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villa residences—and in the valley below one enduring cloud of smoke, and a pale-faced teeming population

Swinton told me that John's eyes (operated on abroad for cataract) were much improved, but his nerve

Told me of editorials he had got W. in Washington to write for the Times (New York): "They were very

And assured me that his feelings towards W. were unchanged.

They were reviving a whole series of old English plays: very good, staple plays: I saw a good many of

You can see what Herbert made of me by the remarks of some of the visitors—two women—who were surprised

Emerson was a good father—his children were loyal to him—they served, advised.

I argued that, "daring and radical as they were, they were so sweeping, so inclusive, so affording welcome

O'Connor's letters were "ever-fresh—perennial—natural to new airs, seasons, as to old."

following paragraph,—evidently the portion W. particularly wished me to see: "If (having a chair) you were

The Critic spoke of Lincoln as next to Washington in the hearts of Americans, &c.

why it is you fellows are so struck with it"); also a little slip on which he had written "Average American

However much we may wish it were different, our wisdom is to accept the actual facts (after all has been

And that an American writing in eulogy should rank him with Thoreau below Emerson!

entirely convenient, fac-simile the letter of February 6th, and send it copiously to European and American

s ringings were incessant—first to be turned one way, then another, then for water, etc., etc.

He said: "That stuff must have been dinned into Emerson's ears: the enemy were everywhere—in all the

"Did you say the legs were all gone? dead? that no improvement is to be expected?

The changes in the city must have been momentous." Nellie's nephew with them now.

But Donnelly's publishers were considering it.

The Williams poems were type-written. W. said: "I have not read them: should I?

reading this—it came from Wallace—the National Review, containing an article by William Sharp on 'American

Brinton came in with inquiries.Wired Ingersoll: "Miss Maud telegraphed that you were at Buffalo.

the collected statement of my life— of my work: a statement of what I signify in the literary, the American

Would even acquiesce in my idea of "dealing direct with big wholesale booksellers in other cities."

But I should bring more—they were "good to have on a fellow's lap here."

Two were by Sarony. One was by Potter, Philadelphia. One was Alexander Gardner's, Washington.

They were discussing blue glass: it was the time of the upness of that theory, and lots was being said

I suppose they were very busy. Doctor goes home direct, Gurd to New York—the meters with him.

Probably Doctor took a hack: finished up in the city the many things he told me he had to do."

unutterably shocking to our grandmothers—the dear old ladies, who thought Jane Eyre and Adam Bede were

of an item I saw in the Critic here last evening as I rode up in the street cars, stating that you were

But they were all wrong—it was an engorged liver, which the battery relieved instanter, and the lady

They were in an envelope addressed.

And then they would leave it, and tell him that they would not do any more, as they were afraid of splitting

He had moreover been reading Ingersoll's North American Review reply to Gladstone, saying of it: "I have

there are earthquakes which shake walls, chandeliers—yes, and there are earthquakes which destroy cities

You were not always knocked down and stamped out by the editors."

"But there were a couple of letters came in today, marked again 'missent.'

I know I am glad that your selections were put into my hands first, so that I was lifted up by them to

Referred to Sidney Smith's "Who reads an American book?" laughingly. Would it answer for this day?

As to my "trinity of Americans—Emerson, Lincoln, and Whitman"—he laughed heartily.

W. said, "Touch the glimmer, Warrie," and after we were adjusted (he was helped across the room), he

Russia"—"perhaps blacked out, as Kennan describes it"—which was "not surprising—would be surprising were

There were fifty or sixty in the room, mostly young, but some old or beginning to be.

The Whitmanites for the first time in their lives were fully satisfied; and that is saying a good deal

or fine smooth marble Cicero-head, or even Greek Plato; for he is modern and vital and veined and American

say that what he himself had in his mind when he wrote "Leaves of Grass" was not only to depict American

Some of his early poems were superb—one in especial, treating of a woman on the town."

Cooper, Bryant,—these were the two supremely good fellows, as good as any of any land or time—any!

Cooper, Bryant, and the portrait painter, Chares Elliot, were the great American geniuses fifty years

The old American poet's birthday offering was very striking, coming from a Democrat of Democrats, and

"They are, or were, both of them men of the old-school—Henry especially so, with something of modern

There is a large population in Brooklyn of the 15[,]00[0] to 20,000 dollars-a-year people—for whom Talmage

I do not know whether your American summers are as health-bringing as our summers, but I should suppose

that we shall look for an advance towards recovery.The newspaper statement of the attitude of the American

consisted in the main of apt selections from L. of G.Leaves of Grass and Democratic Vistas, and these were

Whitman side—a barrister, a young clergyman, a man in business, and others, while the remaining speakers were

respited, eased—felt almost jubilantly released—though there in the evening—in the evening—even while you were

sure W. would not give out review copies of the complete works and pocket editions; that if sales were

If these books were issued as books mainly ought to be—in plain, cheap, acceptable but genuine form,

American Social Science AssociationConcord, Mass.May 29 1891Dear Mr.

