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I don't want it to go forth that my feelings towards him are one whit less than they are.

My dear friend,My idea was, when you wrote me about the Club, that I might deliver some lecture in Philadelphia—maybe

path.If not thought best to do this under the auspices of the Club, why, I could do it independently, on my

I think we would have no trouble in filling the house, on some good subject.Give my best regards to Mr

enjoying the prospect, I think, and all that comes in its train.Spoke about questioners: "They are my

W. in trying to remember something to tell me, suddenly exclaimed, "My memory is very bad and becoming

He admitted, "Yes, they may be true, but my memory is bad, always has been bad.

Adding, "My memory is more a memory of impressions than of facts.

:New York, Sept 19, 1890 My Dear Traubel:Fire away.

"That was pretty near my first thought, though I went it even worse than that.

And still again, "Not even in my good humor can I altogether get rid of the notion that Holmes felt:

think that Whittier's paper will pass," and he added that he felt he could "thoroughly reciprocate" my

to take some sickle pears out of a bag on the floor.Asked him about a description of his "study" for my

This is my 'shack.'

My dear friend:Your letter expresses the scope of what I wish to say, and the subject or subjects upon

If in November, let it be a little time after the election.Give my very best regards to Whitman.

It is wonderful—the rallying power that dear Nature gives us.I am glad you are pleased with my idea of

I reminded him of the notes he had promised me for my article. "There!" he exclaimed.

"It is my memory again! I have not written a word of it, not a word."

My dear friend:I think that Mr.

Adding, "I do not think my friends understand the extent of my advocacy and approval of Ingersoll, of

my recent thought.

My mood was this.

The letter you showed me has been my surprise, my rejoicing."

Said to me as I came in, "You arrive just at the right minute: I am just returned from my trip."

It is a very interesting little volume, without which my "W.

I am glad my letter was in time for the Postscript of the volume.Thanks for your article on last Birthday

Had my notes in his breast pocket, marked "Horace," descriptive of room, etc.

It appears to me, or was my impression, that he belongs or belonged to New England, was a Bostonese."

But he added to this after a pause, "Although my copy would not satisfy the dilettante writer or reader

In fact, all my study is to put and keep the printer on his feet.

I am not decided yet whether to include this in my 'Annex.'

A hint of my own private affection, of indebtedness to O'Connor."

Showed him proof of my matter for Poet-Lore. "You will leave it till morning? Yes, do.

I can then read it at my ease."

He greatly enjoyed my father's big crayon of W., saying of W.'

own view of Hugo "is undoubtedly in great part a reaction from O'Connor's attempt to ram Hugo down my

every word, several times," he said, and added, "If I wrote on the subject at all, that would be about my

After a little my mother came in.

"I know you, my dear, don't I? Haven't I known you somewhere?"

At the table W. said, "I think champagne and oysters were made for me: that they are prima facie in my

our coast" than have America "make any stand for military tradition," adding explanatorily, "It is my

Yes, my intention is to be present and I shall be unless something "unforseen and unprovided for" occurs

At my remark W. asked to have the door opened.

My dear friend:Your letters and telegram received. Mr.

Baker will go over on Wednesday, and bring you my idea as to date and subject, etc.I care nothing about

They were my special favorites. I have every cause to remember Mrs.

He commended my statement to Baker that W. took no part in the details.

and as you say I am most generally alluded to as 'Walt Whitman,' probably from the long insistence of my

I know he will do it magnificently—that it will all be fine, strong—but my curiosity is for this: what

And to my affirmative he responded, "I have wished to know: it is always a curious point to me.

My own preference is for the 'Walt Whitman' in full." When he met the "M.

My main impulse was to authoritatively clap it down forever that this was my love for William and by

But to my impression that Burroughs seemed to shrink from both Ingersoll's and O'Connor's "violence"

"It was about me—about my affairs.

tone so valorous, so penetrating, so to the marrow of what I am, what I stand for—its loss will be my

Captain Williams, assistant secretary, said that he had not heard anything about such an application.Several

For once I was there, with my Lincoln lecture."

Yes, I think I shall try my hand at it."

