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I said people who had seen Bucke asked me if they were related. W.: "Is it so?

"You and Bucke hang on to these things as if they were life preservers." I said: "They are."

It happens that I have lately been compiling a vol. of selections from American Poets, and had had to

I don't well know when my American Selection will be out: my work on it is done, and the rest depends

dine with us to-morrowtomorrow: I like his frank manly aspect and tone, and need not say that you were

Yet G. came of "just such hard conditions": his movements were "a puzzle to his friends abroad": "loudly

Spoke of himself as "leaning towards gain": said his books were "off" his "hands, so to speak"—"done,

The hot days were the trying ones.

the outset of our party, he would grow still and cloudy and up and unaccountably depart—but these were

Walt's eyes were full of tears. He wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his coat.

the part, The virtues implying the failings keep warm your old place in the heart: We will say you were

There is music in murmur of forest and rhythm in slapping of waves, And of such were the music and rhythm

trick of the rhyme and the tinkle are easy enough to acquire, But the insight and reading of nature were

Disbelieve since you must in the ardor of old you were first to extol, Disbelieve in the present the

this—simply because of this: because while the whole pack of so-called philosophers, scholars, learned men, were

Then: "You know, Alcott was to see me, too: they were all in some particulars much alike—Emerson, Alcott

, Thoreau: then they were different too: but they all had the same manner—a sort of aloofness: only so

Horace, you were a mere boy then: we met—don't you remember?

You were like medicine to me—better than medicine: don't you recall those days?

you were reading then like a fiend: you were always telling me about your endless books, books: I would

had I not seen that you were going straight not crooked—that you were safe among books."

bought some wild flowers from an old nigger mammy who had been all day trying to sell them in the city

When they returned they were asked what they had seen. Oh how different the stories!

Is it true that no American publisher will issue your works?

Should I go it will probably be this next April, if it were not for the Philadelphia Exhibition—which

comes back at once, of course: recovers—stands up: but the question was there—whether certain things were

eligible to understand me, would understand me—that certain other people were not to be reached—would

Was "glad to see" that there were "some who objected to be classified with reactionaries: Jefferson,

"It came a week or more ago when you were not so well: I thought it best then not to speak of it."

I asked: "What's the matter with her being the grand American mother?"

to Rome for our mothers: the grand American mother: is there anything beyond being that?"

:"That was the time when you and Swinburne were coquetting." "Coquetting, do you call it?

They were the days of my greatest theatrical application." I picked up a letter.

—as if they were in some way a verification of your work?

He had "read the letters over with avidity": had found himself "wishing there were more."

He had "been on the qui vive for the American steamers here—the Pennsylvania, the Ohio (Ohio is right

Were we to have free love? He asked me: "What do you call free love?

I was beginning to fear lest you were not so well again.

If Jesus were in London to-daytoday would he be in those churches?"

"Yes-there in Brooklyn: we were coming down what was called Washington Hill together: it was years and

objected to the negro nurses: but the Southerners seem to have settled that long ago—accepted them—were

This is upon the general subject of a needed American literature in the highest sense, and of our imaginative

When we were together in Boston I said to Emerson: 'Mr.

democracy: it peculiarly fits in with your character and your idealism: we would be surprised if it were

usually being (or always) that an inspector may be placed on the ground: many of the biggest contracts were

He said: "Redpath was one of the men in at the birth: just see when that was—1860: I had few friends

Malden, June 25th, 1860. O rare Walt Whitman!

He said Baxter and Kennedy were "thick at one time."

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

Kennedy was on The American then: The American was not a sheet calculated to open much new life to his

": "prod him on": if the thing did not work out "at any rate no one is damaged and we are where we were

that there were more of the same sort. Our country needs them.

Stopped in on my way to the city. All well there.

Would put out Dave's book so I could get it on my way over to the city to-morrowtomorrow morning.

Insisted that the cords were short.

There were four or five envelopes indicating his appointments under the government at Washington.

He found certain passages marked; and there were marks by and upon passages all through the book.

At that time there were traveling phrenologists—they came into the villages, or big business centers,

what were his powers? pshaw! and so forth. But he was not to be downed.

The young men were hilarious—took off the bandage—released the phrenologist.

Of all the dear, dear friends of those days, Nellie, William, were dearest, dearest."

He looked at me: his eyes were full of tears. He turned away.

September weather, wondering how it is with you, dreaming of that September eight years ago when you were

He has come over, I think, to stay a year or so—will settle—get a room or two rooms in the city and put

Any edition American or English which for any reason whatever is abridged is abhorrent and inexcusable

My dear Sir, Some years ago when I had occasion to address you, you were so good as to say you should

The American agent to whom my last application for this was forwarded says: "I don't think there is an

Talcott is not an American by birth—Syrian, I think: born, however, of English or American parents."

