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I felt soon, & feel now, that it was a great impropriety on my part, & it has caused me much compunction

My recollection is that I confessed judgment, & proposed to Mr.

He came by appointment to my room in Classon avenue, Brooklyn, June 17, 1857, talked over the matter,

I was sorry you did not come up to my room to get the shirt & other things you promised to accept from

O my dear comrade & brother, I hope it will prove your good luck to come safe through all the engagements

Now, my dearest comrade, I will bid you so long , & hope God will put it in your heart to bear toward

suppose the weather—& Nelly, half-sick, & Jennie about the same (but she will soon spring up)—aroused my

My sister Martha at St.

months ago —she has since no trouble with the cancer, (or supposed cancer)—Jeff & the children well—My

, & the nag Ned looks as well as ever—it is now nearly 12—& we are going to have chicken for dinner—My

We had a flurry of snow last evening, & it looks wintry enough to-day, but the sun is out, & I take my

Dec 14, & will write before long —All here speak of you with love, & send affectionate remembrances—My

I make no rule for myself about reading: I read what comes to my hand— what pleases my mood.

—rich with ore: finer even than the French to English renderings of my French friend in Washington years

My objection to them all would be that they take up verses centuries old, debate them by rule and measure

Perhaps to be around in case of my serious sickness—to watch, to care for, me: but that is provided for

W. called my attention to this in Bucke's note of the 14th."

"This," he said to me, "is one of my weaknesses: a weakness of long standing."

paper in view—only to relieve my fullness."

Remarked: "I see from my post at the window that it is so—that the bustle is being discarded.

And he added: "It was towards evening—I had already had my dinner. Oh! the day was grand!

My good wishes with you!" Saturday, May 11, 1889

"That is from my Marlton friend, who was also here today."

the noon mail—delivered about 2—and I was sitting here—felt particularly in the mood—had a pencil in my

"I am sure I haven't the least idea—that was not in my mind at all—not till you mention it now."

I don't know whether this would be my elaborate opinion, made up of malice prepense for print, but it

I do not see my idea spoken of at all: yet it seems to me the first necessity of judgment."

After we had shaken hands, I said immediately, handing them out, "I have kept my part of the bargain:

W.: "Good, good—that would be my gospel, too, and this will help him to see America.

"Do so, do so—I will give you a copy of my book to take him. It will help you to open up."

My Annual Report is finished and sent off. I begin lectures to students Monday.

Wallace says, "I feel that my mission is about done. I might go home now, as well as later."

He opened it, my hand dropping to its clasp, which was weak."Morning.""

I am on my way to work—to the busy desk over there in the big town.""Luck!""I tire of it at times.""

Telegram here from Ingersoll, evidently in response to my letter: "We all send words of love and hope

Remarked as to Stedman's criticism on my Poet-Lore piece, "Stick to it—it's the only way."

He pressed my hand, "Well, bless you, you are always good to me." "No, only as one having love."

It will be the whole expression of the design which I had in my mind When I Began to Write.

Now, that is the way it has been with my book. It has been twenty-five years building.

"My poetry," continued Mr.

But I have accepted it all as a part of my work.

Many of my friends have no patience with my opinion on this matter.

But if the weather continues as it is now, I must take another hour for my outings—a noon hour or thereabouts

As to my own copies, he advised: "Take one now—take it along with you": and then jokingly: "It will arm

And finally: "When you write him, send along my love: such a word as that deserves something!"

shall require a closed carriage—but still I will be there: nothing in the ordinary way can now move my

It justifies my faith—gladdens us both. Walt sat there and regarded me happily as I read it.

list of letters that must be written, and this morning I rec'd yours of the 18th ult. again enforcing my

I have been working very hard in the past year and, in addition to my work in Lachine, have had 2 patents

(in which I am only part inventor) on my mind, with much writing and drawing to do in all my spare moments

This, as much as any one thing, is why my time has been broken into and why I have not written sooner

Yes, I remembered that my payments were only up to Nov. 1st (through Oct.) and as I had expected to start

I went into next room to look for my mail.

I had scribbled all this down on my knee—standing in doorway.

"I will do my best to read it today. It ought to strike a true note—it is in John's field."

