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morning—thanks—Nothing very new with me—I continue well—have had the best summer for several years—My

I think Mrs Stafford is only middling—(I havn't haven't been at White Horse now for a fortnight) —My

My dear friend, Your contribution of $20 for the soldiers in hospital, sick or wounded, has been received

I wish you health, my friend, in body & in spirit. Farewell.

Troy March 7th 65 Your last letter from Washington in the paper lying on my lap—Your book in the hands

of my friend Lucy who sits there by the window reading it in the morning sunshine.

328 Mickle St Camden June 9 '85 Dear Harry & Dear Eva I am still badly lamed by my turned ankle of six

venture—all right—But think twice about the monthly periodical project— Nothing specially new with me—I like my

Ye Painte Shoppe, 1833 Spruce Street Philadelphia My Dear Mr.

Whitman, My small colored boy is the bearer of a note to Mr.

328 Mickle street Camden June 16 '86 My dear friend Enclosed I send my piece in Thorndike Rice's just

But a few moments ago in an unknown country paper a paragraph with a "fling" at your poetry attracted my

undefined purpose of assuring you of the love and reverence in which you are held by thousands, I took up my

Jan 26/92 For Mr Walt Whitman My father thanks you cordially for yr new edition of 'Leaves of Grass'—

With my greetings for the New Year.

about 1 Dec '68 My dear walter Walter i have just got your letter with the order and am much Obliged

pain and nerviousness nervousness i wish i could be with her but it is impossible at present as i have my

I should accept with thanks from your hands any contribution from my Irish friends (Prof.

Yes, I should like to see the article in the Quarterly My late bad spell of sickness seems to have passed

My Dear Friend, I think I have all of your books (2 or 3 Editions of some) except the last, —specified

in my former note, —which alone I intended to ask for.

Dear Sir, Please accept my enclosed check for one hundred dollars.

I am your debtor for the pleasure I derived from reading your poems, last month, on my return voyage

My friend Years have gone past since I have seen that face of my friend dear Walt. Whitman.

day—feels Spring—but I am suffering from the grip —it has caught me at last—am sitting here alone in my

how—it is pretty heavy here crippled here this way, week after week)—write a little—expect to speak my

My Complete Works , ab't 900 pp Vol: will be put to press nearly contemporaneously with the Nov.

recover strength or personal activity or any thing of that sort, the least particle—I have not left my

to substitute the services of the bearer Walter Godey , in the office, for the present, instead of my

I would ask you to put him at my desk and give him a trial—on some letters first, before giving him the

last year—good spirits (sort o') but physically disabled almost utterly—Fine sunny days I get out in my

wheel chair for an hour or two—generally however am anchored here in my big ratan chair with the wolf-skin

rheumatism (or neuralgia)—I count on its soon passing over, & leaving me about the same possession of my

—I have just got a letter from Johnston, the jeweler, asking me to come on to his house, & make it my

here—still just holding on—sometimes (perhaps a quarter of the time) tolerably fair—the rest, by the skin of my

My new edition 2 Vols Volumes is out & bound, & pictured & autographed .

Camden New Jersey March 27 p m My dear friend I could not conveniently come to the West Phil: Depot—I

nice dinner party, all men, artists, &c, Horace Furness, (a good fellow)—his brother Frank, architect —my

editor, would, (I quote,) like to keep & use an original three-page poem sent him from me, but demurs to my

I repeat that I distinctly reserve the right of printing the piece in a future edition of my poems.

The Brown habitues were more to my taste.

he came to Brown's studio though not in my time.

If my friends would understand me— if the group of my friends wished to recognize the salient meanings—if

My own choice would have been hard to tell—I embrace, include, all.

my proof-desk.

adding after my reply: "I see I am all right: I often use the word and yet lose the sense of it.

It is queer, too, Childs being so unmistakably my friend.

I imagine that it is an act of religion in McKean not to patronize a man of my make.

Some of my enemies are malignants—for instance, Littlebill Winter, as O'Connor calls him, and Stoddard

He said: "I believe in the higher patriotism—not, my country whether or no, God bless it and damn the

I quoted my observation made in a discussion about W.

I am, everywhere in my talking and writing, making your claims felt and shall continue to do so.

W. exclaimed, breaking in: "Read it again: I want to get it clear in my noddle for keeps!"]

I hope to be able please you with my treatment of your great work.

That country out there is my own country though I have mainly had to view it from afar.

how often I have heard that—'my misery! my misery!'—down there in the South!

I must submit to my untoward fate."

When I got over and looked through my pockets for W.'

"I see that—I see its truth: I was quite reckless in my earlier days.

my book and what it stands for—or what they think it stands for.

"It is my invariable test of a doctor, his not too-great certainty.

Ed says W. suggested to him: "I should rather eat my crust on my own dung hill than a good meal on another's

I wrote in one of my letters to Doctor that Stedman was mad.

To Brahms I owe my redemption from the ultra-Wagnerian school.

The fact is I renewed my musical youth by his acquaintance.

Therefore have I rummaged over the garners of my observation and memory for the following anecdotes—and

When my mother was a girl, the house where she and her parents lived was in a gloomy wood, out of the

When nightfall came, and my grandfather did not return, my grandmother began to feel a little uneasy.

My grandmother sprung to the door, but upon opening it, she almost fainted in my mother's arms.

For there stood D ANDY , saddled and bridled, but no signs of my grandfather.

leaves,—"I have heard so often of this book—been spoken to so often about it—it is time I had it in my

"It is one of my books there on the floor."

