FEINBERG/WHITMAN  LITERARY FILE  Prose "Why Should I be Afraid?"  (undated) A. MS draft.
Box 36 Folder 42502

Why Should I Be Afraid? prose.  A.MS.  (1p.  11 1/2 x 17 cm.)

Written in ink, with corrections in pencil and blue pencil, and cancellations in blue pencil, on the back of a scrap from a discarded letter to WW, to which is pasted a small piece of pale brown paper, 90 words:

[Accordingly], For grounds [to] delving [L-of-C] for [to] Leaves of Grass the [verse] book [upon] I 

Why should I be afraid to say plainly that I have sought to make chant [from] for [and out of] the New World? in its eventualities as out of it and to help to doubtless anticipate them.

For grounds to delve [the following volume] Leaves of Grass from [the] my volume of verses, I have abandon'd the conventional themes [of poems, of old establish'd verses and rhymes] which [will] do not appearIf for [to] Leaves of Grass the book
Why should I be afraid
to say plainly that I 
have sought to [???]
chant [from] in its [eventu???????] for in its everything [and] as out it
[out of] the New World?

For [grow???] to delve the foe.
[?] volume from I have
abandoned the conventional themes
of [h????],  [?? old established ???] which [will] not appearDear Wal[?]
I w[??]
to the NY World [?]
& gave an a[??]
in which [??]
they an [??]
to examin[??]
    "Whitman [??]
with a view [??]
    Get it tog[??]
we can then [??]
one for the s[??]
    I go to [??]
[tonic?] [ca??ron] [??]
(tomorrow) [????]