Telegram from Ingersoll, received at Bank: "Give my love to Whitman and to it add my hope that he may

My old journalistic friend remembers him here thirty-five years ago, when he first put out his "Leaves

New Orleans, San Francisco, The departing ships when the sailors heave at the capstan; Evening—me in my

room—the setting sun, The setting summer sun shining in my open window, showing the swarm of flies,

freedom, futurity, In space the sporades, the scatter'd islands, the stars—on the firm earth, the lands, my

thereof—and no less in myself than the whole of the Mannahatta in itself, Singing the song of These, my

ever-united lands—my body no more inevitably united, part to part, and made out of a thousand diverse

New Orleans, San Francisco, The departing ships when the sailors heave at the capstan; Evening—me in my

room—the setting sun, The setting summer sun shining in my open window, showing the swarm of flies,

freedom, futurity, In space the sporades, the scatter'd islands, the stars—on the firm earth, the lands, my

thereof—and no less in myself than the whole of the Mannahatta in itself, Singing the song of These, my

ever-united lands—my body no more inevitably united, part to part, and made out of a thousand diverse

My subject is in prosperous circumstances, and is one of the few men of that class who have become prominent

So far the good qualities of my subject in public life.

My subject is sometimes too fast. His energy sometimes goes ahead of his prudence.

In truth there is too much progression about him to always suit my conservative ideas.

Some time ago my subject was inducted into a post of considerable political importance in another part

have not had a word from George yet—Mother, I have had quite an attack of sore throat & distress in my

a great effect upon him, & although I told the truth this time it did not have as good a result as my

The equipage is rather shabby, horses indeed almost what my friends the Broadway drivers would call old

here, sat in his carriage while Stanton came out & had a 15 minutes interview with him (I can see from my

sixteen, (about ten bugles, the rest cymbals & drums)—I tell you, mother, it made every thing ring—made my

Candidly and dispassionately reviewing all my intentions, I feel that they were creditable—and I accept

Or rather, to be quite exact, a desire that had been flitting through my previous life, or hovering on

feeling or ambition to articulate and faithfully express in literary or poetic form and uncompromisingly my

in a few lines, I shall only say the espousing principle of those lines so gives breath of life to my

Difficult as it will be it has become, in my opinion, imperative to achieve a shifted attitude from superior

It now takes all my energy merely to get to the chair and back to the bed again.

"I knew the habitats of Hicks so well—my grand-parents knew him personally so well—the shore up there

What all this comes to is, that just that sort of a debate is going on in my mind now, whether to condemn

For thirty years I have had it in my plans to write a book about Hicks.

the procrastinations, stranded, with nothing but a few runaway thoughts on the subject to show for my

My first glimpse of him by sunlight this week. Face pale, eyes bad—a generally haggard aspect.

W. again: "I for my part accept the cheap cover just as it is: it has a meaning."

My dear Mr.

have read was a mere newspaper exaggeration, and in sending you this wish I send the assurances of my

Shall let my Rossetti questions hold over.

Dear as the principle of free trade is to me—near as it is to my heart—fully as I am convinced that in

And when I said: "Walt Whitman at 70" was one of my suggestions of a title, he said: "Yes, that is very

I asked if he wished a set of sheets of my own little book. "Oh yes! and then I can write Dr.

"I have told you I knew Stedman at Washington—he had my position before me.

When the Secretary of the Interior cut my head off—I went over to the Attorney General's office—took

Eminently cordial—spoke up instantly on my entrance: "I have had a call today from Tom and Mrs.

though somewhat irregularly, for it was nearly dark) endorsed it; sending it, as he put it there, "With my

At my mention deprecatively of "The Mystic Trumpeter," he explained: "I do not mean that—that is exceptional—that

Book in my hands (a present from Clifford; Gilman on Profit-sharing).

today, considering generosity and breadth of purport and spirit.Weather thereupon—the beauty of the day—my

"I forgot all about his name," he exclaimed, "my usual habit—nowadays!"

In my old days I take on the usual privilege of years—to go slow, to be less vehement, to trust more

means democracy, says democracy—seems to take easy hold of what I hope is ever and ever the point of my

It is to be my treat.

Asked me if Castle was "any good" any more—and upon my negative, "Well I supposed not, as a singer—but

As to his good health—"Well—here I am—I can still answer to my name."

