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And further, after I had stated the main lines of my argument, "That would be just what we wished.

The odor very perceptible, the instant I opened the door, and my eyes lighted on it. "Oh!

Amy's the name of my grandmother. Amy is now out in Oklahoma or some such place West."

If I have the trick of music—verbal music—at all, I owe it to the great singers, actors: they were my

There is camerado, and my great word, Presidentiad"—with a laugh—"which some don't think so great.

"Yes, dreadfully—all over—wipe my face, please," adding the "please" after she had commenced.

It struck my heart, yet it was the hourly fear at last fulfilled.

Over my head the little bell.

I laid his hand quietly down—something in my heart seemed to snap and that moment commenced my new life—a

And I found my mother and father and Tillie still at supper and they were shocked at my news, yet could

both for magazine publication and for the 1881 edition of Leaves of Grass, where it was published as My

labeled it "Walt Whitman in his 70th year," and claimed "the picture is in the nature of a surprise: my

s face was radiant: I know he fully entered into my idea—indeed endorsed it.

W. said: "My first impulse would have been to get mad at the delay; but as you say, when I see the dishes

We discussed my idea of closing the volume with a paragraph from Sarrazin. W. took hold at once.

Greatly curious about my meeting with Franz Vetta (Louis Neumayer) today—and questioned me explicitly

Digestion is poor—poor indeed—I am in a bad way: belly, bladder, catarrh—my brain, physical brain—all

And to my questions as to how the book wore on him, he said assuringly—"Well, well!

"The wife was my friend—I was proud of her—and they had good babies—how I loved them!

And at my assent he did go on for some time.

Called my attention to a copy of The Illustrated London News sent by Pearsall Smith.

"It has parts of which I have my doubts.

My brother George knows the fraud. He was a pipe inspector there in New York.

W. called my attention to a curious circular issued by his painter, Curtz.

Said: "I have been spending one of my usual unrelieved monotonous days—feeling very well, except for

this strange, palling weight in my head, which wears down, a constant pressure upon me."

Whitman ever heard of me, or that he would care to hear, but he has my sympathy, and best wishes for

Stockton:Dictated::W. exclaimed—"Indeed I do care—all those things are touching—go straight to my heart

Bucke strengthen my faith in immortality."

"It is indeed," he said, "I know nothing that better satisfies my own feeling, conviction."

He seemed to like my opinions, judgment.

So a good part of my work was to spare him work—to go over the correspondence,—give him the juice, substance

And to Tillman himself: "And you, Tillman—take my love to the ferry boys—tell them I hope to see them

I have not so far been on the boats—but my time is near—my time is near!"

W. said: "Give him my love." A young Unitarian minister from Cambridge preaches in Camden tomorrow.

Whitman:I am very anxious not to leave this country without paying my respects to you, and bearing to

My judgment would, on the whole, the judgment I sent to The Herald, be considered unfavorable."

It more than meets my expectations: its serenity, its seriosity—which stops finely short of ministerial

You go as my representative." "All right. And what shall I say of the picture when I get there?"

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.

You have more chapters than me to write still: my last chapter is done."

I expressed my own protest, but he insisted, "Have it your own way, anyhow!"

And to my reply, "We have heard nothing for six weeks," he exclaimed, "You must write her up—find out

Then my good-bye!

My appetite is nearly all gone. I seem to have no wish to eat."

article on "The Whitman-Shakespeare Question," notes on "Good-Bye" from Miss Porter, announcement of my

W. intensely interested in my detail of it all and expressing "entire concurrence with Brinton's attitude

J.Aug. 21st 1891.My dear SirOn Oct 12th (Discovery day falls this year on Sunday) our Pan Republic Congress

My inquiries developed that he was looking for a cork to stop a little bottle on the table.

cologne, but somehow the cork is gone—utterly gone—at least for the present, and I'll have to postpone my

"The scoundrelly cork is here somewhere—but not here to my asking.

I think I inherit from my father a disinclination to throw anything away—I keep every odd and end that

And to my further saying; "It is not everybody who can paint you—" W.

And I am sure neither Gilder nor William Carey, my friends there, would refuse to give some weight to

my words in that connection.

