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)— I leave mainly the carrying it out to your aformentioned taste & judgment—you can confer &c with my

hottest day of the season—but I have got thro' fairly with it—& have just finish'd & quite enjoy'd my

Not yet left my room for down stairs— Walt Whitman Walt Whitman to Mary Whitall Smith Costelloe, 4 August

Whitman Camden Dear Sir I trust you will pardon me for intruding upon you—after you read my letter—I

I am oh so very glad—but not so with me—on the contrary I am gradually growing worse—my case is called

I was first attacked in my right eye last Oct. it passed off and in April it again showed itself in the

side of my face roof of my mouth tongue & throat—I can only swallow liquid food. my speech is badly

inclusive —there will be ab't 20 more—I am more comfortable than you may suppose Sunset Have had & enjoyed my

roseate toward me & I feel thankful & responsive—& all the confirmatory possible— I am still kept in my

the indication of it—& to-day Saturday a fearful hot & oppressive baker & prostrater , the worst to my

printing office is now all diverged on a Harrison and Morton book, hurry is up—will take them a week—my

General Philip Henry Sheridan's death (on August 5), and later as Interpolation Sounds in Good-Bye My

the best last news of Wm —Quite certainly I am weathering—to all appearance—this ab't sixth whack of my

war paralysis—(thanks mainly I opine to a sound strong body heredity from my dear father & mother)—I

am still keeping my room—shall attempt a mild raid soon—take no medicines—have finished (sent in all

copy) my little Nov: Boughs —Horace Traubel is a noble faithful fellow—Weather continues superb— Walt

On July 31, he wrote John Burroughs that he had "finished (sent all copy) my little Nov: Boughs."

reads, in its entirety, "The two songs on this page are eked out during an afternoon, June, 1888, in my

I am sitting here in the chair in my room yet—weather fine, rain at nights, to-day a little clouded &

My opine is that our dear O'Connor is better—jaunting at present for the time an easier road on plateau

than the C itself) —Ed Stafford has just call'd with some apples & a chicken— Saturday Sunset Have had my

dinner, stew'd chicken & rice pudding—have not left my room yet, but shall get down a few minutes to-morrow

My head (physical brain) & spirits good—legs & bodily strength gone .

bed—very bad weakness of legs and body—the worst of head trouble disappeared—Thanks for your letter —my

& shall probably make a sort of rally—This is the 6th or 7th whack thro' the last fourteen years of my

I had been feeling depressed and sorrowful—perhaps my own bad state had something to do with it; but

anyhow, the brave hand-writing was like Chevy Chace to Sidney, "stirring my heart as with the sound of

He is certainly the winter of my discontent mentioned by Lord Bacon in his play of Richard III.

years Whitman increasingly considered him an antagonist; late in his life, Whitman commented: "Some of my

EDITORIAL•DEPARTMENT THE CENTURY•MAGAZINE UNION•SQUARE•NEW•YORK 25 July 1888 My dear Mr Whitman: I hope

don't want them back)— If any gaps of the proof pages up to 104 exist, mention it & I will remit—Keep my

room yet—am sitting now (& in four fifths time day) in the capacious ratan-seated arm chair—my condition

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

Home July 24/88 My Dear Old Friend I received your letter written the 21 st day after the one of yesterday

many good friend friends you have & how pretty they write I have often wished that I could express my

Horace Traubel —& by the best printers I have ever yet had—The Century people have just sent me again my

October number—bowel movements continue every day or other day—I take no drugs at all—have not moved from my

allude to his visit to America, but there may be something in it — —I feel better—am working a little at my

booklet yesterday and to-day—my head feels easier, but the weakness especially in getting about & in

my knee power is fearful—Hope you & George and Ed & Deb & Jo & the young one are jolly & sitting up—

July 8th 1888 My dear Walt; I have followed your illness with breathless concern—that is, what I could

forenoon & fair temperature—warmish—yours of 17th rec'd to-day—I wonder if you are not to be envied there—my

My dear friend I cannot tell you what joy your message has given me, both as proof of your improvement

With what joyful smiling I thank God that you are better, as I wept from my heart, at hearing of your

ancestor of yours settled very early in Weymouth, this portion of which where I am now staying was my

Camden Tuesday Early PM July 17 '88 Pleasant weather warmish but not hot—my body strength & head grip

Mitchell suggested it yesterday afternoon—I feel better I suppose as I sit here, but my head is thick

to 92 inclusive proof sheets, those are all the printers given me to date—I am still sitting up—have my

Burroughs was still depressed: "I try to keep absorbed in my farm operations.

About half of my folk are gone and going to Sarnia on a visit—Clare & Ina went yesterday, Mrs B.

It is dry as a bone here, no rain for many weeks, my potato crop is cut short 50 per cent, & all my young

I try to keep absorbed in my farm operations.

