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Then I feared it might in part conflict with my other piece now nearly done.

Asked me, "What about my envelopes?" I had seen Cohen. They would not be done till Monday.

My brothers and their folks complain of overcrowding—that I put too much on.

are—whether my head's clear—a whole army of points and points—rank and file."

Asked after certain features of my New England Magazine paper again.

I don't know but I'll have to close all my friends out."

I looked at my muddy boots, my flannel shirt—and then W. exclaimed: "Go!

own satisfaction, for last ten years.But my dear comrades I will now tell you something about my own

folks—home here there is quite a lot of us—my father is not living—my dear mother is very well indeed

in my mother's house.

dear comrades, and I pray God to bless you my darling boys, and I send you all my love, and I hope it

Here in my own case I go even to the extreme of hesitation, so to call it but I suppose I am saved by

paragraphs—then said: "I felt as I heard you read along that there was something that gibed perfectly with my

s on my way home and left the Arena with him.7:15 P.M. Some talk with W.

Said this to my sister in the forenoon, now again to me.

I have gone to several so-called Scotch concerts in my time, but they turned out farcical from gross

And when you go you will take my love!" And again, "Good for Baker! Good for the Colonel!"

"Exactly, that was always my idea.

I had no view but this: that a few of us—my father, mother, some very dear friends—should be put there

As to Moore's proposition that I should raise the money and my refusal, W. exclaimed, "Good! Good!

This is entirely my affair—no other's.

"I went silently, so as not to disturb Mary, but I realized my exhaustion."

—and on my shaking my head: "Well—I intended to: it escaped me."

own way—not to be unnecessarily interfered with even here, even in my incompetencies."

faith—in the end my faith prevails.

"Yes—just that: though I don't get into a boil over it I keep up a devil of a thinking in my corner—my

As to what should be the nature of the flap—"I am unable to make up my mind.

Of course I am always glad to see my friends. It is to my interest to put my best foot forward.

I think some of my friends imagine that my condition bites—that I feel the bite of poverty, inattention

I explained my talk with Oldach today.

It used to be my delight to get the youngsters, the very young ones, take them in my arms, walk them—often

And John—though I should not call him a don, yet is my friend, seems unaltered towards me.

man as William O'Connor—so born critic he was—warned me in those early years in Washington, to put my

I wished to show this to my father.

"My friend John Reed, himself an Englishman, used to pass here daily, but now that I want to see him,

Thought I should take Schmidt's portrait also to show my father.

My nights are better than my days—I sleep, after a fashion.

And if my 'Leaves' have failed here they have failed altogether.

My work is well known in England & I possess the highest possible testimonials regarding it from Cardinal

yoursRaymond BlathwaytI might add that Lord Tennyson lives in the parish in the I. of Wight of which my

I kissed W. my congratulations. He was very fine about it.

Weda Cook sang a My Captain song of her own composition.

W. addressed Weda Cook: "My dear—who taught you to sing?"

W. was very warm towards Harned and his wife, my sister.

W. to me: "My love is anybody's love today."

W. this noon, on my entrance, sat looking over a copy of the pocket edition.

But most enjoyably of all did he listen to my reading of Kennedy's letter.

Said: "I have my own speech prepared: it will only be a couple of lines."

I gave him the substance of my letter.

care—besides something of my own."

She is a friend of my Quaker friend, Mary Costelloe: it was no doubt through Mary that we came together

W. said: "My attention was first called to him by William O'Connor, who may have met him personally—I

My taste has been modelled on another theory—in the school of Scott, of Cooper, of some others of the

I remember the Tales of my Landlord, Ivanhoe, The Fortunes of Nigel— yes, and Kenilworth—its great pageantry—then

I expressed the feeling that the book as a whole did not reach my expectations—that it was too literary—not

For my pleasure it could not have assumed a better form."

Further—"This will undoubtedly be my last public appearance—" I interrupted laughingly—"Like the farewells

consciousness it is that what I say is true—that this is my last—that there comes an end, and here are

of the big book to give to Jennie May—just married to Sam Fels—which I transferred with Anne's and my

services to your country & to humanity—in your book (just completed) and in your life:—greater, in my

photos. & saw my name in the article.

your achievement & welcome your good work to these shores.In a letter acknowledging the receipt of my

s on my way home. Left him North American Review containing Bob's article, "Is Vice Triumphant?"

