Feinberg/Whitman Box 8 Folder 36 General Correspondence Dixon, Thomas Dec. 1869 - June 1876SINDERLAND C DE 23 69 Walt Whitman Esqr Attorney General's Office [D.C.] Washington D. C. U. S. America [*Thomas Dixon*][PARRI?] JAN 5 2-DEL.2 MORE TO W. PAY LONDON-2 3 DE 6 69 Mr. T. Dixon 15 Sunderland St Sunderland. [*Autograph of W. B. Scott Artist to whom your English Edition is dedicated. by W.M. Rossetti*]P. S. I mailed a Book with the first letter called Time & Tide by Wear and Tyne, a series of letters by John Ruskin to me, with 3 or 4 parts of my letters to him. I stamped it. and often while I gaze thereon I think of thee, and how thou loves that sea, and how to thee it hath been more then to me. I love also those on the Sea, as the small matters sent to thee does prove how dear they are to me. again even now my eldest Lad is now in Japan is second voyage to China and yet only 16 years old— my youngest is also now learning a trade are that I suppose you know well too. (House Joiner.) He I hope someday will visit your Land. my two lads I would like to see settled there on Land, only I do not know if it may ever be. Such is their fathers Hope. Your Books still are out on Loan they have made many a journey since they came to me, they are as follows. Burroughs W. W. the Man & the Poet. Connor's Good Gray Poet. [*In the Good deeds of Humanity is the true Unity of God made Manifest to Humanity. Nations, Peoples, tongues, or speeches are but segments of a great All.*] 15 Sunderland Street. Sunderland. Dec 23, 1869 Dear Sir and Friend Thy letter and the photograph is to hand all safe. Newspaper seems to have been appropriated on the way either by thy people or by mine. let us hope to [?] the two lots hath fallen it may be profitable to body and Soul. I have had news from Sister. Some letters hath gone astray sent by me, and also by me. Such accidents I suppose isuncommon in the Post Office when one considers the amount of letters sent the wonder is that some more does not go astray. when one thinks of the quantity of letters sent it seems really amazing how few seems to miss there destination! However I trust no more Books to their care in future. A Parcel of a few I will send you in a few weeks. I delay simply because when I do send you I wish to send you really representative Books? and shall send them by parcel Despatch then they are answerable for their delivery or Value thereof. I write you in haste because I wish to save you trouble in enquiring respecting Sister, who is now in communication with us all again, and who will recieve what I hope will enable her to buy some piece of your Native Land, and to then Have for herself and husband and Family. Thy recognition of my loss goes to my heart. I feel in thee a friend. my love for thee through thy printed utterances has been more then recompenced by thy kind words. My parcel and its contents will speak to thee more than I can write thee. I love nearly all the Men thou lovest and all the Books and thoughts that seem congenial to thee long hath been to me. I gaze on the Sea while I eat my food and think of thee in the evening of summer I gaze on the sea, and in the morning alsoConway's Notice in Fortnightly. Your Poems in Tinsley & Broadwood. these go from hand to hand here in my town and in the district amongst all sorts of people— Unitarians Ministers, Joiners, Carpenters, Ship Carvers, Watchmakers, Potters, Corklatters, Shipwrights, Boiler Makers, Blacksmiths and others, even amongst Quakers in Manchester too has your Books now become Known . . all love you simply because you seem to love all. I have long wished for someone to arise that would once again through the Spirit working upon them, open the hand of fellowship to all Humanity— the poor, the outcast, the learned, the unlearned, you seem in your Life to have done this so we love you— as a true Manifestation amongst usonce again of the Spirit of the Great Teacher, and by your actions and your teachings you compell us to love and admire you, because in your Life you have lived that which yea have written for us. Ah! how few that love Christ and his teachings see or apprehend that to do them is really what He meant when he asked them to become His disciple. I hope these few scratches may convey to you why I love you, and why we all love you, and why we long for your Portrait. Many, Many thanks for it, and thy kind letter, and noble recognition of us all. May thou long be spared to the people and our people too likewise. Thine, thankfully Thomas DixonWALT WHITMAN AUTOGRAPH LETTERS 1870 June 30 WHITMAN, WALT to Thomas Dixon. Autograph Draft Letter. Endorsed by W.W. CWW, VOL. II, No. 365 FEINBERG COLLECTION OF WALT WHITMAN[*see note sept 11 & 12th 1888*] Thomas Dixon 15 Sunderland st June 30 '70 I must first render you [my sincer] thanks for the box of books, as they have at last, reached me [around] in good condition - [though] the [b] delay in their arrival is unaccountable. But they are welcome, and will all be read in due time and with [the constant] sincere gratitude to the donor. [I should have written you answers] Both your letters [have] also reached me and [w] were cordially welcomed. [I received a wound in the] I should have acknowledged them at date, [but have but] only that for many weeks I have been disabled from writing & from a clerical work by reason of a wound in the right hand which is now better. There is nothing new or noteworthy in my own affairs. I still [work] remain in the Attorney General's office here - still enjoying good health. I keep fashioning & shaping my books at my leisure, & hope toput them in type the currentt year. You speak of my prose preface to first "Leaves of Grass." I am unable to send you, having [not] not a copy, left. [of it, &] It was written hastily while the first edition was being printed in 1855 - I do not consider it of permanent value. I shall send you, (probably in the mail that follows this - certainly very soon,) [a magazine-article a piece of my first piece] a piece written some while since by me on "Democracy" - in which Mr. Carlyle's "shooting Niagara" is alluded to [But the whole subject will be treated more] I shall also send an [an] article by an English lady, [to] put in print here, that may interest you. I am writing this at my desk - in the Treasury building [Washing] here, an immense pile, [within] [where] in which our office occupies rooms. From [a] my large open window I [view[ have an extensive view of sky, Potomac river, hills & fields of Virginia, [miles & miles of them] many, many miles. We are having a spell of that oppressive heat which sounds falls upon us here.