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W. writing on my entrance. Did not appear well, nor was he.

I think I must not forget to include the boy in my story."

He writes to tell me he had seen my Brazilian poem in a Parisian paper—says he likes it—congratulates

My impression of Father Taylor is very vivid because I heard him repeatedly.

"No—they would not fear it as my friends but as journalists.

PRIVATE [London, Ont.,] 29 Jan [18]90 My dear HoraceYou know that for a long time I have thought (and

or if not surely you could run the subsidy up to this amount—I would willingly make my $3. a month $5

W. reading the Century—and after cordially extending his own and grasping my hand—spoke freely of the

On the other hand the Emerson picture—much spoken of—is a failure—at least, that would be my opinion.

"My first impression was that the Republican position was right—but since I have seen various signs of

I am not inclined to change from my old position.

"I have always had a suspicion they were not related, but my suspicion never rose to a certainty."

My inquiries developed that he was looking for a cork to stop a little bottle on the table.

cologne, but somehow the cork is gone—utterly gone—at least for the present, and I'll have to postpone my

"The scoundrelly cork is here somewhere—but not here to my asking.

I think I inherit from my father a disinclination to throw anything away—I keep every odd and end that

W. said on my entrance: "Someone has been sending me a copy of The Scottish-American in which there is

blustering, swearing creature—going about with a red shirt on—sleeves rolled up—quid of tobacco in my

I for my part have never been deeply convicted on the point of the late poems—never absolutely certain

Gilchrist's solicitude—and she was one of the cutest women ever born, and signal among my friends—; her

Called my attention to a paragraph from Labouchère, quoted in this morning's Press, discounting the poet

To my further declaration that I distrusted Woodbury's use of the word Bohemian in the Emerson report

Questioning me of Lumholz—I promised sometime in my leisure to give him an account of curious bits of

It is so with me—I have stuck and stuck—through a something within me which my enemies would think hopeless

previous poems of the then contemporaneous—"You are quite right there—I am fully convinced on that point—my

That was one of my pleasures in George Kennan's articles in the Century: when he struck a bad [hard?]

That seemed especially made for my benefit!

I remember my Washington experience: here were lives just wavering in the balance—life on that side,

—especially the actors, in which I flatter myself—tickle my egotism—by assuming I have quite a clientage

Referred to "The Canadian preacher who set out to make me define—was bound to make me define my attitude

"I laid it out for you yesterday, but it slipped my mind when you were here."

"I do not think any trace of such a thing is to be found in me—in my book—in Leaves of Grass: I know

it has never animated me—put me by a straw's measure to right, to left: altered my career, life, work

verified—there is no mystery there to clear up: that is all thorough, authentic—substantially from my

And yet when I told him of Harned's sickness and my belief that much of it came from too much in-doorness

Then he amusedly asked me—"you have not seen my new mittens, have you?"

He advised me: "I have been thinking today about your mention of my birthday.

And then, have the girls there: it is not a little in my mind, how the girls are appealed to—it has,

—and to my assent—"It is important to know what such a man thinks,"—though very cautious as I could see

You see how my Quakerism persists!"

that Latchford, according to Morse's letter, was greatly impressed with the Morse bust as found in my

And on my remark that Tennyson certainly expressed more strength than—for instance—was expressed in Whittier

an essay—"The Relation of English to German Literature in the Eighteenth Century") was a friend of my

Brinton said in the course of a letter I received today: "Thanks for conveying my wishes to W. W.

W. exclaimed upon my reading: "That is certainly fine—fine—fine!

I am in any danger that people will think so of me, I had better watch myself more closely—for fear my

The sky, the river, the sun—they are my curatives."

And it was to my surprise, too, he replied that there was—and when I asked its name, he gave me, Puget

Called my attention to a score or so of prints, [illegible] heads from Appleton's Cyclopedia of American

He spoke of the photograph on the mantel as that "of one of my London Socialistic friends—admirers."

And to my further saying; "It is not everybody who can paint you—" W.

And I am sure neither Gilder nor William Carey, my friends there, would refuse to give some weight to

my words in that connection.

And to my phrase "brutally natural" he said—"I like it said that way: it takes us back to the elements

I said my impulse had been, after seeing the Alexander picture Sunday, to send a note to the Press critical

I more and more question if the modern men can enact such comedy as had the boards in my young days.

"He took a few sketches here—I thought them wonderful meagre at the time—to my mind they seemed to come

flower from the bunch which was in a mug on the table and saying—"Take this to Aggie—give the dear girl my

W. asked me about my seeing Richelieu (Booth) last night. Then of actors in general.

I am sure I feel it an honor to be asked, and am glad to have my word go in there, for I feel it is in

I had my doubts from the first."

