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He promised to write it and send the book to my house by and by by Ed.

I had the Swinburne book under my arm. He asked—"What have you there?"

Again said: "If you are going to Germantown give my affection and best love to Clifford"—adding as he

every word, several times," he said, and added, "If I wrote on the subject at all, that would be about my

After a little my mother came in.

"I know you, my dear, don't I? Haven't I known you somewhere?"

At the table W. said, "I think champagne and oysters were made for me: that they are prima facie in my

our coast" than have America "make any stand for military tradition," adding explanatorily, "It is my

Wallace's letter of 22nd dwells upon duties to me in my service for W. Loving and uplifting.

time you have all been privileged to participate in during the past week & am now longing & straining my

greatly enjoyed—but I know you will understand & take the will for the deed.I am off to Scotland, to my

Home (Annan) in a few days for a short visit to my good dear old Father & Mother.My love to your dear

"I feel a bit better today but you notice I wear no extra feathers in my cap."

I am not embittered by my want of success.

My last volume is in response to the interest of my friends abroad.'"

There were tears in my eyes.

I stuck them in my pocket.

Suggested that instead of "Then, Postscript" I say, "Last Words"—but I prefer my own choice and shall

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

"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.

I find the My Captain manuscript W. gave me Thursday to contain some variations.

leave you not the little spot, Where on the deck my Captain lies—sleeping pale and dead. O Captain!

FIRST DRAFT MANUSCRIPT OF ONE VERSE OF WHITMAN'S "MY CAPTAIN" My captain does not answer, his lips are

My captain does not answer, his lips are closed and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no

W. quizzed me: "I guess you like this better than My Captain."

And then as to Bucke's warnings about taking cold, "I have thought myself that was my worst danger: I

He laughed and said, "I am unchanged about him: my impression lasts."

And to my expression, "Each spring all think must be the last, but the next surpasses it," he assented

talked of Sarrazin pleasantly for some time, W. urging me to write.Later, Harned's children, who were at my

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

—it is—it is indeed my long-long che-ild!"

Yet had to have the papers: "They are as necessary as my food."

I know these people are my friends—respect the work I have tried to do.

I will amend my prayer: God help us not to want to get rich!"

poems, Leaves of Grass, in England under my sanction.

Yes," I said to W., "that's rather on my side.

Today, finishing my 70th year, the fancy comes for celebrating it by a special, complete final utterance

And for testimony to all (and good measure), I here with pen and ink append my name.

He read it at once, putting on his glasses and saying when done, in answer to my question, "Yes—it is

But W. himself said: "My sight, like my hearing, is gradually going: I feel it from time to time markedly

Then he continued—"I freely give my consent to the use of the Gutekunst portrait if you care to use that

Captain Williams, assistant secretary, said that he had not heard anything about such an application.Several

For once I was there, with my Lincoln lecture."

Yes, I think I shall try my hand at it."

Yet that it is my notion something will have to be added.

Yet all my feeling was in good temper.

I have a constant bath in my own perspiration.

Only my brother is now upon the old farm.

my sleep a good deal.

My book, Signs and Seasons, will be out this month.

I spent rest of the day working on my New England Magazine piece. In evening we went to B.'

I get so sleepy and stupid—come over to the bed, then go back again—and that is about all my day's story

I went straight in and put my hands on the book immediately.

"No, I will go over to my chair—write it immediately. That will get it off our minds."

"Give my love to Frank when you see him"—this the parting shot as I passed out the door.

W. said: "The reference to Hawthorne brings back to my mind a story once told me by a friend in Brooklyn

W. said again: "For myself I consider A Backward Glance my right bower."

alone: this will be my book."

would thoroughly express my idea."

My previous notes show his earlier experiments.

And on my "no,"—"Well—it is not much—not a positive quality—a sort of after-dinner letter, for reading

W. said then too, "I was never more tickled then when one of the old priests told me that my politeness

postal for Bucke to mail, said of Forman he had given him power to treat with Balestier, "to act as my

My friends tell me—no, no, that is not for you, Wagner is for you.

W. then added, addressing me: "Why do they all set to and curl my hair?

often my own price sent them with the piece.

I did not send them, of course—it is not my practice.

I did years ago do that thing for John Hay: copied My Captain for him: he paid me handsomely for it.

He saw the hat in my hand—thought I was impatient to go. I said: "You bet!"

Let it suffice for me that you, hearing my protest, are at liberty to use it however you choose, here

So my seeing him on way to Philadelphia is out of question. Nothing definite yet as to Wallace.

The preacher is a friend of Sloane Kennedy's: he excites my interest."

But the happiest "find" was another envelope, under my feet on the floor.

Traubel,I send only a line to give you my new address, having just moved from the house where I lived

"As I told you yesterday, I changed my order: made it 100 instead of 150 copies."

I am determined, however, to protect myself, to make my position clear.

spent most of the day arguing it over with myself: I needed you to bring me to a conclusion—to end my

We talked politics: Tom is hot about the election but I don't feel my pulse stirred a bit: even my hopes

one regard: it seems to give me a superior niceness which I have never thought of as an element in my

In the Spring Song and the Song of the Depths my orbit responded to the new attracting sun.

Imagine that I have expressed to you my sincere conviction of what I owe to you.The essay is my first

"The only other copy of Camden's Compliment I had I sent to my sister," he said.

And then, "Good night, my dear! Good night, Horace!"

(When she had started up obedient to my summons, he had called from his seat, "Come up, Anne!

