
Yr's agreeing that H T may have the Dutch piece to print rec'd & I have given him the copy.—the immediately coming paper number for Feb: is all made up but this will be put in type for next & proof sent to you—& in due time some of the papers & prob'y some printed slips (as I have stipulated for some) The Lippincott for March will have a personal & old age memoranda article by me, & a WW piece by HT—& portrait (might be worse, not much either)—all that's the present program—the Feb: NA Rev. (I suppose) will have a (funny?) article by me me me headed "American Nat'l Literature Is there any such thing or can there ever be?"—then the Youth's Companion (y'r city) has accepted & handsomely paid for a wee little poem Ship Ahoy—So you see the crank is grinding away even in old age—
—Dr Bucke has had the annoyance of a suit (small) for slander—ag't him—$500 mulct—I send paper report Herbert Gilchrist the young English artist comes here—very welcome visits—I am badly under the weather & have been ten days & nights—the main abatements & dykes are shattered & threaten to give out—we will see—At this moment I am sitting up here in my room alone rather late—had my dinner, supper of a slice of toast & cup of tea—quiet & comfortable enough—good fire of oak wood—
Jan: 21 noon—badly enough physically—head, belly & bladder matters all in bad way—am sitting in big chair—toast & egg for breakfast
God bless you & frau— Walt Whitman