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Someone brought me apples yesterday—they were beauties—I took one—it was large as my fist"—doubling fist

puzzled to know just what he means—have therefore written a postal, referring him to you—giving him your city

He added: "The exact words were good enough.

me the final proofsheets of the passages which I selected from Walt's poetry for the Library of American

Webster & Co. 3 East 14th str., New York City?

I have given Walt twelve.)So I begin with the American note—the New World; then the cosmic and radical

destination.My love and constant honor to the grand old bard of whom the last tidings that reached me were

Frank Williams wife is at Atlantic City—communication cut off—W. saying: "Yes, I read in this night's

fellows, even so great a man as Victor Hugo seemed to start out with the assumption that there was no city

And when M. referred to what he supposed were changes in Concord—"I guess the main lay of things is the

Morris suggested: "They give the American point of view." And W. assented: "Yes, a good deal that.

In one of his letters Julian says that men who give that last finish were not new men, but men of fathers

press, during the past few days, many references have been made to Walt Whitman, and his place in American

deprecatory humor.Among scholars, among literary critics, among honest and competent readers of American

By the way, the Johnstons were here the other day—did I tell you? No?

Johnston is very bright—very American."

W. said on this point: "It is of course not true—there were other things in that article not true: Stedman

-American monthly which you need not return.Very truly,James D. Law"Very true, Matthew.

thing not to be exercised about," he called it again.Got him half a dozen big envelopes, which he said were

As to George Humphreys' book, "You were right in your guess. I sent the book yesterday."

it.If you can aid this cause by introducing the subject among your friends & admirers & the general American

highly-wrought, over-ardent Republican I had met in the forenoon who said: "If Cleveland is elected, if the American

idiot, sure enough: I didn't know anybody cared that much about the election either way: I thought we were

I read all the speeches—they were genial, good-natured, sensible, helping things along—South, North—especially

Louis at the time—sick: I liked the speeches—liked them much though they were much criticised: I thought

.: "What were you advising him to do?" "Oh!

appeared there in pieces, extracts, bits, expurgations—except, of course, where they bought the American

success of the enterprise my kindest respects to yourself personally.Asked W.: "Did you never feel you were

what radical Massachusetts was too good to do conservative Pennsylvania was bad enough to do, and we were

And her friends were taking good care of her, lest the devil should get her in his clutches again.

But I notice in these modern writers a tendency to bring some to the fore who were not thought great

at that time and really were not great, and a corresponding tendency to forget others who should be mentioned

—"these were the giants—and giants of real stature."

And then: "There were touches in there which would hardly pass current on the stage of this day."

, and here we looked up Frank Williams, with whom we went to the roof for a bird's-eye view of the city

All over the city from thousands of stacks jets or puffs of steam, pure against the gray background (

Stars ascendant, a bit of mist and cloud—everything warmed and enlivened by the lights from the city.

We were speaking of the use of foreign words.

If I have the trick of music—verbal music—at all, I owe it to the great singers, actors: they were my

O'Connor would say, Hugo's real heroes were the cavaliers, the ladies, the gentlemen, lords: in America

W. said again: "Hugo's immortal works were the dramas, the plays, the poems: least accessible, yet greatest

of it again today: "It throws a little side-light on the stage—helps to show you what a few of us were

I told him we were glad he was here—would like to have him stay—to that effect—that was all.

The New York party were expected over at 2:55 or thereabouts.

When finding Ingersoll was upstairs, they were for going away.

So we all went up, meeting the people just as they were coming out of the room.

The "boys" were loth to adjourn abruptly.

Arrangements were made to go up to the Lafayette—a few of us—for a talk.

It is the very thing we were in search for and never could deliberately find.

"No: but that wasn't because they were too radical: it was because they were not radical enough."

And herein, as in other fundamental matters, Ibsen is at one with the American, with whom he would appear

always the head and ideal; where children are taught to be laws to themselves; .....there the great city

"They evidently effected nothing—were frightened off." He spoke of the stone at the grave.

The Quakers were very rich, even then." "Oh!

The father was treasurer of the city once—got under a cloud."

"I can hardly say that: both women were formidable: they had, each one had, their own perfections: I

I said to him: "After awhilea while I 'mI'm going over to the city to mix in the crowd and see the election

last days of Socrates: it is wonderfully cute, keen, undeniable: he complained that the usual stories were

He spoke about the election: "Yes, we were out and voted. It went very easy."

Baker's generosity and sympathy, adding, "I am just putting the finishing touches on my second North American

Home of Walt Whitman.RECITING EACH OTHER'S VERSE.A Pleasant Hour Spent in Discussing English and American

The floor was littered with books and papers, almost blocking the approach to the great American singer

The American maker of verse had lots to tell and so did Sir Edwin and the two indulged in a literary

The happy two nestled along side of each other and began talking about American and English poetry...

Sir Edwin kept on reciting until tears filled the eyes of the American poet and he reached forth his

"Especially" would it do him "no good" to hurry him "off into a big city." The report of W.'

O'Connor's weapons were fine, delicate, but keen—subtle, past the possibility even of appreciation by

Sorry to hear you were troubled with sunstroke. I hope you are going on pretty well again now.

He had a postal "from someone in the Illustrated American office" to this effect: "The current number

of the weekly Illustrated American contains an article of interest to you."

