
I began several years since the collection of the autographs of my favorite authors. As a lover of true poetry the name of Walt Whitman is to me [illegible] as worthy than Longfellow and Bryan,t of [illegible]mbrance. I trust that you may find [illegible]ination to grant this (to me) important [illegible] Please if not too much to ask to [illegible] with a quotation from your writings.—
Yours Very Respectfully EA Ellsworth