And to my phrase "brutally natural" he said—"I like it said that way: it takes us back to the elements

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,

B. was always my friend—that his allusions were always kind—that he quoted 'Leaves of Grass' without

Hotel Caranne153, Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris 11 July, 1891 Reached Paris, exceedingly tired, but my

Send me papers and works: my permanent address is my uncle's, in the country, as follows: M.

The worst thing lately has been the clutch of my old monster—the grip.

And it fatally—almost fatally—affects my hearing.

If I talk myself, or listen to others talk, a while, I seem to lose my hearing utterly."

McKay wondered if W. expected him to publish "Good-Bye My Fancy."

The public has little to do with my acts, deeds, words.

I long ago saw that if I was to do anything at all I must disregard the howling throng—must go my own

W. at once responded, "I like that a good deal—it is exactly my idea—and now I can make myself clear.

follows: While I stand in reverence before the fact of Humanity, the People, I will confess, in writing my

I interposing—"No: you remember I testify in my article that you are sharply determined in all such minute

And that "Lincoln granted it, only said—'But my plan is, to meet each day as it appears—to have no rules

, except the rule to apply my best force to every new circumstance.'"

Then to Harned's for consultation about the meter—to my house for some further Whitman talk—finally to

For one thing I gave him out of it set of proofs of my Lippincott's piece.

: "With the poems I always have a certain sort of conscience that I must not give them out, even to my

I stood before him and read to him from Conservator, first page, my question anent Chadwick's note.

Go with my blessing."

Send her my love—hopes for her. Oh!

W. thereupon fervently, "Them's my sentiments, out and out!

of Emerson,' but just whether to like it or not, I don't make out," saying, "Sidney is on to one of my

I think my memory is getting worse and worse. After a bit it will be a blank!"

"She was a phantom of delight When first she gleamed upon my sight; A lovely apparition, sent To be a

position for the present, I will ask leave to begin these Notes with such hints of the character of my

father and mother and of my own childhood as may at least help "The Fair Pilot of Loch Uribol" one of

my favorite stories WW WALT WHITMAN CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY. 32 Transcribed from our digital image of the

To my knowledge it is understood by Col. Mulford, Major John E.

In my opinion the Secretary has taken and obstinately held a position of cold-blooded policy, (that is

Major General Butler, in my opinion, has also incorporated in the question of exchange a needless amount

In my opinion, the anguish and death of these ten to fifteen thousand American young men, with all the

I enjoyed your letter very much, did I tell you so in my note?

I am better of my cough, which has been very bad, and I shall do well I have no doubt, but I get very

were—he asked if you were coming back &c. & when I told him that I had heard & should write you, he said "My

I wish that you were back here in your old room for my sake, for I miss you & shall.

thousands in the struggle already— Lew, you speak in your letter how you would like to see me—well, my

land & all the items—you say I must excuse you for writing so much foolishness—nothing of the kind—My

have been sun-struck here the last two weeks—I keep shady through the middle of the day lately—Well, my

I have scribbled away any thing, for I wanted to write you to-day & now I must switch off—good by, my

trip with some friends, one of them being the daughter, whom I had known from childhood, of one of my

My wife is greatly interested in you & what concerns you, & bids me not fail to say that she "admires

that her sister, then perhaps barely 17 years of age, seemed more fascinated with your poems, when my

Last month I for the first time in my life faced a public audience (in Birmingham) to deliver a lecture—on

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

My first task is to write to you.

sent you myself one copy in loose sheets ( to two of those small parcels) and the editor has during my

My own opinion I wrote you in a letter the last summer. I hope, that you have received it.

With poor Clausen I sent you my picture. If you have not got, then ask it from his widow.

Clausen, who Rudolf Schmidt called "my old friend and countryman," corresponded with Schmidt after he

Copenhagen, August 18, 1875 My dear Walt Whitman.

Society, I pressed him for two years ago (when he had previously sent me some very fine articles for my

But all the striking expressions, all the elaborate work of the thought, is fading away beneath my feather

I am never saying exactly what I would say, and you know, my dear friend, that this is a great pain to

For my part when I meet anyone of erudition I want to get away, it terrifies me.

Not like some of my friends, very thick at first, then falling off."

