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

falsehood —but I have several beloved & staunch friends here in America, men & women—I wish you to give my

was welcome (I have sent it to Dr Bucke, as he likes such) —Nothing very significant—am still here in my

decidedly better—I want to send a package to Mr Pearsall Smith's by European Express with several big Vols. my

has come safely —thanks—I am here yet getting along fairly—seven weeks hot weather here—but I hug to my

old den thro' all as the best I can do in my immobile condition—no sales of books —love to all inquiring

Whitman made a similar observation in The Commonplace-Book on July 19, 1889: "No sale worth mentioning of my

Camden New Jersey U S America January 22 1890 My dear E R Y'rs regularly rec'd & welcom'd (I often send

change or happening—fairly buoyant spirits &c—but surely slowly ebbing —at this moment sitting here in my

transcript that appeared in Pall Mall Gazette on February 8, 1890, and that Whitman used in Good-bye My

328 Mickle street Camden New Jersey U S America March 20 1886 My dear Ernest Rhys Thank you for the little

the same as of late years—Keep up pretty good spirits & buoyancy—that makes the best of it all—Give my

here but I am getting along with it pretty well—H Gilchrist is still here—he is well—Still painting my

for nearly a fortnight—John Burroughs has been here for a couple of days —he is well—nothing new in my

friend Yours rec'd & welcomed, as always—I send Vol. of "Specimen Days and Collect," with emendations—My

" by Walt Whitman for title page— making two books — But I leave the thing, (after having expressed my

one made there, if you prefer to have your own as you may—Write me often as you can—I am tied up in my

corner by paralysis, & welcome friends' letters—bad cold raw weather—my bird is singing furiously—I

She is an American, & my best friend— Walt Whitman to Ernest Rhys, 2 February 1887

Camden New Jersey America March 15 1887 My dear Ernest Rhys Here is for your edition, a special concluding

Camden NJ—US America Sept: 13 '88 Still kept in my sick room & the summer season is ab't over.

My little 140 page November Boughs & the big 900 page Vol. Complete are nearly done.

For my own sake, as well as yours, I wish it were!"

summer quarters—His address is Centreport Suffolk Co: New York—I enclose the "Twilight Song" one of my

last,—Kennedy remains as proof reader for Boston Transcript—I am writing this in my den in Mickle St

. | 7 | MY 23 | 90 |

w'd be best—the one in y'r little L of G is bad—I go on to New York (if I can get there) to deliver my

431 Stevens Street Camden Jan: 18 '82 My dear Mrs Childs Yours & Mr Childs', inviting me to dine & meet

an invalid—just suffering an extra bad spell & forbidden to go out nights this weather— Please give my

hearty salutation & American welcome to Mr Wilde— I much desire my friend to briefly report & give my

hope indeed when this comes, there will be again— Matters here ab't "the same subject continued" as my

Am so fixed that it is very convenient for my friends to call—Love to you.

[am] feeling decidedly better than usual this morning—I have spent an hour in the bath room, (quite my

For I suppose you know that my condition is very tantalizing in its fluctuations—Like today as I write

G. of 7th March is my last no. —did you get it?

Understand that, like the new year's Bible, the Photo is a gift, with my best love, to you & William—to

, grip, or zest—Have a good doctor & take medicine daily—am printing the little 2d annex, "Good-Bye my

Canada—I believe expects to come this way (& to Washington) in three weeks—Fine sunny day as I write—had my

breakfast, a rare fried egg, Graham wet toast & coffee—my supper at 5—no dinner—pretty fair spirits—often

Whitman's book Good-Bye My Fancy (1891) was his last miscellany, and it included both poetry and short

Thirty-one poems from the book were later printed as "Good-Bye my Fancy" in Leaves of Grass (1891–1892

For more information see, Donald Barlow Stauffer, "'Good-Bye my Fancy' (Second Annex) (1891)," Walt Whitman

Grier here is confident my principal trouble is cerebral anæmia (blood not properly going to the brain

it arises from a long continued excessive emotional action generally —& thinks it so has arisen in my

moonlight evening—It is bright & clear to-day, & rather hot—It is socially here an utter blank to me—my

dread of being bored by any one is now completely gratified with a vengeance—I look long & long at my

mother's miniature, & at my sister Mat's—I have very good one's of each—& O the wish if I could only

August 5 Dear Nelly, Your good letter came all right—it is pretty much "the same subject continued"—with my

square frame, with thin strip of gilt inside, & good plate glass)—I shall look for Charles Eldridge— My

—have sent word to Dr B[ucke] —Matters going on much the same with me as of late—as I write sit in my

Brooklyn December 4 1864 My dear friend Your letter of November 30 came safe, & was truly welcome—if

shall come, almost certainly—Then Charles Eldridge is to be transferred to Boston—I am indeed sorry, on my

Mother remains well, & in pretty good spirits, better than I would have expected—My brother George still

remains a prisoner—as near as we can judge he is at Columbia, S C—we have had no word from him About my

book nothing particular to tell—I shall print it myself—also my new edition of Leaves of Grass—Most

Camden P M Aug: 4 '89 Nothing very new—have not left my Mickle St: quarters this summer (hardly can )

—am feeling fairly to-day—my friend Traubel has written (at their request) & sent on to "Liberty" (Boston

Johnson & her sister mentioned in my article —& please give them my best remembrances.

I feel that I am better, in the main—yet still have daily & nightly bad spells in the head, & my leg

I have been waiting ever since I wrote, to get the photos. of my nieces, (my dear sister Mat's girls,

Drinkard—I sent Garaphelia Howard a paper, the Graphic that has my picture—how is she?

