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54 Manchester Road Bolton, England Jan 20 th 1891 My Dear Old Friend, By this mail I send you the current

J.W.W. called at my surgery this morning & read to me the draft of a letter to you concerning Ruskin

has been to me or how much I owe to his good influence; for he has been one of three good genii of my

life—the other two being yourself & my own, dear, good old father.

Pardon my writing thus about my friend but "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." &

Whitman, late in life, said to Horace Traubel: "[I] take my Ruskin with some qualifications."

This sense forbids my taking up the pen carelessly to intrude upon your attention. I. Mr. H.H.

I came to grasp it; my humility to God, my esteem to you.

to my work as a composer.

Intention must befriend me or my chance must fall.

In the first, I send you a copy of this work, I have perforce of my religious perception, vested the

Willard, would in any degree affect my official action in that matter.

Perhaps it is not possible for one in your circumstances to view such cases as they appear to one in my

so disproportioned a share of attention given to it, and which was cheerfully given, (on account of my

But this was only a passing impulse on my part, and I desire you to feel that I retain no unkindness

or the mere addition of respectable names to the list of petitioners, will not produce a change in my

I expressed the feeling that the book as a whole did not reach my expectations—that it was too literary—not

For my pleasure it could not have assumed a better form."

Further—"This will undoubtedly be my last public appearance—" I interrupted laughingly—"Like the farewells

consciousness it is that what I say is true—that this is my last—that there comes an end, and here are

of the big book to give to Jennie May—just married to Sam Fels—which I transferred with Anne's and my

Found Longaker sitting there with W., Longaker immediately going on my entrance, having other patients

doubting laugh, "It is always funny—sometimes exhilarating—to me, to be sometimes told after one of my

I had the Lippincott's proof with me, would leave it till eight, to call then to have my own look at

W. contends still, "This is my 73rd, not my 72nd birthday"—meaning that the 72nd anniversary is the 73rd

shoulder (I was working)—that my signature was one of the hardest he knew to imitate.

I talked freely and calmly to him, then gave him Longaker's and my Philadelphia addresses—telling him

Now new samples of paper, out of which he readily settled upon the one I had told Ferguson was my own

two books bound together—mainly for my own use.

"Yes, I think I have—my name certainly gets about more—but what does it amount to?"

"No rally seems possible—it is my last run of fish." Had been down in the parlor today.

I break down allmost almost to hysteria at times, from exhaustion but my appetite remains steadfast,

does not; is averse to having our clothes put to laundry; their condition is so bad: beside to keep my

house free from embarressment must beware of debt; for pay day comes at last, and my habitation is a

professional labours and endurance; my devotion—yet so many have imperative needs of their.

George should help us, all he can: Han's friends or relatives are known: and my embarressments embarrassments

your Mother telling me of your very severe illness in wich which you have our Heartfelt Sympathy (Both my

poor hand at it—and the trouble with cousin-Sarah she writes her letters so plainly—you must excuse my

that interests me just now and I will tell you all about—it is to take place this month) to two of my

wifes that can grace the parlor or grace the kitchen (if need be) this is the kind of wife, men in my

I could have written a more sympathetic letter (But then my heart is so full of my own sad Afflictions

every week or month a button or peg gives out—most of the time mildly—but I realize it well enough—my

dulling)—warmth shaded a little to-day & cloudy any how—ate a rare egg & some Graham bread & coffee for my

—I hope to resume practice in the state, some time in the future, when I have paid my debts and saved

My mother is still living in Boston at the age of 75, well and hearty.

—God bless you my old and long tried friend—"With fond affection and recollection.

Elster at Throudhjem, containing my last, (the College poem) & a piece in about my sickness.

is well at last accounts. 4) I myself have pleased myself more fully with Redwood Tree than any of my

Columbus is more popular far)—I suppose it is hardly necessary to tell you that I have pitched and keyed my

America Aug. 28, '74 Rudolf Schmidt My dear friend, Your letter of July 28, from Gaûsdal, in "old Norway

I was dismissed from my clerkship under Government at Washington about two months ago.

Still at times my thoughts will go back & hover & nestle about the little home & the many familiar places

I graze in them with my eyes daily. Grass like this is never seen so far south on the Potomac.

summit, & could see the Catskills 50 miles to the North, & peaks that I recognized as visible from my

I have plenty of time on my hands now, but do not seem able to turn it to any account in a literary way

I can't get back my ruminating habit.