[*15. SUNDERLAND STREET. Sunderland*] 8 Sept 1874 Dear Sir. I was right glad to hear of you again through the medium of the newspaper, you so kindly sent me, I have been thinking of writing you a few lines, these months past only I was afraid your illness would prevent you from feeling any interest in one so far away as me, and I also felt so deeply for you that I did not like to disturb the repose you seemed to need from your duty. the enclosed papers will show you the use I have made of the paper. So that other English friends of yours should also learn the good news from Camden. I hope these fewChapters upon you and your work may make your work and you more known to our working classes the periodical in which they were published as principally its main subscribers amongst them. the Writer of them is a fellow of deep sympathy and has contributed from time to time some fine feeling and sympathetic articles to its pages. the first one Instead was on W. Blake and Poet Artist of when Swineburue two written of so nobly and so well, I post these by letter and send also two by newspaper Post.) so that I may feel somewhat certain some of them will reach you. I had some hopes of seeing you in an land, and15. SUNDERLAND STREET. Sunderland, 18 was delighted beyond me asure when I saw in our papers our Tennyson had written to invite you to visit him, I also feel glad to be enabled to inform you that W. M. Rossetti's Edition has been all sold. and the 1872 are subscribed too beyond English Publisher has also met with a good sale, of course in a way that is not very complimentary to English appreciation of your work. I. E. Zbeing sold in what is termed the "remainder sale" of course my own feeling respecting this is, it gives to people of smallmeans are oppertunity to possess a Book they otherwise would never have, "so out of evil cometh for the good so saith the old Booklast year I was down at Oxford at the time Emerson was there. I had no opportunity to speak to him of you, that is I did not think it wise to open the question at the times when I saw I would gladly have done so, only I was not quite certain how he felt towards you, so as he did not name you at anytime I was in his company as a listerner at Max Muller's. I thought it best to be silent and while at Oxford I wandered through the market place (for I love to mingle with all kinds of my fellow men, but most especially love country folk, fisher folk, and hard workers amongst our people I dearly love to mingle with and we chat in their ways, and so enjoy a kind feeling of sympathy are with the other on these occassions.) well while I wandered here and there I saw a stout well built man in a small shop selling paper and when I looked at his wares I saw thereon you Family name so felt a desire to talk with him. I bought some paper then had some talk and he said the only persons he knew bearing the name lived at Egham in Surrey and where mostly Market partners.15.Sunderland Street Sunderland, 18 and one branch of the Family had been Steward to the Duke of Richmond and me had emigrated to America some distant relation of his family years ago, but they had never heard any news of them-- & when I told him there was such a name in America owned by a family there and one of them was a poet he thought perhaps it might be possible you where a desendant of that distant relative he was quite a build of man like you a noble large bodied and long featured man full of seeming good honest purpose in his nature and more like a farmer then a small stationer so that he did honour to the stock though not exactly in his trade he was a type of man I like to see asking he seemed rather confined in his ideas of Books ____I sent to him some small notice of you and your work, your chambers paper but I never recieved any reply so feel afraid your work is not of a kind to suit his tastes. I note also recently your Poem on Lincoln has been read in London at a Library Association so slowly though I suppose [?] and hope certainly will you become known to us more widely and truly. Well I must conclude this rambling note, with a hearty wish that you will be once again able to do some more work for our race and help on the Life that our hope is! yet shall be. Ruskin is also working hard too to help in a nobler life, and me not much [?] unlike me you also long to see. so many souls labouring for one and must someday effect the accomplishment of the "Golden Days" so long sung, so long toiled for, prayed for___ and fought for!! Yours affectionately T Dixon15 Sunderland Street Sunderland April 9 1870 Dear Sir, I have sent you a small Box of Books carriage Paid to your address in Washington. I expect it will leave Liverpool on Wednesday the 13th so I expect you will have it very soon after the arrival of this letter. I regret I could not send you some Indian Books I had in view when I wrote you some time ago. I mean the Bhagavad Gita— and the Vedas. the last is a work at present only published for the Scholars and Students it is in 8 large octavo volumes. P.S. Friends here would like a Portrait of yours without your Hat.