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"I had my swear out about it: I hope there was no risk run: so far I feel all the better for it—have

[This was money in my possession belonging to Walt. J. B. 1912.]What a blank there in New England!

I sent you my last report.Faithfull,W. D. O'Connor.—Emerson gone! The world grows darker.W. D.

tissue which I do not seem to get in my own established environment.'

Considerable talk followed my return to him of Bucke's letter spoken of yesterday. "Oh!"

I have never yet fully made up my mind whether I should most like to have that fine balance of critical

Wished my own article in about ten days, if possible.

the darkey says—all the day up to this afternoon, when Mary made and brought me a cup of hot tea—at my

"If it is not, it is my fault—there is plenty of wood here and I have all the time there is.

He had received my Engineering Record.

I wrote on the blank side and mailed the letter out to my niece, Jessie—at St. Louis."

At my suggestion that Longaker should have been over, he declared, "We do not need him.

But it observed my warning: "Don't become alarmist." And so did Ledger.

Saying, too, "My mind is too active: I wish it would rest. It is as active as 40 years ago."

Rossetti.No. 4Washington, Dec. 3, 1867 My dear Mr.

of the full volume of my poems.

I cannot and will not consent, of my own volition, to countenance and expurgated edition of my pieces

My Prefatory Notice explains my principle of selection to exactly the same effect as given in this present

I had previously given it a title of my own, Nocturne for the Death of Lincoln; and in my Prefatory Notice

Immediately on my entrance, almost, he spoke of a volume he took up in his hands—Roden Noel's "Essays

W. much enjoyed my story, exclaiming: "That's John Bull—that's the bull of him—supercilious, disdainful—thinks

—and as a general thing they go right: though it goes against my grain to send off a letter or what not

Laughed at my "lynx-eyes," etc.

For my part I didn't think either Parnell or Gladstone in themselves important—that they stood for anything

"My copy of the Critic did not come this week. Was there anything in it I should see?"

I then promised to bring him my copy.

Remarked, "How much the drop-light does for my eyes!" It was "an eye-saver, sure enough."

W. counsels me, "Give all of my friends there best remembrances, and give Brinton my special affection

or two, I have wished for about a page—will no doubt have something to say myself—but cannot make up my

I always keep to my own method—to write as moved to write, and what: and what depends upon the moment

. & I will bring out my book on you sometime, perhaps sooner than we any of us know.

I wrote from London Canada to Frederick Wilson peremptorily ordering him to return my ms to me.Do write

W. then: "That is striking—it is what I am trying to say—why Kennedy's book fails to excite my enthusiasms

Expressed gladness, asked after him: "Give him my love.

—"Not a bit—on the contrary, the closer contact enlarges my appreciation.

Left article with Bonsall on my way to Philadelphia.

He explained, "It is my intention to have them all bound up—to have them brought here.

For one thing, it is too trifling; for another, it is against my habit, my confirmed determinations.

, only of such as came into my mind at the moment.

They must go as they came—my hand, word, knowing nothing of birth or death.

Bucke had also written: "I have been thinking over the Riddle Song and have made up my mind that the

"Horace, I made the puzzle: it's not my business to solve it.

But I wanted something down there and thought I would start off on my own hook and get it.

There's something peculiar in my notion about this book.

Give the new mother my love: tell her I glorify her in my thanksgivings—that Walt Whitman glorifies her

I took it in my hands.

he asked,and on my acquiescence—"So me, too. I think it one of the best—the very best.

he explained—Flynn came in the other evening and took it away in his arms.As we sat there talking, my

Adding: "My use of the word has been contested.

Yet I am sure of my correctness.

"My today's mail has been chiefly an autograph mail.

Not a day but the autograph hunter is on my trail—chases me, dogs me!

I settle myself in my chair, get the glasses on my nose, and lo! every note is for an autograph.

Amer—about April 10, I shall return here again and my address will be—— I am writing this at my desk—as

My mind advises me that I must suspend operations for to-nighttonight.

Gave me a letter for Kennedy to mail on my way home.

Traubel:Pardon my long delay. How the time flies!

For if there's anything I pride myself on, it's my toleration, hospitality.

