
I saw lately that you were not so well—but hope it is a newspaper report merely and that you are continuing to gain. I saw Mrs. Dr. Spaulding recently she is doing all she can for the acceptance of L. of G. By the way I found a lover where I least expected it, in Mr. Hezekiah Butterworth of the "Youths Companion." Who said when I invited him to hear my lecture upon your work—"I shall come by all means. I think Whitman one of the greatest if not the greatest of our American poets."

He is not afraid of your work but wishes some of it were left out of it, for a popular volume. He would think it all right in itself I presume. Mrs Moulton has gone south for a month. Returns in—May I hope she may be able to see you before she sails for England in June.— Kennedy I never see now. Dont know what he is doing. I should like to see him very much. I am digging away in a fair way to earn a living.

I gave two evenings to your work before my class at New England Conservatory. My class is composed of about fifty bright young girls studying music. You see I am not afraid to carry your word to anyone. To me there is not a line that has a downward tendency. Still I recognzie the fact that to many people "A woman waits for me" is wholly inadmissable, and I know that the rest of the book is a sealed book to them—perhaps it would be anyway—there's consolation there. I shall have "Specimen Days" in my class during Spring term.
With greatest esteem Hamlin Garland