And the brother, too—Wilhelm—a great man by all my means of knowing.

s "sonorous verse," W. thereupon: "That sounds good: I hope the verse is sonorous: I have my many many

"Take these—mere reminders—with my remembrance, my affection."

And to my questions: "I should not object to appearing in Scribner's if they paid me for it.

I have been so often cuffed—met not only incivility but downright and cowardly insult—I must pick my

I don't remember whether I said so to Chubb when he was here, but I know it was my feeling to say of

His question put to me some time ago—how does W. take my question?

I have my doubts!" I had with me a copy of the Moss process engraving catalogue.

He asked to "step in upon Melville Phillips" some day at my leisure.

"Ask him about my proofs—why I have had none.

I described how in my boyhood I had used to watch the pump-maker outside Camden—a Mr.

And to my opinion that the feeling was prevalent among private Democrats, whatever of public I did not

To my incredulous looks—"but he has not published much: he is atheistic" &c.

And further: "My fear is of a deluge of soft soap—that I may go down in the flood. No—no.

I said my plan was to have a gathering of W.'

W.: "That is an idea—a good one—it commends itself to my mind at once. The birthday at Harned's!

But he admitted: "I am more and more sensitive to the cold: my inanimate limbs."

W., after his laugh over my repetition of this, added: "I am not surprised: no doubt I should disfavor

If you can, go in to see him—give him my reiterated request for proofs—tell him I must on no account

No man has suffered worse than I have from editors who insist they can read my proofs better than I can

I should have done it long ago—I feel some embarrassment in my neglect—for it is a neglect."

And the words are as strong, I put them there in my note-book—have kept them all these years.

To which W.: "That is even more significant—of vast moment in the making up of my own mind."

On my way to the Club: University Extension debated tonight.

He said: "I hold my negative, to be used if necessary."

it in my memory."

W. asked about it—then, to my remark that C.Carpenter had no striking literary gifts, was acquiescent—adding

The thought occurs to me that if you would all like it, I would come over that night and read my Lincoln

address—read on that 'My Captain.'

My father was down to sketch the chair today for Mrs. Fels' picture. W.

Laughed: "As the writer says, 'I wrap my mantle about me,' and sit down to pleasant thought!"

He was very affectionate—on my leaving took my hand—"Good-bye—bless you, boy!"

might give a copy of the News to Morris—"though there's nothing in it—hardly a word, if that—news to my

intimate friends or to those who, like Morris, know my intimate friends."

I am glad you were on hand last night to say your word of dissent, and my word in the bargain."

mast—roughing it in that line a life through—but he was a man, every inch of him—as I may say it again, using my

I should wish everywhere to bear my testimony to him.

hardly think Joe would have invited it—perhaps Jennie's own—but hardly: I thought, Kennedy"—but to my

Hoped to get out within a few days and to see my father's picture, now in Newmayer's window, framed.

"I have lately come across a son of Newmayer—a young son—met him several times—once on a jaunt in my

I don't know if time and my own thought will justify that opinion—though it is not improbable.

My invitation to attend some sort of Whitman meeting, uptown [Philadelphia] Wednesday—residence of Adams

get up—whispered, 'Get on your feet—show yourself, if no more' or something of that sort—so up I got—my

"It is amazing—or at least tantalizing—how many important matters slip my mind.

My memory for new things is becoming less and less dependable—markedly so."

On my way to the Whitman meeting in Philadelphia W. advised me, upon my questioning: "Should you feel

moved to say anything, tell them, you came here this evening, found me here on the lower floor, in my

, massage—by my young friend here"—he will never say nurse—"who knows well how to handle me—knows to

I like it much—it is to me, for my intentions, indispensibleindispensable—the sun revolves about it,

But for me it is my necessity—it is all music—the clef of things—to discriminate—not so much to produce

placing his hand at the opening of his shirt—"but worst of all, in the head and at night: it disturbs my

W. then inquired after my own reading—also concerning the New England Magazine piece—was it not about

"If I keep this way I fear for my promise to the club: still, I guess I won't: I guess there'll be a

"I suppose it is: do you notice it in my voice?

And he swelt upon the joy of those early days in his own life "when stage-people were my daily bread"

I am not up to exertion nowadays: what I do I must do at my ease—not with bonds upon me."

If my own work tallies with less than this, it fails of the hope I set for it."

No doctor—nor would he hear to my sending for one except upon worse developments.

"It is a persistent cold: and it leaves me very weak: I am hardly able to blow my nose."

Upon my saying that Brinton's stock was Quaker far back, W. said: "Ah!

And upon my remarking, with the heavy book in my arms—"It is a great institution"—W. continued: "It ought

It is in part the explanation of my work—of Leaves of Grass.

hold me from my contract."

to my objection that a man should save some heat for something else.

"No—give my love to them all: tell them Walt Whitman is here, remaining in this grip of a grip—not despairing