W. stayed on the bed all the time we were there—speaking of many things but mainly of our "great affair

We talked various matters; when it seemed to be time for us to go (as we were to dine with Longaker),

W. referred to Harrison Morris' paper in The American.

paper came I had heard for the first time—through a friend in Italy—a report authenticated that you were

You were thinking that poets never wrote real poems that way?" "Exactly."

Although not reading him the letter there were a couple of points I referred to W.

Letters of congratulations were received from Lord Tennyson, Mr. Stedman, and many others."

the conversation as taken down by a stenographer, and giving the text of most of the letters that were

I went in at Fox's to be told the glasses were not there—I insisted, the salesman insisted.

I was to sit there till they were produced? He went back towards the wall—then forward again."

They received me with open arms when I was rejected—they were my dearest, dearest friends, staunchest

adding: "You know William never stopped to invent, to manufacture, such things—they just came to him, were

Sir: I have received the copy of the Specimen Days and Collect which you were so kind as to send me,

a newspaper item, that a British tourist, who was refreshing himself at the lunch counter of an American

Remember what I told you the other day," which was to this effect (while we were driving), "Not a bit

We have seldom met, and you will hardly remember me; but I recall pleasant hours with you in this city

And he has a poem "from one Danson, Kansas City," written in "palpable presence of 'Leaves of Grass.'

Those old writers were made for an age of smartness: they write in sounding phrases, make stiff speeches

He spoke of the cities he liked best: Brooklyn, Washington, New Orleans, St. Louis, New York.

"But Washington, New Orleans, Brooklyn—they are my cities of romance.

They are the cities of things begun—this is the city of things finished." He paused.

Asked me who were yet to be heard from in the American symposium.

I alluded to Clifford's question whether (as found in proof of my article) two t's were necessary in

W. said: "I should not wonder but that the question was valid—but if it were my case I should not crack

Burroughs, in the banquet letter, speaking of the American character, said: "We lack mass, inertia, and

Did you see anything of the city?" Said, "Yes, Eldridge was here—I suppose ten days ago.

traveled much abroad—seen everything there—churches, cathedrals, theatres, everything—that the Capitol exceeded

Indeed, yes—I often stopped in on William there: they were great days."

Asked me if I "did not realize Washington to be a beautiful city?"

When I went to McCollin's today, found they had printed 19 of the 20 pictures; but the 19 were of no

His last words to me were these: "Good bye! Good bye or good night!

Kennedy returned me Harrison Morris' American piece with comments.

Lincoln had to tell him, I am running this machine—those were his very words. Ah, yes!

Tell him we are still about as we were, weathering it out—not consciously retreating—getting off to the

I said there were errors in O'Connor's book which I had no doubt would not have escaped his eye had he

I asked W: "Suppose the millionaires were abolished—that millionairism became impossible, would you feel

"I thought from what you said of Tucker and George that you were maybe a bit reactionary!"

They were here about fifteen minutes.

They were both "of the good sort and come-outers by nature." Letter from Morse.

claim an old acquaintance of mere correspondence, but to tell you, on both our parts, how delighted we were

It was a letter of last July, containing an extended account of B.Bertz's American experiences and how

People in Boston were wild over Xmas. Never saw the streets so full of happy folks.

Why the glorious mystic & genius would have cut his throat if he had known what idiots people were to

They were with me all night. Sometimes they stop for a while, and then I get a little rest."

These were as nearly as I remember his words: and on my promising to tell you of them, he was very pleased

I told him no, that these were the things that best repaid you—if such a thought ever indeed occurs to

s running comments as I read were shrewd. "I get many asides from Ruskin but nothing direct."

Don't you suppose that may illustrate one of the distinctions between the English and American psychology

, too, for they are all gone—and General Taylor, and Scott: having known them all, I know how they were

But to me it is very much as if they were to say—he was a lunatic because he was the sanest man of them

As to Stedman's protest that W. had not been mistreated by American authors, W. said, "It is news to

I sit here some days and wonder what would become of me if you were removed—if something happened to

"I suppose he had never been told where he was taught that 'many a mickle makes a muckle' as we were:

I said: "That's just the way he's described you: he said the other day that you were as slow as a Dutch

watching for it to be published for some time, ever since I saw in The Pall Mall Gazette that you were

"This book has been a companion of the first order: there were times when I could not be found without

I was thinking, Horace, that it was Harry, not William, who wrote the Illustrated American piece.

I authorize you—give you full authorization—to go on just as if you were Walt Whitman—and of course Dave

Wished a copy of Illustrated American for himself.