Search Results

It had made W. read 'Old Poets' again, as I found him doing on my entrance.

My laughing question, "Do you never get tired reading your own articles," seemed vastly to excite him

Said to me, "I have a new idea about the portraits—have changed my mind: will get several envelopes made

I shall bind it in my volume with the lecture.

Looked over [Harper's] Young People.W. had written me my "dedication" as follows. Would it do?

s on my way home and left the Arena with him.7:15 P.M. Some talk with W.

Said this to my sister in the forenoon, now again to me.

I have gone to several so-called Scotch concerts in my time, but they turned out farcical from gross

You would want bits here and there in outline of my aims, purposes, whatever?"

the plan he has outlined is a good one, though what you tell me of the picture he will use excites my

It was one of my peculiar experiences." Had been working on some poems today.

This morning's mail had brought me proof of introduction from Truth Seeker, which I mailed to W. on my

possible, though I don't know why I need to say that, either, for I know the importance, the necessity, of my

getting out clearly enough of my own notion!"

And further: "My question anyhow has no application to his platform addresses, his public work, writing

saying it—to having it known to come from me—but it would not seem to me in good taste to print it over my

And yet the other way excites my distaste. I can hardly tell you why.

Then I feared it might in part conflict with my other piece now nearly done.

Asked me, "What about my envelopes?" I had seen Cohen. They would not be done till Monday.

My brothers and their folks complain of overcrowding—that I put too much on.

are—whether my head's clear—a whole army of points and points—rank and file."

Asked after certain features of my New England Magazine paper again.

I sit in my room here—my den, my little corner—and wonder—wonder." I asked after his health.

the first two pages to me as a series: they have done it for Tennyson, for Swinburne, for others to my

"His 89 years are a marvel to me—excite my wonder.

"I am all of a jumble today—my stomach, my head."

And laughingly told him my discussion with Burroughs, Burroughs contending that W.'

I informed him, "My idea now is, to start my piece with the autobiographic page and close it with your

description of this room—filling in my own matter for the rest."

Yet I shall do so, for from outward evidence he is worse than he has been.He still urges me about my

"I keep my troubles on a field I can control," he said, jokingly, "remembering the doctor who, called

s late work lacked in the poetic, "So does it all, that was one of the hardest jobs in my early life—to

I entered the room with the big envelopes under my arm.

And with my big envelopes along, too!"

I swung my hand across the big face of the envelope, "There is a chance for you to spread out a big Walt

And he questioned me frankly for the bases of my high estimate.

thinks of W.I like Stoddart's idea of a Whitman no. and hope he will carry it out—Would he care for my

"I have a card from Aggie" (my sister) "on which she announces her marriage." "So, she is married.

Still inquires after my progress with manuscript.

Interested to know of my going to "Richelieu" tonight.

My dear Traubel:Today, I received from W. W. some poems on Old Age, for The Arena.

BakerAlso, serious letter from Bucke:London, 23 Nov 1890 My dear HoraceI have yours of 20 & 21 inst.

"I made my choice and sent it back." Received his copies of Lippincott's.

Mine laid on bed and he quickly called my attention to it. Alluded to novel in the magazine.

First thing that struck my eye in Press were these notices:Obituary.Thomas J.

Of course he will laugh, but that is my way of describing it."

I told W. frankly my view and he said, "I so understand it, too—so from the Colonel.

Did not say a word about my manuscript nor did I ask him.

But it set my head whirling round like the worlds. I could not stand it—stopped.

Bring him over, of course only for my usual few minutes—but I will be glad to see him."

He spoke of Parnell, but I in fact take so little interest it all went by my ear.

is in so I could send for it.If it is as good as "The Evening Breeze" piece I shall begin to think my

To my mind "The E.B." piece is one of the most wonderful he has ever produced—its inner spiritual meaning

Not yet done with my manuscript. "I want to give it still another reading," he said.

I think the old man would see me or my son who saw him before.

Traubel—I saw Whitman because my father could not go, but he will go when he can.

I want to see if our other corrections were alluded to—if my speech is now in right order."

