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Louis, Mo., Jan. 26th, 1888 My dear Jessie My darling girl , I enclose you a check for $50, hoping it

before you leave Burlington I got home from Ark yesterday, after a pretty hard time—I had to abandon my

I suppose I shall be gone about a week  Mr Smith of Leavenworth was at my office on Monday last and came

to—No I must make the best of what is wanted now—I presume I shall have lots of time after awhile— Well my

place—and if he does I would like to have you go Nothing new with me—I am feeling fairly well—except I have my

writing a little to order—got up late to-day—had chocolate & buckwheat cakes with quince jelly for my

Street)—Nothing very new or different—arctic cold here for the last fortnight—best regards to you & my

My sister has gone home. My brother is busy in the shop; & the children in school.

She dont exactly see why I can not do my work here.

I shall bring on my bust of her when I come.

My brother's wife died some years ago, leaving 3 children.

He says my copy is quite as good as the original. I dont think so myself, tho' it aproximates.

might insure the publication of the book; for purchasers of L. of G. are of all most likely to buy my

He says my copy [this picture] is quite as good as the original.

Camden Feb: 11 '88 My dear friends WSK & JB I send you Dr Bucke's letter from Florida just rec'd with

if slowly—this is the most nipping winter I have ever had—at present am sitting here by the fire in my

little front room—have had my late breakfast (I rise late these cold days) of chocolate & buckwheat

My dear Sir, Yours of 27 January, and Leaves of Grass, received.

I hope that you did not consider my request for your photograph impertinent.

and therefore my allusion to it.

that I did my best—however—perhaps I soared too high—in addressing Barbarians.

I had told Dowden of my not having received any reply to my cards or letters and my apprehension that

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

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

since that ill spell—Nothing special or new with me—bitter cold just now here, but sun shining to day—My

visitors—Morse still away west—the Smiths going to London early in summer—Mrs D[avis] has just been in to see to my

coal & to say we are to have apple pudding for dinner—it is chilly here as I finish this—my little bird

Bucke is in Florida to return in ten days—An old Quaker has paid me a visit to-day (I am yet writing my

I am sitting here anchor'd in my big chair all day—Write when you can— W W Walt Whitman to William Sloane

evening now planning out this large reception w 33 friends to see your portrait, that I spoke of in my

Give my kind rememberances to Morse, when you are writing, I expect to show his bust along with my others

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

The discussion after my paper, in which Sanborn took a main part, was full of interest, & there was a

general agreement with my position, & that part based on Leaves of Grass in especial.

them)—I enclose Ernest Rhys's letter, just rec'd —also two letters for you—I believe they still print my

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ellen Emerson, and Sanborn: "There was a general agreement with my position."

Feb 22. 1888 Richmond - Ind Dear Walt; Last night was my first real attempt at the kind of splurge we

I began by a ten minute reading as a sort of "prayer" or prelude, & then turned to my clay & modeled

I had your photos there—& many others, with my busts of Hicks, Sumner, Emerson, & my little head of mother—We

I wish I had photos of my big busts of you & of the statuette, negatives small size fit for stereopticon

Next Sunday's Register will print my opening remarks & give a account of the evening I shall send you

Have had my supper—& all right—Your letters rec'd— W W Walt Whitman to Richard Maurice Bucke, 23 February

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

Far back, related on my mother's side, Old Salt Kossabone, I'll tell you how he died; (Had been a sailor

—these his the last words—when Jenny came, he sat there dead; Dutch Kossabone, Old Salt, related on my

the opposition & resentment at L of G. is probably as concentrated & vital & determined in New York (my

known— —I am sitting here all alone to-day—I do not eat dinner these short days—only breakfast & supper—my

appetite fair—had some buckwheat cakes & raw oysters for my breakfast.

Mebbe Maybe no, & mebby maybe yes," quoth my Italian. I sent Mrs.

Davis the Register with report of my modeling in the church.

I fear my hero belongs to an impossible age.

What 'hinders my going over the whole country?

My health is "boss," & I feel like raging about. Keep so, so.

My canary is singin' away as I write. Walt Whitman to Sidney H. Morse, 28 February 1888

After the dazzle of Day After the dazzle of day is gone, Only the dark dark night shows to my eyes the

stars; After the clangor of organ majestic, or chorus, or perfect band, Silent, athwart my soul, moves

My Canary Bird

mentions in a letter to Richard Maurice Bucke on February 16, 1888: "it is chilly here as I finish this—my

I have to apologize for a slight inaccuracy which crept into my article.

Ferry, I dashed off the enclosed Sonnet, which I take the liberty of send to you, the rather to gratify my

Have heard nothing yet from Lippencott Lippincott and have done nothing further about my piece but all

I am afraid you will think my promise to write to you was not sincere but I have had very little time

to myself for letter writing but now that I have set about to redeem my word I hope it will be welcome

To begin at the beginning of my visit I spent nearly three weeks in New York with Mr. & Mrs.

my visit so far very much.

about and turn my face once more towards Burlington.

