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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

NOT heaving from my ribbed breast only, Not in sighs at night, in rage, dissatisfied with myself, Not

in those long-drawn, ill-suppressed sighs, Not in many an oath and promise broken, Not in my wilful

savage soul's volition, Not in the subtle nourishment of the air, Not in this beating and pounding at my

sleep, Nor the other murmurs of these incredible dreams of every day, Nor in the limbs and senses of my

O pulse of my life! Need I that you exist and show yourself, any more than in these songs.

Think, oh my soul, devoutly think, How, with affrighted eyes, Thou saw'st the wide-extended deep In all

Yet then from all my griefs, on lord!

Thy mercy set me free; Whilst in the confidence of prayer My soul took hold on thee.

My life, if thou preserv'st my life, Thy sacrifice shall be, And death, if death must be my doom Shall

join my soul to thee.

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv'd with plaudits in the capitol, still

it was not a happy night for me that fol- low'd follow'd ; And else, when I carous'd, or when my plans

ing undressing , bathed, laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise, And when I thought how my

all that day my food nourish'd me more—and the beautiful day pass'd well, And the next came with equal

joy—and with the next, at evening, came my friend; And that night, while all was still, I heard the

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv'd with plaudits in the capitol, still

it was not a happy night for me that follow'd, And else when I carous'd, or when my plans were accomplish'd

and undressing bathed, laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise, And when I thought how my

dear friend my lover was on his way coming, O then I was happy, O then each breath tasted sweeter, and

all that day my food nourish'd me more, and the beautiful day pass'd well, And the next came with equal

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been received with plaudits in the capitol, still

it was not a happy night for me that fol- lowed followed ; And else, when I caroused, or when my plans

ing undressing , bathed, laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise, And when I thought how my

all that day my food nourished me more—And the beautiful day passed well, And the next came with equal

joy—And with the next, at evening, came my friend; And that night, while all was still, I heard the

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv'd with plaudits in the capitol, still

it was not a happy night for me that follow'd, And else when I carous'd, or when my plans were accomplish'd

and undressing bathed, laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise, And when I thought how my

dear friend my lover was on his way coming, O then I was happy, O then each breath tasted sweeter, and

all that day my food nourish'd me more, and the beautiful day pass'd well, And the next came with equal

I am still here at Washington—every thing much the same in my condition as when you made your brief visit

here.— I continue well in health & good spirits—& as usual spend much more of my leisure in the open

I am very soon going on to New York to bring out a new edition of my poems—same as the copy you have,

—shall remain there until about 7 th of April—(my address there will be, 107 north Portland av.

I shall mail to you in a few days my latest piece, in a magazine.

WHEN I heard at the close of the day how my name had been receiv'd with plaudits in the capitol, still

it was not a happy night for me that fol- low follow'd ; And else, when I carous'd, or when my plans

ing undressing , bathed, laughing with the cool waters, and saw the sun rise, And when I thought how my

all that day my food nourish'd me more—and the beautiful day pass'd well, And the next came with equal

joy—and with the next, at evening, came my friend; And that night, while all was still, I heard the

My dear Sir, Some years ago when I had occasion to address you, you were so good as to say you should

be happy to hear from me again; and as my admiration of your works and interest in whatever concerns

you have rather strengthened than weakened, I feel sure you will not mind my asking one or two questions

As a faithful student of your books, I have made it my business to obtain every edition I could, and

When at my friend Mr W.B.

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

And to think my dearest brother you have been out. it It is wonderful good news to me.

I am trying to clean house, Walt dear, I do it all myself, but I take my time I have to.

—my carpets are all taken up down stairs downstairs (done cleaning up stairs upstairs glad to be able

to work even my way) Ime I'm slow enough, but do pretty well glad to stop a little while to write a

will you give my love to them, please.

My dear comrade, I have been very sick, and have been brought on home nearly three weeks ago, after being

sick some ten days in Washington—The doctors say my sickness is from having too deeply imbibed poison

into my system from the hospitals—I had spells of deathly faintness, & the disease also attacked my

as soon as I had strength—But I am making too long a story of it—I thought only to write you a line—My

dear comrade, I am now over the worst of it & have been getting better the last three days—my brother

I never think of you but it makes my heart glad to think that I have bin permited to know one so good

This man (whose frame, as I afterward found, was no mean type of the generous heart within) came to my

bed, sat down, & after some talk with me wrote a letter to my parents in Michigan.

This act secured my gratitude & we became intimately acquainted & close friends—Being furloughed in July

an ugly bullet hole through my left lung that time finding a lodgment at Armory Sqr.

My friend was still in Washington, we met, & our intimacy was renewed and again abruptly broken off in

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

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?

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.

I looked at my muddy boots, my flannel shirt—and then W. exclaimed: "Go!

own satisfaction, for last ten years.But my dear comrades I will now tell you something about my own

folks—home here there is quite a lot of us—my father is not living—my dear mother is very well indeed

in my mother's house.

dear comrades, and I pray God to bless you my darling boys, and I send you all my love, and I hope it

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 Sir : I should like, if I can do so without impertinence, to send you my grateful thanks for

You have, through them, infused into my life and into the lives of many others, a fresher, healthier

I send you a paper which I read in October last in Warrington, Lancashire, and let my sincerity and enthusiasm

be my excuse for the utter inadequacy of treatment of a subject I both love and revere.

I remain, my dear sir, with grateful thanks, Thomas Tylston Greg.

SCENTED HERBAGE OF MY BREAST.

O blossoms of my blood!

EARTH, MY LIKENESS.