It is now my chief delight and I am glad to tell you so.

Command me in return, my friend, and see if I will not respond.

neck, My brown hands, and the silent manner of me, without charm.

My friend Joaquin Miller and I have often talked of you.

I desired much to see you when I was on my way home from the Old World—two years ago—but failed.

almost human tenderness in the atmosphere, to get up and go out, and as I was being wheeled about by my

But I staid just a little too long in my unaccustomed wanderings, because I had not been out before during

It was after sunset when I got back to my home, and I enjoyed my supper better than I had for many a

I can read the magazines, and my friends from abroad keep me advised as to what is going on in the world

What do my shouts amid lightnings and raging winds mean?)

(I bequeath them to you, my children, I tell them to you, for reasons, O bridegroom and bride.)

(Know, I am a man, attracting, at any time, her I but look upon, or touch with the tips of my fingers

, Or that touches my face, or leans against me.)

To rise thither with my inebriate Soul! To be lost, if it must be so!

My dear friend, Your letter has reached me here, & it is a real comfort to hear from Bethuel once more

interesting—when I think of those old times in the hospital & our being together, you seem to me like my

Bethuel, I enclose an envelope for you—dear boy, I want you to write me a good long letter—my best best

Smith, I thank you for writing to me, it has done me good—I send my best respects & love to you—& my

I have been at work all this morning getting ready my first lecture on insanity for the students; which

evening about 7 o'clock—All yesterday I was very busy looking into matters which had accumulated in my

absence and today, as I have said, about my lecture.

I found Mrs Bucke and all the children quite well on my return and Horace will tell you all about them

I have been showing Horace something of my W.W. collection and H. is to take some copies of L. of G.

Aug 9 '78 431 Stevens Street Camden New Jersey U S America My dear Mr Child I rec'd received your kind

Keep cheery, but remain a partial paralytic—I have now an edition of my works in Two Volumes (see Circular

herewith) which I have got out here & job & sell myself —(as the publishers positively wont publish me & my

wish any, the price would be $3.50 a —I send you a copy of Two Rivulets , as a little present, with my

regards—Any thing you meet alluding to me, or criticizing, or that you think will interest me, send me, my

Philp, just starting for London, a copy of my Poems, prepared with care for the printers, with reference

I wish to send you, as also to those other friends & well-wishers whom it seems I have in England, my

Many serious & wonderful things have occurred in our dear country, since you & I last met, my friend.

Philp leaves Washington this evening, & I must hasten my letter.

the Attorney General's Office here, of pay sufficient, & duties entirely agreeable & consistent with my

My sister Martha at St. Louis was not in good health at last accounts.

will tell you further—Beulah asked much about you & William, and Jeannie— Nothing special with me or my

As it turns out, my death by railroad smash permeated the lower orders, (I suppose at second & third

My true love to you both—Jeannie, my darling, a kiss for you—good bye, Nelly dear— Walt The following

Iu .5 Camden Sept: 29 1890 Dear friend, Yr's just came telling me of y'r moving—As you don't mention my

If so, let them go—I wanted to go on record embalming (as much as I could) my tribute of dear W[illiam

I continue on ab't the same—slowly letting down peg after peg—my mind & my right arm remain'g abt the

I am sitting in my room in Mickle Street in the big old ratan chair with wolf-skin spread on back—have

Walt you know wat what good times Petter and your selfe self and me had together Walt how is Harry my

not Receved Received no answer as yet but you must tell him that you have herd heard from me and give my

love to him and take a good share your self give my love to all the Boys on the Rail Road as mr sailor

to go to the D. and so forth Walt I want you to write to me as soon as you get this you must excuse my

me George D Cole Tottenville Staten Island in care of Cap t JW Sprague how is old car no number 29 my

England October 16 th '90 My dear Sir The only excuse that I can offer for trespassing upon your privacy

your works I am having printed a volume of verses, and as I wish to show—though inadequately I know—my

I am quite aware that my work at its best, can be but an unfitting sequence to your name, but my tribute

Camden Aug: 14 '88 Sunny & cool to-day—nothing new in my case—bowel action—my lines on Sheridan's burial

were printed in Herald Aug: 12—(I am beginning to keep my bits & contributions, poetic spurts &c. again

out still undecided—not before than October anyhow—I still have the design of making a 900 page Vol. my

