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Bucke says, "I confess my opinion of Mrs. Davis is entirely changed in the last 48 hours."

W. called Warrie quite often for the water, at one time saying, "Lift my head a little higher, boy,"

and again, "Put my leg in the bed, Warrie"—the leg hanging out and he unable to withdraw it.

s on my way home. Found him very comfortable—looking well—reporting himself so-so.

And I was willing for that to let all my profit go—and more if it was necessary."

gesturing with great energy and saying to me—"I wish I really could repeat the lines—they are noble—have my

I had a fall last evening and dislocated my left shoulder (it was the right arm last time, three months

It is very kind of you to say you would like to see my translation and that Walt Whitman himself would

I have made up my opinion from our frequent talks: it seems to explain and justify you fully."

I had read the paper on Poe on my way over in the morning. I was very vehemently against S.'

I said: "I alluded to Stoddard in my letter to Doctor this morning." W.: "Did you?

I feel that my work is to carry on what you have begun.

You have opened the way: my only desire is to go onward with it.

s room with a big bundle under my arm. Ten of the books ready—had got them from Oldach.

W. exclaimed, seeing me enter loaded, "Here is my book at last! Into harbor at the end of day!

things to say further of George Eliot and George Sand, W. remarked, "If it did not seem like treason to my

Leaves of Grass—or most of us—and it keeps just the same as ever or improves, like good wine.Give my

It would have proved me a fool—a fool in my old age, after the war and the toil and the saving.

With my bundle and Bush (Bush having brought bundle to office) we hastened the several doors to Ingersoll's

My ire was stirred. Give him my name! He will see nobody! Give him my name—Traubel! He is busy.

Take my name to him—yes—you must—he will see me.

And to complete the fall, Baker at this instant entered from the hall, came eagerly forward, grasped my

"Give my love to the old man. But never mind—I shall see you again!"

I had in my hands a package of his circulars, from Ferguson. "What's that?" he asked.

And on my rendering over, said: "It looks well—and on good paper, too!"—so was quite satisfied.

Eats now, sleep— "have my very bad hours, of course"—but on the whole is "out of danger."

Again: "Beecher once said to me: 'I thank my good fortune that nature almost from the first possessed

but if I had the path to go over again—knowing what I know now—I should put that among the first of my

I said: "That 'sThat's my idea for Leaves of Grass—that 'sthat's the book I mean."

I shall keep my eyes wide open; and the volume with O'C.'

W. reading the Century—and after cordially extending his own and grasping my hand—spoke freely of the

On the other hand the Emerson picture—much spoken of—is a failure—at least, that would be my opinion.

"My first impression was that the Republican position was right—but since I have seen various signs of

I am not inclined to change from my old position.

"I have always had a suspicion they were not related, but my suspicion never rose to a certainty."

His mail like my own—scarce. I had no letter concerning W.'

Described to him my talk with Arthur and its result.

Our talk pretty brief though I was there with him for some time—he holding my hand, I his.

Upon my rising to leave, he finally suggested, "Make your contract with Arthur just as if it was for

yourself—I could not make my own ideas clearer by telling you more."

"It helped me on my feet." Gave me letter, "I had it from Bucke today"—and another—an old one.

W. said about himself: "I still have trouble with my head but it is no worse."

W. said: "But my point of view is also O'Connor's—or, rather, his is mine."

Clifford wrote today: "My love to Walt. 'Dear Walt Whitman!'

A bandaged hand prevents my writing, and everything is in arrears with me.W.S.K.'

As soon as I get the free use of my hand, I will write to him, as you suggest.

reading an account of it: and of Mars and Jupiter and Venus: I never used to miss them: often spend my

I would sometimes try my eyes on the most distant visible stars—the familiar stars."

outdoors: that's the worst aspect of my confinement."

W. asked him to "give my love" to Mrs.

then I've a good man on my side, haven't I?" Picked up the Bucke portrait again.

In my mail, which I sat down and read, was this letter from Baker: Law Office, Robert G.

Ingersoll45 Wall StreetNew York, Feby 19.th 1892 My dear Traubel:How is the dear, good and great one?

Those lines, beautiful, true, horrible, stick in my memory. I would not forget them if I could.

My stay brief. Expressed his liking for the Dutch piece "as it shows up in the paper."

Take it to your mother—give it to her—it is from me, my love goes with it," etc.

