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"It states my position—lets me state it in my own words: then lets the reader answer for the rest."

C.December, 16, 1888.My dear Sir:I should like, if I can do so without impertinence, to send you my grateful

Of the portrait sent by Smith: "That was my prime—that was the period of my power—of endurance: the period

"I always expect you to know a lot about me without my having to say it to you—about my feelings: especially

my feelings towards you."

Was quite well—"comfortable, in my sense."

New Year's wish—he holding my hand and exclaiming—"Good boy!

Mind you, I don't tell this to you as a thing I know—it is only my guess."

I quoted against this my own edition (1876)—which W. had not seen—in which W. appeared.

—"Do you think it would be worth my while to hunt it up?"

And when I had given him my good report: "How good for her—for Tom—for us!

The man seemed to have caught on to my idea almost before I expressed it: the green ends, the tipping

I said: "My heart warms to him."

monument idea on the whole a good one—that it might mean something in the friendship of nations: all that: my

I interposing—"No: you remember I testify in my article that you are sharply determined in all such minute

And that "Lincoln granted it, only said—'But my plan is, to meet each day as it appears—to have no rules

, except the rule to apply my best force to every new circumstance.'"

Then to Harned's for consultation about the meter—to my house for some further Whitman talk—finally to

My yesterday's telegram to Ingersoll was: "Slightly favorable change. Will write."

My opinion now is that January will put an end to all this business."

"Of course I will keep my promise and speak at the funeral.

Give my love to all—my love to all—all," and seemed exhausted, adding after a slight cough, "The great

But you know I am not my own master—that I have duties." "Yes, Maurice, I know."

Harned was present part of the time of my stay.

W. said: "I am fortunate: now I can make sure of all my possessions.

Congratulated me on my possession of the picture.

the letters extra meanings: I am passing many of them over to you: I want to sort of fasten them in my

I don't well know when my American Selection will be out: my work on it is done, and the rest depends

list of letters that must be written, and this morning I rec'd yours of the 18th ult. again enforcing my

I have been working very hard in the past year and, in addition to my work in Lachine, have had 2 patents

(in which I am only part inventor) on my mind, with much writing and drawing to do in all my spare moments

This, as much as any one thing, is why my time has been broken into and why I have not written sooner

Yes, I remembered that my payments were only up to Nov. 1st (through Oct.) and as I had expected to start

And further, "And this follows your idea in the paper"—referring to one of my notes in the Conservator

My whole day full of business and anxiety. Brinton startled at the knowledge I gave him.

"No, but I cannot give up my fears and convictions either."

George Whitman, who was just going at the time of my entrance.) W. had told Mrs.

To Longaker he had said, "Doctor, you always have the bad luck to catch me at my worst.

My mouth, jaw, tongue are sore from the amount of medicine I have taken."

Thoreau, in Brooklyn, that first time he came to see me, referred to my critics as 'reprobates.'

somehow as if none of the changes should have been made: that I should have said, take me as I am: my

bad and my good, my everything—just as I am: to hell with all cuts, all excisions, all moralistic abridgements

W. said again: "Conway could never understand my stony attitude towards expurgations: he at once flew

My dear Walt: I introduce to you Mr.

It seems Judge Garrison is to take them, and wants my signature. Oh yes!

There was 'Leaves of Grass': what a fight I had for that name"—and to my interposed idea that time had

settled in its favor,—"Well—for 15 or 20 years, everybody objected to it—even my friends."

And he added: "My critic gave all the intellectual reasons in the calendar, but of the emotional, the

I had Roden Noel's book with me, under my arm—and he asking me "How do you get along with it?"

s room, he looked at it and confirmed my opinion, "I am inclined to repeat what you say—that it is better

He has "no word from the North American Review yet—yet I see that my piece on National Literature is

My warm response to this causing his pathetic reference to Jeff: "The good boy!

Do not usually mention my letters because W. is curious to see them and there's always something in them

"Tempting as it is, I have forborne—have stuck by my room."

My appetite is nearly all gone. I seem to have no wish to eat."

article on "The Whitman-Shakespeare Question," notes on "Good-Bye" from Miss Porter, announcement of my

W. intensely interested in my detail of it all and expressing "entire concurrence with Brinton's attitude

J.Aug. 21st 1891.My dear SirOn Oct 12th (Discovery day falls this year on Sunday) our Pan Republic Congress

When I was in New York—the trip seven or eight years ago—he called on me, put a cab at my disposal: was

to take in the character of our work: they want their sonatas, songs, odes—yet I would not turn on my

I helped him across the room: very poorly on his legs: leaned heavily on my arm.

One of my chief delights in it is for this—that here is a woman who shows a capacity for diving down

I turned the bundle over in my hands. "It 'sIt's an important looking package of papers," I said.

I want to see if our other corrections were alluded to—if my speech is now in right order."

