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MS—It has a magnificence of strength, originality & suggestion —& I adhere fully to what I advised in my

This letter is endorsed: "on MS of my | 'Poet As A | Craftsman.'"

.: "I shall cherish the memory of that blessed January 2nd '85 to the end of my days.

My dear Whitman—I want you to regard me as a sort of son; tell me whenever I can do anything for you;

—& stating that I had been prostrated by the heat, somewhat badly, but was on the mend—I still hold my

own & consider myself recuperating—I hope you will meet my young American lady friend Mary Whitall Smith

My Dear Madam and Friend: I was expecting to visit New York early this month, and intended to call and

acknowledge the receipt of the poem and to say that when I come on, I shall personally call and pay my

September 3 Dear Friend At last the beloved books have reached my hand —yet now I have them, my heart

In 1861 my children took scarlet fever badly: I thought I should have lost my dear oldest girl.

My youngest was then a baby.

O the voice of my Mate: it must be so—my love rises up out of the very depths of the grief & tramples

It is not happiness I plead with God for—it is the very life of my Soul, my love is its life.

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.

writing at a venture to propose to you the publication, in a moderate-priced volume, of a full edition of my

poems, Leaves of Grass, in England under my sanction.

I make this proposition not only to get my poems before the British public, but more because I am annoyed

at the horrible dismemberment of my book there already & possibility of something worse.

Should my proposal suit you, go right on with the book.

Sept. 14, 18 71 My dear John Swinton: I have rec'd your note & enclosures.

I got it, looked into it with wonder, and felt that here was something that touched on depths of my humanity

Department of Justice Washington sent Sept. 17, 18 71 I send herewith the copy of my American Institute

I think an ordinary 12 mo would be best, and send you a sample, my idea of size of page, and sort of

My percentage &c. I leave to you to fix—I should expect two or three dozen copies.

I wish to forward you a copy of my book—as I shall presently bring out a new edition.

1871 that his poem "is of course implicit already in your Calamus, especially in 'Scented herbage of my

which I wrote you Sept. 6th after I had received the precious packet, a letter in which I opened all my

I know too my own shortcomings, faults, flaws.

Love & Hope are so strong in me, my souls high aspirations are of such tenacious, passionate intensity

But I cannot like you clothe my nature in divine poems & so make it visible to you. Ah foolish me!

I felt as if my silence must kill me sometimes.

My Dear Mr.

…My brain is too sensitive.

My dear friends, N. M. and J. B.

you word, in advance—The picture of the dear daughter will be welcome—I should also like another of my

dear loving boy Alfred, as soon as he gets any late ones, if he does so— So good bye & God bless you, my

dear friends, & my love to all.

My address is at this office.

I felt soon, & feel now, that it was a great impropriety on my part, & it has caused me much compunction

My recollection is that I confessed judgment, & proposed to Mr.

He came by appointment to my room in Classon avenue, Brooklyn, June 17, 1857, talked over the matter,

It arises in my mind, as I write, to say something of that kind to you— I am not a little comforted when

I learn that the young men dwell in thought upon me & my utterances—as you do—& I frankly send you my

I am numbed with the frigid manners of the Christians; barbarism has given me the fullest joy of my life

July 1, 18 69 Dear Alfred Pratt, I am still here in Washington, & work in the same office—My health is

must write me a good long letter all about your affairs & yourself—all will be interesting— I send you my

Good bye, my loving boy — The following are responsible for particular readings or for changes to this

Nov 5 18 70 My dear Mr.

Huntington: I write to say I would like to postpone the pleasure of my visit to, & breakfast with, you

Walt Whitman I send the Galaxy with one of my last pieces —as I am not certain whether I sent it to you

Vinnie Ream, My dear friend, I would like to call on you, with an acquaintance of mine, John Swinton,

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

I got it, looked into it with wonder, and felt that here was something that touched on depths of my humanity

I wish to know whether you have safely received the particular copy of the last edition of my poems,

I shall send you, probably by next mail, my latest piece, in a western magazine for February.

Also a second copy of my pamphlet "Democratic Vistas"—If the first copy reached you, send the second

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

above, Treasury Building, middle of afternoon—From my great south window I can see a far-stretching

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

Church, My friends, If convenient, please remit to me, here, a check for $25 in pay for "O Star of France

Jan. 14, 1869 My dear Mr.

Philp and Solomon: My friends: I have to beg pardon for a sad mistake & piece of remissness—It seems

My dear Ramsdell , Perhaps it may hardly be necessary, but I feel to write you a line of caution about

You might do well to put in about my intended appearance before the American Institute, at its 40th opening

, Sept. 7th in New York, and that the curiosity of both my friends & foes is extremely piqued, &c &c.

where I wanted you to come & see me—(& still want you, if you have a chance. ) But I spend most of my

down at an old farm down in Jersey where I have a fine secluded wood & creek & springs, where I pass my

time alone, & yet not lonesome at all (often think of you Pete & put my arm around you & hug you up

dear —I still make my brother's house at Camden my headquarters, & keep my room there—address my letters

the whole, am getting along pretty well, & good spirits The new edition of my books I sell enough of

about as usual—your postal card came to-day—papers last Monday—As I write, (1 p.m.) am having one of my

all alone in the house , & have had a good time—fine bright warm day—been out twice for short walks, (my

little dog accompanying me)—rest of the time up here alone in my 3d story south room—done up & sent

off my two books to a subscriber in England —Eat my dinner alone, wished you could be with me then, &

them—About coming on I cannot say now, but I shall come , & before long —Love to Mr and Mrs Nash—Love to you my

, Dear Sir: Won't you do me the very great favor to write me a few lines regarding the condition of my

Though we have never met personally, I have heard of you from my mother & sister.

