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My opine is that our dear O'Connor is better—jaunting at present for the time an easier road on plateau

than the C itself) —Ed Stafford has just call'd with some apples & a chicken— Saturday Sunset Have had my

dinner, stew'd chicken & rice pudding—have not left my room yet, but shall get down a few minutes to-morrow

Superintendent's Office Asylum for the Insane Ontario London, Ont., 16 March 18 90 Here I am over at my

office in the main asylum sitting at my desk with a fine wood and coal fire at my left hand—every thing

most satisfactory affair at the church—no doubt it will all have to grow & adjust & form itself—but my

D is well—is in the back room working—my canary is singing away as I write. three little boys have just

been in to see me —my respects & love to y'r mother & all—tell Henry I rec'd his card —no definite day

I send you today a piece I wrote for an uncle more than thirty years ago about my old wanderings in the

I promised Horace to send him a copy of my Saguenay poem but please tell him I cannot find one and fear

My Annual Report is out—I have written for some copies and shall send you one as soon as I get them I

Let [Joel] Benton have my letters, take as much as possible my point of view, and he might write to me

Of course the letters I write you are for perusal by all my friends—Gilder, Swinton, Benton, &c.

Mr Whitman Dear Sir I once more take my pen in hand to write a few lines to you And if I dont get an

Yours Truly I have my Photograph when I receive yours I will send you Give my respects to Mrs.

My dear Mr.

spirits—not well enough to go out in the world & go to work—but not sick enough to give up either, or lose my

till I read it, how much eligibility to passion, character and art arousings was still left to me in my

& fixing the ground , more & more & more—& now that the seed is dropt dropped in it sprouts quickly—my

own feeling ab't about my book is that it makes (tries to make) every fellow see himself , & see that

real, & are mostly within reach of all—you chew on this— Hank, I am still feeling under the weather—My

March 27, 1867 My dear friend, Although your letter I see has the N.

My impression is, there is little or no chance of getting Congress to pass, at this time, a special resolution

thing does — Still, I will try what I can do—I will see a few of the members, forthwith—I have one in my

About the plate my impression still is that in the hands of a good expert steel plate printer it will

My notion is against getting up any further portrait (this steel plate will have to permanently continue

carefully done , & with good ink)—& the binding, color, style, (strong, plain, unexpensive inexpensive , is my

For my own part, it (the Republican article) made me marvel.

I cannot make my belief square with such a notion. Au revoir .

I am up to my ears in office work, wretchedly unwell, and wish I could be away.

with a secret wish that I had not begun to read and a vow that I would never do the like again), by my

Lowell voices in the best way it can be voiced this limitation, or to my mind wrong poetic notion, in

"Behind the hill, behind the sky, Behind my inmost thought, he sings; No feet avail; to hear it nigh,

—you say in "New York;" but I had my hearing of most of those you mention elsewhere.

Sidney Morse . ∗ "Good-Bye, my Fancy!" Walt Whitman. 1891. The Second Annex to "Leaves of Grass"

Visits from English friends are perhaps my chief diversion."

Philadelphia, 1883. is going off slowly—not much cared for by my friends—but I like it.

He asked me somewhat about my life and doings at home.

There is something in my nature furtive like an old hen!

Time alone can absolutely test my poems or any one's.

"No—it has no such significance at all: it only means that it was my humor to lie down: that is the whole

adding after my answer: "Well, I never met him myself. What is the value of the piece?" M.

Dave says: "I'll bet you my cover won't cost more than a cent more than yours."

My own choice right through has been the one I call 'the laughing philosopher.'

"My rule has been," W. continued, "so far as I could have any rule (I could have no cast-iron rule)—my

For instance, I like every day to take a bath—make it my rule, nearly—particularly in this weather—it

I don't think any of the doctors—the best doctors—have arrived at my doctrine yet—that each person who

So I took my quinine—and what did it do but set my head spinning, this way"—indicating—"like a wheel.

