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Letter to Louisa Van Velsor Whitman, February 5, 1867

Whitman, Walt. "Letter to Louisa Van Velsor Whitman, February 5, 1867." Walt Whitman: The Correspondence. Ed. Edwin Haviland Miller. New York: New York University Press, 1961. 311-312.
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Type: 
manuscript
Genre: 
correspondence
Abstract: 

Whitman writes a letter from Washington to his mother in Brooklyn. He has little to do in the Attorney General’s office during the day, and has not had a very agreeable winter. He hopes to travel home soon.

Full Text


To Louisa Van Velsor Whitman

Attorney General’s Office,
Washington. | Tuesday afternoon | Feb. 5, 1867

Dearest mother,
I received your letter of Sunday week, Jan. 26—Mother, I hope that lameness in the wrist is better by this time. There is no news to write you this time—I have heard that old Mrs. Mix got through safe to Brooklyn the next day—I looked for Jeff, but he didn’t come—When you write, tell me how Jeff is—
I suppose you have had great change in the weather in Brooklyn—we have here—for several days past, it has been thawing & melting—Here in the office, it is the same old story—it is now about 12 o’clock—the Attorney Gen’l. & Ashton have gone to the Supreme Court—they go most every day now from 11 till 2--& I have little or nothing to do a good deal of the time when they are away—
Mother, write whether Jeff got the books, for himself & Dr. Ruggles—write how Hattie is—Well, the sun is shining, & as I look out this morning on the Potomac, I see the ice is broke up, & the river is all open—I hope we shall have but little more cold weather—I have not had a very agreeable winter—I have not had a satisfactory room & arrangements—I think I shall look around & get one more suitable—
Mother, do you still have the office partly in your house—there in the long room?
Sometimes I feel as though I want to come home for about a week—I think it quite likely I shall come before long—I should not be able to stay longer than a week—I will tell you though, in time—
Well, mother dear, I believe that is all this time. Give my love to George, & Jeff & Mat.
Walt.

People who Created this Work

Whitman, Walt author

People Mentioned in this Work

Ruggles, Edward [pages:312]

Whitman asks his mother if Dr. Ruggles got the books he sent him.