— a Card would do— I got the 2 Newspapers you sent me all safeand will not all be published this year. However the Collection is a representative one as you will find a looking over the list. Some few of them relating to our modern Literature as you will observe they are by men whom I highly esteem though I donot endorse or hold by all they teach two of the Books are connected with my own thoughts and Studies. Time and Tide and the progress of the working Classes from 1832 to 1868. compiled by two warm advocates of the working Classes. the Memoir of Berwick is also a work I love and esteem and one that I think will be read by you with pleasure and also delight. as the utterances of a real noble honest soul. free from all pretensions of culture or Book-making. a truly representative Man and lover of Nature. and natural Life. It is a book I would fain see more Known here and in America. it is so brimful of good sound sense. There is also a Portrait of Dante & Milton both photographed by admirers of your works, and sundry Pamphelets by Such other warm admirers of Your Book. and lastly there is 2 remarkable Indian Pamphelets Jesus Christ Europe & Asia by Chunder Sen. an Hindoo - and one on Beneficent Government also written by an Hindoo PhilosopherAlso 4 numbers of the Cooperator containing L. Napoleon's remarkable work the Extinction of Pauperism to me a very remarkable production despite his none fullfilment of it now that he is in power and position— The last I will name is the Dabistan a very remarkable Book by a Persian on the Schools of Religion in the East a Book after your own heart I think one that will be dear to you indeed, or I am much mistaken in your love of Books, interspersed with fine stanzas of oriental Poetry, altogether in my opinion a real Book. and then the Sacconitala & Indian Drama— the Flowery [ScrtScral] Scrawl, a Chinese Novel. These few fragments I hope will help to lift the Veil of the East to thee. Yours Truly T. DixonSmall Box of Books as follows, per Suttons Parcel Dispatch. addressed W. Whitman, Attorney General's Office, Washington D. C. U. S. America.— Dabistan 3 Vols Cloth— Sacontala 1—cl Time & Tide 1—— Mazzini's Duties of Man— Carlyle a Choice of Books. Working Classes 1832. 1868. Memoir of Thomas Bewick Flowery Scrawl Chinese Novel Words of a Believer. Lamenais Remedial Measures Pamphlet Christ Europe & Asia Beneficent Government Cooperator with Napoleon on Pauperism Portraits of Dante & Milton What is a Christian J. C. StreetP.S. In Emerson's new Book Society and Solitude, the Essay upon Books makes references to several oriental Books. I hope that notice of them will promote their publication by some Publisher or else some Society will be formed to do it. people who are lovers of the Writings of Emerson & Mazzini ought to take the matter in hand and do it effectually. then we would possess the necessary works for a proper study of Humanity in all ages and in all Countries.15 Sunderland Street Sunderland, May 28 70 Dear Sir I once more take the liberty of sending you a few lines to enquire if you have received the small Box of Books I sent you on the 8th April per Suttons Parcel Despatch. I enclose again the list of the contents of the Box. I have been expecting a letter from you these 2 weeks, and so thought I had better write you again in case they had not reached you safely, becausethe longer we delay the report of items not arriving safe, the more difficult it becomes to trace where they may have been sent to in mistake. I also learn you have written a reply to T. Carlyle's American Iliad in a Nutshell. If you possess a Copy of it, I would like to have one, also a copy of the original preface to Leaves of Grass. Not now being in possession of the original copy of the Poem, I miss the preface from your recent Editions much.— In fact I regret very much that you have excluded the preface from your recent Editions, and English Readers would no doubt like to see a Copy of your letter to Emerson on American Literature, in reply to his letter to you. Copies of Emersons [that] letter I have sent to several friends of mine here interested in your Poems. Are you ever in New York? I have at present staying there, if not located there for Life, two friends from our town. Men that I know would be glad to see you and who would give you some details of English Life. Literature. Politics. and not likewise. and who I should be glad to hear had seen you. and also became friends of yours. there is a certain natural talent in them both. one of them has written a few Articles for the Tribune. on Cooperation, and Trade’s Unions. The new matters here in a Literary way that may be of interest to Note you is the successful result of the Publication of D. S. Rossetti's Poems got into the second Edition in 14 days after first Publication. and the next is a series of lectures in the Science of Religion by M. Muller, appearing in Fishers May eveng. Worth also a great success. And last not least the pubic appearance in London of Chaunder Sen the Hindoo Theist. who is was greatly sought after by all classes of advanced thinkers in London -And through his [present] being here. some few advanced thinkers in London people who admire your Countryman Theo Parker's Works.) are anxious to inaugrate some Body of People who shall publicly carry out and advocate these teachings amongst us, in fact endeavour to form a Body of Religious People who shall truly acknowledge in their daily life and needs the fellowship and Brotherhood of all men and to it the Father of all. One God and one Religion and that Religion in practice each member trying to do his and her duty to [the?] each other faithfully and honestly. see Magazine.Duties of Man, the New Gospel to our Time and peoples. In fact in the small