My feelings never hard, though frank and clear, I hope, at all times.

That has always been my impression." He referred to the Holmes' Atlantic Monthly piece.

49 Comeragh RoadWest Kensington, London W.16 Aug. '91Yesterday came to my hands your card of 2d inst.

My visit here has been a great success—I have been well received and treated on all hands, I shall feel

richer for it for the rest of my life.Keep good heart, dear Walt, till I get back—but in any case be

I shd. have acknowledged yr wedding card & offered my congratulations, wh.

"Yes, my own, too. But we must take care, not to offend against him.

My taste is alien—on other currents: I do not seem to belong in the Swinburne drift.

I find it difficult to account for my dear woman's taste.

It's a good sight for my old sore eyes: leaded, double-leaded.

Dowden sent it to me himself: I have always kept it near my chair—I wanted it handy.

On another occasion he said of it: "Sylvester is on several sides my friend—my friend, I think, for general

Davis had gone and my exclamation: "How beautiful in their own element!"

honey—don't make enough of the other side of the critter—and there is another side, as all you—all my

To my demur, explaining: "I know that is the harsh view—that there is another.

I spoke of having read "Song of the Rolling Earth" aloud in my room—of the delight it gave me.

It is about here somewhere among my trash and would serve well for you to know.

W. had just finished his dinner, and talked well during the 20 minutes of my stay.

"Yes," he said to my inquiries, "I woke well this morning—pass along reasonably well.

Yes, the summer has been a severe one—but the profuse sweatingness, so to call it, has been in my case

For instance, where he says—the world is my country, to do good is my religion.

Called my attention to brief editorial in the Boston Herald.

keep, if not fairly, at least not markedly worse and I hope to find you "right side up with care" on my

But the main thing I want to talk about to you today is my visit yesterday to Lord Tennyson.

But after all I fear I can give you but a faint notion of the pleasure my visit was to me.

Give Horace my love and show him this letter, tell him to keep it.

oblivious to my presence.

I quoted my dentist who got off an old saw while he was working on one of my sensitive teeth: "Seeing

My dear Whitman: I find your book and cordial letter, on returning home from a lecturing tour in New

I have had the first edition of your Leaves of Grass among my books, since its first appearance, and

My first notion is one of disappointment.

It's not in my line at all.

And to my assent— "Well—I'll examine this as it stands—see what is suggests—see what comes of it: perhaps

W. assented, "That is true—I have had my experience of them."

My phrases would have been, original liars and intending liars—which is not so good."

word of truth in it, yet necessary to be asserted again and again—like the 'give-em-some-more-shot, Captain

My book claims no merit save that of sincerity.

way of hearty appreciation of the new thought it might have gone much further and still come within my

Give Walt my love & remembrances. I trust your marriage will bring you much happiness.

Give my love to the wife.

It would not have been my explication—no, not at all.

Bucke today referred to my letters in writing to W. This was a mistake.

But my first impression was a bad one and I have not moved from it.

"My half is in seeing you tickled," he replied.

My friends were fewer than my enemies but they blew a trumpet loud enough for everybody to hear."

That fits my intentions to a t—describes my ideal absolutely.

I shall have Specimen Days in my class during spring time.

chair here, folding my hands on my lap, and having you do my work!

My friend and yours, R.

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

He said: "You have opened my eyes."

"It is a persistent cold: and it leaves me very weak: I am hardly able to blow my nose."

Seeing bundle under my arm he asked me at once, "What have you got there?"

—which, upon my opening, he examined with pleasure and relish.

have had a sculptor visitor—his name is O'Donovan—he is from New York—he has come on proposing to take my

Then I told him what S. had detailed and he laughed, "Well, I put my foot in it there, to be sure—for

He called my thoughts in another direction.

me—it is urgent, persistent: he sort of stands in the road and says: 'I won't movetilluntil you answer my

I have had my own troubles—I have seen other men with troubles, too—worse than mine and not so bad as

This is my permanent address.

Yet I felt that if you liked my poem [See In Re Walt Whitman] you would write.

to you to have arrogantly confounded your own fine thought and pure feeling with the baser metal of my

Did not till later mention my own message. He answered: "Yes—and quite a long letter, too.

