
Allow me to express my ineffable gratefulness to you for the immense delight your
"Leaves of Grass" have thrilled me with, in the form of a few of my rhapsodies which
I take pleasure in committing to you—though, I fancy I shall survive minus
encouragement, it would be infinitely
agreeable to me to receive any cheer you may be disposed to render me—Mr.
Emerson's recommends of your work secured you a very nice introduction to the world,
and, perhaps, I should become as famous(!) under the ban of your warm regards for my
poetic productions—(properly belonging to the 21 & 22 centuries.)

Like our great poets, I, too, am familiar with straitened circumstances..—Being,
now, in a position, that would find a small-fortune a great blessing:—since, I
do not seem to be endowed with the worldly tact or talent for making lucre—I
have, however, amassed material both poetical and philosophical for volumes, as soon
as ever,
I can accrue the wherewithal for publishing.. Had, already, edited stray poems, which were received with much pleasure by
the public—But they were the poorest specimens of my work—Had it been
otherwise—that is, one of my most select copies,—the people would have
recoiled from them horrified!—Unable to accompany me to the heights
of such transcendent rhapsody.
Awaiting your benign consideration of me, I here will waft you my adieu,
Votre devouée Ami Albert Waldo Howard 25 5th St North Minneapolis, Minn— To Walt Whitman, Camden, New Jersey