collection you will find all and more than I can write and tell you about & the leading ideas and thoughts I sympatise with, and live in hopes of seeing & someday come to pass on any of us all and Humanity seems fast moving as to that noble epoch despite the changes and [?] of some of them I myself largely sympathise with the Quarter teaching No Priesthood and would [faine?] know [no] something of your kind on this matter, and also of Hicks teaching above have I see coupled with yours. Yours truly Thomas DixonWalt Whitman Attorney General's Office Washington DC U.S America [*Thos Dixon*]Mr. Walt Whitman Attorney Generals Offices Washington DC U.S America Camden APR 20 DEL. [*ans Feb. 2/16 Dixon-Jan '76*] Walt Whitman Care of Col Whitman Stevens Street Camden, New Jersey U.S. Americasee what I can do in the matter of subscribing for a few copies - I would gladly like to aid you if I can do so. I think all who read your books ought to help you in some way that would really be helpful.I feel in your case that it is only by some such method we cannot really help forward the work you aim to do. Excuse the simple free scrawl. Yours thankfully Thomas DixonList of the Books and Photographs in Book. Sent you April 8, 1870 Dabistan or School of Sects 3 Vols. Sacontula 1 do Time & Tide by Weave & Tyre 1 do. Mazzini's Duties of Man 1 do Caryles' Lecture on Choice of Books &[?] 1 do Working Classes 1832 to 1866 1 do Memoir of Thomas Bewide 1 do The Flowery Scroll - Chinese Novel Phamphelets. 1do What is a Christian J. C. Street Words of a Believer Lamenais. Remedial Measures. Christ. Europe Or Asia Chinderker Napoleon on Pauperism a reprint in Cooperator. Beneficent Government by an Hindoo. Photographs of Dantes Portrait Done by Friends of Chilton. of yours hereThos Dixon15 SUNDERLAND STREET. Sunderland July 27 1871 Dear Sir I see from the Westminster Review of our Country that you have insured a new Edition of your Poems, I want to know if the new Poems are to be purchased separate. I would fain make my own copy complete to the present times, so would thank you for a line giving me some particulars respecting the new Poems so that I may now how to order them from my bookseller.I note that in these you have been in New York lately and that its ways and people dont please you. now these changes in people are precisely of that character that I thought you had already expected such and in fact are of the greatest features in your poems to me, was your acknowledgement of the existence of such peoples and also your indication how such peoples originated in such States as your States. Now the question to me is this. Can these people help themselves being that which they are? Does not the artificial life in all large towns create and breed on such people? You who leave seen & may write almost all People.and have watched the growth of these changes seems to consider all such changes as inevitable, and that also is marked too in your Poems. So I pray you someday give us a clear estimate on this question of Life. What Life is the best for People? A Town one with every so called comfort, and Art and Luxury? But why need I ask when I see now before my minds eye several passages in your Poems that answer all the questions and that too in an emphatic way. yet I like yourself still keep putting the Questions to all I Know and to myself whenever I wander in the Streets or mix with those that Farm the lands or till There. Well over and above all I often have been wondering how the Books I sent you turned proving the idea is no dream but a veritable Truth awaiting the full growth of Humanity in all its true fulness for the fulfillment of such a truly noble form of Social Life for all Peoples!!— true comrades men and women such as you sing in your Poems. there again you see I find fresh spirit for my dream in your own work and that our latest utterance of hope for us in Human Life. I know that all these months of horror will have been often pondered over so wonder if in these ponderings speech or written thought has been made thereon. Yours Thankfully, Thos. Dixonout as you read them, how did the curious Book on Indian Philosophy? answer the yearning you seem to have to know something about them, how did the Life of Bewich or Carlyle please you, to it make you feel an interest in these men? How did the Indian Theists utterance with its mixture of Western ideas meet your own thoughts on his Themes. How did Mazzinis small but yet great Book tally with your own teachings of your own people. There was so much representative ideas in these small Books that I yearn to know how it all appeared to you, and if it was to you the truth it seems to have been to me in thus sending to you, as my feeling was they would be as dear to you also. Since last I wrote you again as war and even Revolution once more [convulsed] been tried in France in the attempt to found a new Social State the Dream it seems to me of Humanity in all Ages. There is not a Literature I have read that some such a Social State was not foreshadowed by some of its great Men in their writings. And also how sorrowful to write after all the bloodshed this noble idea is still a Dream, except in as far as your Land proves it not so, by the few noble and successful associations that seems to grow and flourish in same portions of your great Country—15. Sunderland Street Sunderland, 15 April 1875 Dear Friend I was glad to see again once more a scrawl from you, even in a paper. felt also glad to see there is someone else more gifted then me trying to honour you and make your work know in our old land. Quoted the French Review-- fain would I have read it, but alas I can only read my own tongue. I often and often-- wish one could conjure up some Spirit to give are the meaning of much I see in other tongues but alas though I often call us spirit