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My dear Conway, Your letter of February 1st has just come to hand. I am willing that Mr.

I wish to send my sincerest thanks & personal regards to Mr. Rossetti.

To have had my book, & my cause, fall into his hands, in London, in the way they have, I consider one

Remember my request to Mr.

I feel prepared in advance to render my cordial & admirant respect to Mr.

take great pleasure in writing to you again, and in giving you some of the particular in regard to my

health, limb situation, &c My health at present is very good—better than at any time since I left the

troubled me of any account have worn my artificial nearly all the time since the winter of –'64.

dist) threw me out of my position as doortender.

my not writing let them lay it to my inabilities instead of my inclination Waiting to hear from you

My best help however has come in my old age & paralysis from the Br: Islands.

into fiction of a very little amt of fact—in spirit it is altogether, & in letter mainly untrue (abt my

My income from my books, (royalties &c.) does not reach $100 a year.

I am now in my 69th year—living plainly but very comfortably in a little wooden cottage of my own, good

Best thanks and love to all my British helpers, readers & defenders. Walt Whitman to William T.

My dear Dan Gilette, Your kind letter—with that of your English friend Chrissie Deschamps, (so full of

It seems to be a fluctuating & pretty stout struggle between my general physique & constitution, & my

My best regards & love to you, my friend, & to my English friends the same.

My Legacy. MY LEGACY.

But I, my life surveying, closing, With nothing to show to devise from its idle years, Nor houses nor

lands, nor tokens of gems or gold for my friends, Yet certain remembrances of the war for you, and after

you, And little souvenirs of camps and soldiers, with my love, I bind together and bequeath in this

My Legacy. MY LEGACY.

But I, my life surveying, closing, With nothing to show to devise from its idle years, Nor houses nor

lands, nor tokens of gems or gold for my friends, Yet certain remembrances of the war for you, and after

you, And little souvenirs of camps and soldiers, with my love, I bind together and bequeath in this

—She was as solemn and sour as the spinster, and upon my mentioning my business, gave me to understand

, but my friend of the day before, the antiquary.

What that may be, will depend a good deal upon my luck.

"I am determined to do my best.

I carefully deposited it in my breast pocket, and with a lighter step wended on to my new boarding-house

last yawp, which (the review) you were frank enough to print in your last issue, emboldens me to speak my

Last Winter I got on skates, my first appearance before an icy audience for fifteen years.

U. is the poet of my concern, her suggestion to that effect was a strong point in favor of Mr.

s fondness for poetry doesn't at all interfere with the clearness of my café noir, the lightness of my

with my lordly prerogative.

STARTING NEWSPAPERS (ANOTHER ACCOUNT) Reminiscences —( From the "Camden Courier." )—As I sat taking my

As I cross'd leisurely for an hour in the pleasant night-scene, my young friend's words brought up quite

How it made my heart double-beat to see my piece on the pretty white paper, in nice type.

My first real venture was the "Long Islander," in my own beautiful town of Huntington, in 1839.

I enjoy'd my journey and Louisiana life much.

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.

life, my thoughts, my feelings, my views— my self in fact, in every way, you seem to have permeated

my whole being.

My friend Mrs.

It is good to have my love for you then rounded by knowing you, and finding my feeling and thought about

Jeannie sends much love to you, so does my sister Jeannie.

St Louis Missouri (1000 miles west of Philadelphia) Nov 10 '79 My dear friend Just rec'd received your

city, & Colorado generally,—with Kansas and Missouri—wonders, revelations I wouldn't have miss'd for my

soon be well enough to return home to Camden— I enclose a rude map which will show you the line of my

jaunt—the red lines are of my present trip, while the blue lines are of former journeys of mine, may

long—(my sickness has prevented hitherto what I designed to write) —My sister, brother & nieces all

know where I am and also that I am in the enjoyment of middling good health I heard from you through my

Father some time ago and I have wanted to visit you but I am sorry to say my health will not admit of

my being out much this cold weather .

If you remember I was wounded through my lung and the ball is now near my right kidney and I am not as

I feel quite well to day I have just received a letter from my Brother in my Regt (15th NJ) he spoke

know where I am and also that I am in the enjoyment of middling good health I heard from you through my

Father some time ago and I have wanted to visit you but I am sorry to say my health will not admit of

my being out much this cold weather.