Sunday noon April 8 '88 It is very pleasant & sunny to-day & I am going out in the rig abt 1 o'clock to my

champagne—I enjoy everything—Nothing new with me—there seems to be some hitch in the Herald's publ'ng my

My health though poor is "the same subject continued"—I enc: K[enne]dy's letter from Wilson —(not important

cold cutting true sea brine)—I have not heard a word of the Worthington suit in N Y —not a word from my

Kennedy had written to Whitman: "Rhys continues his schemes on society's pocket-book, & demoralizes my

Dear Friend I take this opportunity to write to you to let you know how I am I am well and my wound is

home but I could not So I had to come back here the Doctor ask me when I came back if I did not want my

told him that I would rather be transfered to newyork and if I could not that I would like to have my

discharge, he said that he would get me transfered or give me my discharge I walk with crutches yet

My dear Walt Whitman (Somehow the Mr does not come well before Walt Whitman).

broken ground, glad also that you find something to approve of in a work so utterly unlike your own as my

I am this morning starting with my wife & Sons on a tour to the Continent.

in an extreme hurry, packing up & after these few words must bid you goodbye, not without expressing my

badly, but hope hourly for change of temperature—Y'r & J W W[allace]'s good letters rec'd —Have had my

weather yet, but expecting the change hourly—tolerably fair night last—(have a stout massage ab't 9½ P M)—my

breakfast two hours ago—(rare fried egg, toast & raw tomato)—Probably my missives are monotonous enough

again but that may give the fact the main thing best—this is the first I have sent for nearly a week—my

Jersey Dec: 10 '81 Dear Sirs Please send me here by express fifteen free copies Leaves of Grass for my

sheets are sent)— Then another thing: I have a few copies remaining (between one & two hundred sets) of my

mostly in England —which I should like to sell whenever applied to—price $10— You have no objections to my

good than harm to it—but is not of much importance any how—only (to me) as putting a few dollars in my

Camden April 17 '89 A heavy saturated leaden day—& my condition ab't the same.

N[elly]'s card came yesterday—my best prayers for more mark'd improvement—I have just sent off books

bo't in England—one Dr B[ucke]'s book specially sent for —I have just finished my supper:dinner.

As far as my life goes it is written in the past.

For years it was my wish to live long enough to round out my life's story in my little book, 'The Leaves

I continue my work reading or writing to my friends."

as I tried to put it in my books.

It is only the closest student would find it in my works.

/ Why are there men and women that while they are nigh me the sun-light expands my blood?

/ Why when they leave me do my pennants of joy sink flat and lank?

blood—that if I walk with an arm of theirs around my neck, my soul leaps and laughs like a new-waked

—(Am I loved by them boundlessly because my love for them is more boundless?

truth, my sympathy, and my dignity.

would try to write, blind, blind, with my own tears.

I will only say that my soul and my sympathy all go out towards you and I often think of you as the one

Traubel,My thanks for your very good note.

The "circle" is my own creation.

Give him my love. I haven't things ready-made to say to him. Just give him my love.

"The text is a little mixed up," W. said of it apologetically: "My mind is not now-a-days a perfect machine

"My brain often takes speed and is away—gets rein-free and flies without will or plan—and I am helpless

"My whole soul revolts against that line: my very first feeling was one of utter disgust."

My place in Washington was a peculiar one—my reasons for being there, my doing there what I did do.

I do not think I quite had my match.

hun.00021xxx.00596HM 6713'Come said my soul. . .'

[Come, said my Soul]about 1875poetry1 leafhandwritten; A signed draft, heavily revised, of the untitled

'Come said my soul. . .'

Leaves of Grass (1891) COME, said my Soul, Such verses for my Body let us write, (for we are one,) That

Ever and ever yet the verses owning—as, first, I here and now, Signing for Soul and Body, set to them my

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

328 Mickle Street Camden New Jersey Nov: 30 '85 My dear Wm Rossetti Yours of Nov: 13 with 31 pounds 19

shillings has been received—the third instalment of the "offering" —my thanks are indeed deeper than

been writing to Herbert Gilchrist ab't his mother, & am filled with sadness—nothing new with me, only my

431 Stevens Street, Camden, Jan: 26 '81 My dear friend I am sorry to have to send you word that I am

unable to meet you & the other friends at dinner— I send you herewith a couple of pictures (I call it my

Quaker picture)—one is for your father—also the books herewith —also my love to you— Walt Whitman Walt

Receive me and my lover too—he will not let me go without him.

my clothes were stolen while I was abed, Now I am thrust forth, where shall I run?