He may have told you—and indeed it cannot have needed telling—that you were a very principal subject

But certainly it does seem that in degree and duration the obduracy of Americans against your work is

It seems as if she were even less capable than others of appreciating great work vital with the very

personally—and several of my friends would amply share my feelings.My volume of selections from American

RossettiW. said: "Rossetti fires up magnificently when he talks of the American attitudes towards me.

getting these sheets from New York I wrote this morning instantly to Baker asking if the Colonel and he were

No, how American—emotional from the jump!"

Pardee and I were mutual favorites. And I had great faith in him. A reticent boy—is he so still?

uneasy about you except that the last few days I began to think whether it could be possible that you were

Let me know when you see the arrival of Wallace's boat (City of Berlin) as I may not see it here—am a

(I see City Berlin reached L'pool 14th inst.)All well here—all goes quietly at Asylum.

they should have him for Japan—to describe what he saw there, what Japanese life signifies, to an American

covered with paintings: there were swords there, too: cutlery, also—the most interesting and unusual

"What were your party affiliations then—or had you none?"

"What were your opinions on anti-slavery at that date?" "I was anti-slavery." "From the first?"

I stared at him, having you in mind at the moment, as if he were a mind-reader—and asked him where he

The North American is hospitable to new, strange views; invites, accepts, and that is a gift these days

"I wondered if the editor would like it, or was rather a man such as was on the North American Review

He thought both North American Review and Arena "very liberal and good.

thought Ingersoll would feel complimented; that he was sensitive to such love and act, as all poets were—to

The praise generally bestowed on the admirable selection in the Library of American Literature by Mr.

W. now responds, "I think a good deal of him—he has a good deal of the new American in him."

Of course everybody reads them: if they were wise to read, nobody would think to see them—but being what

All the songs were long ago sung.'

"Well—were you interested?" "Not much." "Why?" "I don't know why. She is too effusive."

Ought it not to be a duty, too, of—not the American public to recognize your gift to America as a writer

, but—the American Government to recognize your services, as of one who saved the lives, and lightened

the sufferings, of many American citizens?

raise a purse, exclusively from Camden contributions: to issue cards, for home and abroad—in other cities

—As to having Bush and others who have never met him come to the dinner—"If I were asked my own preference

like the idea at first, nor after the idea the actual line, but now such objections as I had (they were

The contrast just shows what sort of men Thoreau and Burroughs were to start with.

Said to me, the minute while we were alone: "I am all well but the head: that somehow won't become adjusted

he will be able to attend the quiet little dinner arranged to take place as a celebration in this city

I had a letter also from Arthur Stedman, stating his father's absence from the city &c.

abolitionersabolitionists of the time—of come-outers of all shades—I delighted to hear them, they were

that reminds me: I had among my friends in Washington, many curious fellows, whose habits and ways were

I know what it is—know it well: most of my years were passed in some sort of contest with it.

Carlyle as "that terrible fellow—that terrible octopus—who kept forever growling out to us that we were

Davis at once arose to go, and W. protested, but she insisted, and so we were left alone.

Baxter had a poem in the current American ("Sympathy") upon the mention of which W. was full of curious

and was it "written first in the American, do you think?" &c., &c.

"I have put your names together," he here announced, "such of them as were suggested to me.

"I should take it if I were you—it will not weigh you down but it is worth looking over."

Bucke, whom I found animatedly talked to by the printer Curtz: Curtz descanting on the history of American

granite boulder.W. had told Bucke while on the road, that he designed a cottage somewhere out of the city

W. suggests American liquors for the dinner. "I think they are as good as any others—fully.

though I am not thirty—and perhaps, more than all, he has made me write to you.Because you have, as it were

There are many who, if their pens were here, would send greetings to you across the sea.Farewell: wherever

"The river was there—the great city opposite.

Being fixed as we were, there seemed an impassable gulf, but it was very enjoyable."

like the tone of it" and urging me—"Anyhow—let me give you a piece of advice; send it off to the American—I

I objected and stated why they were pertinent as they are, whereat he acquiesced.

staple of their material is of the Willie Winter, Dick Stoddard, order—even smaller than these, if it were

if you were half as well prepared to die as I am you would be a happy man!'"

"No: I don't think he took me in on that side: we were friends in the human way."

"Were they crazy?"

—I am obliged to you for the notice in the North American (G.E.M.).

Laughed somewhat over Boyesen's lectures on American Literature at the University.

Traubel,I have only time at present to acknowledge receipt of the cable message you were kind enough

to send us, with its glad tidings of Whitman's condition, & which came to hand this morning.We were afraid

that he had had a bad relapse & were very anxious to hear further.

I rescued also from his waste papers a portrait he had marked "1860"—usually given about 1850 as date—and

There can scarcely be a doubt that bed-sores would exist were it not for the scrupulous cleanliness that

Hood.W. said: "It looks as if we were right up against our great bereavement—as if the story was rapidly

It occurs to me we have so far not had one American play—not one.

It contains Winter's long paper on the drama and the American press. Would he read it?

"I saw at once how baseless Frank Williams' suspicions of Walsh were when I looked through the matter

Brinton's last evening, there were present besides Brinton himself, Harned, Morris, Frank Williams, H

(We were to experiment with the water-bed to see how it would float.)

As if he were in the midst of a great flame? or as if a bright light shone in his mind?

What were they? "It says that I make three hundred dollars a year.

The earth was eloquent to him, but the skies were silent."

One could perhaps put up with these peculiarities of Whitman were he not at the same time a sovereign

He is a poet in whom American Democracy has at last found a voice.

Indeed, if I were to speak as a true Whitmanite, I should describe the strange influence of his poems

We did not know—were doubtful—of the dinner last year, but all passed off well—better than well.