If you remember I was wounded through my lung and the ball is now near my right kidney and I am not as

I feel quite well to day I have just received a letter from my Brother in my Regt (15th nj) he spoke

W. said, "I am looking forward to my friends—to have them read all these pieces: there's a new flavor

These two months I am up and as strong as ever.I am now quite used to my new situation, and my opinion

In this way I secured my "bread and butter" and, now, can set to my intellectual task; I can read, write

The question comes up in my mind whether they have the Ingersoll pamphlets yet—any of them."

It will be my last—my last! I haven't the least doubt of it now."

I do not know that I told you that both of my parents were dead but it is true and now Walt you will

be a second Father to me wont you, for my love for you is hardly less than my love for my natural parent

I think my papers will be in tomorrow certain.

I shall start as soon as my papers come.

My love to you and now Dear Father good by for the present.

Dear Whitman, This note is written beforehand, in expectation of my paying-in tomorrow at a Post-Office

the ￡33.16.6. wh. which I named to you in my recent letter.

The postal order, on my obtaining it, will be enclosed herein, & dispatched to you.

Since the date of my last something further has come in: it will be accounted for at a future opportunity

On 13 Jany I expect to leave London, & stay some four weeks with my family at the Clarendon Hotel, Ventnor

The O'Connor home was my home: they were beyond all others—William, Nelly—my understanders, my lovers

Take my darling dear mother: my dear, dear mother: she and I—oh!

oh my, hardly the Leaves!

general: they were my unvarying partisans, my unshakable lovers—my espousers: William, Nelly: William

so like a great doing out of the eternal—a withering blast to my enemies, a cooling zephyr to my friends

Clausen ) my poems "Leaves of Grass"—and little prose work "Democratic Vistas"—also a piece I recited

My verse strains its every nerve to arouse, brace, dilate, excite to the love & realization of health

Meanwhile, abroad, my book & myself have had a welcome quite dazzling.

Freilegrath Freiligrath translates & commends my poems.

For all, accept my friendliest good wishes. Direct Walt Whitman Washington, D. C.

Clausen, termed in Schmidt's letter "my old friend and countryman," corresponded with Schmidt after he

Rose on my entrance. Today I got from Ferguson revised proofs reaching to page fifty-six.

"I told Mary to tell him my head was too sore.

He took my hand.

I shall (as I see now) continue to be my own publisher and bookseller.

Each book has my autograph. The Two Volumes are my complete works, $10 the set."

"My own fancy, Evans," he answered, "my own whim, perhaps. But we are not strangers.

I shall give his story in my own words.

My constitution, notwithstanding the heavy draughts made upon its powers by my youthful dissipations,

I allude to my old friend, Colby.

My country relations were not forgotten by me in my good fortune.

I took my lamp, and went my way to my room.

I stopped and leaned my back against the fence, with my face turned toward the white marble stones a

; and answered, "My husband's."

She looked at me for a minute, as if in wonder at my perverseness; and then answered as before, "My husband's

my open hands and thought.

have of late frequently come to me times when I do not dread the grave—when I could lie down, and pass my

dear brothers' and sisters' sake—for the soul's sake; Wending my way through the homes of men, rich

children—with fresh and sane words, mine only; Young and strong I pass, knowing well I am destin'd my

- self myself to an early death: But my Charity has no death—my Wisdom dies not, neither early nor late

, And my sweet Love, bequeath'd here and elsewhere, never dies. 3 Aloof, dissatisfied, plotting revolt

side, warlike, equal with any, real as any, Nor time, nor change, shall ever change me or my words.

, and he walked with me toward my residence.

—My slumbers were deep and unbroken.

As I took my departure from the place, who should I see in front, with a quill behind his ear, but my

My mistake in regard to the fashionable gentleman , had taught me a lesson, and my country life had taught

I pass over my stares of wonder, and my running aslant dungeon walls, castles, and canvas palaces.

July 10 1875 Dear, dear son, I am still here—still suffering pretty badly—have great distress in my head

, & an almost steady pain in left side—but my worst troubles let up on me part of the time—the evenings

Eldridge to see to the sending on here of my boxes at Dr. Whites.