alas __ comes to aid me at my call. Well to cease I got your Essay on Burns reprinted here in two local papers. I enclose one rejoinder from a canny Scot, a decent soul, a man that came here a Journeyman and now is the Working Man apr of 500 men. he is also a Rhymer one little Sketch of his I enclose you. You will see he is of a narrow school of thought. wants width he has got a good heart thoughI must confess I felt disapointed & somewhat in the Burns. I fear you are not well up in Burn's life. he was to all intents and purposes a Nature akin to yours true not so wide not so democratic still a democrat he lost promotion through his deep sympathy with the French Revolution 1793 -- he sent some guns to them which were stopped. that speaks for the man's sympathy with the cause of man. Carlyle's Essay on him and his Poems [are] is by far the justest I have read with Lockheart's Life of him feeling how much there is of real Kinship between your two natures I felt sorry to find you had not fully grasped the hand of my Hero of Scotland in 1793. A man's a man for ah that. "what a cheering voice that is to any soul that is able to read it then again his idea that even "auld Nick" might be saved if he only would take a thought and mend "is the widest stretch of true charity I find in any -- Poetry. I find his poetry comes close to the heart of all humanKind. I find in my travels and talks with men many of them poor hard toiling souls to whom his Poems are the very gospel of consolation and hope.15. Sunderland Street Sunderland, ................18.......... I hope you will look it up yearn for us if possible. He will repay & one [thought] I think surely I had you here beside me. then we could talk it over together so nicely. the stray notices I could place into your hands would enable you to see the full man. I feel glad you have done what you have. but yearn for more. give us Essays on Emerson & Tennyson I often try to make out for myself what you really think of these two men you are so dear to me I often wish I was by your side . I feel there is so much I sympathise and love in literature. -- that we could chat over. and I think where it so. how many nice Essays would be done that would rejoice the news of brothers in the same grand school of human sympathy. the great hearts of our time are begging to wake up -- we are begging to shake of the bondage cast over us by the Jewish Race through their Books and the priesthood that has arisen from themI learn with sorrow and deep regret. Your Poems are still a venture of your own. are your pupils too poor? What are we think you? if one prophet starve? excuse me being so bold. The great heart of America such cannot long allow this to be true? or is it the penalty all prophets pay for being such to a people? Well I hope sunshine will care, and that soon. If I can in anyway be helpful let me know. I can at least try we are far apart that is true. yet even here something I might do as a manifestation of my love and fellowship. I enclose some cuttings that have been saved for your reading. with a Kind of loving care I have gathered them. I would have sent them by news post only I was afraid they would get lost so thought this way was the best. I write you these few lines, simply as a quick reply to your scrawl not by any means all I hoped to write you. If silent never one Think you are forgotten even by one of the old land. Yours in true sympathy of heart Thomas Dixon15 Sunderland Street Sunderland Dec 19, 75 Dear Friend I have mailed you and registered them. the following Books and printed matter. a copy of "the Bhagavad Gita" Thompson's translation (a recent Edition.) Selections from the Sanscrit by John Muir D.D. a lecture on English Literature by a Unitarian Minister of Birkenhead (to whom gave a copy of the Complete Edition of your Poems) lastly the Supplement to our town's paper. I would like you to look over a Sketch by H. C. Anderson on two candles its translated by one of your readers here. the other is a Story from Iceland being the first story in said paper, it is also written by a warm friend of yours, he was once Editor of the paper but is now engaged on a larger paper in a neighboring town a paper that is quite in advance of all our papers here about entitled the Newcastle Chronicle it has got a Daily as well as as weekly issue. I will send you a copy someday of the weekly one so that you may gauge its power and its principles and alsocontrast it with your own papers for I think there is large room for improvement in --- many of them I see they seem to contain matters of such trivial interest outside of [your] the district they are issued in. Now think your papers ought as a rule to be universal in a large portin of [their] there topics. of your national poetry to a large extent is intensely European I think the papers to a large extent are essentially local in there articles at least with very few exceptions such I find is the case in those I recieve the best piece of hopeful outspoken utterance in print here is the reports of the True Religions Association of Boston It seems quite in keeping with what supposes and expects from the cultured people of your land -- but perhaps you dont see it? so that my reference to it will not be of use to you I help all I can here its circulation. Well I hope you will enjoy our little gift I hope in the perusal of each work you will something akin to the width and depth of your own heart. these are old utterances. yet new to us in his lands. "the Gita" is one of my favourite Books, it is the gem of all Indian love. it is as wide in its teachings and has deep too as anything I have ever yet seen in printed Book. I have tried hard to induce a few souls to aid in the issue of a cheap universal Edition of it, but have utterly failed. its present publisher has been lead to do it, in