He could not come up to my father's house. Could we all come to him?

"I am getting more and more satisfied with my bed and chair, which is suspicious."

Explains: "The fall in my pulse is getting more and more evident: I've got no time to lose."

In talking about signatures W. said: "O'Connor once took one of my signatures to a clerk in the Treasury

I have about made up my mind to live another year: why not?

You will see that he harps on the Calamus poems again—always harping on 'my daughter.'

had enclosed in our letters a little slip, containing the following letter: Cambridge, March 13, 1877 My

The truth is my affairs here demand my constant presence.

One of my men has left me & cannot yet find another.

Then he said: "My advice to the boys would be, let it be a local affair if it must."

But he has not been well—"My head troubles me a great deal.

"I expect to get there; but there are 9 days yet, and I am not prepared to say I may not get one of my

He not only tells me to "keep the Thoreau book—it is yours," but, today—on my commenting upon a big 1871

portrait on the table, said—"I have not many but you must take that one," signing my name to it at the

He did not awake on my silent entrance.

"I just started my fire—I am always anxious to know."

I wrote to Bucke this morning on hospital matters, and explained to W. the substance of my note.

As to Harrison's historic position W. said: "Take due note of my prophecy: it will come true."

W. asked for details about my visit to Shillaber with Morse.

On my description W. very readily perceived the differences. At W.'

Some of my friends say, 'Watch Dave.' I do watch him, but not because I do not think him square.

But when it comes to my books he shies some—they are more or less suspected.

Her influence on my side has perhaps helped some to save me with Stedman.

He laughingly called my name. I stopped.

I advise you to study its mechanics: that's where my advice ends.

Oldach Binder, Phila:" he added Please send this up to the binders (men or women) who are working on my

book—& I herewith send them my best respects.

Said: "I should be cuffed for my forgetfulness." I do not like W.'

Williams in to see me about birthday—anxious lest it might be passed over, but agreeable in face of my

O'Donovan spoke of my New England Magazine article. Had he seen the Lippincott's article?

of its mass yet also of its thinness (for it is quite thin now)—Eakins interposed, "That was one of my

At one moment he leaned impulsively forward, "Do you know, dear, you remind me of my dear dear friend

And they are evils, too—I know it—but like evils, prove the good—just as I said to my doctor yesterday

way—he was gentle but firm—he opposed my observation.

The Colonel is always my friend—always on the spot with his good-will if not in person."

Well—I have been lucky in my friends whatever may be said about my enemies.

My fixed residence is 50 Wellington Road, Dublin, Ireland.

My work there is that of Professor of English Literature in the University of Dublin.

He afterwards added in a similar strain: "I have read my own Century piece over today, and like it well—am

But my aim has been, to so subordinate that, no one could know it existed—as in fine plate glass one

My determination being to make the story of man, his physiological, emotional, spiritual, self, tell

Chamberlin's letter shows that DeLong got my letter of last Friday—though where this W.W. meeting was

Well, Horace, having pleased William and Nellie, I may rest on my oars."

I doubt if that does any good: I think my friends, some of my friends, quite understand that that is

He pointed his finger towards me: "Leave it to you in my will." Laughed.

My life now seems very pale and poor compared with those days.

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 I was about to say, thank the Professor for me—give him my love.

Now I am sorry—my stomach won't digest it—and there it is!

I find that so much of my food seems to amount to nothing just in that way."

the public in my literary products.And I owe it to him that my heart warms to you, who are helping him

I seek and feel after the bodily presentment of a man who occupies my thought.

92My dear Traubel,I am sorry that I could not be with you and the other friends again this evening: My

wife was quite miserable when I returned from my engagement and I felt I could not leave her.

I go to my work with lighter heart.6:08 P.M. A second look in at 328. News there bad.

I have been making a few notes to-day," said W., "on the subject of my removal from the Interior Department

know, Secretary Harlan took the Leaves even more seriously than Munger: he abstracted the book from my

The more or less anonymous young writers and journalists of Washington were greatly incensed—made my

Louis: 'The removal of Whitman was the mistake of my life.'"

He recognized my skepticism.

W. said: "He was my friend—and yours, too, eh? No?

Desired my libretto.

"It's one of my regrets that the Wagner operas have never come my way—that I for my own part have not

—only serves to make my conviction more vehement."