My father had reinforced W. in his Goethean views. I had repeated these views from my notes.

Please don't mention my name in connection with what I write about Harlan.

Van Rensallaer.W. must have seen the big smile on my face. He looked extra pleased himself.

I turned the letter over and over in my hands.

He held my hand for an extra clasp. "Don't let our fight prejudice you against me," he said.

"I keep my troubles on a field I can control," he said, jokingly, "remembering the doctor who, called

s late work lacked in the poetic, "So does it all, that was one of the hardest jobs in my early life—to

And to my fervent, "Yes!

It makes him indignant.I mailed "Old Poets" to Morris, along with matter of my own.

W. said: "My friends there—I think Kennedy for one—say he was put up to it—that there was more in the

to The Critic piece he said again as he had said before: "It is nothing: I sent it because it was in my

Yes, I have no reason to question it: but better than all that—than anything else—seems the word of my

I was a tough—obscene: indeed, it was my obscenity, libidinousness, all that, upon which they made up

Dear Walt:I have been so ill, and so burdened with the office charge, being scarcely able to hold my

My purse and my heart are yours!" or to that effect.

written you long before, as well as after, but have been in a wretched condition with the misery in my

I don't improve in my back and legs as rapidly as I ought and am nearly as lame and heavy as you are,

Often as I have read it, I can't keep the tears out of my eyes."

White, even at my expense. Reason, Shakespearean hostility to the subject. This is a pretty note!

I wrote my mother voluminously from the War: ah! those letters! my dear, dear mother!

I had these words on my lips as I entered, "Here are all the pilgrims!"

Then towards Wallace, "I guess there's a great field for preachers and churches, but in my area there's

And of one thing I am convinced: my heart is sound, thoroughly.

My description as I went on moved him. "What a good place to go to!

Wallace, however, "I have my passage engaged, Mr. Whitman—I have put it off long enough."

W. then inquired after my own reading—also concerning the New England Magazine piece—was it not about

I remember a farce, when I was a young man, theatre-going—'The Captain's not a-Miss'—not a bad pun, as

The sweet sun has got into all my old bones." Here are a few of W.'

That's my part of the story.

Logic does very little for me: my enemies say it, meaning one thing—I say it, meaning another thing."

The public want to know whether I have been an honest servant —whether I have stuck to my guns (to their

"I was in Washington at the time—the early years of my stay there—was feeling pretty well—the paralysis

To my question he said: "Yes, Wendell Phillips thought very well of it.

As I was going he waved his hand—"My best wishes attend you, boy!" Did not stay long.

Replying to my query, said he felt "damnable." Had read Bucke's proof, which he returned to me.

I kept pegging away at my work—writing, reading, getting ready for the dinner. To W.'

And shortly down he came, Warren leading him, I ahead—he taking my hand from time to time.

Black (short-hander) who took my cues from time to time—eating meanwhile—his book on his knee, unseen

(Just before coming down W. said, "Have my glass filled, Horace—do not delay.

Longaker said, "I will make my little speech to you tomorrow."

.: "GoodBye My Fancy 2d Annex to LofG". Did he propose to put his name on title-page? No.

Longaker said they had nothing at all to do with my depression, but I stopped them today.

My sleep didn't amount to a small coin.

My belly kept me awake—yes, awake and awake—which is unusual, for in my own way, as a usual thing, I

And then, "But I have just had my dinner—and ate heartily—and took a couple of swallows of the wine.

My friends!

I did put it into my pocket.

Accept my thanks.

"You've said it for me: that's the substance of my philosophy.

My p. o. address remains the same. I am quite well and hearty.

You know my bright particular friend there, Julius Chambers, is now on the World.

W. said for his own part: "I am persuaded that my painter has not yet arrived.

My sympathies all go out towards the outcast." I asked him again about his toast to the Queen.

But in my philosophy—in the bottom-meanings of Leaves of Grass-there is plenty of room for all.

And I, for my part, not only include anarchists, socialists, whatnot, but Queens, aristocrats."

W. was not asleep—at once accosted me on my entrance—reached forth his hand—seemed indeed bright in speech

W. frequently broke in on my descriptions to say: "Well, that is beautiful to hear!"

The Century under Gilder has always accepted my pieces and paid for them.

Some of my friends have quarrelled with the editors but they have never done it with my consent.

I am well satisfied with my success with titles—with Leaves of Grass, for instance, though some of my

You have saved my books: I could not do these books without assistance.

I remember when I was a young man one of my placards for remembrance—for every-day contemplation—was

To postpone my own pleasure to others' convenience, My own convenience to others' comfort, My own comfort

to others' want, And my own want to others' extreme need.

I must have it in memoranda there in my note books"—pointing to the table.

"I was sure I had laid it carefully for you here—but, as usual, my best care would not save it."

Remarked with considerable vehemence: "This starts my ire again: I think, here these papers will go to

Yet I can send a book straight through to Europe on the single postage: it goes direct to my man, unquestioned

Yet as if saying all along 'I've more than this in reserve: this is not the end of my string.'"

He then said: "It is my head—I have not been at all well today, though not giving up entirely.

This is my first outing—this, now, in the evening; though," and he said this rather triumphantly, "I

And when I explained, with my arguments with Bonsall and Harned against it, W. exclaimed: "Good!

Why—some of my best—in fact, my very best friends have been women."

Then: "I should like my friend Col. Cockerill, of the World, invited—Col. J.