I find Swedenborg confirmed in all my experience. It is a peculiar discovery.

And that would be my doctrine, too!"

I always argue that all the time there is my time: so I go slow with what I do—take the reasonable maximum

Paul was too much for me and my brain actually reels. I have never seen architecture before.

My brain is too sensitive. I am not strong enough to confront these things all at once.

Paul's, but it took my breath away.

It was more than I could bear and I will have to gird up my loins and try it many times.

I said Gosse had shown a leaning my way—was more than cursorily courteous and warm.

It will serve to back up my answer. Was it you who asked me?""Yes—I asked the question."

Dear Sir:When my friend Mr.

The Leaves of Grass have become a part of my every-day thought and experience.

Harry has always been ten times over my friend where once would have done.

I must take care"—whispering—"that my shirt tail don't hang out."

father's, the ultimate for my mother, and I am to be between."

And I am Consuelo—determined to keep my head up, whatever betide."

I wish I could be with you in person, but my spirit must do instead.Please convey my affectionate greetings

My particular congratulations to you on your marriage.

reminiscences of the actors & actresses fifty years ago —Tho' I am not personally known to you—& as far as my

not yet an Octogenarian or even a Septuagenarian—I being but 66 at the close off this month—I date my

perfection & not the genius of acting—I never witnessed Forrest acting but the houses were jammed, my

look & utters with electrical effect "Maral I hate thee"—I can never forget it—it was imprinted in my

recollect Signor de Begnis (—with perhaps the exception of Lablach —whom I have heard frequently on my

Macbeth, Act V, where Macbeth says, "I have liv'd long enough: my way of life / Is fall'n into the sere

My dear Sir.

think of you, and I am sure that it affords me much more than that to give this personal expression to my

say entirely my own way, and put it unerringly on record."

In another place the feeling of pride leads to this exclamation: "My Book and I—what a period we have

These snowy hairs, my feeble arm, my frozen feet, For them thy faith, thy role I take, and grave it to

Whitman referred to Rossetti's edition as a "horrible dismemberment of my book" in his August 12, 1871

"Some kind words from my friend William Carey there—William Carey.

Some don't like my long lines, some do: some don't like my commas, some do: some cuss my long catalogues

My proper habitat is out-of-doors."

I spend all my time at work about the place and like it much.

"Yes, they do, and I was about to say so, but you took it out of my mouth.

Thoreau, in Brooklyn, that first time he came to see me, referred to my critics as 'reprobates.'

somehow as if none of the changes should have been made: that I should have said, take me as I am: my

bad and my good, my everything—just as I am: to hell with all cuts, all excisions, all moralistic abridgements

W. said again: "Conway could never understand my stony attitude towards expurgations: he at once flew

My dear Walt: I introduce to you Mr.

I anticipate a time, not very far distant, when I will lose my physical volition altogether—suffer an

I am extremely cautious—weighing every grain before giving in my adhesion."

All that is required under the present idea, my idea, might be a little preface, stating my reasons for

this particular issue of my works."

My first taste of the country was at Alloway, Burns' birthplace.

I sit here all day, or lie over there"—motioning towards the bed—"and that is what my life amounts to

"I see—I see: it must be wrong—but that is one of my idiocrities—to put it there and let it be, wrong

personal decency, even my goodness, and then dismissing my literary insanity and worse with a shrug

I have lived as yet but eighteen years; yet in all the constant thoughts and acts of my last few years

, your words have been my guides and true oracles.

"I regret my ignorance of German: German is the one foreign language I am sorry I did not go into when

"They are not wrong—they are only my whims, oddities: as such I must let them pass."

It is my old play-book, used many and many times in my itinerant theatre days: Richard: Shakespeare's

Yes, I have made the best of my sluggish pulse by trying to keep it sure, strong.

Every man has to learn his own best method: my method is to go slow, extra slow.

My dear Mr. Whitman:Allow me to introduce to you Mr.

My eye caught on the woodpile a bunch of manuscript. I picked it up. "What is this?

