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You may think these strong words & that I have an exaggerated estimate of my dear friend's abilities,

I confess it had quite slipped my mind. I must take it up.

keep, if not fairly, at least not markedly worse and I hope to find you "right side up with care" on my

But the main thing I want to talk about to you today is my visit yesterday to Lord Tennyson.

But after all I fear I can give you but a faint notion of the pleasure my visit was to me.

Give Horace my love and show him this letter, tell him to keep it.

oblivious to my presence.

I give this as my counsel, only—for you to chew on and do with what you think best.

It would be inconsistent with me, with my work, to plant guns, to threaten, to exact, to believe, even

After my bath, I sat a long while here, naked, not a stitch on, fanning myself—but even that was only

I said, "My description of the master is that his art is so close to nature for so long, it at last becomes

And now that you talk as you do, let me give you an idea of my own.

I put in, "My idea would be to admit all that the formalists claim for Lowell, then to ask whether there

W. at once, "I like that: that would be my idea—to say to them, yes that is true, every word of it—but

My notion had been to headline the article "James Russell Lowell, Walt Whitman," then to indicate the

As I entered hallway W. called out, "Here we are, Horace, waiting for you," to my surprise and gladness

Yes, New York beats even the Golden Gate—that was my impression. Do you think it wrong, Warrie?

My memory plays me shabbier tricks each year."

Asking after my further descriptions and quote, "Is that authentic?

Perhaps it is as you say—stronger, more probable, for not being so strong"—which were my words.

I laughed at his suspicions and doubts, and he laughed too, though to say, "That is more and more my

disposition—to accept nothing till I see it with my own eyes, have it in the grip of my hands."

At my reminder he gave me the "Good-Bye" for Morse and with it a "sculptor's profile" and a copy, unmounted

"He saw trouble ahead, or possible—my iron hand, my death—that he now sells without contract—don't know

I am finally determined to act upon your counsel (which is my own, too), to put 'A Backward Glance' at

And to set the book now into a shape in which, if my wishes are regarded, it will always remain—marked

, sealed, with my final word, hope."

49 Comeragh RoadWest Kensington, London W.16 Aug. '91Yesterday came to my hands your card of 2d inst.

My visit here has been a great success—I have been well received and treated on all hands, I shall feel

richer for it for the rest of my life.Keep good heart, dear Walt, till I get back—but in any case be

I shd. have acknowledged yr wedding card & offered my congratulations, wh.

"Yes, my own, too. But we must take care, not to offend against him.

love—royal in his ways, offerings—as if he was always addressing you—take this pearl, take this gem, take my

horse and carriage—use them—take house, lands—take, take—my best linen, the whole entourage is yours—take

No, no, no—give my love to them all—tell them I remember the old days. Oh!

Tell Nellie—tell Anne—tell all, my love is with them, though I am here!"

He laughed, "Are they my letters, Mary? I was just telling Horace how to get them downstairs."

I also had letter from Bucke.W. reported, "This has been one of my very worst days—a day full of discomfort

It is assessed at $800, and $25 is my tax yearly.

He told me he could not understand my extreme admiration for Walt Whitman.

But my shock was with Mrs. Costelloe.

It carries out my, our, idea, as we formed it from your letter.

O my! They are as hearty as any set I was ever led into!

And you, Bucke, did you get all my letters?"

I suppose I have been called crazy at least a hundred times to my own face!"

W. thereupon saying, "Give me my money back, Maurice!"

My piece appears in Post, making a stretch of a column and a half.

O'Connor, my father and Anne together.

My father and Bucke especially at it.

W. said immediately after my entrance, "And what of Wallace, Horace?

But my conception is so at odds with any churchey theological ideas on the subject, I often think perhaps

W. very amusingly described his condition to Bucke, "My head easily gets in a whirl now.

Now I feel as if my brain had an envelope like the outer crust of a pudding—a dense, mucoussed cover

My deafness is directly chargeable to it."

W. remarking, "I can't altogether get over my concern.

I'm afraid I'm getting to be a great materialist—not to believe anything till it's absolutely in my fist

Symonds' enunciation of an idea which has always possessed me, which is at the center of my own theories

And I think that is always my way with real good work—I don't enter into it, absorb it, first hit.

