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Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892

"Complete Prose Works Specimen Days and Collect, November Boughs and Goodbye My Fancy"


And now as from some fisherman's net hauling all sorts, and disbursing
the same.]

A WORLD'S SHOW
_New York, Great Exposition open'd in 1853._--I went a long time
(nearly a year)--days and nights--especially the latter--as it was
finely lighted, and had a very large and copious exhibition gallery of
paintings (shown at best at night, I tho't)--hundreds of pictures from
Europe, many masterpieces--all an exhaustless study--and, scatter'd
thro' the building, sculptures, single figures or groups--among the
rest, Thorwaldsen's "Apostles," colossal in size--and very many fine
bronzes, pieces of plate from English silversmiths, and curios from
everywhere abroad--with woods from all lands of the earth--all sorts
of fabrics and products and handiwork from the workers of all nations.

NEW YORK--THE BAY--THE OLD NAME
_Commencement of a gossipy travelling letter in a New York city paper,
May 10, 1879_.--My month's visit is about up; but before I get back
to Camden let me print some jottings of the last four weeks. Have you
not, reader dear, among your intimate friends, some one, temporarily
absent, whose letters to you, avoiding all the big topics and
disquisitions, give only minor, gossipy sights and scenes--just as
they come--subjects disdain'd by solid writers, but interesting to you
because they were such as happen to everybody, and were the moving
entourage to your friend--to his or her steps, eyes, mentality? Well,
with an idea something of that kind, I suppose, I set out on the
following hurrygraphs of a breezy early-summer visit to New York city
and up the North river--especially at present of some hours along
Broadway.


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