My sister in a late letter, wished me to write you & thank you for your great kindness to her.

Thayer I believe thinks all my thumb wont get well.

…be pleasant to Charlie while I am sick on my account" (The Trent Collection of Whitmaniana, Duke University

Traubel read this letter in 1889, Whitman commented on Heyde: "He is a cringing, crawling snake: uses my

was a plain everyday scamp I'd not feel sore on him: but in the rôle of serpent, whelp, he excites my

Please send me, by express, 30 copies of the number, when ready, to my address here.

In answer to your request, I send you my picture—it was taken three months since.

Farewell, my friend. I sincerely thank you, & hope some day to meet you.

He speaks it over and over, manipulating my body unconciouslyunconsciously, as it were, with bountiful

mats, and at night sometimes waken to find him watching me with earnest, patient looks, his arm over my

Dear Pete, Here I am yet, in my big chair in the parlor—I am up & around, but not very well—I am having

O'Connor— I have no doubt I shall feel better—my sickness comes & goes—& my relief spells the same—I

me a long time, & which I had quite given up—which puts me in better spirits—good bye for present, my

Dear Sir: I have been very much occupied, since I saw you—& wish you to accept my apoligies apologies

Comparing your rec't receipt of my books from Doolady , April 28, '73 (239 Leaves of Grass, &c.

&c)—with the of books handed over by you to Butts (168 Leaves of Grass, &c &c)—see my last letter to

Deduct 25 copies sent to Boston by my order, & 3 copies to Graphic , leaves 43 copies (@ $1.40) to be

April 17, '73 Dear Sir, Your letter of Feb. 8, '73, remitting my acc't account , and sales up to 1st

Also please return me, if convenient, the printed slip I forwarded you of my last acc't. with you, marked

Lee, Shephard & Dillingham whether they would not take my books, (the new editions) & job them.

There is beginning to be a steady, though moderate demand for my books, & if there were a good & permanent

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

employment for you—now I am here, crippled, laid up for God knows how long, unable to help myself, or my

about 3½ squares the other way, has I believe 6 or 7 cars—I get out & take a ride in them sometimes—my

have the breeze through—I can have what I wish in the grub line—have plenty of good strawberries—& my

much change so far—but I feel comparatively comfortable since I have been here—& better satisfied — My

a bad spell—have distress in the head at times, but keep up a good heart—or at any rate try to—Give my

I am about the same as to my sickness—no worse. Walt. Walt Whitman to Peter Doyle, 31 May [1873]

does not affect me much—it is not near as oppressive here as the Washington heat—I rec'd your letter my

As I write I am sitting in my mother's former room, in her old arm chair—Spend a great deal of my time

Pete, my darling son, I still think I shall weather it, but time only can show— —Mother's death is on

my mind yet—time does not lift the cloud from me at all —I want much to get to the sea-shore, either

So long my darling boy. Walt. Walt Whitman to Peter Doyle, 15–[16] July [1873]

Pete, I am not having a very good time—My head troubles me—yesterday was as bad as ever—as far from well

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 price is $60—same reservation as before & same obligation on my part — The following are responsible

I shall print my College Poem in a small book—it will be small—& is intended as the beginning of a larger

for me—I am writing this in the house in Portland av—we are having a showery afternoon— —Good bye, my

Dear Pete, I am having a better time here than I had my last visit.

swimming— Mother is only middling—has some pretty bad spells with rheumatism—will break up here, & go with my

It is either $120 (or $130, I am not sure—but I have a memorandum in my desk at Washington)—I am feeling

real well, & hope you are too, my loving boy.

If you are willing to go into selling my books, I think you ought to have some of the little 30 brochure

& was glad to hear from you—I am still in a pretty bad way—I am writing this over at the office, at my

desk, but feel to-day more like laying down than sitting up—I do not walk any better, & my head has

strength—very slowly—& shall yet get well as ever — Every thing goes on about the same, in the sphere of my

is impossible in reality— I got a long letter from Dowden —he mentions you—As I sit I look over from my

were men out there in their shirt-sleeves raking it up—I have a big bunch of lilacs in a pitcher in my

again & have some good times—but for all that it is best for you to be prepared for something different—my

alone & think, for two hours on a stretch—have not formed a single acquaintance here, any ways intimate—My

in the morning, & keeps me a good bed & room—All of which is very acceptable—(then, for a fellow of my

run foul of any)—Still I generally keep up very good heart—still think I shall get well—When I have my

have got a letter from Charley Towner—I am finishing this by the open window—still in the rooms where my

As I write it is about noon, & I am sitting up in my room, with a window open & the bright sun streaming

I eat my breakfast with relish this morning, salmon, Graham bread, coffee, &c.

At present my head cannot stand any thing. Still, to-day I am feeling rather better than usual.

I have eat my dinner—beef steak & potatos potatoes , with pumpkin pie & a cup of tea—I eat very moderately

these spells are, (& seems as if they will continue to come on,) I still have abiding hopes & trust of my

laying off, & of the playing of the band under Schneider and Petrola —also about City RR. men—I send my

sore & ready to have them, almost if I move across the room—I am sitting here, feeling pretty bad, my

feel better, & strong enough to come back to Washington—Still I don't know—I think it best to face my

I will certainly send you word, or telegraph—I will write Monday or Tuesday next—We have moved into my

—My head is feeling very sore & touchy & sensitive—I dont don't go out—I have re-written my will —What