the hopes it may lead to some such recognition by some of our Literary associtions --- I read with deep felt sympathy the slight utterances as E A. Poe. He said his works have been long been in part dear to me. -- but what is it that is not so and to Carlyle and my own nature too and lastly to you and your teachings. how can one but feel interested and moved by such a Nature and then I ask? How comes the distance in such life as ours such Souls? We We poor mortals sit in Judgement as such --- who know nothing of the nature or the environments of such. If verse in my thoughts are all such, and gaze on them a Wanderment even with awe and silence too. ---How much of the Speculations of our time did he not solve. and lies therein embeded in these wild wild awful stories of his ah! that nature is are that heed one's love and deepest sympathy. not our Hate and scorn as alas too often is given it. your sketch of him in the Storm tossed vessel is very very awful real and true. it made me tremble while I read it. -- and I have read it up to friends 3 times who call in to hear the news bye the way is the photograph you sent me with your Beaver on procurable yet? If so where, [at] and what price? The friend whose letter I sent you on your critique on Burns who lives [in] in London wants a Copy. he has seen the one you sent me in 1869. Now lastly I feel glad to see in our papers you have seen Conway again, I once spent little time pleasantly with him in London in 1873. He's a right noble face spoken man. full of wise helpful energy of all sorts in his neighbourhood in London. I regretted his notes on you was so very brief. Will my subscription to your new Edition of your works, if sent you direct to America. bc of any real aid in your new efforts? let me know I willThomas Dixon's [* sent p. card Th. Dixon Greeting 15 Sunderland Street March 5. excuse this scrawl I Sunderland '76*] am so anxious to reply 16 Feb 1876 I feel quite nervous Dear Sir & Friend. I hasten to reply to your letter of the 2nd which came to hand just last night, and I must confess cheered me for I had been expecting its arrival for some weeks and was growing somewhat dubious my letter and the package had gone astray, but thanks to the powers that be they have reached you all safely, and seemed to have been cheering and welcome to: Well that was indeed glad news to me, for I must confess I suffer to from Bronchial ashma and it makes me somewhat doleful at times, so that I often feel in dread when I write letters I write them doleful to: Well it was very gratifying to learn and see you where still able to write a little and work also a little ----- glad and welcome news that I could be a Subscriber direct to you: Our Ruskin here publishes his own Books, and how he does I will let you know bye and bye ---- I am anxious to reply to day so cannot3 his wife his now busy writing a sketch of his life, and I must try to send you one. I know you will love the man -- I enclose you a P.0.0. for £3.0.0 send me the set of your works -- and one copy of the two Rivulets (I want it to give to the writer of the letter I sent you on your Essay on Burns) I note you the Editions I have of your works. I felt a regret I lost one. Yet after all I ought not far from it we got the first English Edition G W.H. -- Leaves of Grass 1860. 1861 we have 3 copies if not four in our neighborhood. The press copy of Leaves of Grass 1867 that was used by Rosetti for [your] his Edition of Poems his copy London 1868 --- Leaves of Grass Washington 1872. Burroughs Poet & person --- 2 inform you now. neither can I give you the copies from Dear Canon Kingsley's Lectures that I hope will he cheer you to read something. I mean to send them it is hopeful and full of the Spirit of your own poems which for a parson and Chaplain to a Queen was good news to send to a Democrat I loved the man. I loved his works I honoured him for what he had attempted to do for the people years ago. When Democracy was not to respectable. I mean to send you his portrait he was a fine noble healthy looking man. fine read and white flesh like a cultured farmer or Fisherman, and had a large big hand and heart and stood somewhat your hight or near as I can guess fine blue gray Eyes. I met him 3 year ago. we had often promised to me. but alas never did so but that once: then only for an hour or two. Yes how full of sunshine love and true fellowship the time passed. 4 I mean to let you know how many copies of the 1872 I have sold and given to folks I thought to hold like your Poems that his the way I contribute to my religion which is The Books I love and like. so I sell them, or I give them away. So E. Poe's Works have grown and spread here and in the circle I move in. so too Brete Harte's Works and last Joaquin Miller is growing here. I speak of you, and get folks to read your works, then to buy them, then to love and honour yours I wish your people in America would cease to be so doleful about you, and your works let them who love you cherish, and aid the sale of this Edition and all other Editions then let the world. the newspapers. the other authors and great men go their way, and do their work as best the way. let us do yours but no repining & we love M. Antoninus Epitectus Socrates, Christ. and you and the Band of fellows like you. let us serve you and help you all we can in silent5 noble faithfulness. I love silent worship aid and help: that is who I love Carlyle. for years he made no sign. but waited and the sun shone at last. let us all be content to wait. let us do our very best who are believers to aid and help our singers, but in silence I feel glad Joaquin Miller calls to see you. I love the man. I love a deal he has written, especially is life amongst the Modocs. there's a little band here loves him too his rude to Brazos struck afire that has grown to