Returned me my manuscript.

W. was inquisitive: "I felt the winter in my bones as I sat here.

And my fire feels it, too—and hurries up its burning." Monday, December 1, 1890

says: "There is some peculiar atmospherical influence which reacts strangfely upon the chemistry of my

impossible—really felt that it was out of the question—but after he had gone I turned the matter over in my

W. said of it: "My mind is a slow one—it never hustles: I don't seem to know yet what I think of the

He got up from his chair in rather painful fashion, took my arm, and went with me into the back room.

I for my part don't want to be either haughty or humble.

Editorial DepartmentThe Century MagazineUnion Square—New YorkAug. 2—1889.My dear Mr.

the suggestion about O'Connor—& regrets that we have not room for what you suggest.Let me say that my

such that I would not dishonor him by letting a report be printed which did not accurately represent my

what I said & what I am prepared to defend, without the addition of new ideas, or illustrations, & to my

In all my experience I have never met a man who didn't pursue his own pleasure against mine.

Meeting Stedman face to face you would realize many things—would see what my own words about him have

It sends the blood to my extremities!"

I had under my arm a big bundle of Saturday's Posts just got from Bonsall.

to send copies to Burroughs, Kennedy, and one or two others, asking me for four for his own use—"for my

However, I showed him my yesterday's letter from Baker, which he read, looked at, grew pathetic over.

For my own Saturday's notes W. could say, "I liked them—they were successfully joined.

My same complaint, my same reason!" This interested W. "Poor Baker, gone under by the same current.

But my remembrance of her all centers about New York.

Now, in our new book, I try in my Hicks to confirm another item of my triple oath.

I hope if my Paine piece is little it's also O hell."

My hesitations make me think of a story.

'Captain, here's the preface!' 'Is that the preface?'

I was looking through some of my scraps today—these were some of the results—I thought you would perhaps

I get from Walt by means of the newspapers, & new & then a postal.With very sincere regards to you, my

My dear Traubel:Here is postal note for the doctor's book—$4.00.

CliffordLove to WaltThank him for liberal terms to my doctor. W. exclaimed: "Good! Good!

Had written Morris' and my own names on the big envelopes, on the former's giving "respects and thanks

"Every fine day I have my stalwart attendant wheel me out, often to the Federal Street ferry, where,

"pleased" and remarked—"I suppose he has all my books."

I said, "My description of the master is that his art is so close to nature for so long, it at last becomes

And now that you talk as you do, let me give you an idea of my own.

I put in, "My idea would be to admit all that the formalists claim for Lowell, then to ask whether there

W. at once, "I like that: that would be my idea—to say to them, yes that is true, every word of it—but

My notion had been to headline the article "James Russell Lowell, Walt Whitman," then to indicate the

I anticipate a time, not very far distant, when I will lose my physical volition altogether—suffer an

I am extremely cautious—weighing every grain before giving in my adhesion."

All that is required under the present idea, my idea, might be a little preface, stating my reasons for

this particular issue of my works."

My first taste of the country was at Alloway, Burns' birthplace.

Digestion is poor—poor indeed—I am in a bad way: belly, bladder, catarrh—my brain, physical brain—all

And to my questions as to how the book wore on him, he said assuringly—"Well, well!

"The wife was my friend—I was proud of her—and they had good babies—how I loved them!

And at my assent he did go on for some time.

My dear mother knew it well—warned me of it, counselled me. And it was not without effect.

And after a pause, with a quiet smile, "He calls me master—opens the letter 'My dear Master'"—and then

from it, when domestic troubles, very sad and serious to me, set me back, so that I never fully got on my

My legs are completely gone—but the paralysis hardly touched my speech, and, as far as I know, did not

He went away from here, expecting to stop with my friends—the Romes—to see them—in Brooklyn—then set

Thereupon exhibited him my Johnston letter of 8th. W. said, "Good! the leaves are there!"

"The fellow always warms my heart. Will he come?

Indeed, there was our difference, besides my admiration—though no serious difference either.

hasn't my prosperity walked on its uppers almost from the start?"

In any event, I hope to hear your address and to see you at my office.

I am anxious to have one or more contributions from you for my Cyclopedia for which we pay ten dollars

I'm afraid my pen let loose would have seemed out of character in such a place: my pen tied up I haven't

I tell you, Horace, it's no fun for words when they get in my hands, though the howlers may not know

"Yes," he said, to my question, "Yes, I have been out—down to the river: and how beautiful—oh!

"The river is my elixir," he finally said—"and such."

I wish I had been at the birthday fest, and heard the beauteous words of my friend Bob Ingersoll about

But then John has his caprices—I was going to say kinks, but caprice will probably give my meaning better

And at my assent, said he would write out what occurred to him.Gave me papers for Morse and Rayner and

"able to do but little," he said, "to sit, to think, to doze—that is about the start and finish of my

has been giving me the very devil in Liberty for calling the Emperor William a 'faithful shepherd' in my

As he said: "It is all from my friends.