He seemed to doubt, "I do not think I can hardly admit that, but the doctor—his general knowledge of my

He wished he could have seen my letter.

In my hand an astonishing document—notice from Providence of the marriage of Mrs.

To my questions as to pain he said he did not have any.

On my good-bye he pressed my hand ardently. "You will go on the water-bed tonight."

My heart stood almost still.

My heart was relieved. Home, then, and sleep. Thursday, March 24, 1892

W. writing a note to Harper Brothers who have asked permission to print My Captain in their Fifth Reader

Said to me: "It's My Captain again: always My Captain: the school readers have got along as far as that

My God! when will they listen to me for whole and good?

"I wrote Bucke of my fearful inertia: that inertia is my worst failing now: I told him I could not explain

[pencil] And you O my Soul?

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."

The whole thing surpassed my best hopes.

I shall soon send in my name as a subscriber (and another address).

tones, afterwards, W. continued, "Now, boy, I have a message for the Colonel: first of all, give him my

But the first-class men have it, and it always excites my admiration.

My dear HoraceI have had your long and interesting letter of 12th a couple of days.

He did not indicate his knowledge of my presence.

Whitman and my next door neighbor—and my neighbor is now dead."

'My idea is...'""That's right—you've got it.

I had taken Bucke's note of the 14th out of my pocket.

Yes, got my rest on the bed—wrote my sister at Burlington. I am very lame.

"My father was booked in all those things—took a great caper at all the progressive fellows.

A death in my sister's family (today) will require my devotion, etc., for a few days.

To my description of the first glimpse of the Capitol: "Yes, it is grand—vast: it sits so proudly on

Attorney General Speed.Sir: I notice that it is the intention of holding Captain Wirz responsible for

I was nearly eleven months held there as a prisoner and I know that Captain Wirz was uniformly kind to

anything—I was only lamenting to myself my own limitations, and wishing that I had something to do with

And laughingly to my insistence that we might try, "Yes, try, but this den does not lend itself that

My evening hours at home have been about as fully occupied with official labors as my days at the Department

Now that Congress, the presence of which always complicates our work, has adjourned, and my office is

gradually approaching a settled condition, I hope soon to be able to redeem my promise.I wish, if it

And having it open in my hand, I read some passages.

Give him my love—yes, again and again."

I also had letters from Johnston and Wallace in my hands. He exclaimed, "Good! Good!"

I hardly see how I can and moreover think it not my place so to do.

"I know you, bless you for it: you do without my injunctions."

In reply to my question he said: "I'm not violently afflicted, as I was the other day, but I am feeling

He called my attention to the dent in the hat.

O'Connor was the earliest of my friends—the first of his race.

I like Scovel's wife, his daughters—spent some of my happiest hours there—at dinners, suppers, about

Hotten.I thank you for the copy of my poems sent by you. It has just reached me.

I don't know what it was—whether the money, or my own condition, that inspired me.

Had I the way, I should take my house and lump it down there: or if an opportunity came to exchange it—who

Many curious incidents in my wanderings among patients.

Indeed, all through those years—that period—I was at my best—physically at my best, mentally, every way

I'll send a copy too of my last book, Songs of the Heights and Deeps.

I formerly sent you some of my poetry, but it was early work.

My debt to you is great. Would that I could express it in person!

He does not do full justice to Emerson as I hope to show in my essay.

As he looked around, hearing my step, he exclaimed, "Oh!

"And to show my faith in it, I will pay you for it forthwith!"

Here W. turned his finger my way, and said waggishly—"And that's for you, too!"

—the best made since my sickness!"

Kerr objected to my use of "sun-glown" as obsolete.

He laughed over it very much, but said, "My answer to it would be my answer to the telegraph boy—there

He laughed, "Pretty good—but not quite my knock."

s letter to them on the 1st: Camden NJ—US AmericaJune 1 '91—Well here I am launched on my 73d year—We

Called my attention to the Review of Reviews—copy sent by Johnston.

"I do not seem to have the mental grasp: I find my mind unwilling or unable to apply itself to the proofs

manuscripts, as it should, methodically, systematically: I am only imperceptibly if at all regaining my

As he says himself: "The right word won't answer—my tongue gets unruly—I lose my cues.

I picked up a slip of paper from the floor under my feet. W. asked: "What is that?"

He smiled: "Read it—my eyes are no good." The sheet contained this: "Mem for Life.