"I doubt whether the old fellow can: with my taste, appetite, gusto, I do not come away entirely satisfied

By and bye, noting I drew near the fire to wind my watch, he turned his chair about—got up and fixed

"I'll strike a light"—and refusing Morris' offer of help—"I act just the same when my friends are here

Morris assented and W. thereupon swinging about in his chair to the center table said: "I take pride in my

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."

you into one of Whistler's nocturnes," etc. and he laughed, "Well, I was going to quote a saying of my

To my inquiries saying, "I did not know him personally—that is, to speak to him, but I have seen him.

I am ever to say has been said in the old channels—in 'Specimen Days'—in 'November Boughs'—and yet my

"From my very first days up I have brushed myself—had a flesh brush: it has been a source of refreshment—not

I like your idea much better—much: it more exactly reflects me, my mission."

Called out "Horace" with great cordiality—took and held my hand—said, "I had wondered what had become

And I explained my absence—he assenting, "I know—it was all right—I am not disposed to question it.

Said he had no word from Talcott Williams yet anent Reisser colloquy—"my type-written copy" he called

In my pocket a copy of [Harper's] Young People—beautiful double-page engraving by Baude of "The Divine

When you get in town, somewhere within handling of a copy of the Century Dictionary, look up my word,

I have already transmitted to you, with my communication of the 29th November, referred to above, a copy

of my letter of instruction to the District Attorney of this District, which, with the other papers

Fort Bennet, July 21st 1863 Adjutant General Thomas, General: I have the honor to forward this my application

Herewith please see testimonials from my officers. I have the honor General to remain &c.

that the joint resolution passed by Congress is not the resolution of which a copy was enclosed in my

If this cannot be done, I do not feel at liberty to make any other proposal than that contained in my

W. in his room—not appearing extra well, nor feeling so—for he said: "This is one of my bad days: I have

I promised to leave it with him in the morning on my way to Philadelphia.

lines 40 letters 1120 1120 letters in page of Skakspere Shakespeare 's poems 1600 letters in one of my

sauntering the pavement, 9 great are the myths, I wander all night 10 Come closer to me Who learns my

by my children? Are to be they really failures? are they sterile, incompetent yieldings after all?

Are they not indeed to be as victorious shouts from my children?

Counting the tally of the surf‑suggestions wordless utterance of these liquid tongues And To pass within my

utterance tale of subterranean toil and wrongs Unf For once Seems here C c onfided to me * To pass within my

Then my realities; What else is so real as mine?

done and gone, we remain; There is no final reliance but upon us; Democracy rests finally upon us, (I, my

Weep not, child, Weep not, my darling, With these kisses let me remove your tears, The ravening clouds

Something there is, (With my lips soothing thee, adding I whisper, I give thee the first suggestion,

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

Weep not, child, Weep not, my darling, With these kisses let me remove your tears, The ravening clouds

Something there is, (With my lips soothing thee, adding I whisper, I give thee the first suggestion,

Louis May 9th 1873 My dear Walt I received your letter and I do not think you can form an idea how very

sincerely hope that you are right in your theory that the slow recovery indicates permanency—I hope to God, my

So now with my moving, & house-keeping, & getting through with a day in the office, you can say that

My sister Jeannie, Mrs. Channing, will be here before the month ends, I hope.

New York April 30th 18 60 Walt, I was very glad indeed to hear from you in answer to my last, and you

to find your business was progressing so favorably, — In accordance with not only your wishes, but my

I always carry a stout double-pocket haversack, filled with things—also large pockets in my coat &c—I

have learnt what is appropriate—I generally carry a bottle of wine—I buy oranges by the box, & fill my

Your other touches give accuracy to my over-statements.

Did you see my snow study "Tumultuous Privacy, last monday in Transcript p. 6?

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

Mar 4. 1889 My dear Sir.

This, & this alone must be my excuse for adding another needless letter to your overburdened table.

of to do is to have the correspondence just forwarded me by O'Connor printed with some comments of my

Please let me know at once what you think of my plan Your friend R M Bucke Richard Maurice Bucke to Walt

occurred to me that your moving may make it desirable to have some extra cash just now, and so I send you my

Alma was sorely disappointed at my not bringing you home with us Sunday and hope you will very soon visit

Your poems have come to me anew —here in Rome—and have revived and deepened my consciousness of great

I have my studies here—for I am a painter.

I have read "As a strong bird on pinions free" and can hardly express my admiration for your poetry.

if you would be kind enough to put your autograph in it and I hope you will not think it immodest in my

You once brought him to my studio in Brooklyn.

I can imagine or recall him now, as he sat on the extreme end of my lounge—High Priest of Nature!