W.: "That is just my question, but you have Chadwick—he can't answer you—that is enough."

Still harping on my daughter. Spoke of the News piece again.

"Hardly: sermons are hardly my specialty."

These are all that have reached my hands up to date: there may possibly be something besides in the hands

The last person on the list, R.B.C., is Earl Russell: he writes me: "I do not wish my name to be published

As luck would have it, W. rang shortly after my arrival and we went into the room together.

He had my list—over 50—the main body foreign.

I had the first proof of the poems in my pocket—gave to him.

I may not be able to read them before evening—evening is my best time: from eleven to five are my worst

Wishes my father to see them. Shall forward to Bucke.

One of my deep joys is to see my own thought well expressed by another, hence I am grateful to you for

TraubelI am almost glad of my delay in sending you my cheque, since it has given me the opportunity to

Pray excuse a hurried note; my profound love to Walt; my love also to your wife & youElisabeth Fairchild

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.

"I do not think any trace of such a thing is to be found in me—in my book—in Leaves of Grass: I know

it has never animated me—put me by a straw's measure to right, to left: altered my career, life, work

verified—there is no mystery there to clear up: that is all thorough, authentic—substantially from my

W. said: "Maurice says the new leaves and flowers will be my best medicine when spring comes.

It aroused my ire: has a scurrilous little paragraph on the Colonel: a mean, dirty little paragraph:

: "It is very companionlike of her to say that: I thank her deeply: such goodwill serves to appease my

I folded it and put it away in my pocket. W. asked: "Well: have you any thoughts about it?"

I knew it as well as I do my own.

Now, I can do my business either in the morning or the afternoon, and if you could be at the house with

My call is merely social but as I might never see him again, I count on it greatly.

If not, I shall go straight to Camden.I shall carry an alligator-skin satchel, with my initials in silver

When I came in I stood a moment—he did not see me: then seemed to wake to my presence with a start, shook

At my assent, writing therein.

s—and when into his room, found him, eyes open, alive to my presence.

Fairchild's letter, received last night: Boston, Jan. 12.My dear Mr.

and my trumpet-call to the end of my life.Will you tell him this?

—and that my thoughts are often with him in love and veneration.

And again, "Bless her and give her my love!"

But in the end still insisted, "My view is, that the Doctor will dismiss it—at least, not like it."

No word of my proof from Stoddart yet. W. getting impatient.

Thought he would have to come up and see my father's picture. Left with him Harper's Weekly.

me about the fire last night: it was a lumber yard along the wharves; he was very much interested in my

But then," he said doubtingly, after a slight pause: "since that draft business I don't trust my memory

I blurted out at once so he should remain in no uncertainty: 'I 'mI'm afraid my friend that I hope it

, but when a sample like this comes along with his numerous arogances I am up in arms again full of my

I read it to him.>333 Liverpool Road, Apr. 11, '76 Dear Dixon: I forgot to acknowledge in my last the

On my return from Philadelphia in evening—6:30—I stopped in for a few minutes. The day uneventful.

Somehow, something in my throat—some obstreperation—it brings back that cork: a dozen times a day it

He held my hand all this time and pressed it again and again.

"If you write to Doctor, give him my love: and to Ingersoll, too—yes, and to Ned Stedman."

"Throw a cloth or quilt over my whole bed. It is getting chilly here." Mrs.

to send you two prose books of Carpenter's which I have lately read & like immensely.Please to give my

If Walt is well enough to heed, give him my dearest & tenderest love—always the same.

Give him my warmest love & tell him I am again in my little skiff coasting up & down his shores.

"Yes, my best respects!

Held my hand warmly on departure. "Bless you, boy! This is a hard monotony to bear!"

about "Demeter," and he answered: "It is gone already—Tom was in today and took it along—took it at my

"But the points that took my time, mainly, were in debates on infant damnation, heathen damnation: it

December 3, 1867.My dear Mr.

I cannot and will not consent of my own volition to countenance an expurgated edition of my pieces.

I boil: burn up: but often I keep my mouth shut: I am a slow mover: I don't hurry even in my tantrums

That infernal damned meter's getting on my nerves.

"My head and my heels tell me so."

It was a portrait supplement—years ago—and what you see below there—reproduced from my own hand—out of

Saturday, January 30, 1892In my forenoon visit to W.