"Doctor returned me the slip, with reference to my future use of it—it is there in the note."

W. asked: "Did they understand my note?"

"I don't know whether too much or not, but I like to know my men—who they are, what they do.

Bucke called my attention to it at the time.

In talking with Thomas Sergeant Perry last night we fell to discussing your work, and to my delight I

Howells and he were two of my most honored friends."

understand: why, I am as much as anybody a weigher, investigator—questioning significances—anxious to get at my

As to "formalistic literariness," as W. terms it (in reply to my remark, "It has not all died out yet

After further talk W. said, "The sculptor was here today—took a cast of my hand." Which one?

Leaves of Grass," said W. tonight, "were neither moral nor literary, but were given with an eye to my

My old fencing-master, Boulet, (no better ever lived; he taught once at West Point,) taught me always

to cover my breast with hilt and point, even in the lunge, and I think of his lessons when engaged in

My aim has been to shut Chadwick up for good, for I don't want to be bothered on a side issue by this

Channing at Providence, red-hot for you, and proposing to reprint my Good Gray Poet at his expense!!

and his face assumed its serious aspect.He said again: "I got two letters in my mail today—one from Doctor

Harned's boy was there, also, coming forward in the dark when he heard my voice and informing me, "I

That would be my understanding of him." W. said he had written to Mary Costelloe today.

Then he continued: "In my mail today was a letter from Kennedy.

I said that for my part I looked upon Stedman's position as thoroughly firm and genuine.

Looked rather pale, and on my remarking it, said: "It is true, I guess: I am not feeling well: these

A curious letter (dated 3/12/90) starting off—"Dear Walt, my beloved master, my friend, my bard, my prophet

And then, "Yesterday—if I had not felt my pulse—known by its regular beat that all was right there, I

These visits are in some ways my damnation! These strangers—who make me deaf and blind!

And my sister, George's wife."

I never lose my respect for the printer boys, however they aggravate me at times."

My experience has been that they have left me honestly alone, always to say my say as I wished to say

How deliciously like my old friend Henry Peterson is that critical exegesis on your lines!

So it would seem my words were prophetic.

Don't let Scovel print it (as the divvle did my note to him—wasn't I astonished!)

I wonder if my life-saving career draws to an end. March fourth comes near.

I can't put my hands on it just now." Friday, April 13, 1888.

But it was only a "preliminary design"—one he may possibly deflect from.Advised me: "Give my best love

The last few days has habited himself to my reading his postals and mailing them for him.

"They'll give you about the kernel of my health affairs."

He wished to read Morse's "My Grandmother's Religion."

Said to me, "I am looking about the room, trying to collect everything that bears my marks together,

Alluded to the "courtesy" of Youth's Companion editors.As to Truth piece had this to say, "My additions

Policemen should be directed by the Mayor, Deputy Superintendent, Captains, or whoever it is that they

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

Since I first read your poems years ago now they have always had a great influence on my thoughts and

I have found out the truth of your words too from my short experience of life in deed as well as in thought

Your Leaves of Grass I keep with my Shakespeare and my Bible and it is from these three that I have got

Whitman, Though I had to leave my place of country sojourn yesterday before hearing from you.

I shall take my chance of finding you at home early on Sunday afternoon—say about 3 o'clock—unless I

even more than I should otherwise have done, to feel myself obliged to say at once that I do not see my

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

explained that while I was away he 'got a very raspy note from Oldach practically asking that I take my

Whitman: Thank you very much for the "Two Rivulets," which came sparkling, and dancing, and babbling into my

25 Chesham Street S.W 31 January 1881 My good friend, It was a kind thought of yours sending me your

I will not trouble you with more of my views of this subject!

W. 3 July 1880 My dear Friend I write you one line to ask you if you can do me a little favour favor

A few of my friends, who are poets, have been pleased to do honour to themselves & to Scott, & they have

S.W. 15 June 1880 My dear Friend You see I venture to salute you, & to write to you in the same strain

His son, & my son-in-law, Lionel Tennyson, lives in London for some ten months out of the twelve, at

She is re-editing the Life of Blake, & I have a few of his letters, & she has been once or twice in my