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Text very kindly to W. but doleful.W. on bed on my entrance. Extended his hand. "Here again?

"My God!" he exclaimed. "I feel as if to burst!" I shook hands with him.

When my bundle was ready he produced this from the table—pasted it on.

personal affairs—and, as is my habit, made it a sort of combination matter: sent it to Kennedy with

I received Bucke's letter of the 2d to-daytoday, answering my first report of W.'

He pressed my hand gently. "Oh!

My recollection is that I confessed my judgment, and proposed to Mr.

have your notes of 23rd & 24th and am rejoiced at the very favorable reports you give me of W.I am in my

Had introduced us promptly on my entrance. Man over about hat. W. described comically the visit.

What would I not give to be able to show him how deep he has entered into my respect—my nature: taken

Called my attention to a copy of The Illustrated London News sent by Pearsall Smith.

"It has parts of which I have my doubts.

My brother George knows the fraud. He was a pipe inspector there in New York.

W. called my attention to a curious circular issued by his painter, Curtz.

Luckily the stroke did not affect, such as it is, my power of speech, or my brain: up to the time of

"My bete noir," he said, "is indigestion."

"Thanks to my dear father and mother, I have been wonderfully fortunate in my constitution—my body."

My honest thanks to you, Hugo for your letter posting me up not only about yourself but about my dear

That 'sThat's often my little way of celebrating the death of my friends.Dear Hugo, you speak of your

I have marked in my note book 'rec'd'"—spelling it out—"and no doubt for good reason."

I have told you about my Chihuahua experience.

I laughed in turn: "Perhaps the other fellow would have it to say 'I don't intend to be asked my reasons

My impression is that he will.

I reminded him that in my Whitman piece, he had not filled in date blank for the founding of the Long

I was a mere boy, then—it was in fact my boyish exuberance put into concrete manifestation.

"I see no reason to change my Sunday's opinion." Bucke not arrived yet.

clean the bed and he urged them to "hurry," saying at one moment, "Look out, Warrie, you'll knock over my

Bucke insisting, "Didn't I write that I delivered my last lecture Saturday and was likely to drop down

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."

my neck about: but my brain gives out: I feel sick and dizzy—unsteady."

slinging off my overcoat.

Have I fulfilled my ambition? God knows.

I am well, weigh nearly 200, and eat my rations every time.

I look at my three children and think what a work I have yet to perform.

He kept my cold hand—said: "Its cold is no offense—refreshing, rather."

Yet on the other hand I am always determined—have been, whether when I wrote or spoke, to present my

own case, be myself, let my own position be understood.

No—Williams will not print—at least with my consent: I should, as I see it now, be positively opposed

I explained my idea—"Their democracy is born of something other than democracy—ours from democracy itself

of Grass" imperfect enough (which of course enters another phase of the subject).I had Poet-Lore in my

My "Lowell, Holmes & Whitman" was well received.

My lecture is with my sketches, about 2 hours long—1/2 hour to each part, & about 1/2 hour to the sketches

My sculptor's art begins at 8. and gets done at 10. or 10 1/2—just as the people feel.

Traubel last night giving her some of the particulars she asked for of my voyage.

My greatest loss will be in you, my dear Walt, but then I shall look forward to having you up here a

I hope you are well and will write to me, and will go up and see my wife.

Next best is your admiration of my lightnings.

I think John will be delighted with my swordplay.

My task is to do this, and thoroughly, the first time. No afterclaps.

And on my protestation of having just come from supper—"Oh! this will do you good even if you have!"

Called my attention to some of the illustrations.

"There are several I particularly wish to send—to my folks and one or two others."

Thought my book a fraud, thought me a fraud—as, no doubt, I am."

It came close to my own way of thinking.

My friend Collins has had another letter from Mr. W. C.

It would give distinction to my gathering. Is this too big an order?"