"I have discarded my old comb and brush—though I rarely use a brush.

I asked W. if my observation of W.'

It has always been so: it is a part of my ancestral quality persisting and saving.

If he did he has paid me the greatest tribute of my life.

The best part of my success is that it has come while I am doing a work whose spirit is in part Whitman's

My extended travel and study of literature make me capable of speaking decisively here.Once again Hail

—adding upon my assent, "I guess they are Walsh's—yes, Walsh's."

Further, "And Stoddart, too—yes, now you remind me—by all means—and with my best affection.

I remarked my confidence that the thing would all be done Monday. W. not so confident.

"My neighbor, the grocer at the corner, sends it in.

He says, it is for my old friend, Walt Whitman.

It is now howling & pouring against my window as I write.My heart's best gratitude & love to you for

I know you will pardon my hurrying off.My love to you & yours.I gave R. K.

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.

December 28th/63 Dear brother Walt, My last letter to you was dated from Springfield Mass.

Of course I have had to keep my work up in Brooklyn just the same as if I had not been away,—had to work

a duty to our Mother for her comfort and indeed for her safty and of course I have another stake in my

That iron-clad that sunk at Charleston drownded one of my intimate friends H. W.

He was in my party on the line and was my room-mate for a year.

years  I think it would be very bad for him to be put in the lunatic assiliym...i could not find it in my

W. in bathroom on my arrival. I sat in his big chair and read till he came back.

Would not repeat my strong words. "No, I try to be more lenient with him. He can't help it!

You can realize my quick denial.

And you are right: if I have nothing to do with it, what my friends or others do I cannot help—but if

"if people would believe that I understand my own business, we would all get along better!"

Here is the letter:Farmington, Maine,Aug. 21, 1888.My dear Mr.

My own family is for calling me 'Walt'—all of my family. Dr.

"Don't that bear out my idea?"

I clapped my hands. He threw his arms out as if in acknowledgment of applause.

He laughed at my dig.

I explained my reason. Then he said with a laugh: "Bless you!"

"It was a mighty thin mess," he replied upon my questioning him, "no body to it all: only ignorance,

Give Morris my love when you see him.

He came at a time when my head was having one of its most infernal turns.

I told Johnston that Doctor Bucke had saved my life. That is true, too.

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

do I exclude you, Not till the waters refuse to glisten for you and the leaves to rustle for you, do my

"The chief end I purpose to myself in all my labours," wrote Dean Swift, "is to vex the world rather

and flows": "This day, before dawn, I ascended a hill and look'd at the crowded heaven, And I said to my

And my spirit said ' No .'"

suddenly,—reservedly, with a beautiful paucity of communication, even silently, such was its effect on my

greatest and profoundest truths are often most plain to the senses of men—in the same resemblance, my

The scene of the meeting was the school house; and having no other means of employing my time, I determined

"You are whimsical, my dear," said the matron, as she took the paper; "why do you desire so needless

"My son," she cried, in uncontrollable agony; "my son! you die!"

Whitman reused this sentence and the preceding one, beginning "My son," with minor revisions, in " The

.; Whitman reused this sentence and the preceding one, beginning "My son," with minor revisions, in "

I was so warm & snug & my nest was so well feathered; but I have really cut loose & do not expect to

so that my reference to it will not be of use to you. I help all I can here its circulation.

"the Gita" is one of my favourite Books, it is the gem of all Indian lore. it is as wide in its teachings

—but what is it that is not so. and to Carlyle and my own nature too and lastly to you and your teachings

I pause in my thoughts on all such, and gaze on them in wonderment—even with awe and silence too.— How

Will my subscription to your New Edition of your works, if sent you direct to America, be of any real

criticism . . . after full retrospect of his works and life, the aforesaid 'odd-kind chiel' remains to my

—See my other letter, & address answer Care of Strahan & Co, 34 Paternoster Road.

Robert Browning (1812–1889), known for his dramatic monologues, including "Porphyria's Lover" and "My

top of a hill, this house was difficult to heat, but as Louisa Van Velsor Whitman noted, "Jeffy makes my

asked several times where your books could be obtained & as I had sent the paper with Col H's letter to my

With kind regards of my family to you I am truly Yours &c Will W Wallace Will W.

Channing forthwith—& fulfil my promised visit to them also, before I return here—which will be about

Robert Browning (1812–1889), known for his dramatic monologues, including "Porphyria's Lover" and "My

Whitman: "Because you have, as it were, given me a ground for the love of men I thank you continually in my

"Ingersoll's Speech" of June 2, 1890, was written by Whitman himself and was reprinted in Good-Bye My

Wilson will tackle in some way my Whitman."

(choice persons,) one third women (Proceeds to me $869.45)—I went over, was wheeled on the stage in my

The preface was included in Good-Bye My Fancy (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1891), 51–53.

a splendid fellow and I trust I may often see him and the other good Bolton fellows before I finish my

I wish you had some of my physical strength, dear Walt, so that Major Pond might take you on the lecture

Dillingham Co: New York), he writes of Whitman: "Whitman gave a few readings under my management during

I had provided a big molasses pound cake for supper—but the snow was too hard, & the wind right in my

I spend quite a good deal of time, evenings & Sundays, in the office at my desk, as I can get in the

of law, mostly—but we have five or six hundred miscellaneous works—I have described to you before, my

quite bright & pleasant—I am feeling well as usual—It looks like winter at the far north as I look from my

Mason, who "used to be in my party on the Water Works."