coldest nights last winter—tired oft as an old vetrans , I dropped in my

narative. narrative Got a heater last winter, gave a picture for it—pipe passed into chimney through my

room mad made it comfortable— My sister on Staten Island has been dangerously ill for some weeks—now

several children and grand children—sincere— guiless— guileless beloved——I have not seen either of my

sketch of Elias Hicks is very pleasant to see, as like yourself I am proud of having Friends among my

I am going to send you a pamphlet which has in it a sketch of William Grimm by my best friend and fellow-worker

for I should like to see you in the flesh, but that is in the hands of the powers, I do not know how my

But I have no right to trouble you with myself or my concerns and I will stop here wishing you the best

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