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attack of illness, somewhat severe, the last few days—& I have been sort of nurse & doctor—(as none of my

character of democratic art & poetic literature, as discriminated from aristocratic—quotes freely from all my

My dear Mr.

To these mostly my habits are adjusted.

This to give you a clearer notion—(and I distinctly wish my friends in England writing about my book

Nothing in my life, nor result of my book, has brought me more comfort & support every way—nothing has

I have sent him my last edition, to care of Ellis & Green.

Writing to Whitman on October 30, 1871, Burroughs said: "Rossetti I am drawn toward, and though my first

Johnson one with the greatest pleasure—(it is one of Brady's photos)—I wish you to give my best respects

inaction—but upon the whole not so severely—& I think very decidedly gradually growing less—The worst is my

—(Unfortunately it was, however, at a time when I was feeling almost at my worst.)

My dear Mr.

With regard to re-printing my book in full in England I can only say that of course it would be gratifying

copyright might be legalized here—If so, this might be worth considering in reference to the reprint of my

February or March, I am not certain which, I understand it has a criticism on my book, from a believer

My address is Solicitor's Office, Treasury, Washington, D. C.—U.S.A.

I am home here in Brooklyn, having the usual sort of a time—Mother is only middling this summer—My brother

sun—I have got along pretty well, but it has been awful hot—& continues so, though as I write here by my

I have excellent health, eat my rations every time, and am I suppose full as fat and brown and bearded

While here I spend much of my time with my dear Mother, in Brooklyn—she is hearty & cheerful, though

My address, for some four weeks to come, will be as at the heading of this letter.

Byron, I send you my love & friendship, dear soldier boy—and now that we have found each other again,

My dear mother I find in unusual health & spirits, for one of her age.

My brother George is well & hearty. Eddy the same. Mother sends her love to you & Nelly.

quite a part of my pleasure here.

I am writing this in my room at Mrs. Prices.

A. said "Give my love to Mrs. O'Connor, she is a woman I like—Mr.

I could convey no idea to you of how it affects my soul.

: "Swinton's discovery of the resemblance in form between Leaves of Grass and Blake's poetry, is in my

Dear friend, I suppose you received my letter of September 25. The letters to me from A.

Did you see John Swinton's warm ¶ about my illustrious self in N. Y. Times , 1st instant?

Give my best love to John Burroughs, & show him this note to read. J.

I send my love to Charles Eldridge—By a wretched oversight on my part I missed an appointment with him

Nelly, my dear friend, I send you my best love—in which my mother joins me—We are all well.

, above the salutation appeared the following: "ask about the office—Ashton—has Andy Kerr returned —my

have been, & are, having a cold easterly rain storm here—I enclose, on loan, the last two photos of my

October 10, 1871, Louisa Van Velsor Whitman wrote to Walt Whitman: "george and loo and Jeff insists on my

Dear William O'Connor: I was very ill after my arrival here—& made worse by the heat—but have recovered

Mother is well, & sends her love to you all—mother asked a great deal about Nelly, and also about Jenny— My

Price—but shall begin to explore, this week—& will report in my next— Dear Nelly, I had an unusually

my love— William, do you see how Mrs.

My address is 101 Portland av. opp. Arsenal Brooklyn, New York.

Channing forthwith—& fulfil my promised visit to them also, before I return here—which will be about

William is here—which adds much indeed to the pleasure of my visit—William has not recovered from an

Price & her girls are well & in good spirits—I am enjoying my vacation agreeably, but moderately—as becomes

a gentleman of my size & age.

Give my love to Mr. and Mrs.

My last letter to William was also to you—though I suppose you did not see it yet.

.— Dearest mother— I am still troubled with a severe cold in my head—I suppose it is that which causes

is much chance for it—It looks as though we are going to have snow—feels cold & raw—I am sitting at my

in with a photograph of me—his mother had bought it at a place here, & sent it to me for me to write my

bright, & comfortable enough—I did not have any bad spells in the head yesterday—nor, so far, to-day—My

a present of the most beautiful red rose you ever see—I have put it in a little glass of water, on my

Christmas Graphic " —(comes out in a week or so,) in which I say a brief word about Emerson— To eke out my

All other books seem to me weak and unworthy my attention.

I read, Sunday, to my wife, Longfellows verses on Sumner, in the last Atlantic, and then I read your

My dear friend, I shall return to Washington next Saturday, 15th—William, it would be a favor if you

I write this in my room home, early afternoon—Mother & I having had tete-a-tete dinner—so good & quiet

Brooklyn May 11, 1870 Dear William, My hand has been pretty bad, but looks more encouraging to-day.