Yet, such are the drains of the heat on my small treasure of strength, that the vim I had (Lord knows

I have had the book a couple of years (Gabriel sent it to me himself: he is my personal friend) but have

in the matter you can't hit a landlord too often, Irish or American, and if you hit and don't hear my

Put the photo for the frontispiece in my hands: "I leave it all to you fellows to do right with: if you

of my own make."

But the ride was wearisome—it tried my head severely—though in a little while after I got there I had

I suppose Backwater's picture would be considered ideal—indeed, it is good—but to my taste, it falls

Lamented in his resigned, good-natured way that he could not go with me into the country—I being on my

"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.

W. seems in excellent condition, to judge from appearances, though he avers, "My color misreports me.

He answered: "I suppose I have destroyed the most of the letters that came back with my poems.

There is some Galaxy stuff still coming to you: I can't just now just put my hand on it."

But he still said: "Read a few: I want to have my memory refreshed."

My dear Mr. Whitman,I am glad you can do the nursing article. Thanks for the Father Taylor.

Musgrove will step in presently and put me to bed with or without my consent, and then——".

Much better"—and when I spoke of the weather as inducing it, possibly, he said— "I am more apt to say, my

I give you the same privilege I demand for myself—the privilege of believing that in my own affairs,

My hands are all over honey—honey"—and washed them as I waited.

He said: "I was a great spouter in my early days—even later on—had my favorite pieces—these among them

Yes, 'A Voice Out of the Sea,' my own piece was one—one of many.

"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

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.

"This was made for me by my sister.

my singing years.

Is that to be my good fate?

idea, is still my idea."

"Next to getting out of my room here is to stay in my room and get a letter from William.

"I am glad to see you spell Shakspere the short way," he remarked—spelling it—"it is always my way—has

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

I can look ahead—see the whole transaction laid out before my mind.

My greatest interest now is to know how Doctor fared with Tennyson.

He then, "That was right—I do wish it as kept—it is my final request.

All my close friends have taken a lick at this chronological business—Mrs.

I put in, "One of my arguments was, I don't know any reason why an epilogue should come at the head of

would try to write, blind, blind, with my own tears.

I will only say that my soul and my sympathy all go out towards you and I often think of you as the one

Traubel,My thanks for your very good note.

The "circle" is my own creation.

Give him my love. I haven't things ready-made to say to him. Just give him my love.

up—touched up to perdition's point: I wrote him about it—not to do it—as you know,—but I suppose he got my

then, "highest is low, sometimes, to the other fellow"—and he was the other fellow in this case.Called my

Also called my attention to another pamphlet—about Rudolf Schmidt—written or sent by Rosenberg (referred

He had forgotten—I told him—that it was Danish, therefore of doubtful meaning to my father.

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.

To my return that "the doctor seems to expect his recovery," he said, "Good! Good!

Meter matters take a lot of my time and all looks well in that direction tho' I doubt much whether I

shall accomplish any thing very definite during my present stay here.

Give 'em my realest, substantiallest, thanks.

Good-By my Fancy Walt Whitman (David McKay, Philadelphia).

friend over there in the Truebner establishment" [he pronounced it Trubner with diphthong, and bore with my

My enthusiastic description of the day aroused him so that he flung the window sash all the way up.

I used to count him one of my best friends on the river."

"You know them all," he said, when I shook my head over some names he mentioned.

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

Longaker says about Walt just about what I wrote you and I do not understand [if] it is in reply to my

If you see my letter to W. of 31st Mar kicking about save it or return it to me—W. refers to it in card

My brother from Ottawa is to be here this week to stay—he has taken a house in London.So long!R. M.

We shook hands—he spoke of [my] article (Lippincott's).

My mother had sent W. some cookies. "The best part of every man is his mother," said W.

along in the sun and rain and write while I am housed up here in the dust of a dead room eking out my

"He shan't squeeze my girl.'"

Asks from my sister a letter of introduction to the Strykers.

I quoted a review of Florian's Montaigne: " 'Myselfe am the groundworke of my booke': such were the Whitmanesque

"I always object," he explained, "to putting my name in a book about myself.