Returned me my manuscript.

W. was inquisitive: "I felt the winter in my bones as I sat here.

And my fire feels it, too—and hurries up its burning." Monday, December 1, 1890

My dear Traubel:First, business. I received from W.

My literary and thought delving days are more a memory than a possession kept bright by use.

of mending my many times broken fortunes.

Remarked that he had not made many changes in my manuscript.

And to my "probably"—"Well, I shall be glad: your package is ready."

He took his watch out—adjusted—"I am slow—my watch like me." Shook hands. Reading local papers.

Passed then to another topic: "I have my poems back from the Arena—the editor—Flower—says poems are a

drag on his hands—or indicates it—and wants my prose."

Took an orange he had laid out on the bed—gave into my hands: "Give this to your mother—tell her I send

I did not stay for my long talk.

s "joy," as he said, "partly to my risk."

I expatiated for some time—it was my element—it bore upon my theories, illustrated 'Leaves of Grass.'

and to my "yes," added, "I can't account for his failure to get down this way.

the best expect much help from me in that," adding that bibliographies were "anyhow not according to my

My occasional contributions more than pay for it. Glad he likes it.

I should get no pay anyway for my contributions."

and on my assent, "I see then, how it is.

The misfortune of the case is, that he happens to be married to my sister. You know the Mrs.

side, who commerces my anxieties, troubles, trials—my brotherly affections—and my sister there, she

Why," he added, "I always went in my early days to the 25-cent place in the theatre, and it was my breath

My early life especially was full of it.

My intimate friends would have their best fun with a man who brought them such a doubt!"

I said, "In my boyhood, knowing him almost altogether from cartoons—he was then running for President—I

In his room—complained of "an infernal inertia" which "binds me to my chair."

"I suppose we may account for this by saying that the essay is on democratic art, not on me—has not my

I have noticed in some of my friends that after a period of enthusiasm they are like to retrace their

"I am afraid that my response to that would be as with the Diplomatic Secret—that there is no secret!

I find my habits growing lazier and lazier." Tuesday, July 29, 1890

Whether in my first moody, demoniac criticality I do them injustice, that remains to be seen.

He laughed at my excuses.

"I have had my second bath today," he explained, "and that may in part account for my good condition.

my trump card—the abiding thing of all, and it is that I wish to point out.

That is one of the fruits of my receiving you downstairs instead of here yesterday afternoon.

"You know all about Eddy, my brother there. We put him there at the start because of Mrs.

"Very little—I could not say, nothing, but then my memory is such a devilish queer factor in my economy

Here he handed me Sylvester Baxter's letter, reading thus:Boston, July 30, 1890.My dear friend:That young

I did not ask any question, I rarely do, but I put in—"I wish it was my privilege"—something in my manner

Meeting Stedman face to face you would realize many things—would see what my own words about him have

"Yes—I shall read it with interest—anything from Castelar has a flavor to my taste.

And then: "I often enough take into my mouth again and chew on Elias Hicks' saying that as for him, he

"This element of 'profound sympathy with humanity' arouses my suspicions.

word that it was "too late"—saying, however—"I took the liberty to take a few sentences from it for my

If he gives me an apple for my mother, a cake for my sister, or anything for myself, he will perhaps

. & I will bring out my book on you sometime, perhaps sooner than we any of us know.

I wrote from London Canada to Frederick Wilson peremptorily ordering him to return my ms to me.Do write

W. then: "That is striking—it is what I am trying to say—why Kennedy's book fails to excite my enthusiasms

Expressed gladness, asked after him: "Give him my love.

—"Not a bit—on the contrary, the closer contact enlarges my appreciation.

Then he took up paper again and read the sentence—"To my notion 'The Kreutzer Sonata,' without for a

my friends, we must not forget that a little license is the very salt of liberty!'

Would he object to my making public statement of the new addition to "Leaves of Grass"?

I wish I had been at the birthday fest, and heard the beauteous words of my friend Bob Ingersoll about

But then John has his caprices—I was going to say kinks, but caprice will probably give my meaning better

And at my assent, said he would write out what occurred to him.Gave me papers for Morse and Rayner and

Called my attention to last volume of Stedman's book.