There was nothing in this little poem to contradict my earlier philosophy.

leave W. reverted to the Emperor William affair: "Do you think I had better write a little note to my

"That is true—true—if I wrote I would do no more than make it clear that my reference was to the Emperor

W. was greatly interested in my repetition of this.

I was on my way to Philadelphia to hear Tom Davidson's lecture on Aquinas.

W. inquisitive—greatly "tempted" by my description of D.'

My details few, but he evidently a good listener.

He was amused with my account of nervousness preceding.

Upon my saying that Brinton's stock was Quaker far back, W. said: "Ah!

And upon my remarking, with the heavy book in my arms—"It is a great institution"—W. continued: "It ought

It is in part the explanation of my work—of Leaves of Grass.

hold me from my contract."

to my objection that a man should save some heat for something else.

More and more he grows in my favor. He has solid virtues—is wise—knows his trade.

He joked about it and said, "That only shows that in the future I must set my price to a higher key."

I made some comparison of "Good-Bye My Fancy" and "Sands at Seventy."

Of my good words for the former W. exclaimed, "Is it so? Is that the feeling?"

Dick Stoddard, my first guess—I would be willing to swear to it—or one like him.

My dear Walt:The article you sent Nelly from the London Leader is in my possession. Good!

a great deal of it in.If, ever since I have been here, I have not had the worst cold I ever had in my

this point as time has passed and the sweet country air and relief from labor cleared and refreshed my

poor boiled brains.On my way through New York I enquired at Harper's for Curtis and found he was out

My wife returns your friendly remembrance and yours, I hope, has not forgotten me.

W. in bathroom on my arrival.

Spoke of Scribner's I had in my hand and with which he said he was finished.

Our talk of Alcott had arisen out of my remark that Camden had got its fame through W. W.

Then my objection as above.

And after my reply—"He was a priest then?" I asked him if he had not read George Eliot's "Romola."

"He is quite willing to pay my price for the poems, pieces, I sent him the other day, but suggests that

I received the following from Ingersoll this morning: 400 Fifth AvenueApr 25th 1891.My dear Traubel:I

yet—consequently I add nothing to the "Spirituality", and I think of correcting nothing, except a word.Accept my

Whitman my sincerest regards—or I might say, love.I hope that as the sunshine comes, he will grow better

"Well, give him my love—love for what he writes, love for him in his sickness!"

My dear Whitman,I have your kind favor of the 11th with the enclosed poem—or series of poems, rather.

It did my eyes good to look away from him towards Tom—Tom, who is a normal man, gruff, honest, direct

The Captain—what is his name?

there comes Captain'"—here W. stopped—"Oh!

the Captain of The Three Bells—what was his name—what was his name?

Then he went on: "Anyhow, Captain Brace turned to me, called: 'By God! there comes Captain Gibson!'

My notes show for a week and more past his own dwelling upon the subject.

W. smiled—and to my hope that T. might somewhere have put himself so on record in his own hand, W. remarked

, through my consciousness since I commenced to be untrammeled in thought: he has given me views which

help to render my 'dark days' endurable and my nights teem with companions.

He travels with me and he points out the goodness of men and things and he intensifies my pleasures by

I thought I knew the greatest American in my dear friend Henry George, but no!

any extreme statement, he seems to hit several real proper nails on their heads—gets pretty close to my

Whitman:I am very anxious not to leave this country without paying my respects to you, and bearing to

My judgment would, on the whole, the judgment I sent to The Herald, be considered unfavorable."

It more than meets my expectations: its serenity, its seriosity—which stops finely short of ministerial

You go as my representative." "All right. And what shall I say of the picture when I get there?"

Then said as to Davidson: "Give him my best regards—tell him, if you get the chance (for me particularly

Then away, with promise to stop in tomorrow forenoon on my way to Philadelphia.

"This will be my last public appearance, without a doubt: it is not in me to make a trial again: at least

In my own work—in Leaves of Grass—I have known no anxiety greater than to keep abreast of these results—not

Spoke particularly of "wishing Agnes [my sister] to be present—and Mrs. Harned, too."

Bucke tomorrow, I must save all my strength."

Explained to him substance of my letter to Truth—that they should let me write about new book—review

Then, "I suppose my article should be in Thursday's issue. I wish you would look out for it.

My changes were very few—and anyhow, the real speech is the speech we entirely lost."

how often I have heard that—'my misery! my misery!'—down there in the South!

I must submit to my untoward fate."

When I got over and looked through my pockets for W.'

"I see that—I see its truth: I was quite reckless in my earlier days.

my book and what it stands for—or what they think it stands for.

My dear Walt, I regret to say I was unable to do anything with the proof of Personalism.

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