I stopped: that was always the case—always my habit."

He is seven years my senior, I believe: Herbert says, shows age, is round-shouldered, stoops."

After a pause: "My mental work was always taken easy: more-over, I have never forgotten what I owe my

:New York, Oct. 10th 1890 My dear Traubel:Still excessively busy. I enclose draft for Ad.

Don't give away an unnecessary dollar is my best judgement and advice on this.I think it well however

My best to Mr. Morris. You say nothing about cash advance to pay expenses. Don't you want any?

No amount of argument could of course remove my feeling.

my eyes in work and my right arm is very helpless and painfull—it keeps me from getting good rest at

Some of my simplest pieces have created the most noise.

to my purposes, determinations.

"There are things in there to interest you—discussing my prose and poems.

My plans at present are to be in Washington (at Med. Supt.

spiritual, godly, most of all known to my sense."

Williams'), but quickly read at my suggestion. How did he feel?

Once in my boyhood I saw his noble form and kindly face, but never have I grasped his democratic hand

from Concord, your letter reached me in Chicago, where I have been for a week awaiting the wedding of my

Give my earnest love to Walt Whitman on this memorial occasion, and tell him we think of him at Concord

I might, by setting every thing else at defiance, transport my body to the place of assembly, but by

But to the account of my adventures (for it is now necessary to drop the editorial "we,") last fall,

hook again with "fiddlers," while the fish floundered at a great rate around my feet.

word, accoutred as I was, I plunged—the fish—into an old tin kettle, and gave them, with sixpence and my

the wharf with a boat-hook, and offering his shoulder for me to step on—though, as he was about half my

divided the water—to lie on my back and gaze by the half-hour at the passing clouds overhead—merely

My South! O quick mettle, rich blood, impulse, and love! Good and evil! O all dear to me!

the Tombigbee, the Santee, the Coosa, and the Sabine; O pensive, far away wandering, I return with my

the graceful palmetto; I pass rude sea-headlands and enter Pamlico Sound through an inlet, and dart my

Me, ruthless and devilish as any, that my wrists are not chain'd with iron, or my ankles with iron?

My girl, I appoint with you an appointment—and I charge you that you make preparation to be worthy to

the still woods I loved; I will not go now on the pastures to walk; I will not strip the clothes from my

body to meet my lover the sea; I will not touch my flesh to the earth, as to other flesh, to renew me

and meat; I do not see any of it upon you to-day—or perhaps I am deceiv'd; I will run a furrow with my

I WAS asking for something specific and perfect for my city, Whereupon, lo!

my city! The city of such women, I am mad to be with them!

I rubbed my eyes a little, to see if this sunbeam were no illusion; but the solid sense of the book is

head at nightfall, and he is fain to say,— I too am not a bit tamed—I too am untranslatable; I sound my

I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease…observing a spear of summer grass.

I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeeful green stuff woven.

All I mark as my own you shall offset it with your own, Else it were time lost listening to me.

If he could find them wished my father "to go over them and report."

My father is reading Bucke's W.W.

They are a rest to my mind—are always fresh, new—give me the quiet, the peace, I crave."

My friends may say that to me when I say hello to the Colonel, but I say, damn my friends if their friendship

He said: "I carry it about in my heart—carry it—yes: and William, too.

Why should he not put them down now, independent of my article?

been with you on the 31st of May last, here is in substance what I should have said and what sums up my

what I should have said, had I been this last 31st May among you: and then I should have raised in my

turn my glass wishing a very long life to the august old man and assuring him of all my love.Kindly

But I know I did my best reading when I was alone that way—off in the woods or on the shore.

She must have made a guess on my size and guessed wrong."

He throws nothing in my way, but he does nothing to welcome me.

W. called my attention to some newspaper criticisms of his books.

But my feet are eternally gone." I happened to say to W.: "I will be honest.

My dear Mr.

To 328 on my way home. Happened in a little earlier than normal—and when W. shortly called Mrs.