Some words, all of us, with Captain Noell, who said, "This is possibly my last trip."

I suppose we remained three-quarters of an hour after my arrival.

Primeval my love)First Movement.

My eye never quite even tolerates the old form.

Showed him a few of my Whitman possessions, but no time to go into them.

My head especially—filled me with whirlings, whizzings, spiralings—seeming to send every effervescence

to my poor brain.

I had caught a glimpse of them on Chestnut St. in one of my hurried runs out.

W. suddenly started to get up—asked me for my hand—came to table (east).

He seemed to seal my identity. All great teachers given this power.

And, "That trip to Canada was one of my best—seemed so completely to possess me—to fill me—I absorbing

My memory serves me some pretty mean tricks, but, somehow, I do not remember this thing at all—its make

At any rate we are helpless in the matter—I have my own doubts—culminations of culminations of thoughts

"This is for the dear girl, with my love!"

I don't know what it indicates—but my spirit is getting into rebellion.

Repeated to W. the purport of my discussion with McKay.

W. instantly said, "No, my disposition is immediately to say no, to negative him.

I have waited long and long and long to pronounce my determination.

O'Connor has called my attention to this: Washington, November 24, 1868. My dear Mr.

On the beautiful bending simple cove road W. again said, "This was in the old days one of my favorite

Made some further notes for my Lowell-Whitman paper. Day perfect—mild (warmish), clear.

My letters from Bucke and J.W.W. only outlines.

I won't attempt to convey my impressions of the Falls.

My heart goes out to you more than ever now that I have seen you.

For one thing you remind me so much of my dear mother.

Davis & Warry, & feel that they are more my friends than ever.

Mary is away today—Warrie is my cook.

I find I must exercise my utmost wits, to keep myself in a certain negative plane—which seems my only

Present my compliments to your wife & believe meTruly,D. G.

Now the book is completed, I want it made and kept my way." I had written Ingersoll today.

And I want you to let me know about it—for my curiosity has been aroused."

This doctor gave my eyes an extended, elaborate examination.

This called out by my quote from Burroughs, that W.'

Though for my taste I should have thought it good enough purple.

My own position is the writer's, not the publisher's.

New YorkSep. 16. 1891.My Dear Traubel,Your tender letter of sympathy reached me in due course.

And thanks to the careful nursing of my dear wife, and the pure and healthful air of the mountains, my

My shattered right arm is still however a cause of great anxiety.

against me in the days of my worst struggle.

s on my way home. Quite near sundown; the room in shadow.

"A bit better—but by no means well—my head, belly, bladder—seem all astray—gone from their moorings."

"That's just the trouble—I attribute a good deal of my cold, chilliness, discomfort, to the variable

W. objected, "But the best thermometer is my feeling."

I get the paper regularly & my friend Mr.

I got my Lippincott's proof last night after leaving W. They wished it back immediately.

My mind is fallow now, but I suppose it is for the best.

I hardly know my old self as seen in my old Index articles. However, Sursum! Resurgam! Forward!

"But it will turn up, in some one of my searches, and whatever happens, it is yours, Horace—yours to

Quick to see roll in my hand. "What is it? What?"

I expressed my liking for Kennedy's "Dutch Traits of Walt Whitman." Read the manuscript last night.

Illustrated American) W. spoke of: "It is pretty good—has good points—but it emphasizes the rowdy: that is my

For one thing I gave him out of it set of proofs of my Lippincott's piece.

: "With the poems I always have a certain sort of conscience that I must not give them out, even to my

I stood before him and read to him from Conservator, first page, my question anent Chadwick's note.

Go with my blessing."

Fragments of our talk will betray themselves as I discuss points with W. in days after my return.

Kissed him—entered at once into recital of my trip.

Probably reference to my piece.Asked me if I had a set of Lippincott's proofs to "swop-off for the set

After leaving W. now found the whole order home, and on my way to Philadelphia took 20 to him.

memorandum written on a slip of colored paper: "Get me some paper like this—I prefer it to white to write my

I had a roll of yellow paper (two quires) under my arm. Opened it—he was much tickled.