My regards to Horace Traubel. Tell me something about him when you write again.

Milwaukee, July 14th 1888 My dear Walt I was very very glad to get a letter from you yesterday.

that you are gaining again—I was very sorry that I could not get back to Camden—but I had to go with my

Sentenced to death after serving as captain of engineers in the Parliamentary Army during the revolution

My dear friend: I have just heard from Kennedy that your illness continues.

so glad that you have to help you so devoted a friend as young Traubel, and through you I give him my

hand and my thanks.

In these days the glorious words you have spoken about Death comes up in my mind, and I feel much as

being quite crushed with the dead heat we have been having, and sick with obstinate bowel trouble and my

My belief in your getting better is invincible, for your stamina is indomitable.

Camden Wednesday Sunset July 11 '88 Am setting up & have just eat my supper—The flowers rec'd this day—perfumed

am trying to get the E[lias] H[icks] paper presentable—but hard work—but I keep at it obstinately (my

My dear Walt Whitman, The good ship 'Crystal' landed me safe at Leith a fortnight & more ago, after a

From the Castle, which overlooks the whole place, I had an inspiring vision of the past on my first afternoon

than usually unwell, but Walter Scott's people tell me that they have had better news, which relieves my

Yes, as you imagine I am indeed up to my eyes in work but one thing I am glad of—I have got over the

July 8th 1888 My dear Walt; I have followed your illness with breathless concern—that is, what I could

just after 12 Saturday July 7 Tom, I wish you would say to Frank the pictures of Elias Hicks and my own

& sent to Dr Bucke —As I sit early afternoon every thing is quiet & comfortable—I have not yet left my

probably will not any more—as I am ill from breaking out of old war-paralysis—I return the check & take my

better or strongly—the bowel movement is just right (a great favorable point daily or every other daily)—my

you Pearsall Smith's note wh' is favorable & you will want to know—the remains cool & pleasant to-day—My

My dinner is just here & I relish it— W W Steamship Aller June 20th. 1888.

My dear Friend — It was with much regret that we felt compelled to leave you in your sickness last week

Our passage across the whole way has been nearly as smooth as a duck pond, and my health has been very

Whatever may be said for the genius that created the peculiar style of (and, for my part, I think a great

Yet it would be wrong not to correct my criticism about Whitman's style by pointing out that there are

afternoon & all last night—dont seem any improvement in strength or vim —dont yet get out at all of my

literary matters by a sort of trustee-board, yourself, Harned & Horace Traubel —& assigned all [of] my

worldly possessions to Ed, & to my sisters —the "Nov.

sufficient frequent bowel movements—had a very slim day all yesterday —a little easier to-day—but slow, slow—my

new little "November Boughs" is slowly but steadily moving—Horace Traubel is invaluable to me in it—My

head in preparing my copies or reading proof is poorly, dull, raw, no weak grip, no consecutive, no

I am a young man—a Californian—my home being in Los Angeles— and always your steadfast admirer Chas F

feeling—constipation—then otherways, quite a strong steady pulse & fair appetite, & generally hold my

My dear Friend — It was with much regret that we felt compelled to leave you in your sickness last week

Our passage across the whole way has been nearly as smooth as a duck pond, and my health has been very

I bear your messages of love and remembrance to your many many friends in London, who without my privileges

Alys, my faithful secretary, joins me in the expression of the hearty affection with which I am always

favorable—I am sitting up an hour or so—Pretty critical a week or so ago—but Dr Bucke I consider saved my

life—I want to finish my little brochure "November Boughs" —it is ab't 1/3d done—Love to you, dear friend

June 18 188 8 My dear Mr.

Whitman:— I read with sorrow of your severe illness and beg to offer my sympathy.

theories keep favorable sufficiently markedly—pulse good—a fairly movement bowel this forenoon—& eat my

bit of dinner—had a big bath this forenoon—Dr Osler has been to-day—his prognosis remains favorable—my

Camden Sunday 3 P M June 17 '88 Am sitting up at present—fearfully weak & little or no grip on my brain—but

the doctor gives favorable clues, says pulse is vigorable—my good nurse has given me a good bath—& I

I take it my spirit-sense of your condition is not likely to fail after all.

INSANE, LONDON, ONTARIO London, Ont., 15 June 188 8 Since reaching home Wednesday evening I have had my

I wish I could drive you about them—the weather is charming here—I have in front of me, on my desk, here

in my office an enormous bouquet of snowballs, peonies, sweet flag &c Love to you RM Bucke I have gone

My opinion (not that it is worth any thing) is that this book of yours ought to have a sale and I think

Whitman on December 21, 1883, sent "A Backward Glance on My Own Road" to The North American Review and