When they were brought W. said: "No—they won't do—they don't satisfy me for shape: I like a shapely envelope

No copies were ever taken. It is here still.

Here it is: "'The touch of flame—the illuminating fire—the loftiest look at last, O'er city, passion,

The enemies did not understand you, but the people with blood by and bye got a notion that you were some

It is seen at its damnedest in the big cities—New York, Philadelphia, Chicago: but it is bad no matter

story beautifully; indeed, I think the best part of Phillips was in the asides, the digressions; they were

The American white and the Southern black will mix but not ally.

In one of these were the French and here were those great women—a full acceptance of them.

True, the first copies imported into this country were at the order of the undersigned; but that, it

Charles Aldrich of Webster City, Iowa: he told us of his interview with you shortly before he crossed

After all, Horace, we were a family—a happy family: the few of us who got together, going with love the

same way—we were a happy family.

The crowd was on the other side but we were on our side—we: a few of us, just a few: and despite our

Mass.Jan. 6th, 1865.My dear Friend.I have been thinking much of you lately and wondering where you were

s eyes were large with desire. "What's that? What have you there?"

go to the North Pole to do things—some go to wars—some trade and swindle: we just stayed where we were

It is an American fact—would please Gilder to know about: this wouldn't 'gall' Gilder—God bless 'im!

He added: "The exact words were good enough.

me the final proofsheets of the passages which I selected from Walt's poetry for the Library of American

Webster & Co. 3 East 14th str., New York City?

I have given Walt twelve.)So I begin with the American note—the New World; then the cosmic and radical

destination.My love and constant honor to the grand old bard of whom the last tidings that reached me were

gratified: for, you know, I am for Cleveland: he goes in my direction," Harned queried: "I thought you were

I think some of our American voters are an unlikely lot.

all be read in due time, with sincere gratitude to the donor.Both your letters also reached me, and were

Davis and Musgrove were sitting in the kitchen talking together.

I told him you were probably away in the country. I liked the looks of Boston much.

We were at Alcott's only a few minutes. He spoke in a friendly way about you &c.

They were oh! so fine!

They were on politics. W. radical—said: "The parties are getting behind the age."

Harned pointed to the stove on which were a couple of bottles. "Who sent you the wine, Walt?"

The letters were to Freiligrath, Buchanan (two), Carlyle and John Morley.

I will put them here in the order in which they were pinned together.

appreciate them, and do not hesitate to accept and respond to them in the same spirit in which they were

The books were piled in the next room on the shelf. I offered to get a copy.

your interest in sports—ball, chiefest of all—base-ball particularly: base-ball is our game: the American

and hear the bells; Get up and see the flying flags, and see the splendid sun, For you it is the cities

safe, the fearful trip is done, The wonderous ship, the ship divine, its mighty object won, And our cities

And cities shout and thunder—but my heart.

The best renderings of Hugo were Mrs. Gilchrist's.

W. received a copy of the concluding symposium piece in The American: The Poetry of Walt Whitman: a Rejoinder

They were very shrewd: they found us out in a great secret.

Told him I had sent The American to Doctor Bucke.

Frank is himself way above that American paper in style and size—way above it.

Their home was a sort of asylum (like old churches, temples) when so many homes were closed against me

They were like the Gilders—they were not afraid even in the days of greatest outcry to ask me round,

They were precious days! I can never forget them: precious, sacred days."

Tom spoke of its value: "It must have been worth four dollars, American money, at least."

(Afterwards when Burroughs and Gilchrist and Harned were with us he suddenly picked his notebook up from

No discussion because all were free traders, except, perhaps, Harned, whose faith in the tariff is not

He said: "It seemed as if all the fiends out of hell were loose: some bright particular devils sent here

canny—perhaps laying too much stress on that point: canny to that degree, I might say, that if it were

I don't remember where we were when he gave me that picture"—pointing to the wall—"whether it was in

Also June 11 enclosing Song of the Universal—American Humor—Souther letter &c.

"Bucke says your letters are better today than any time since you were taken sick." "Ah!

I said to W.: "Were you sorry to see John go?"

"Yes and no: yes—because it would be nice to have him live nearer: no—because we were about talked out

whether the following might not be a good form of Title-page:"Walt Whitman's Poems Selected from the American

I said to W.: "I've been waiting to hear the big story you were going to tell me."

Yet Americans are sometimes very actively exclamatory—perhaps not the most so and yet just as surely

There's no use talking, they were both bad eggs—Jane, Thomas: bad eggs indeed.

and he never saw radicalism clearly: all the radicals, democrats—no matter how disinterested, pure—were

There were tears in my eyes.

