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  Dear Walt,

Again am I your debtor for the dear good letter you sent me & wh. I duly received yesterday morning. My heart's best gratitude to you for it. It was indeed welcomed. Thank you also for the second letter of Dr B's wh, you kindly enclosed—We are glad to have your endorsement of Dr B's opinion of our dear friend Wallace, for he is indeed a splendid fellow.  But do you what he has written to me in reply to that letter (which I sent on to him)? He says—"'Splendid fellow' indeed! Oh how it made me wince! How it cut me! I know better." That was of course a remark of your own when someone spoke of your "blameless life."

I was pleased to note in your letter that you were then no worse as regards your health; & we continue to hope to hear still better news of you.

This morning I received & thank you for the copy of the Phila Press  with what you call the "fishy" report of your visit from Arnold. I guess it is fishy & a very poor reflection of the actual occurrence. I enclose a copy of a par. in this week's Literary World referring to it.

I also send you a copy of the Academy containing an extract from Arnolds "Seas and Lands" in wh: he refers to his former visit to you.

Your remarks about the autograph hunters amused me, as we  have one in Bolton—his name is Collins—who has written to you twice & cannot understand why you should write to me so often & have never acknowledged his letters! "Poor creetur!"

This has been a miserably wet day here. Tonight I have had two good hours' work upon my paper (on you) wh. I am to read at the next meeting of the "Bolton Literary Society."

It is now 11 oclock so I think I will go to bed & finish this tomorrow. Good night & God bless you!

 

A moderately bright day with a good deal of haze & a touch of frost in the air. I have just returned from a long round of visits in my open carriage wh. I have quite enjoyed—the air outside the town is really very bracing & exhilirating. I met a friend of of mine who said—"Have you seen this week's Penny Illustrated Paper?' "No" I said "Why?" "Because there's a nice  little bit about your old friend, Whitman in it!" he replied.

I went at once to the Railway bookstall & got some copies & send one to you, one to H.L.T one to Andrew Rome & one to Dr. Bucke. It is a trifle but even as such it is very welcome to us.

Later.

I have had another short round of visits in the town, & peeped in at the annual Chrysanthemum show in the Town Hall. A really magnificent display of bloom. Surely the very acme of perfection in floriculture.  The sun has just set in a cloud of glory & the entire western sky is now flooded with the deep crimson after glow wh: burns upon my window as I write & gloifies the sombre brick building of the Lanc & York Ry Good's yard opposite—(my surroundings are very prosaic)

It will interest you to know that during the contest for seats on the Bolton School Board this week the socialist candidate had a   quotation from you (S D) on one of his posters with your name at foot. Another trifle but significant!

I must now stop as my time is up. With kindest regards to all your household—dearer to me than ever since JWWs visit—& with best love to your self

I remain Yours affectly J. Johnston.

PS I have just heard from Wallace to whom I had sent the Academy that he has by mistake left it at Leigh & will send it by next mail

  from J. Johnston