HIS FAREWELL ENGAGEMENT "I will then gather all my work of the last three years in verse and make my

I publish my own books and have done so ever since my first little volume entitled, 'Leaves of Grass'

Give my love to Mr. Morris.

—finally making contract in my name, Morris witnessing.

I do not wish to appear, but my friends, who know my ways, will readily see who it is from."

My dear Mr. Traubel:Yours received. I have just telegraphed you. Make it Lecture and not Address.

You must have understood my position better.

Not for a moment have I dreamed of objecting to him—it never entered my head."

W. has come to my mind here. For how many people has not he filled Nature with a fuller life!

W. remarked on my recital of this—"And a bright newspaper man he must be."

My dear Traubel:To begin where I left off yesterday: the excitement you have raised is phenomenal.

—that the whole testimonial is for his sole benefit—etc. etc.Now give my best regards to your own good

I hope to see you both some time next week—when the pot begins to boil—as I may be able to put in my

I can never do that: I am always held back till the fact is right in my fist—till a slip is no longer

"I suppose I'll see some of the posters in my wanderings," he said.

I received following letter from Baker today:New York, Oct. 9, 1890 My dear Traubel:Enclosed find proof

:New York, Oct. 10th 1890 My dear Traubel:Still excessively busy. I enclose draft for Ad.

Don't give away an unnecessary dollar is my best judgement and advice on this.I think it well however

My best to Mr. Morris. You say nothing about cash advance to pay expenses. Don't you want any?

No amount of argument could of course remove my feeling.

my eyes in work and my right arm is very helpless and painfull—it keeps me from getting good rest at

Let it suffice for me that you, hearing my protest, are at liberty to use it however you choose, here

Probably saying this last from something he saw in my face.

You know, Horace, at times my brain simply will not stand that.

Law, Esq.,2020 Broadway, Camden, N.J.,My dear friend:Much obliged to you for the copy of your excellent

My Whitman epistle is really about the best I ever did, and I am only sorry it is written in a language

I feel however that if I cannot go to Phila. it will be one of the great calamities of my life and I

W. said Captain Noell had been in with the blanket.Read him the several additional notes I had received

Have not been at the office today—but had my mail & the Col's sent to the Col's house, where I have been

Express to me to my home address: 19 E. 80th St.

Who wants my autograph."—"It is a heavy penalty sometimes."

So he wrote my name on the face of it with pencil.Spoke of his happiness that I would go home with Bucke

John's Wood, N.W., London24 Sept. 1890Dear Walt Whitman,Accept my thanks for your "rejoinder" and the

Buxton FormanThis is the first day of my vacation.I referred to yesterday's paragraph in Post as "skimpy

Spoke of reading my piece, also editorial note on "The Kreutzer Sonata" in which he was mentioned.At

work was to meet (the three of us) at Green's and arrange for finishing details, Baker leaving all in my

Traubel:My wife leaves at 3 P.M. today for Phil. and I will leave with Ingersoll at 12:20 Tuesday.Say—my

wife wonders if I ought to have my dress suit in.I guess not.

No one else from my family but wife and Mrs.

He, too, is heard from definitely.After my first mail I received postal from Johnston dated yesterday

My dear Traubel:I expect to be over tomorrow, and to be at Green's by 4:30 P.M.

My own say will be a short one." Would he speak first?

He had said on my morning call: "I feel bad—had a bad night—did not sleep at all."

at which he came forward, I starting up two or three steps, grasped my hand and turned around to introduce

And to my negative, sat down and we talked there for 10 or 15 minutes. Soon the carriage drove up.

W. gave me slips containing his speech—thus:After all, my friends, the main factors being the curious

It was sweet, loving—took me back irresistibly to my dear father. It was so like him."

W. cried out to me at one point, as he saw me strutting about the room with the bundle under my arm,

Only a word, my friends, only a word.

After all, the main factor, my friends, is in meeting, being face to face and meeting like this.

I thought I would like to come forward with my living voice and thank you for coming and thank Robert

All my boyhood dreams seemed to rise in reproach to the fact.

The water "falling like a veil before my (his) face," etc.I wrote W. in early morning, but no time or

I spent rest of the day working on my New England Magazine piece. In evening we went to B.'