I should have my friends there, as I have here."

I am feeling pretty well so far (Yet I attribute my feeling pretty well now to my visit for the last

year and a half, to the Creek and farm, and being with my dear friends the S—'s).

Called my attention at once to the following postal from Mrs. O'C.:Washington, March 12, 1889.

Whitman,' said he, 'I should like to read you my drama and get your opinion of its merits.'

My dear Walt Whitman.I have indeed been extremely sorry to hear firstly from the transmitted paper of

Society, I pressed him for two years ago (when he had previously sent me some very fine articles for my

"Let it come out just as the big book did—from my hands alone."

W. in bathroom on my arrival.

Spoke of Scribner's I had in my hand and with which he said he was finished.

Our talk of Alcott had arisen out of my remark that Camden had got its fame through W. W.

Then my objection as above.

And after my reply—"He was a priest then?" I asked him if he had not read George Eliot's "Romola."

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.

You objects that call from diffusion my meanings, and give them shape!

Why are there men and women that while they are nigh me, the sun-light expands my blood!

Why, when they leave me, do my pennants of joy sink flat and lank?

It is safe—I have tried it—my own feet have tried it well. Allons! be not detain'd!

I give you my hand!

see also a letter Whitman writes to his niece, Jessie Louisa Whitman, on March 6, 1887: "Well I had my

see also a letter Whitman writes to his niece, Jessie Louisa Whitman, on March 6, 1887: "Well I had my

328 Mickle Street Camden New Jersey Sept: 14 '87 I am ab't as usual—have just had my dinner, a slice

Whitman, late in life, said to Horace Traubel: "[I] take my Ruskin with some qualifications."

I had my plan fixed up as I wanted it and left it with some three or four carpenters and got bids on

it. much to my astonishment I found that what I was supposed would cost at 11 or $1200 could not be done

I think that I have a good bargain in my lot if I can manage to hold on to it.

indirect approach by instructing his brother in a letter from March 18, 1863, thus: "Jeff, you must give my

The blow struck at Lee & the rebel sway in Virginia, & generally at Richmond & Jeff Davis, …is in my

Feb 1891 My dear Walt Whitman, Just a few lines in acknowledgment of your very kind and affectionate

Whitman, late in life, said to Horace Traubel: "[I] take my Ruskin with some qualifications."

comfortable, elderly couple to keep house for you was a good hearing—for "the old shanty" had risen before my

My poor article has so far been rejected by editors—so I have laid it by for a little, to come with a

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

I have been in Camden once or twice & should have called to see you but thought perhaps my coming would

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

annoyance & sometimes severe continued pain—Last night was kind of half and half—had some sleep—have had my

It was included in Good-Bye My Fancy (1891).

action pretty moderate—rather less irritation & smartness &c than previous days— I am sitting now in my

hour or so—Sitting here now alone—quiet & cold & near sunset—wind shakes the window sashes—here comes my

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

stupid as can be here—Capital massages tho' rough & rasping as I can stand like the ones ordered by my

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

It is postmarked: OT WEST UR WY ST ATN | PM | MY 15 | 89 | London; Ca | May | 1 | 6 AM | 1889 | Rec.

Ont., 19 June 18 90 I am now fairly settled down here for the summer, have pretty well caught up with my

Have just received a letter from my brother Eustace of Ottawa containing this comical passage "I was

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

Camden N J—U S America Monday evn'g: Nov: 9 '91 Have just had my supper—mutton chop, potato, & some stew'd

if only to get a knowledge of that —Y'r kind letter yest'd'y— Nov: 10 —Sitting here again—just eaten my

him and the other good County Borough of Bolton (England) Public Libraries fellows before I finish my

431 Stevens st Camden New Jersey Sunday afternoon Dec 31 '76 My dear Johnston Supposing you may receive

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

Davis, who retired on my entrance. W. said he had not been well today.

"This is one of my bad days—a cold-in-the-head day. I have not been out at all.

My sister Agnes had sent him down a bunch of flowers. "Good girl! good girl!"

And after my answer: "Oh! the obvious way—the way it is spelled. Well, I don't know!"

I do not think it can be accused of me that I have been ungenerous with respect to my books: on the contrary