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

THAT SHADOW MY LIKENESS.

SCENTED HERBAGE OF MY BREAST.

O blossoms of my blood!

EARTH, MY LIKENESS.

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

THAT SHADOW MY LIKENESS.

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.

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.

"My opinion is that I have no opinion!

My dear Sir,Yours of 27 January, and Leaves of Grass, received.

and therefore my allusion to it.

I had told Dowden of my not having received any reply to my cards or letters and my apprehension that

That's all there is to my hoarding up these records—as you call it.

I have had a bad day—a very miserable bad day: but I notice my bad days often come just before my best

I am more likely any time to be governed by my intuitive than by my critical self, anyhow.

, in my need: who can tell?

To my sister and my father who in these last few days have seen W. for the first time since his present

One of my doctors thinks much of my head trouble the past three months is from the sun.

I have been very feeble—O my!

For one thing, it gives my idea of my own book: a man's idea of his own book—his serious idea—is not

one point, marked my caution very high—seven and over.

Their seven was backed by my experience with myself.

man,' 'my man,' 'my man.'

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.

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

Apl 18 1876 My dear sir Enclosed please find Money order for Five of 100 Dollars for a copy of Two Rivulets

, which please send to my address & to my name This subscription is from a lady client of mine yours

Seeger Since writing my note I have secured the promise of one subscription & possibly with it 2 more

In my copy, would solicit the pleasure of having your autograph signature on fly leaf.

I am not accustomed thus to present my claim to acquaintanceship with writers.

I will believe this also, adding it to my "creed" the "I believes", of my religion which years ago I

I was certain my dear brother would not ask me to read a bad book.

That was my hour of triumph for my poet. For I had heard Mr.

If I were younger I would strive with all my to do something worthy of my worship of your genius, worthy

My paralysis does not lift—I cannot walk any distance—I still have this baffling, obstinate, apparently

My dear friend, your offers of help, & those of my other British friends, I think I fully appreciate,

During my employment of seven years or more in Washington after the war (1865–'72) I regularly saved

a great part of my wages—& though the sum has now become about exhausted, by my expenses of the last

And that is the way I should prefer to glean my support—In that way I cheerfully accept all the aid my

My very dear Friend, Finally I find time and quiet to write you—I beseech you be not angry at what may

on the other hand, to affirm that during this time I had thought it better, influenced, perhaps, by my

duties incidental to my position.

I have just come from my Mother, who, together with my Father, desires to be kindly remembered to you

hopes in the future to have had you & my little girl with me then.

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.

Open mouth of my soul uttering gladness, Eyes of my soul seeing perfection, Natural life of me faithfully

MY LEGACY.

, And you trees down in your roots to bequeath to all future trees, My dead absorb or South or North—my

I remember I said before my leaves sprang at all, I would raise my voice jocund and strong with reference

I have offer'd my style to every one, I have journey'd with confi- dent confident step; While my pleasure

Open mouth of my soul uttering gladness, Eyes of my soul seeing perfection, Natural life of me faithfully

MY LEGACY.

, And you trees down in your roots to bequeath to all future trees, My dead absorb or South or North—my

I remember I said before my leaves sprang at all, I would raise my voice jocund and strong with reference

I have offer'd my style to every one, I have journey'd with confi- dent confident step; While my pleasure

continues so—yesterday & last night was the hottest—still I slept sound, have good ventilation through my

when I woke up, a thing I never remember to have happened to me before, for I was not disturbed in my

own breakfast in my room & my dinner at a restaurant—I have a little spirit lamp, & always have a capital

on my hand, nor had any dressing for the last five days—Mother, I hope you get along with the heat,

it came right, & give him the men's thanks & my love— Mother, have you heard any thing from Han?

Whitman said: "I am jogging along in the old pathway and my old manner, able to be wheeled about some

days and in rainy weather content to stay shut up in my den, where I have society enough in my books

I see a good many actors, who seem to have a fondness for my society. The death of George H.

"Tennyson still writes to me, as do Buchanan and my German friends.

"John Burroughs is my oldest literary friend now living.

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.

My dear Mr.

Whitman I am trying my best to make up for the loss of my collection of Autographs a year or two since

me with yours and anything you can spare either Literary, Musical or dramatic and confer a favour on My

My address in Brooklyn is 132 Pacific St. I shall be here all this week.

Dear Son Pete, Nothing very new with me—I continue about the same—my general strength the best it has

—As I write this holding the paper on my lap I am sitting here in the parlor, by the heater—have had

my dinner—drank quite a goblet of wine, which I believe has flown into my head.

I wear my old gray suit, & the old black overcoat,—& when very cold, or stormy my gray shawl—If you should

see me now leaning against Milburn's counter, you wouldn't see any difference from last winter —(but my

good oak fire—Am still imprison'd in the sick room—Keep up spirits pretty fair, but weak as ever in my

friends from seeing me)—& for a month or so I was in a horrible plight—a nuisance to myself & all—but my

here in the room—Mrs Davis has just been in & wishes to send her love to you, & says come up & see us—my

is well, & seems to be well off & satisfied—young Harry Bonsall died there three or four weeks ago—my

sisters at Greenport L I and Burlington Vermont are ab't as usual—my brother & sister Lou are well at

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

March 7: '88 I was really astonished to hear my quondam college mate—young Henry Norman —was the one

I was in the first flush of my enthusiasm for you; had just read you for the first time, & after a while

matter increases my esteem.

Charity, charity, man, I keep saying (& think of my own grievous sins).

I send you a Transcript marked, and also send you my love in unlimited quantities.