[Letter] 1917 April 30, Baltimore, Md. [to] Mr. Markham
Title
[Letter] 1917 April 30, Baltimore, Md. [to] Mr. Markham
Subject
Markham, Edwin, 1852-1940. The man with the hoe
Description
Tappan thanks Markham for visiting Baltimore and invites Markham to visit again. He requests a handwritten copy of "The Man With The Hoe" and other poems so he can have them framed and hung at his school.
Creator
Tappan, William
Source
Edwin Markham Archive, Horrmann Library
Date
4/30/1917
Contributor
Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Rights
Please contact the Horrmann Library at Wagner College for rights to use this digital image.
Format
image/jpeg
Language
eng
Type
Text
Identifier
TappanWm5
Text
1419 Bolton St.,
Baltimore, Md., Apr. 30, 1917.
Dear Mr. Markham,
It was, indeed, a great disappointment to see that you were obliged to take today an earlier train than you had expected to take. For I was looking forward with most pleasant anticipation to the privilege of showing you some of my old books. I shall, however, hold to the expectation of welcoming you to my house at some not too distant date when you again favor this city with your genial presence. I received your cordial messages through Mrs. Tappan; and I want to tell you how delightful it was to me to be able to see something of you yesterday. For these many years I have known you in spirit, and I now feel as if I know you in the flesh. It was most generous of you to say to Mrs. Tappan that you would be glad to finish the memoranda in my copies of the Markham books; but I will not trouble you by sending on the books at this time. You will be here again sometime, and then it will add another pleasant memory to our intercourse. If, however, it will not be too serious a burden to you, I should like some time tremendously to frame and hang in my school a copy of “The Man With The Hoe” in your handwriting. Pray, don’t do this if you feel at all disinclined to it. But if you feel especially gay and charitable to a poor sinner, then at your leisure write out for me any of the following with your signature: Brotherhood, Outwitted, Anchored to the Infinite, The Joy of the Hills, The Right to Labor in Joy, Earth is Enough. Now, one word of exhortation or inspiration. I meant while you were here to seek an opportunity to urge you to voice the hope of the race in this war. What can such a horrible catastrophe mean if it isn’t the birth-pangs of real liberty – the liberty that must come to mankind? You have known that you have the vision of justice as well as the poet’s voice of melody. Sing this song of freedom’s dawn. Your verses calling Russia to rise have been echoing in my ears since I heard you read them. Could you send me a copy of them?
Pray excuse so long a letter. I am ashamed of having asked you to do so much, and I wish I could do something in return. I can only ask you to command me to any possible services. Glück auf! as the German miners say.
Cordially yours,
Wm. Tappan
Baltimore, Md., Apr. 30, 1917.
Dear Mr. Markham,
It was, indeed, a great disappointment to see that you were obliged to take today an earlier train than you had expected to take. For I was looking forward with most pleasant anticipation to the privilege of showing you some of my old books. I shall, however, hold to the expectation of welcoming you to my house at some not too distant date when you again favor this city with your genial presence. I received your cordial messages through Mrs. Tappan; and I want to tell you how delightful it was to me to be able to see something of you yesterday. For these many years I have known you in spirit, and I now feel as if I know you in the flesh. It was most generous of you to say to Mrs. Tappan that you would be glad to finish the memoranda in my copies of the Markham books; but I will not trouble you by sending on the books at this time. You will be here again sometime, and then it will add another pleasant memory to our intercourse. If, however, it will not be too serious a burden to you, I should like some time tremendously to frame and hang in my school a copy of “The Man With The Hoe” in your handwriting. Pray, don’t do this if you feel at all disinclined to it. But if you feel especially gay and charitable to a poor sinner, then at your leisure write out for me any of the following with your signature: Brotherhood, Outwitted, Anchored to the Infinite, The Joy of the Hills, The Right to Labor in Joy, Earth is Enough. Now, one word of exhortation or inspiration. I meant while you were here to seek an opportunity to urge you to voice the hope of the race in this war. What can such a horrible catastrophe mean if it isn’t the birth-pangs of real liberty – the liberty that must come to mankind? You have known that you have the vision of justice as well as the poet’s voice of melody. Sing this song of freedom’s dawn. Your verses calling Russia to rise have been echoing in my ears since I heard you read them. Could you send me a copy of them?
Pray excuse so long a letter. I am ashamed of having asked you to do so much, and I wish I could do something in return. I can only ask you to command me to any possible services. Glück auf! as the German miners say.
Cordially yours,
Wm. Tappan
Data Digital
2009
Digitization Specifications
IBM ThinkCentre Intel Pentium 4 3.06GHz running Windows XP Professional Version 2 Service Pack 2; Epson Expression 10000XL scanner; Master Scanner Settings: 24-bit RGB, 400 dpi resolution; File Format: TIFF; Compression: none; Reference Images resized and converted with Adobe Photoshop CS2 version 9.0.2: 8-bit RGB; 400 ppi resolution; Compressed jpeg.
Collection
Citation
Tappan, William , “[Letter] 1917 April 30, Baltimore, Md. [to] Mr. Markham,” Edwin Markham Digital Archive, accessed May 2, 2024, https://markham.omeka.net/items/show/585.