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  My Dear Old Friend,

Sitting here on the evening of Good Friday—a general holiday—I thought I wd give myself the pleasure of sending you a line or two.

This morning I recd a letter from J.W.W. inviting me to spend the afternoon with him & enclosing a facsimile of your kind p.c. of the 14th inst to him. Your reference to his "affectionate fervid letter of Mar 3rd" which you had "read twice and absorbed" pleased him greatly.

I have just returned from his house where our mutual friend Wentworth Dixon—one   of "the boys" & a splendid fellow—with his wife & boy have also been spending the afternoon Leaving the boy—a fine sturdy little chap—behind we all went for a two hours' walk through beautiful Rivington, & much did I enjoy the pure, sweet and exhilirating​ exhilarating​ air, the lovely landscape picture & all the magnificent shows of earth & sky—for today has been exceptionally splendid in its atmosphere effects—great masses of sunlit fleecy clouds towering high into & scudding across the deep blue empyrean. At times the entire sky became overcast & we had blinding showers of snow & sleet which were swept along by the high wind like flying wraiths   or mist-ghosts.

On the 25th the Bolton International Club had a "Whitman Evening" when Fred Wild read a short paper & selections from Ingersoll's Oration upon you. The reading provoked a good deal of criticism—some of it very shallow—to which Fred replied in a vigorous table speech. I also took part in the discussion, read extracts from L. of G & shewed​ showed​ some of my "Whitman photos," post cards &c. The room was draped with the flags of different nations—English, French, German, Swiss &c. Fred also exhibited his just finished oil painting of an American mail steamer ploughing her way through the moonlit   heaving waters of the Atlantic. The picture wh' is really a fine one was much admired.

On Monday evg last we had another Whitman reading at the College & we anticipate a great treat upon Ap 10th when J.W.W. gives us his address upon your 1855 Edition.

I am deeply sorry to hear that you have "no cheery or favourable​ favorable​ news" to send us about yourself—May the next be better!

God bless you my dear, old friend, & send you better times!

Please give my kindest regards to HLT & to all your household. With fondest heart love to you I remain

yours affectonately J Johnston To Walt Whitman

P.S I send you this weeks' Literary World with a marked par re J.A. Symonds.—