Give her my love—Poor, good Mr.

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

to West Park—his wife & boy to Po'keepsie—Matters ab't as usual with me—am sitting in big chair in 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

Dear Nelly: About me, my ailments, no great difference. (A queer old doctor here—did I tell you?

as I write—the baby fine, fat, bright today, but raising his voice lustily just this moment—You got my

while away the time—but fear being intrusive with them— I am living here in a little wooden house of my

Since my letter of about three weeks since to Charles Eldridge—in which I wrote to you also —I have not

improved any—the distress in my head has not abated—some spells are very bad indeed—(but it fluctuates

Nor can I walk any better—some of the time, not so well—My saving points are pretty good nights' rest

gradually being pulled, and, though I have not at all given up hope of eventual recovery, I do not shut my

been waiting till I felt stronger, to go to Atlantic City (Jersey sea shore) or Long Island, but in my

My dear Nelly, I will be at the house in time to go with you & see the Capitol lighted.

Camden New Jersey Sept. 25 1890 My dear friend Here is the Preface —three printed slips, copies—not so

much of preface to the tales but my memorial & reminiscence of dear W[illiam] —& to give a dash of appropriate

led—have a stout man nurse —go out doors in wheel chair occasionallyᾺwas out yesterday at sunset—I sell my

own books when I can get purchasers & am still rejected by all the magazines—my right arm power & volition

good yet—appetite, sleep &c: fair—am now well on my 72d year—have the grip rather bad—cool spell of

The preface was included in Good-Bye My Fancy (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1891), 51–53.

and his brother Harry were the sons of Henry Whireman Fritzinger (about 1828–1881), a former sea captain

Davis, Whitman's housekeeper, who had also taken care of the sea captain and who inherited part of his

but bright & sunshiny—have just read your good letter of the 22d—Nothing special or different about my

formed one, has been [ ] foot, but is now nearly [ ] been steady—I have tended it— My sister and brother

Geo: George are well—My other sisters, nieces, & brother Jeff , were well at last accounts.

Tribune of last Saturday (19th ) had the 2½ column synopsis of my new book, pretty full & fair —I suppose

I send my friendliest remembrances & good wishes. And to my ever dear friends, Mrs.

—We have had a snowy day—as I look out of my window the ground is white in every direction—William has

bad cold, has not been down to work to-day, but has just come down town, & is this moment sitting by my

are going to have exciting times generally—but I guess no appeal to arms— I have heard lately from my

dear mother—she is well as usual—Emma Price can tell you more directly about her, as I hear, (to my

fine sunny day here & I am feeling fairly—have just had a good stout currying & kneading & it fits my

W's MS— Evn'g —Am sitting here alone by oak fire—went out in the wheel chair & enjoy'd it—sales of my

I know—I send you a piece by me from the paper here —the young man alluded to was much like one of my

shall come on to Washington yet—on a brief visit—Tell Charles Eldridge I shall write to him this week—My

brother & sister & Eddy here are well—My sister at Burlington, Vt. was as usual at last acc't account

Louis—As I write I am sitting here in my big chair alone ( alone muchly ,) in the parlor by the window—It

aby] doing well, grows well, hearty & bright—the rest well as usual—E[dward] recovered, & all right—my

I suffer much with my head, & locomotion is more clumsy & paralyzed even than usual—But my inward feeling

We are having it warm & bright & spring like here at present—very attractive out, but my head prevents

My nieces are well—the one with the hair a la Chinois is California, (Jessie,) the younger—the other

Louis, full of work—both my brothers have plenty of noble, manly work, & very remunerative.

Saw the doctor (Grier) day before yesterday—he made a careful ausculation of my heart—pronounced it all

Drinkard , a great talker, & very demonstrative)— Nelly, you needn't send the photos of my nieces back

Thanks for your letter of 20th—give my love to Mrs.

Brooklyn September 21, 1867 My dear friend, As you see by the date, &c.

I am home, on a visit to my mother & the rest.

My brother George is very well, looks hearty & brown as ever—much like he used to, only more serious—Jeff

Camden Evn'g Dec: 21 '88 Thanks for your good letter rec'd this forenoon—I sympathize with William as my

brought down here to the front basement, & has in every respect improved much since last Saturday—Then my

will next week be put in the hands of a New York publisher & launched on the market—at least that's my

design at present — When you write tell me all about William—My mother returns bringing cheerful intelligence

whole—& is herself in splendid condition—havn't seen her look & apparently feel better in many years—My

present—I send you "Unity" and "Liberty" —I send U to Eldridge and Burroughs — Nothing markable in my

lent—also the "Liberty" piece sent —(I sent one to C W E[ldridge]) —much the same as when I wrote—not at my

William is here—which adds much indeed to the pleasure of my visit—William has not recovered from an

Price & her girls are well & in good spirits—I am enjoying my vacation agreeably, but moderately—as becomes

a gentleman of my size & age.

Give my love to Mr. and Mrs.

My last letter to William was also to you—though I suppose you did not see it yet.

evn'g as usual (always welcome)—he is well—is a clerk in a bank in Phila—Am sitting at present alone in my

I enclose one of my late circulars as it may have a wisp of interest to you.

Robert Browning (1812–1889), known for his dramatic monologues, including "Porphyria's Lover" and "My

volumes of Horace Traubel's With Walt Whitman in Camden (various publishers: 1906–1996) and Whitman's "My

paper—I have thought much of it, through the interesting account you gave—Indeed death has been much in my

Graphic first number just out—ask Charley to get it for you—In my next—anent of Bull Run—I mention Mrs