I went over my mail categorically. "What does Sarrazin say? He is still sick? Poor fellow!

Give him my sympathy.

he asked, and to my, "Well," exclaimed, "Dear girl!" I adding, "She was here last night."

You need not be surprised to receive a dispatch warning you of my approach.

I call to the world to distrust the accounts of my friends, but listen to my enemies—as I myself do;

WHO learns my lesson complete?

as every one is immortal; I know it is wonderful—but my eye-sight is equally wonderful, and how I was

And that my Soul embraces you this hour, and we affect each other without ever seeing each other, and

Whoever you are, now I place my hand upon you, that you be my poem; I whisper with my lips close to your

little son, Prince Arthur, who was taken prisoner by his usurping uncle: "Grief fills the room up of my

had you such a loss as I, I could give better comfort than you do.— I will not keep this form upon my

head, When there is such disorder in my wit.

My boy, my Arthur, my fair son!

My life, my joy, my food, my all in the world, My widow–comfort, and my sorrow's cure!"

"You want to know in a word, then, the sum total of my life philosophy as I have tried to live it and

as I have tried to put it in my books.

It is only the closest student who would find it in my works.

The sum total of my view of life has always been to humbly accept and thank God for whatever inspiration

My dear Wife, You must excuse me for not having written to you before.

I have not been very well, & did not feel much like writing—but I feel considerably better now—my complaint

going on—let me know how it is with mother—I write this by means of a friend who is now sitting by my

side— —& I hope it will be God's will that we shall yet meet again—Well I send you all my love, & must

Called my attention to the package he had laid out and addressed to my old man friend.

Give them to him with my love." Package very liberal—magazines, etc.

s antagonism of some of my own notions which seem in line with his teachings and should, one would think

I want to see if our other corrections were alluded to—if my speech is now in right order."

Returned me my manuscript.

W. was inquisitive: "I felt the winter in my bones as I sat here.

And my fire feels it, too—and hurries up its burning." Monday, December 1, 1890

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).

I do my work by degrees." Remarked too how little capacitated he was for work.

While L. said: "Curiously, W. never answered one of my questions."

I am often asked when I take strangers there, why it is I cast my voice to such a pitch.

Hope to send my New England Magazine piece off tomorrow or next day—with pictures.

WHO learns my lesson complete?

as every one is immortal, I know it is wonderful—but my eye-sight is equally wonderful, and how I was

conceived in my moth- er's mother's womb is equally wonderful; And how I was not palpable once, but

And that my Soul embraces you this hour, and we af- fect affect each other without ever seeing each other

WHO learns my lesson complete? Boss, journeyman, apprentice? churchman and atheist?

as every one is immortal, I know it is wonderful—but my eye-sight is equally wonderful, and how I was

con- ceived conceived in my mother's womb is equally wonderful, And how I was not palpable once, but

years old in the Year 79 of America, and that I am here anyhow, are all equally wonderful, And that my

I have been absent on leave the past summer two months—went to New York—spent most of the time with my

Well, I keep about as stout as ever, and my face red & great beard just the same as when I used to see

you—I eat my rations every time, too—I am writing this in the office by a big window with a splendid

view of the Potomac & Arlington Heights—Well I find I must close—I send my love to you, darling boy,

. ; my personal washing amounts to just 4 pieces a week, with a pair of stocking and two or three handkerchiefs

She is too thoroughly selfish—There has been a proposition also for my absence—a few short months, run

down my place more than I would like to recover—So I shall rent the house—It is but a shelter since,

I was sick; she deliberately turned the key on me, and I had to stay at my room all night—comment is

get it Saturday—which may have made you some uneasy—but you need not be, as I still continue to hold my

proposed Centennial Exposition —I will send you pictures of the buildings soon— I am sitting here in my

& come and call on me, should he come to Philadelphia—Tell Wash Milburn, & Parker also, I send them my

at their bloody tricks till the U.S. (& perhaps England) steps in & kicks them out of Cuba—which in my