a white heat with us all. I copied alot of his account of the Indians with their treatment and the pollution of the Rivers and sent it to Ruskin - he was deeply interested with it and said he had no idea that the pollution of your beautiful Theames had also taken place6 he intends to make use of my extracts someday. shake hands with Miller for me. tell I yearn to see him --- and to own his portrait. tell him I have his wife's noble defence of him. that I have read it often to friends here. I hope Tuesday I may see you all and shake your hands and talk a little too: I was glad to learn Tennyson has still corresponded with you, and that he writes you so Kindly too. I love him for the noble poems he has written and for his noble heart for years ago I he sent me many Kind letters of deep sympathy and friendship when I first commenced to do work for my fellow Workman, Conway too is afire noble fellow. the others I dont Know but I feel glad to despite the [oraters?] against you the power you possess is telling so on in The Spirit, and in the Spirit may we help youNo 2 I see them now while I write this. I look into thine eyes. I grasp thy hand. then grasps it hard then looks upon me with a smile. I hear thee say: "All is peace now young man the storm is indeed past I live once again in the Souls and memories of these Heros and all is well: "Oh could I tell thee my feeling when I read that which then tell's me of "Lincoln" ---- I loved the man, though I never Knew him. Ruskin once wrote me a note (when I told him what a noble soul he was) "how is it, this was never Know untill now?" that was at his Death. I soon let him Know your printed matter I had by me how it was I loved the man. he wrote and thanked me, and then said he was indeed glad to Know your people had been blessed with such a man, and he then deeply regretted his sad end for your peoples sake.-- so you see my friend, your Captain is also Known and his memory made dear in places then deemed not of: so I tell thee this to cheer thee: and to Show thee though silent thou livest still warm in my heart and in all the hearts of our little band: one letter I send thee, which I hope will please thee: for it is written by me I love dear.I enclose thee is portrait, so that thou may Know him also. I send also some M.S.S that I have had copied from Canon Kingsley's Works especially for you by another of the circle. it seemed strange the very passages I noted to be done was selected by you to for your "two Rivulets" I send it altogether simply because I did not care to [dig out?]: also it seemed that there is a deep bond of sympathy between us --- when we both should unKnown to each other have both selected the same passage. I got a nice poem from W.J. Linton: I felt sorry it did not give me his address___ I had it reprinted in one of our local papers it seems to have made an impression on some of our people: I would like to have sent to him a copy of the paper had I is address: I also would like to introduced to him a young friend of mine that is in New York: the son of a Quaker of Manchester: a fine noble fellow who died very suddenly to our sad loss for he was a noble soul full of good broad liberal ideas with the power to give expression to them: a fighter in all good causes. his son seems a noble fellow__ and I would so like him to Know a man like Linton or any such soul. I feel I would like to make my young friend Know to some good souls for I think there is stuff in him, so if you can aid me in my wish it will help to knit the firmer our bond of unity and love. and he may someday go and see you, and then our love will still be dearer for I advised him to go to America. so that I feel deeply interested in him & his welfare _____He seems a fine lad to me , and I could rejoice exceedingly if he should visit you for I yearn to hear what either you or any soul like you, would think of him, I often think I would like to visit America. in fact to settle in it. How much mony would it take to buy travel? for a fellow to live on decently? I of course am no Farmer, but I would like to live a Farmer's life and dont see any chance here. hands so lean, I am only a bad sailor or else I would have been on my way to see you this year: I often have long wished to see your country and its people and I yearned to see it and them just in the way you have done -- so you see I see them through your eyes and so love them all and you to -- Thomas DixonCopy 333 Liverpool [Street] Road Ap. 11. 76 Dear Dixon I forgot to acknowledge in my last The Feb number of "Human Nature" containing Barlow's article on Walt Whitman. He appears to be a superior man but not so advanced as Whitman in his mode of thought. His article is a valuable one and his poem, alluded to in the short piece by an anonymous writer in the April number (who not capable of dealing with him) is an interesting production, you will & suppose have seen it & is in the Dec'r number and is entitled "Another[s] years meadow-sweet" He seems to despair of immortality, and there Whitman has the advantage of him. The poem is somewhat of a hothouse production full of the oppression of Death. Unlike him Whitman approaches undaunted, The veiled angel so terrible to men, He unbraces her, finds her soft and yielding, he removes her veil and finds her beautiful & desireable a delicious [brid] bride withcool and perfumed breath. Whitman's poems are everywhere the work of a man "enamored of the open air," and are like his "athletic girls," "tanned in the face by shining suns and blowing winds." You ask me how I should like a manager's place in a large photographic establishment? I dare say I should like it very well, but where is the photographic establishm't? I read Mr. Brockie's Notice of Whitman in the S. Times and I hope it may be of service. The fact is that it is sort of sacrilige