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Fine sunny weather—nothing special in my health—(if any difference am suffering less from the join'd "cold in the head" & constipation firm)—am sitting here in the big chair—have been trying to eke out a two-page preface for the new reprint of Backw'd Glance of 70th y'r ed'n L of G. & shall send off to the printer what I have, hit or miss—

—Sleep at night pretty well—appetite poor—Did you get the letter (via O'C) containing Stedman's?—Have not heard from O'C for a week—am a little anxious—Harned & Mrs. H here & little Tom—Horace faithful as always—Ed all right—the doctors all abstinent—havn't had a call for two months—Signs of spring—longer days—presents of little bunches of flowers—had a letter from our friend R P Smith—England (enclosed)—The letter from Kennedy also enclosed—I have made no answer or opinion to him ab't it—

God bless you & all—very partial sort o' restricted bowel actions, ab't every other day—seem natural—took a calomel powder night before last—often the Frederichshall water—

Walt Whitman
  My dear friend,

I was glad to hear by your postal that you are getting along without an increase of suffering. I wish that we all were near you, if so be that we might make an occasional hour brighter for you & contribute to your exterior comforts. I see no time to be fixed for our return. Alys proposes to go to Bryn Mawr College in September & then will visit you. She will return to us if all is well in June 1890 with her diploma in her pocket.

She, with her mother, a niece & myself have been wandering  this winter through Paris, Marseilles, the paradise of Nice and the Riviera, Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Switzerland & home escaping thus the melancholy skies of London with its "pea soup" smoky atmosphere.

Logan is doing well at his college at Oxford & is studying faithfully in his vacation at home.

Mary's second daughter, 3 weeks old, opens new hopes & joys—but through much suffering. Her husband is in the new London City Council and is becoming prominent in abilities & in his profession as a barrister.

 

My old enemy "melancholia" spreads its vampire wings still over my life and will I presume go with me to the end. I take it quietly, as a physical disease simply & live on remembering the phrase—"Its dogged that does it."

So I have not much to tell. Yet it is fun to be in the midst of this great fermenting intense life of London as an on looker.

I see with interest that you have issued a complete edition of your writings. You have many, many devoted friends in England among  thoughtful people who would delight to see you here.

Good bye, dear old friend,—Write me when your spirit moves you & tell me how you are.

With love from our children I am always

Yours affectionately Robert Pearsall Smith
  Dear W. W.

With yr welcome card came to-night a letter fr. Gardner of Paisley, accepting my MS. "Walt Whitman the Poet of Humanity." He is going to pub. in 2 vols. Is evidently enthusiastic. The poltroon, however,(!) wants me to cut out the censor's list of objectionable passages. I don't really know that they are essential,—guess I'd better let him. I suppose his idea is that people will buy L. of G. more if they are not given the passages in question in my book. He bites hard—says "it wd be a vast pity if the book were to fall through," owing to my obstinacy I suppose he means. I shall satisfy him. Have written him to leave those out.

I too have a terrific cold in head. Am deaf in one ear temporarily, through sitting by open window (necessarily) where I work. But it is nothing. Wax in ear only.

We are having house painted. Do hope you will get over that cold, dear Walt. Thank you for the news fr. O'C. the Transcripts are so thin I am ashamed to send 'em half the time. But it is little trouble, & you can throw them on the floor when you get sick of em. Remembrances to Traubel &c. It does one good to think of Dr. Bucke. One well man at least, ha, ha, thank God for 'em those hearty "fellers." I take great delight in dogs for same reason.

W. S. Kennedy