Had "examined the Gérôme picture more at my leisure: what a grand expanse—hill, sky!

As to Bush's impatience with New York city life: "I do not know—that would not be my view of it.

My father used to say, a good time to pay your debts is when you have the money.

Asked him what he thought of my sending set of Lippincott's proofs to Kennedy?

I have told you about one of my meetings with Beecher?

But though it excited an inward retort, I said nothing—held my peace.

Paine is within my particular domain—I am after all anybody has to say about him."

Had written Bucke, gave me the letter to mail, along with papers for Captain Rayner and Gilchrist, postal

I suppose I have all the reports here, if I could put my hands on them, but to put my hands on them:

One of my questions was this: "Do you really think Dick Stoddard has personal feeling against you?"

"And yet that, too, has its best of reasons—its best—and I can easily admit it—it belongs with my philosophy

escaped, though I never like to be baffled in a question of that kind—like to have paraphernalia—words—at my

pain (bad cold "profusely illustrated" with facial neuralgia) yesterday morning and am again over at my

s on my way home—spent a good half an hour.

W. went on: "I have written my wish on the top of the leaf—they will understand.

I put in: "Listen to my guess: I guess the book will come from 60 to 75 pages." He smiled.

"I shouldn't wonder—that is exactly my guess."

My dear Traubel: The lecture referred to by Bush is simply an address that the Colonel gave before a

Adding, with his finger up, "And this time my shorthand man: don't forget!"

And to my "yes," consented.

told me at the door that W. spent a good day, but he shook his head and said: "This has been one of my

Whitman:During my absence your note of the 4th, inst was left here by Mr. Traubel.

S. & act & settle it in my place.

in your first colloquy with the man I venerate so deeply, you should have handed him the reprint of my

This expresses the mere fact, so far as I can read my inner self, though perhaps my own industry in life

I promised to use same list as Lippincott's to send out my papers so all would go to the same individuals

s style, mainly punctuation, telling me he had much enjoyed my piece—"its enthusiasm: it exhilarated

And further, "I have no desire to dictate to them: having my ideas, I stated them—if the other fellows

W. signed a copy of the Kennedy Dutch piece with my name.

I picked up the magazine at one of the newsstands, which is the way I do most of my reading.

was the guild feeling—the newspaper guild there, especially the young fellows, were always loyally my

That would nowhere touch my purpose—the impulse by which I made the statement."

Signing name and being named W. said, "I like best my name in full—Walt Whitman—not Whitman alone nor

My fair correspondent feels that this vocable meets a long felt want in our much-lacking language.

There was "The Burial Hymn of Lincoln," "Captain, Oh, My Captain," so praised by Swinburne.

He makes my head ache." "But even the Captain?" "I have never read it."

Seeking out Whitman's books I copied "Captain, Oh, My Captain," with the pious purpose of reclaiming

Wallace seems to have entered fully into the life there—indeed is hustling too much for my taste.

I feel as if to send something, testifying to my gratitude for the extra sheets."

Captain Noell (British Prince) has written W. his regrets, that he could not get over to say his farewell

You must have said something to stir him up on the subject of my health.

T. set rather a bad precedent immediately after my coming here!

I have finished my work at Oxford, and in the autumn I shall begin writing.

A silence on my part—and their solicitude!

He wished a duplicate plate of the title-page—"for my own use," he said, "for reasons."

This week I go to Delaware Co. with my family for a change & rest, to be gone several weeks.

Give him my love. I return the ms. as you request.Very sincerely,John Burroughs W. read.

I had plenty of the little books once, but they are all gone now: I doubt if I could put my hand on one

My dear boy, I think I see you burning your books and mss. to retire into the wilderness to share Sitting

If I were you I would do my work in the bank and the W.

Send her my love—hopes for her. Oh!

W. thereupon fervently, "Them's my sentiments, out and out!

of Emerson,' but just whether to like it or not, I don't make out," saying, "Sidney is on to one of my

I think my memory is getting worse and worse. After a bit it will be a blank!"