Book just come today—still mostly uncut.Had written notes for my New England Magazine article today.

—asked me to show to my father. The engraving had impressed him.

And he explained, "The picture must be 12 or 15 years old—yes, taken after my sickness, on one of my

was much fatter 30 years ago, for instance, as shown in the portrait Johnston has, which shows me at my

I think Bucke looks on it as the best of all—or among the best, surely, though some of my friends complain

I agree that the scientific is the best—the only in true sense—but whether I have been fortunate in my

Showed him my column in Conservator about Newman and O'Reilly.

W. assented, "That is true—I have had my experience of them."

My phrases would have been, original liars and intending liars—which is not so good."

word of truth in it, yet necessary to be asserted again and again—like the 'give-em-some-more-shot, Captain

My appetite keeps at a high grade, probably three-quarters of the time, for about one-quarter it flunks

Told him I had read "An Old Man's Rejoinder" in Critic on my way over.

Perhaps your feeling is a little mixed with what you know of my criticism from the talks here."

It would be my argument still.

And this may account for my article; having these things in me, they were bound to come out."

My dear mother knew it well—warned me of it, counselled me. And it was not without effect.

And after a pause, with a quiet smile, "He calls me master—opens the letter 'My dear Master'"—and then

from it, when domestic troubles, very sad and serious to me, set me back, so that I never fully got on my

My legs are completely gone—but the paralysis hardly touched my speech, and, as far as I know, did not

He went away from here, expecting to stop with my friends—the Romes—to see them—in Brooklyn—then set

He was still anxious for Johnston, no word having come.I spoke of certain Catholic objections to my article

W. had just finished his dinner, and talked well during the 20 minutes of my stay.

"Yes," he said to my inquiries, "I woke well this morning—pass along reasonably well.

Yes, the summer has been a severe one—but the profuse sweatingness, so to call it, has been in my case

For instance, where he says—the world is my country, to do good is my religion.

Called my attention to brief editorial in the Boston Herald.

me pick it up inquisitively, he remarked: "It was a young fellow I met up there at the time I paid my

It confirms my own observation. And there is Kossuth, too—living still—nearly 90!

But as you say—using my old story—I suppose the whole secret is that there is no secret—that he is natural—that

"Every fine day I have my stalwart attendant wheel me out, often to the Federal Street ferry, where,

"pleased" and remarked—"I suppose he has all my books."

"I have started here a list of a few of the books I have here about me—say a dozen or 20 of them—my entourage

All my talk was low key—all of it: for instance, take that passage he gives about Blaine.

I said only that Blaine's recent actions had placed him in better light than ever before in my mind—or

I confess when he told me this many of my first impressions were sent flying or at least thrown into

interviews with me at different times, this one in Monday's paper had been the best—bore more nearly my

He said, "I want to read this from Holmes at my leisure."

To which, "Probably not"—with a laugh—"but Holmes has plenty to help him bring me down from my conceit

Should any chance lose me my memorandum book, and the books not numbered, the case would be hopeless.

Bucke by having to make time—by a trip, in fact, to my old home at West Hills.

Gave me a letter for Kennedy to mail on my way home.

Traubel:Pardon my long delay. How the time flies!

For if there's anything I pride myself on, it's my toleration, hospitality.

My feelings never hard, though frank and clear, I hope, at all times.

That has always been my impression." He referred to the Holmes' Atlantic Monthly piece.

on margin how many copies he wished if any, and have paper downstairs, so I could get in morning on my

nevertheless.Bucke wrote me in letter I received today—written the 29th—about Scovel:London, Ont., 29 Aug 1890 My

Yes, by all means try to write a line from time to time—I will keep up my end!

For to me, after all, the final security is, if anywhere, in my atmosphere, in the ridiculous impossibility

of things reputed of me, in my work, in authorized pronouncements.

remarked, looking at me.Looked over a Christian Register I had with me in which was copied in full my