They were from Nelly O'Connor, William O'Connor, Cyril Flower, Henry Clapp, Sylvester Baxter, and W.'

I always felt that Longfellow had his reasons and reasons and that they were sufficient whatever they

were."

The fact is the books went to his London address and were not forwarded.Yours affectionately,Cyril Flower

Even some of my friends here said, go: and some were angry when I decided not to: but my own heart never

had abilities way out of the common: he seems to be forgotten except for the few men and women who were

The folks were in a state of quiet anxiety about him. Trouble with his stomach.

Davis sat on the sofa and they were talking together. W. sat in his chair, his hat on.

income, where I could have you often with me, than all the dissipations and amusements of this great city—O

and the blessing of God on you by night and day my darling boy.W's last words to me to-nighttonight were

Gilchrist was left with four young children, alone: her perplexities were great.

as a sort of postscript: 'How curiously the traveling Englishman is like the best of our educated Americans

what I'm able to catch on the fly I find he is better pleased with Chicago than with the Eastern cities—finds

The great vast bulk of a city weighs on the senses like a nightmare, but if one don't care a button for

"What is your city with its temples and walls?

My dear Walt—Nine years ago I delivered before a German Society of New York city a lecture on American

it partly.I have been staying here for a week and shall leave in two or three days; but back in the city

They were absurdly warped: everything that should have been straight was crooked.

More than that, these fellows had the advantage at the start of knowing what they were after.

society—send it to the devil or some other—knock things all helter-skelter: but he's a good fellow—and they were

I quoted Robert Porter's logic—if American steel rails cost thirty two fifty per ton and English twenty

two fifty why not buy the American output and keep both money and rails on this side the Atlantic and

But we must take each step with exceeding care.

On Christmas you were wanted to make the dinner at home perfect. We all spoke of you.

s face was very grave and there were tears in his eyes.

American &c? Also expressed great pleasure in M.'s opinion that St. G.'

Yet it is not to be forgotten that there were circumstances attending the production of the book which

Whitman—the things he had been dreaming about embodied right here in this modern world and in an American—it

He had "cuts here and there and everywhere"—and when he wanted them they were never available.

He "had no idea where the 1854 and butterfly plates were deposited."

He commended McKay for his Americanism.

"Except in cases like Pepys and Shakespeare he confines himself to American books."

There were several odd portraits in the same package. Handed a Sarony picture to me.

Dave had certain "canny" ways which were "bound to put him on top."

McKay had asked, how many copies N.B. were to be sent to papers?

.: "What were you advising him to do?" "Oh!

appeared there in pieces, extracts, bits, expurgations—except, of course, where they bought the American

success of the enterprise my kindest respects to yourself personally.Asked W.: "Did you never feel you were

what radical Massachusetts was too good to do conservative Pennsylvania was bad enough to do, and we were

In this case the wives were on my side. Alma, the present Mrs.

above officers have been promoted from the ranks for brave conduct on the field, and both are now, or were

I am sorry I did not know you were going yesterday, because we could have arranged all better than now.Preserve

The rest were only reported to me by a tolerably inaccurate young man; but the drift was certainly as

I thought the American edition was made in Philadelphia?

"I don't know: by our old contracts there were settlements to be made every six months—May first, November

"I wrote to the City Surveyor about it a year ago, and he said he would have it set right—but has not

When we were together in Washington he was one of the lithest men you ever saw—like Dave McKay, a little

you do go, you must see William Bell Scott, the painter and poet, the first (unless Dante Rossetti were

He asked: "Who were they"? and then: "They were curious, were they?—curious to know how I am?"

be responsible for me, well and good: but as for them—they would have no Walt Whitman: their skirts were

There were three letters—one a draft from W. to Ellis and two from Ellis in return.

got the books I send you one of the special copies printed on fine paper, of which only twenty-five were

knows what it is hard to think the Cardinal don't know—knows that the popes, take them all in all, were

I asked W.: "Were you a trifle hard on Sumner just now?"

After considerable uncertainty he became a maker of school-books—books of a superior cast: they really were

By the way, the Johnstons were here the other day—did I tell you? No?

Johnston is very bright—very American."

W. said on this point: "It is of course not true—there were other things in that article not true: Stedman

These particular women were of the large sort—came because they were sympathetically, emotionally, moved

I had to look out for something: there were reasons why boarding was not to be desired: I saw this house

Great wounds as it were over the face of it—ruins at every corner—streets blackened with petroleum.

So many thousands are in deep mourning that this gives as it were a funeral touch to it all.

April—then to return here again where my address will be— Your two letters duly reached me at the time and were

, the Sun man, on the street: it was in New York: it was at a period when Dana's public utterances were

"Good for you: you were in luck: you made a providential escape: for a fellow with your rebel independence