to present Whitman or his claims to almost any one. To all but about one in ten thousand he simply appears a mass of unheard of folly. I should be glad to see his book sell, if only the most of [the] people could make anything of it. But I never shew it to anyone, as I never meet with any to whom it would be at all intelligible. The book is open and plain enough, certainly, to those who are on the same plane of thought with himself, but the majority of men want "a book to join them in their folly" and their damned trifling conventionalities. I have not heard anything from Mr. Rossetti. I believe Mr. Buchanan is a very good man; and he is a writer of high quality; but I hardly desire to trouble him with my acquaintance__ The fact is, that, as a rule, the visits of a person moving in a different sphere generally have something of the character of intrusions. This is the reason why I have never visited Mr Rossetti, who very cordially invited me to do so whenever I pleased. Those men are too much surrounded and worried__ and it is much better for a man to be alone than to visit where his visit is not a distinct favour, and a thing to be desired. I should visit Whitman of all men without hesitation, ---because I know that there I should meet the solid hero skin to skin - without the intervention of "lace and ruffles" Perhaps, if he were worried by too much "Society" he might be almost tempted to put on his dress coat also. But there is not much fear of that. - Society never yet offered incense to such a man, those who understand him are what he desires them to be - "his lovers" and there is not much love in "literary Society" I am yours Faithfully T.D. WestnessDean Trench (now archBishop of Dublin) A Household Book of English Poetry. Edition 1868 Macmillan. London. page 359. Poem 278 Come up from the fields. father. ["from Dran. Taps?"] I simply copy the lines he prints in italics gunshot wound in the breast cavalry skirmish, taken in hospital. At present low, but soon will be better Grieve not so, dear mother See, dearest, mother, the letter says Pete will soon be better Yet he omits this poem in all future Editions. and gives no reason why.Note. P. 359 No. 278 Poem. A selection of Walt Whitman's poetry has very lately been published in England, the editor of this declaring that in him American poetry properly so-called begins. I must entirely dissent from this statement. What he has got to say is a very old story in deed, and no one would have attended to his version of it, if he had not put it more uncouthly than others before him. That there is no contradiction between higher and lower, that there is no holy and no profane, that the flesh has just as good rights as the spirit- this as never wanted prophets to preach it, nor people to act upon it and this the sum total of his message to America and to the world. I was glad to find in Down Taps me a little poem which I could quote with real pleasure.No 1 17 June: 76 Dear Friend. I have now receive a series of papers & post cards, yet have never once ventured to reply. & i am in fact afraid you will deem me growing cold in my sympathy for you with my long silence. It is not so and I hope it never will be: I have been waiting all this time in the hopes that I might have a cheery letter to write you of how all goes on here in your matters. but I learn from Rosetti that he is keeping you well up with news up to date so that on that score I find I have nonews to write to you that you wont already know. so far I learn all goes on pretty well with the kind aid of our English folk that care and love you they seem all to be doing their best to get subscribers to your noble testimonial to your Countries 100 years To me it seems a fitting and truly beautiful offering. and one that I hope to see your people get - warmly and tenderly appreciate at its worth. one item I deem they will never forget. I mean your noble services to the gallant souls who fought and even died for the Union of their Land - The reading of these memorandums made me almost weep and faint I saw you in the midst of them, age mentally I was near you. I heard you speak to them: I saw them look in on you. grasp our hand. embrace you, kiss you; the eyes of them I saw that glistened upon you. Oh man, how I wished while I read I was near you, to tell you how I felt for you. how I love you, and even begrudged the love and sympathy you realized from these Heros.. I fain would have been you. I feel like Ruskin when I read such actions of love. that I fain could be the actor oh brave kind generous soulin their memories of thine, why need then care for us [puny] poor puny souls, men nursed in [tuzri] luxury's lap one may say: men who know [? care] anything then one's petty duties from day to day, even several of them shirked too? While thou has been a father, mother, nurse, doctor, priest, and who can tell all. to thousands. Well. Well, let them rail then and they work. will live in the hearts of these men. and in the memories of them who are in the other region: fear not the storm will pass by -P.S. I cannot close this note without stating that I have now placed copies of your Poems in all our town's Libraries in Shields, Manchester, Newcastle, Warrington, Birkenhead, Liverpool, London, Plymouth, Morpeth.. Tynemouth.. and other places in all I find I have circulated some 20 copies of including the English one and American ones So you see the little hands been a working one.New York Mar 3 Registered 2116 Walt Whitman 431 Stevens Street cor West. Camden: New Jersey U.S. America [*Thos. Dixon March. 7*] [*6 337*] Registered B 16Feb76 Sunderland [*887*]D2 Liverpool 7 FE 76 Newcastle On Tyne H FE 16 76[*from T. Dixon March 22 '76 sent postal card April 5*] Walt Whitman 431 Stevens Street Camden New Jersey U:S: AmericaLiverpool 23 MR 76 New York Apr [?] Paid ]All?]