Had just got a letter from Ingersoll at the Post Office on way down, but I did not leave it, as was my

(My telegram was: "Whitman see you briefly at 12 o'clock tomorrow morning.")At first W. said he would

"In spite of my request for an antique or black letter, Dave has carefully avoided them.

Traubel.Daniel Longaker Was over yesterday specifically at my request. Saturday, January 30, 1892

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

Called my attention to the book in his hand.

"This is one of my countless memorandum books—I have had hundreds of them—this is a Washington one—now

Bucke made some suggestions as to head-line for my Whitman essay thus: I hope great things from your

I explained that they would not fall in line with the personal flavor of my paper.

But I ought to add of this, as I would of my own writing—you are the man who is writing it, or I am,

I took my seat again (had been around looking over his shoulder) when he started again.

My personal meetings with Kennedy were mostly here: he came over often to see me: little trips, talks

"I shall write out my ideas: make a memorandum of them: but say at the same time, throw these overboard

I repeated my idea of a cover.

W. said: "Yes, I am in favor of calf: anything rather than vellum: the order of my instructions would

"It is very good of them: say, I respond to it—give them my love."

And to my "yes" he inquired, "What line does he write on?"

And after my reply and my saying that "they all seem to be coming round," he faintly laughed (and choked

My love goes out to him!"

"That is right: that is my habit."

I made up my mind from the first that at a time when all literature was sickly with plaints, moan, sillinesses

"Here are my lots—I like these—I'll come out some day and buy half a dozen."

following letter: Your letter to Walt Whitman, which he has shown to me, has raised this question in my

mind, whether my inference be true, that you will expunge the paragraph or paragraphs referred to rather

evening—from Baltimore sooner than expected.W. still reading the Lincoln matter, saying, "I adhere to my

very free, yet making no emphatic statements either way, except now and then to express some assent to my

As for the litter—that is of my own choosing: I need not have that except as I elect to have it—I could

And I am sure—notwishstanding Hamlin Garland's fear, I am most blessed in my Camden friends: who more

"I am almost strong tonight—this has been my best day in five weeks." Mitchell over today.

to be the habit of some of the papers—some do it still when they want to fling themselves—to refer my

illness back to my dissipations.

in its literature, stands by the French—insists upon French supremacy: and William, you know, of all my

It took me some time to get down, or up, to my proper measure—to take my own measure—that is, a long

—where we had tea—my brother Lothario (in Government printing office) stopping in while we sat eating

(I engaged with my brother to meet me early tomorrow: we would walk together.)Mrs.

W. said, "It is a good book—it has my cordial regard right through.

Asked me again of "my Jew constituency"—the young fellows, etc.

Who knows but after all the youth are my natural friends?"

And after my reply: "Oh! that they may know about it 60 years hence."

I started something with that end in view, but my condition at the time was rather dubious, so that I

"My writing has been clear from the start—almost from boyhood: not beautiful, but legible."

He called my attention to a letter from the West and called it "empty".

I can never know when the door will be banged shut in my face."

They are not my ideals but they are ideals—very lofty ideals." Saturday, July 21, 1888.

Again, "This Dudley—all this settlement—is new since the days I came out in my own rig."

"glad" for my suggestion that the head seemed hunched on the shoulders.

Much of my reason for going would be, the weather, my condition, the case of transportation—this probably

It is, in my eyes, a valuable volume—peculiarly valuable, unique,—I might almost call it sweet—for two

"I shall send it—or let you send it—just as comes up as most convenient and easy—fits in with my mood

speeches of Gilder, Hawthorne, Bonsall, Garland, Eyre, and he will examine, suggest, and return to my

Armory Sq Hospital,Sunday Evening Oct 4Dear Madam,Your letter reached me this forenoon with the $30 for my

Who put you on to my secret?" "It's not even a secret—anybody might know it who looked."

My nature, my temperament, my blood, should take me close to the Teuton."

Here was my first tally of life—here were my first tries with the lute—in that book I am just like a

for two hours on my tin horn."

My note about Trumbull, with a reply from Trumbull, in Open Court. I left paper with W.

He facsimile'ed it for the Review without my knowledge—not asking if I approved, though it was done out

my voice is all nature, pure, true—and whose teacher told her at the very start—do you know, my girl,

"It is the same story with those fellows: pork and beans is my dish, therefore you must like it—but no

The way to do is, to put it all on my shoulders—that is the surest way out—I am the one who should have