I descend my western course, my sinews are flaccid, Perfume and youth course through me, and I am their

carefully darn my grandson's stockings.

How he informs against my brother and sister, and takes pay for their blood!

Receive me and my lover too—he will not let me go without him.

Darkness, you are gentler than my lover!

I descend my western course, my sinews are flaccid, Perfume and youth course through me, and I am their

carefully darn my grand-son's stockings.

How he informs against my brother and sister, and takes pay for their blood!

"My hot-blood days are all gone, now, all gone—it is the evening chill!"

Wondered what my notion was about Moore: "Why do you suppose he wrote you?

Of course, I don't know any more about it than you do, but I give you my guess.

(My own position on these theological disputes ought to be understood—to have no part in them.

And thank God I have room for all—I take up my skirts for no one!)

Long for my soul, hungering gymnastic, I devour'd what the earth gave me; Long I roam'd the woods of

O wild as my heart, and powerful!)

wonder, yet pensive and masterful; All the menacing might of the globe uprisen around me; Yet there with my

; —Long had I walk'd my cities, my country roads, through farms, only half satisfied; One doubt, nauseous

longer wait—I am fully satisfied—I am glutted; I have witness'd the true lightning—I have witness'd my

Long for my soul, hungering gymnastic, I devour'd what the earth gave me; Long I roam'd the woods of

O wild as my heart, and powerful!)

wonder, yet pensive and masterful; All the menacing might of the globe uprisen around me; Yet there with my

; Long had I walk'd my cities, my country roads, through farms, only half satisfied; One doubt, nauseous

longer wait—I am fully satisfied—I am glutted; I have witness'd the true lighting—I have witness'd my

I am glad to report that I enjoyed my Self finely and had a gay time.

I expected to be in Washington before this on my way Home to get my rights, if I dont get it I will not

play Tell Miss Felton that I never will forget theWatter cooler of Ward P. and as there are some of my

Friends that I have omited on account of names I hope you will as[k] Pardon in my behalf. tell Brown

My Love & best Wishes to all I will close Hoping to Here from you soon.

Solicitor of the Treasury, requesting my advice upon certain questions arising upon the claim of the

My predecessors have repeatedly declined to give opinions at the instance of other officers than those

Should you desire my opinion upon the law of the case, it will afford me pleasure to consider the questions

involved, and communicate to my views in regard to them.

What I may find it possible, or think it my duty to do, in regard to a personal participation in the

matter at Richmond, it is quite out of my power at present to determine; as my preparations for the ensuing

term of the Supreme Court of the United States, on special assignment, requiring my personal attendance

And then as to Bucke's warnings about taking cold, "I have thought myself that was my worst danger: I

He laughed and said, "I am unchanged about him: my impression lasts."

And to my expression, "Each spring all think must be the last, but the next surpasses it," he assented

talked of Sarrazin pleasantly for some time, W. urging me to write.Later, Harned's children, who were at my

As I Lay With My Head in Your Lap, Camerado. As I Lay with my Head in your Lap, Camerado.

As I lay with my head in your lap, Camerado, The confession I made I resume—what I said to you and the

open air I resume: I know I am restless, and make others so; I know my words are weapons, full of danger

As I Lay With My Head in Your Lap, Camerado AS I LAY WITH MY HEAD IN YOUR LAP, CAMERADO.

AS I lay with my head in your lap, camerado, The confession I made I resume—what I said to you and the

open air I resume: I know I am restless, and make others so; I know my words are weapons, full of danger

431 Stevens street Nov. 21 '76 My dear R B I sent you over two months ago (Sept 5), by express prepaid

direct to same address as this letter, a package of some 17 or 18 vols of my books, in wrappers, with

My limbs still lamed from paralysis—but I get around yet—strength a little more reliable—spirits cheerful

That was my last. Did it reach you? Your letter of April 28th is the last I have rec'd from you.