Default Metadata, or override by section

  Walt Whitman

[illegible]oo​ you​ big date man up dear oo​ you​ dood​ did​ [illegible] Poet what name like me! me write oo​ you​ [illegible] letter—it sall​ shall​ be "fresh and modern" [illegible] me is Modern Man, ony​ only​ bout​ about​ four five monfs old—but me is not "Average Man"—oo​ you​ tall​ tell​ me Average Man, oo​ you​ lie!—Average Man is blame rascal—him not wuf​ worth​ pickin​ picking​ up in de​ the​ road if him be tannin tip-toe! May-be if oo​ you​ work him ober​ over​ free​ three​ four times, him be wuf​ worth​ sumtin​ something​ —but way him is now, him teal​ , him cheat, him beg, him tell lies—but me is fine ittle​ "secesh," tuf boy man—me "boo bood​ blue blood​ "! me dot​ got​ penty​ plenty​ bood F. F. V.,—me not teal​ steal​ —me not cheat—me not beg—me not tell liesback​ black​ lies [illegible] white lies" is all back​ black​ to meme ittle​ little​ [illegible]es man bout​ about​ dat​ that​ —maybe me is ittle [illegible] foolish bout​ about​ dat​ that​ , but when me say yes it be yes and when me say no it be no—dats p[illegible] fun sometime but me   tant help it—me will [illegible] to some "white lies" [illegible] fun [illegible] some nice Poetry. But [illegible] do dem​ them​ dear fings​ things​ , me tan​ can​ fight and [illegible] tanfoun​ confound​ de​ the​ back​ black​ -heart bobolitions​ abolitionists​ ! [illegible] wooly head niggers! what em​ them​ dood​ good​ for but [illegible] torn and totton for chibalry​ chivalry​ white mans?

Uncle Walt: me is been treat bad—papa not gib​ give​ me no name 'till me mos'​ almost​ free​ three​ monfs​ months​ old—him not like name him babys​ babies​ for live mans—him faid​ said​ live mans do bad fings​ things​ and make babies shamed—but me fink​ think​ oo​ you​ neber​ never​ do no bad fings​ things​ , man what talk dood​ good​ like oo​ you​ wont​ won't​ neber​ never​ do no bad fings​ things​ —papa not like bobolitions​ abolitionists​ neider​ neither​ , but may-be oo​ you​ not bobolitions​ abolitionist​ , may-be oo​ you​ ony​ only​ make-believe, may-be ony​ only​ also dust in [illegible] of dem bobolitions​ abolitionists​ roun​ around​ bout​ about​ oo​ you​ , for fatter​ flatter​ em, and rake in der​ their​ money, (dat​ that​ [illegible] money [illegible] de​ the​ Tariff teal​ steal​ from dood​ good​ [illegible] mans gib​ give​ to back​ black​ -heart bobolitions​ abolitionists​ [illegible] dat​ that​ case [illegible], me say "go head​ ahead​ Uncle Walt fatter​ flatter​ em​ them​ [illegible] fatter​ flatter​ em​ them​ , an'​ and​ fatter​ flatter​ em​ them​ [illegible] big pile money from em​ them​ '—den​ then​ oo​ you​ [illegible] here   afer​ after​ oo​ you​ f[illegible] dat​ that​ line, an'​ and​ build dood house on [illegible] top an'​ and​ me an'​ and​ oo​ you​ will [illegible] togedder​ together​ [illegible] laugh to de​ the​ old bobolitions​ abolitionists​ bout​ about​ how oo​ you​ [illegible] em​ them​ out of der​ their​ money—den​ then​ we put [illegible] my boo flag) on top our house an'​ and​ [illegible] fap​ flap​ , an'​ and​ fap​ flap​ , an'​ and​ fap​ flap​ an'​ and​ we will bin​ bring​ big fiddles too, for play Dixie! Den​ Then​ if noder​ another​ war tomes​ comes​ we will be taptains​ captains​ of Ku Klux banditti, an'​ and​ me go east, an'​ and​ oo​ you​ go west, an'​ and​ we will clean out all bobolitions​ abolitionists​ an'​ and​ wooly head niggers. Tause​ 'Cause​ me is dood​ good​ fightin​ fighting​ tock​ stock​ ; me fight bery​ very​ well when me dot​ got​ no place for run to; me hunt for last ditch, but if em​ them​ catch me fore​ before​ me get dere​ there​ , me will say me is old womans![no handwritten text supplied here]But Uncle Walt: me dont​ don't​ know if me wants see oo​ you​ tomebody​ somebody​ say oo​ you​ not talk much tomebody​ somebody​ say oo​ you​ let oder​ other​ folks do mos​ most​ talking—what oo​ you​ dat​ that​ way for? ittle​ little​ secesh man tould​ told​ me [illegible] dat​ that​ long​ along​ wid​ with​ oo​ you​ dat​ that​ way—him mighty [illegible] talk, but him fink​ think​ ittle​ little​ bit first, but [illegible] not see much books, him [illegible] lazy farmer [illegible], him not dot​ got​ big pile books, nor fine [illegible] fine close​ clothes​ , nor big money   ittle​ little​ secesh man ony​ only​ dot​ got​ mos​ most​ [illegible] dood​ good​ sense, sheriff brave heart, an'​ and​ ittle​ little​ [illegible]. What for oo​ you​ want see ittle​ little​ [illegible] man? Does oo​ you​ want hug him neck? does oo​ you​ want hold him by him hand? Uncle Walt: [illegible] oo​ you​ mus'​ must​ not be tongue-tied.—

Me is not been sick none, ony​ only​ de tolic​ the colic​ , till me four monfs​ months​ old—den​ then​ big ittle​ little​ boy take me in wind an'​ and​ me hab​ have​ told an' feber​ cold and fever​ free​ three​ days, but me tonquer​ conquer​ him—what for me dot​ got​ "gymnastic" mudder​ mother​ if me tant​ can't​ tonquer​ conquer​ told an' feber​ cold and fever​ ? me bully ittle​ little​ boy—any ittle​ little​ Jersey-boo-coat boy say "union" to me me tan​ can​ whip him quicker'n him Banner an'​ and​ Pennant tan​ can​ say "fap​ flap​ ," "fap​ flap​ ," "fap​ flap​ "—oo​ you​ bet!

Me not want presents what money tan​ can​ buy—oo​ you​ mus​ must​ gib​ give​ dat​ that​ sort to oder​ other​ ittle​ little​ Walt Whitmans—but oo​ you​ mus​ must​ gib​ give​ [illegible] love to ittle​ little​ secesh mans. Now, me [illegible] me name

Walt Whitman XX≠IIXX

Oh! me pile him something [illegible] may be him [illegible] dood​ good​ nuff​ enough​ .

The Amana[illegible] one need wish to see. He has been so idle or lazy [illegible] destitute of acquired knowledge that about [illegible] of paper would suffice to [illegible] him [illegible] of "Philosophy" and Wit. Dont be [illegible]