Pete didn't you get my last Saturday's postal card? I wrote you one.

I got yours last Monday—Did you get the Camden paper with my College piece in? I sent one.

My dear Mr Whitman, I send you Alys' circular letter and will you please mail it to Miss Nicholson after

I am spending my summer among the Blue Ridge mountains in a place that belongs jointly to my mother and

my aunt Mrs Pearsall Smith.

I don't know whether you remember a young man whom you met at my Uncles several times Tom Worthington

I still intend to continue my course at Bryn Mawr College which will be three years longer and then I

October 31 . 1873 1874 or 5 Dear boy Pete, My condition remains about the same—I don't get ahead any

to notice—but I hold my own, as favorable as I have stated in my late letters, & am free yet from the

Besides I think upon the whole, my general strength is the best it has been yet—for an interval every

Eldridge that he had paid Godey, my substitute, the money I sent on for his October pay.— Washington

Good bye for this time, my loving boy. Walt.

Thursday Feby, 13 189 0 Dear Walt Whitman During my travels so far away from home; I have often thought

of writing you, just walk as once before into your grand presence & explain the interesting parts of my

occasionally (as while here) with an $800.00 order, I continue west to Denver & Leadville and upon my

long confinement which in my case & very many others was a gross injustice upon free men I enjoy the

varied & grand sight now ever so much and while Beer & music is yet one of my standards & enjoyed by

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.

Horace to meet me at Dooner's to breakfast that day—hope to see you toward noon—same day—Sunday— No, my

That same day, he wrote Horace Traubel: "I am over my eyes in work and my right arm is helpless and painfull—it

edition you got of Shephard, four or five weeks ago—with the remaining copies (if any) of the 25 sent by my

I have somewhere between 300 & 350 of my little book of later poems, "As a Strong Bird on Pinions free

If you care to have the sole & exclusive command of all my books in existence, take this offer.

I am sick & paralyzed—a tedious prospect still before me—& should be glad to have the books off my hands

With Walt Whitman in Camden in 1889: "What a sweat I used to be in all the time . . . over getting my

previously published in Leaves of Grass, "Passage to India" was Whitman's attempt to "celebrate in my

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

I sent on the copy of your works transmitted for "The Lady," after some little delay occasioned by my

seems very considerably impressed with the objects & matter of interest in London: I wish it might be my

previously published in Leaves of Grass, "Passage to India" was Whitman's attempt to "celebrate in my

…My brain is too sensitive.

Camden June 19 1890 My dear friend & all It is a wonderful fine day, cool enough & I am feeling fairly—every

was glad to see him—he looks well—I hear from Dr Bucke f'm Canada, & f'm Edw'd Carpenter —he is well—my

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

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

reverential terms his meeting with Walt Whitman: "The memory of that 'good time' will ever be one of my

most valued possessions and it is associated with my most unique experience.

Rossetti I am drawn toward, and though my first impression of him was that he was a high flown literary

as Assistant Secretary Richardson has impressed me into his service here & proposes to retain me & my

I have seen enough of cities, & streets & art and pictures & museums to stand me all the rest of my days

, and am in a hurry to set my face westward.

fried eggs on a perfumed napkin, and the napkin on beautiful tissue paper & the whole on a china plate (my

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

…My brain is too sensitive.

and, while I cannot send you anything particularly new, I re-dedicate to you all, as follows, one of my

s Purport," "For Us Two, Reader Dear," and "My Task" (?). The cluster was rejected by B. O.

evn'g as usual (always welcome)—he is well—is a clerk in a bank in Phila—Am sitting at present alone in my

I enclose one of my late circulars as it may have a wisp of interest to you.

Robert Browning (1812–1889), known for his dramatic monologues, including "Porphyria's Lover" and "My

volumes of Horace Traubel's With Walt Whitman in Camden (various publishers: 1906–1996) and Whitman's "My

day—Expect Dr B[ucke] here to day —continue on myself badly enough—catarrhal crises—nights not so bad—made my

O'C and Dr & T & I—have had my 4½ meal with zest—we all send best respects & love to you & to the friends

sixty-five poems that had originally appeared in November Boughs (1888); while the second, "Good-Bye my

The preface was included in Good-Bye My Fancy (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1891), 51–53.