If you have, I wish you would give me a line of introduction to him for my brother Bertie (Albert) who

Next week (as you will see by my enclosed circular) I am to speak in Chickering Hall on Literary London—rather

Browning has just been here & says you wish something more specific & defined in my relations and pay

March 7: '88 I was really astonished to hear my quondam college mate—young Henry Norman —was the one

I was in the first flush of my enthusiasm for you; had just read you for the first time, & after a while

matter increases my esteem.

Charity, charity, man, I keep saying (& think of my own grievous sins).

I send you a Transcript marked, and also send you my love in unlimited quantities.

have a few autograph letters that I preserve by putting carefully in the front, that gives them to my

Have done nothing more with my W.W. paper, shall rewrite it as soon as I get a little time (a mighty

continuous subscription, safely rec'd —I am in good heart & still writing a little but near the end of my

I used it at my talk last week. Think I shall put up another for my own use.

I find I can co-operate with them & do my work on common ground.

My exhibition will include a variety of things.

I am going to send for my Cleveland statue & your bust.

I felt like doffing my hat to old Dame nature.

Camden March 15 '88 Everything continuing on ab't the same with me—was out to dinner at my friends the

here—the throat trouble still—otherwise well—O'C[onnor] is taking massage treatment —the H[erald] has paid my

Whitman occasionally referred to Stafford as "My (adopted) son" (as in a December 13, 1876, letter to

Camden 9 P M March 19 '88 I was out yesterday to my friends the Harneds , & took a 3 or 4 mile drive

It is now some two years ago since your poems were first brought under my notice (by my friend Mr A.

Ladell Balls) and their effect upon my life from that time has been most marked.

dark wet day—raining hard outside as I sit here by the window—am feeling pretty well—have just had my

unawares—invites to swell dinners (or societies &c) invariably declined—Am idle & monotonous enough in my

weeks & life here—but upon the whole am mighty thankful it is no worse—my buying this shanty & settling

D[avis] to cook for me, might have been bettered by my disposing some other way —but I am satisfied it

March 24/88 Dear Mr Whitman My father and other members of the "Society of Old Brooklynites" are anxious

& my works' future—the backward & contemporary reference.

less evidences of gradual physical deterioration —but spirits good—appetite &c fair—& you know I begin my

70th year now in ab't two months—thank God indeed that things are as well as they are & that I & my

fortunes (literary & otherwise) are—Rainy & dark & raw here all day—I was out yesterday four hours to my

friends the Harneds —was taken & bro't back in my phæton —a lull in my Herald contributions —I send

My dear father-confessor, I feel a strong desire to be clasped closer to yr your breast, to know my friend

—Well, there, my eye lights on my memorandum of it.

I have not time to copy out my translation. affec. as always W.S.

I offer my congratulations in advance.

that item about my reading proofs) before I give him the MS.

Kennedy has not crossed my sight very recently; I hope to spend an evening with him before I leave.

young fellows over there, who have written lately, have also sent greetings & love, to which adding my

Sunday noon April 8 '88 It is very pleasant & sunny to-day & I am going out in the rig abt 1 o'clock to my

champagne—I enjoy everything—Nothing new with me—there seems to be some hitch in the Herald's publ'ng my

My health though poor is "the same subject continued"—I enc: K[enne]dy's letter from Wilson —(not important

cold cutting true sea brine)—I have not heard a word of the Worthington suit in N Y —not a word from my

Kennedy had written to Whitman: "Rhys continues his schemes on society's pocket-book, & demoralizes my

advance— I am still living here & comfortable & in good spirits enough but probably near the end of my

All my Herald bits will be included in November Boughs & I will send an early proof of all to you—As

I write I am sitting here in my big chair by the window (I have open'd it a few moments—it is near sunset—air

am quite immobile & don't get out except by being toted —a bunch of white lilies is in the window & my

My dear Sir: Would you be willing to entertain a proposition to cross this Autumn to England and deliver

From facts in my possession I am quite sure that you would be very successful for the cultured class

My friend and yours, R.

locomotion power & in more liability to head & stomach troubles & easiness of "catching cold" (from my

just past noon & I am told I am to have a good rice pudding made in a big earthenware baking dish for my

S. & Alice are going to London to live— a big bunch of white lilies scents the room & my little canary

you have a chance you may show this to Mary Costelloe & Wm William Rossetti —to both of whom I send my

Whitman occasionally referred to Stafford as "My (adopted) son" (as in a December 13, 1876, letter to

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

especially such as this one: I was sitting at breakfast yesterday morning, when the lines came into my

longing to send you a word, but you can't imagine how hard it is for me to rouse myself to write, in my

my wretched lameness prevents me from exerting myself as I want to.

Despite my illness and inanition, I am all agog for the result.

"O for the light of another sun, With my Bazra sword in my hand!"

Heyden's "The Last Words of Al-Hassan" contains the lines "O Allah, for the light of another sun, / With my

noon April 18 '88 All goes as well & monotonously as usual (No news is good news)—I got up late, ate my