scarcely a moment I can call my own, and shall not have at least all the summer. Meanwhile, since my letters please you, do you think there is any way in which you

could make use of them to serve the cause? The firm conviction I have that these poems are the seeds of such immeasurably grand results for the world that any delay in the successful planting of them is grievous; the pain and indignation I feel at the thought of how that great name, the mere sound of which will hereafter stir in men's hearts a very passion of gratitude and love, has at the outset been saluted chiefly with injurious epithets and hateful imputations; my belief that none but a woman can be the decisive judge of the question involved in these attacks (she being supplied with finer subtler tests); the clear and sweet consciousness I have that men and women may trust me to the uttermost in this, even if they cannot at present see the matter at all as I do :—all these things combine to make me absolutely fearless for myself.

"It seems to me that it would be wise in the future editions to divide the poems into two entirely distinct, not consecutive volumes; the one very large (and certainly including that noble prelude the original Preface to the Leaves of Grass'); the other very small: and to put a few words before this one that should, if possible, guide it into the right hands-the hands of those who can think greatly or love greatly, either or both. Thus a stumbling-block would be removed from those who might, to their own infinite joy, receive a great part, but not yet all that Walt Whitman has given

them.

LEAVES OF GRASS.

185

"One day, when the truth that other men have dreamed of and grasped at, but that this one has laid hold of and brought alive and full of power in the midst of us, that there is no particle of matter in the universe but has reference to Soul,' nay, that body is entirely a manifestation of Soul-is Soul-when this is seen to be the most vital and practical of facts-then we shall understand all and love all and fear nothing. And then, I am persuaded the little book will be dear to the hearts of many women, and that the husbands of those women will be the happiest husbands."

In another letter to William Rossetti, she says:"If you decide to do anything with my letters there are one or two sentences I should like to add, that would, I think, complete all I feel a wish to say."

The above was written in response to a suggestion from William Rossetti that her letters about "Leaves of Grass" should be published. In the meantime another letter is received from him, in which this subject is still under debate; and this is her answer :--

My dear Mr. Rossetti: Your letter is very good and kind, and I thank you heartily for it. I feel a persuasion, the strength and persistency of which astonishes even myself, that it is possible for a woman so to treat this difficult subject as to command respect (and if she do not succeed in this she will do no good, to speak of, to the cause) and to win, not indeed acceptance for these poems specially in question-that I believe is not at present possible to more than a dozen people in the world-but a consent to lay them silently aside and no longer to look at the Poet through the distorting

medium bred by an utter misconception of them: but to open their hearts and minds to all the rest of his teaching, and then the other will follow in good time.”

The essay in question is at length tackled; and many literary details are discussed with William Rossetti. In a letter dated July 23, 1869, he says:-"No literary matter that I could well name has given me deeper or more unmixed delight than your resplendent enthusiasm for Whitman consequent (originally) on the Selection I was concerned in-and as I say expressly in that selection, I long to see the complete book diffused and appreciated here."

A sketch of the proposed article on Leaves of Grass is finished, and despatched to W. D. O'Connor by William Rossetti, who writes :

At last, this morning, came the enclosed letter from Mr. O'Connor. It gratifies me extremely, and I trust will not produce any very different impression on you. ... You see he starts no faint suggestion even of publishing what I sent him of yours. Any move in that direction lies solely with you.

"Like other people he falls foul of poor Mrs. Stowe. For my part, I am on that subject in the very small minority of people who think that Mrs. Stowe, being deeply convinced of the truth of what she has written, felt justified and called upon to publish it, and was by no means wrong in so feeling. This I This I say without professing belief in what Lady Byron told Mrs. Stowe: I think it open to serious question, but certainly not to be dismissed on any mere a priori ground of unlikelihood. Strict inquiry into evidences

WILLIAM D. O'CONNOR.

187

is now wanted, and may result in establishing or refuting the allegations."

We give that part of the letter from W. D. O'Connor, which refers to "An Englishwoman's Estimate of Walt Whitman:

"Washington, D.C., 1869. "My dear Mr. Rossetti: Your letter of the 20th November, enclosing the precious manuscript, is to hand, and we are of course immensely gratified and thankful. The lady's contribution is simply superb, which is all that can be said, and we shall use every effort to have it fitly given to the world, and as soon as possible. . . . I don't say much about the dear lady's article, but it is in my thoughts a great deal nevertheless. Unquestionably, it is the finest and fullest appreciation yet uttered."

It is thought advisable to preface the Essay with a few words; Anne Gilchrist writes:

"My dear Mr. Rossetti: Have you any objection, or should you think it inexpedient, to prefix a few words yourself, as the friend to whom the letters were addressed: not, of course, to praise them in any way, nor yet to take upon yourself the responsibility of their being printed, but just to say the simple truth, that when you received them it seemed to you that they expressed something that claimed to be said,' and that you had therefore expressed a wish I could find it practicable to print them or something to the same purport as the letters? I feel as if this would make it easier for me somehow. For though I have a deep conviction that some of these poems never will be rightly apprehended by men, not if they have to wait a hundred years, till some woman

takes courage to speak: I do not see how any could without the help of a friend like yourself. I know I could not have written so except to a friend who I felt sure would understand me aright. But with that help, and believing as I do that the first that sees and knows the truth is bound to speak, I should for ever despise myself as a coward if I shrunk back. Though whether I am the right one or no-have put it in the right way, only the result can prove."

William M. Rossetti answers, October 12 :-" It will be a pride and delight to me to add a few prefatory words; I would submit them to you when written.”

To the same friend (October 17th) when comparing Walt Whitman to modern leaders of thought Anne Gilchrist says:"I say leaders of thought; but I believe it is almost exclusively Carlyle that I have in my mind, for I really think he is (apart from our poets, who can none of them be called leaders of thought, whatever their greatness in other ways) the only man with enough of the fire of genius in him to deserve that name. And it seems very curious to myself that owing so much to him as I do and having been ever since I was a very young girl an enthusiastic admirer of him, the first thing I should ever write (that can be called writing) should be almost a bitter protest against his teaching. But he has pressed that stone of contempt' down so very hard and fast on our hearts of late!

"Asceticism has always seemed to me a sort of mad attempt of man's to do better for himself than God has done for him. To supersede His scheme by trying one that shall produce higher results.