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

It connects itself with memories of my mother's like condition—her only companion often a canary too.

SCENTED HERBAGE OF MY BREAST.

O blossoms of my blood!

WHAT THINK YOU I TAKE MY PEN IN HAND? WHAT think you I take my pen in hand to record?

MY LIKENESS! EARTH! my likeness!

That Shadow, my Likeness.

I felt of my hatchet's edge—it was keen as my hate.

my sorrowful cousins, and went my way.

Wife of my youth! of my early youth!

All my cruelty—all my former love—all my guilt—all my disregard of the sacred ties—seemed concentrated

My deeds were as good as my word.

Among temperance novels then quite popular were Lucius Manley Sargent's My Mother's Gold Ring (1833),

Loud I call to you, my love!

who I am, my love.

Hither, my love! Here I am! Here!

But my love no more, no more with me!

O what is my destination?

1892 Burlington Vt Jan 24 Only a word my darling to say how precious precious your letter is & how much

I feel your thinking of me now, but But my dearest you will be better & then I may write to you you

have my constant prayers & thoughts always. my dear dear brother only get better. there There is are

for you Want to send you so much love and do feel so thankful that you are better The $5 came s afe my

I caught a little cold on my voyage home, & my outdoor work since my return home has added another to

Of course I have several things to attend to on my return & hardly feel settled down yet into my ordinary

One result of my trip has been—not only to confirm my affection & reverence for yourself—but to give

I thank you for my own lesson.

Love to you, my dearest friend, & best benefactor, from my heart. And may God bless you.

—Excuse the naturality of my metaphor.— Speaking of "naturality" reminds me of the peculiarities that

—My period of purgation is almost up in these diggins.—Thank the pitying fates!

in two weeks more I shall wind up my affairs, and with tears in my eyes bid a sorrowful adieu to these

—My heart swells, and my melting soul almost expires with the agonising idea.

—Luckily for my self-complacency they are mostly whigs.

But my chief reliance is on my pen at present.

In the mean time, calmly, toilingly, ohne hast, ohne rast, working away on my literary chef-d-oeuvre,

"Whitman, the Poet of Humanity,"—here in my idyllic, noiseless home-cottage.

Wish I cd could send you some of the pinks, accept my love instead in return for yours, as something

You renovate & cheerify my ethical nature every time I visit you. WS Kennedy.

Camden N J New Jersey Dec December 13—76 '76 Thanks, my dear friend, for your cheery letter, & for your

come on & stay at your house for about a week, if perfectly convenient, & if you have plenty of room—My

(adopted) son, a young man of 18, is with me now, sees to me, & occasionally transacts my business affairs

, & I feel somewhat at sea without him—Could I bring him with me, to share my room, & your hospitality

to time —most of them go to the British Islands— —I see Mr Loag occasionally— Loving regards to you, my

Whitman occasionally referred to Stafford as "My (adopted) son" (as in this letter), but the relationship

My hope has been frustrated; I am myself a very lonely man without great connecions connections , especially

Therefore my dear friend I can only beg you accept my sincere sympathy with your unfortunate condition

I have myself my considerable lot of difficulties.

In these days I have got a little harbour for my old father and now I am going to marry without fortune

and clinging all my expectations to the incertain uncertain fate of a book, which shall appear in the

Friend witman I now take the plesure of fulfilling my promace of writing to yo hoping to find yo en Joying

good hlth I am not very well i am worse now than wen i got out of bed i tore my wound acoming home the

i have been home i have had the docter and he ordered me to bathe in sider soaky i will hef to have my

better here than they do in washington I find a grate many that donte know me when i arrived in york my

cosin was thare and he brought me to my home it has ben rainy ever since I have been home— give my love

Mebbe Maybe no, & mebby maybe yes," quoth my Italian. I sent Mrs.

Davis the Register with report of my modeling in the church.

I fear my hero belongs to an impossible age.

What 'hinders my going over the whole country?

My health is "boss," & I feel like raging about. Keep so, so.