My Mother, brother George, & all, are well.

baby boy, now about a month resident in this mad world—(I write about the baby for Nelly and Jenny)—My

I am quite busy flying around—the printers & stereotypers commence on my immortal work to-morrow—My dear

, dear friend, I hope you are well & in good spirits—I send you my love—also to Charles Eldridge, if

best love—in which I am joined by my Mother.

rocking chair by the stove— I have just eat some dinner, a little piece of fowl & some toast & tea— my

The doctor comes every day—(I must tell you again I have a first-rate doctor— I think he understands my

thinking all the time it was the day of Matty's funeral— Every few minutes all day it would come up in my

she had moved to Camden, Louisa Van Velsor Whitman complained to Helen Price: "i would rather have my

own shanty and my good friends come to see me" (Pierpont Morgan Library).

, 1873: "i wouldentwouldn't mind living here if i had a place of my own but this living with and not

Grier here is confident my principal trouble is cerebral anæmia (blood not properly going to the brain

it arises from a long continued excessive emotional action generally —& thinks it so has arisen in my

moonlight evening—It is bright & clear to-day, & rather hot—It is socially here an utter blank to me—my

dread of being bored by any one is now completely gratified with a vengeance—I look long & long at my

mother's miniature, & at my sister Mat's—I have very good one's of each—& O the wish if I could only

her—she was cheerful to a degree and at noon of the day she died sat up in her chair and directed how my

Dearest mother, I suppose you got my letter Monday 12th (written Sunday.)

1873, Louisa Van Velsor Whitman explained that her "nervous system is very much out of order . . . my

Since my letter of about three weeks since to Charles Eldridge—in which I wrote to you also —I have not

improved any—the distress in my head has not abated—some spells are very bad indeed—(but it fluctuates

Nor can I walk any better—some of the time, not so well—My saving points are pretty good nights' rest

gradually being pulled, and, though I have not at all given up hope of eventual recovery, I do not shut my

been waiting till I felt stronger, to go to Atlantic City (Jersey sea shore) or Long Island, but in my

Dear Nelly: About me, my ailments, no great difference. (A queer old doctor here—did I tell you?

as I write—the baby fine, fat, bright today, but raising his voice lustily just this moment—You got my

My dear friend I am having quite a good spell to-day, (if it only lasts)—I wish you, in conjunction with

Peter Doyle, would go over to my room at Dr.

White's, & unlock the big trunk, (the one that is strapped) and take out My gray suit , coat, vest, &

My black overcoat , quite heavy—it is the one in the trunk— Black felt hat, (there are two black hats

I will write promptly if there is any marked change in my condition.

O'Connor has just paid me a pleasant visit—& I have been eating my lunch of a roast apple & biscuit—I

pain & comparatively comforting, & that it cannot be very long before I shall have the good use of my

downward, partially helpless— but the principal trouble is yet in the head, & so easily getting fatigued— my

whole body feels heavy, & sometimes my hand—Still, I go out a little every day almost—accompanied by

I am sitting here in my room—it is very pleasant out apparently— I generally go out a little between

I have not rec'd any letters for the last two days— I suppose you got my letter Saturday—I have been

dear, I feel quite well to-day considering—in good spirits, & free from any pain—I suppose you got my

days, strong & sudden winds, & dust— but it is pleasanter to-day—it is now about ½ past 1—I have had my

Mother, I feel to-day as if I was getting well—(but my leg is so clumsy yet— & my head has to avoid much

nothing particular to write about—but it is a pleasure even to write—as I am alone a great deal yet in my

Well, mother dear, I am now finishing my letter, over at the office seated at my desk—I do not feel very

My head is still so feeble—I suppose I ought to be satisfied that I do not go behindhand—I send you quite

a bundle of papers to-day—One of the Graphics with one of my pieces in —the spring seems to be opening

Singing Thrush" (later titled "Wandering at Morn") on March 15, 1873; "Spain" on March 24, 1873; "Sea Captains

The publication Whitman refers to is "Sea Captains, Young or Old" (later called "Song for All Seas, All

along real well, upon the whole—I went out and over to the office yesterday— went in & sat down at my

desk a few minutes—It was my greatest effort yet, and I was afraid I had overshot the mark again, as

getting along all right—I am going out a little to-day, but not much— I feel now over the worst of my

bit of sickness, & comparatively comfortable— Poor Martha—the thoughts of her still come up in my mind

Price— Mother, I shall try to get out, & get my Feb. pay, I have to get it from the old office, & then

My dear Nelly, I will be at the house in time to go with you & see the Capitol lighted.

paper—I have thought much of it, through the interesting account you gave—Indeed death has been much in my

Graphic first number just out—ask Charley to get it for you—In my next—anent of Bull Run—I mention Mrs

womanly beauty & development—I always thought it in her to do so—Nelly, when you next see her give her my

love—I return Willie's picture—dear child—it has pleased me much—I held it a long time in my hand &

I have overlooked—or forgotten—any request to that effect in the letter sending it)— I send my love to

Brownell—also to Garry Howard when you see her—(what you say of her in your letter I fully endorse as my

Johnson & her sister mentioned in my article —& please give them my best remembrances.