He stirred on my entrance—opened his eyes, "Oh, Horace—it is Horace!"

"This has been one of my damnedest days," he said. "One of the very damnedest.

It has taken all my courage, energy, simply to keep afloat—simply to hold my head above water."

But I don't know—I have my doubts." Yesterday had been downstairs in the front room for an hour.

W. took it from my hands and held it off from himself, regarding it with immediate approval and fondness

Millet is my painter: he belongs to me: I have written Walt Whitman all over him. How about that?

My word was not law, of course: they could have done anything they chose about it: but they asked my

Take my own method—if you call it that.

This does not mean that I am not careful: it only means that I try not to overdo my cake."

W. asked me about the reception to the Missouri's Captain in Philadelphia Maritime Exchange at noon today

And my man I told you about yesterday, he was a bonnie Scotchman.

"Did I ever tell you of D'Avezac, my old French friend there in New York?

Then: "And I have had wonderful good luck anyhow in my life to have met a number of such originals—not

There was Flynn, too, my Irish friend"—spelled his name, also.

"At my instance they published the Transcript piece: I shall send out a number—some at home, some abroad—Sarrazin

Now—hardly half a decade after, comes a multitude: comes cry and cry—after my power to respond is gone

I always feel even with my own books, which are entirely in my hands, that I never get them just as I

My letters are too full of bowels—the ups and downs of the physical critter, prisoned here, suffering

And further, "If I could only get my hand on it, I could show him!

I showed him a card I had from Josephine Lazarus, who had come into my nurse fund.

Later I found my watch wrong.

oh my yes!

—and on my assent: "Oh!

In my boyhood I had seen Davenport twice as Bill Sykes—then as Brutus.

"These are my visiting cards: I put them in my pocket when I go out."

My dear Walt Whitman:In London last week I met many mutual friends who were asking after you and wondering

Of course this suits me, born Democrat as I am, but I trust it will not at all disturb the future of my

My address is the Langhorne Hotel. Drop me a line.Yours faithfully,Joaquin Miller.

Stopped in on my way to town. W. reading the Record. He spoke of feeling better.

My father was a great admirer of Lafayette—and Lafayette was indeed a grand man.

As to Lee, he said: "I am very loth to talk of Lee—my tongue, (I do not know but my pen, too) is slow

s raised my ire. W. realized at once that I was mad,—asked, "What is it about?"

Of course it appealed to me, awoke my response.

s on my way home, at 5.15.

W. exclaimed on my repeating it—"Oh! damn Higginson!"

it is here—in my pocket"—clapping his hand there.

"They are too strong for my old sight."

After he had finished the address, he read "O Captain!"

Yet we want very little from him—very—simply a copy, in which my corrections are duly made.

My idea is, to ballot for Brinton, science, liberty—against the minister." How did he feel?

"Well, it is all I can do to hold my head up.

I am so faint, weak, merely to keep straight, to be on my feet at all, is a victory.

Adding to my "no"—"Well, I suppose after all that is provided for in the nature of things.

My beloved Walt—I have read the sublime poem of the Universal once and again, and yet again—seeing it

It raised my mind to its own sublimity. It seems to me the sublimest of all your poems.

Now I would like to see you, in order to temper my heart, and expand my narrowness.How absurd it is to

The note is below:"Go on, my dear Americans, whip your horses to the utmost—Excitement; money!

He put four of them in a paper bag and gave them to me for my mother.

"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."

.; Reprinted in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891).

Townsend Trowbridge left a deft and important portrait of their relationship in his autobiography, My

In My Own Story Trowbridge relates how he first came across excerpts of Leaves of Grass while staying

accepted me on general principles and has never so far as I know revised his original declaration in my

little scholarship exists which examines Whitman's influence on Trowbridge but surely poems such as "My

My Own Story. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1903. ———. The Poetical Works of John Townsend Trowbridge.