I got my ticket for Philadelphia. Back to tea and to the dance.

Are getting things ready for my trip down. Country hereabout rich—B. enthusiastic as to its future.

Bucke passed my baggage (including books) through customs without investigation. Then away.

I did some writing on the trip down but neither the environment nor my mood encouraged me much.

and he urged I come right in—holding my hand warmly and firmly.

Davis sign receipt—then up again—W. taking both my hands in his own then—reaching forward to kiss me.

it seems to be a statement from some of my friends—a protest—which asks the world that they may not be

awe, bolsters my conviction, lifts me.

He asked about my trip both ways—when I got in—how all the folks were—"Pardee and Ina? Ah yes!

"I put my name in all," he explained, "yet in one or two it already appears several times.

I left with him a copy of New Ideal containing my paper on Parker and Johnson.

"It does my eyes good—is handsome." Had laid out American for me.

"You know—I pride myself on my inclusiveness—that I embrace everybody—and that must stand."

My friendships are my own—for Ingersoll or another.

Appeared to have been reading it; spoke of it immediately upon my entrance after our shaking hands.

more than once, and will have doubtless other expenses—but I want to make it all good.We all keep well—My

you are both gone.No letter from Walt today.Good luck to youRM BuckeW. said, after I had expressed my

My dear Traubel:Your very kind and very welcome letter from London, Ontario, came duly to hand.

Whenever in New York, do me the favor to call to see me, not only at the office here, but at my cosy

It makes him indignant.I mailed "Old Poets" to Morris, along with matter of my own.

Also a letter from Mead, saying he will be glad to have my article and illustrations.

But for my own part I would put it in quite another way.

s demonstration of democratic art.Had forgotten about my Burroughs book today.

My surprise is, that they should have been willing to devote so much space to it.

It is quite in the nature of my own ideas on that subject.

You may say so, and I will give you a subject—of course, having some little time to make up my mind."

appreciation of Baker's generosity and sympathy, adding, "I am just putting the finishing touches on my

Both my friend then and Whitman now (particularly the latter) laughing at this sally.

abuses me, calls me 'accursed,' is evidently written by a woman who for some reason or other thinks my

I told him of my saying to narrow alignments: "However you have a platform that shuts me off, my platform

Published in Good-Bye My Fancy, 1891. Courtesy Library of Congress went there.

My first idea was to have the poems together, making a page, but he wished to use them each by itself

But so far these big books have not given me back my money.

He asked my opinion, which, as I told him, had not been the Doctor's.

Then at last I stand to my own stubborn guns, for somewhere in me is the last unbendingness which must

And when I laughed and said I had written something of this sort in my paper, and spoke of Grant as of

"Yes," he remarked, "it is wholly unsatisfactory and not very gracious, either: sets me down for my worst

Is about to go to New York, where he will see Johnston.I told him my sister Agnes would be married on

I must keep on my course, whatever turns up."

My dear Traubel:Your kind & welcome letter rec'd.

I am excessively busy—hence my scratches and scrawlses—and also my briefness.Heartily yoursBaker."

pointing to some papers that protruded from my pocket.

way, but because it is my way."

Traubel:Did you not get my letter saying I must be in Cleveland night of Ingersoll—I was there and thought

Sent matter over to Oldach today by express.Spoke again of note for my lecture book.

The preacher is a friend of Sloane Kennedy's: he excites my interest."

But the happiest "find" was another envelope, under my feet on the floor.

Traubel,I send only a line to give you my new address, having just moved from the house where I lived

"As I told you yesterday, I changed my order: made it 100 instead of 150 copies."

I am determined, however, to protect myself, to make my position clear.

At my advice W. will probably pile the folded sheets up in his own room.

Why, I could have lifted my hand and flung him over his bed"—motioning with great energy—"and yet he

But however, my view will be extreme.

The show of autobiography everywhere in my work."

But it is my vein, and I must flow in it. All my work is set on the same plane—no other.

" (from the Independent) and his comment upon W. was this:In some cases, as in Whitman's O Captain, My

They are not in my line—my habit, anyway." Tuesday, November 11, 1890