I feel that I am better, in the main—yet still have daily & nightly bad spells in the head, & my leg

I have been waiting ever since I wrote, to get the photos. of my nieces, (my dear sister Mat's girls,

Drinkard—I sent Garaphelia Howard a paper, the Graphic that has my picture—how is she?

Give her my love—Poor, good Mr.

but bright & sunshiny—have just read your good letter of the 22d—Nothing special or different about my

formed one, has been [ ] foot, but is now nearly [ ] been steady—I have tended it— My sister and brother

Geo: George are well—My other sisters, nieces, & brother Jeff , were well at last accounts.

Tribune of last Saturday (19th ) had the 2½ column synopsis of my new book, pretty full & fair —I suppose

August 5 Dear Nelly, Your good letter came all right—it is pretty much "the same subject continued"—with my

square frame, with thin strip of gilt inside, & good plate glass)—I shall look for Charles Eldridge— My

I know—I send you a piece by me from the paper here —the young man alluded to was much like one of my

shall come on to Washington yet—on a brief visit—Tell Charles Eldridge I shall write to him this week—My

brother & sister & Eddy here are well—My sister at Burlington, Vt. was as usual at last acc't account

Louis—As I write I am sitting here in my big chair alone ( alone muchly ,) in the parlor by the window—It

since I last wrote you has passed on, bringing no decided change in my condition—in my bad spells, (&

I have them often enough) I 'most think the end is not far off—but I get over them & my natural buoyancy

reässerts itself—(& in the main keeps control of the helm)—though to a man of my lazy-activity this

I was discharged from my clerkship on the last of June, by B.

I suffer much with my head, & locomotion is more clumsy & paralyzed even than usual—But my inward feeling

We are having it warm & bright & spring like here at present—very attractive out, but my head prevents

My nieces are well—the one with the hair a la Chinois is California, (Jessie,) the younger—the other

Louis, full of work—both my brothers have plenty of noble, manly work, & very remunerative.

The let up & somewhat favorable condition mentioned in my letter of Sunday still continues.

[am] feeling decidedly better than usual this morning—I have spent an hour in the bath room, (quite my

For I suppose you know that my condition is very tantalizing in its fluctuations—Like today as I write

G. of 7th March is my last no. —did you get it?

Saw the doctor (Grier) day before yesterday—he made a careful ausculation of my heart—pronounced it all

Drinkard , a great talker, & very demonstrative)— Nelly, you needn't send the photos of my nieces back

Thanks for your letter of 20th—give my love to Mrs.

alternations—not perhaps quite as well, of late, (the last ten or twelve days)—& yet I dont don't abandon my

& hope— feel to , which is a main thing with me—I have a good deal of pain, more or less steady, in my

been so since—(though not enough to prevent me from eating some nice stewed oysters in moderation for my

needlessly apprehensive, Nelly dear—for I shall get better, & we will meet yet— When you write tell me about my

Tell me all the news—tell me about Charles Eldridge—& all my other friends.

all night afterward—But this morning as I write, (9 o'clock after breakfast—fish, Graham bread, tea, my

in the parlor alone by the window, it is very pleasant—soothing—it is a sweet balmy, not hot morning—my

March 19 Think I am getting round to my former state—(Still some bad spells)—go out when the weather

June 5 Am getting along somewhat better last two days—As I write this, (3 p. m.) have had my dinner—&

Though some bad spells still, things decidedly more favorable in my condition. I shall get up yet.

shopping & at the groceries—Mr Carpenter has gone upstairs to write some letters—& I am sitting here in my

son, how I wish you could come in now, even if but for an hour & take off your coat, & sit down on my

thing about the same with us—was over to Camden yesterday afternoon—Mrs Gilchrist went over too, & my

brother took her out on a good drive about the country—My sister was up & in good spirits —Herbert &

C —I shall be down Friday in the 6 o'clock train—I want to see the creek again—& I want to see you, my

received —Shall be very glad to go up with you Friday for a couple of days or so —Should like to fetch my

boy Harry Stafford with me, as he is my convoy like—We occupy the same room & bed— We had another reception

but can't stand these things long—Dull half rainy day here—have been in all day—sitting muchly for my

December 17 Dear John Burroughs, I have been back here two weeks & over—My Washington jaunt occupied

Best love to 'Sula Ursula , & to Jenny Grant if there— My new edition is nearly ready—Two Vols Volumes

Walt)—just now though he is quite sick, but I opine will get along—The rest all very well, except that my

I hear young Walt raising his song, in the room overhead as I conclude my letter— Love to you, as always

, my friend— Walt.

Houghton wrote to Joaquin Miller on September 1, 1875, from Chicago: "Please give my best regards to