<Text id=WhiPros>
<Author>Whitman, Walt</Author>
<Title>Complete Prose Works (1892)</Title>
<Edition>Complete Poetry and Collected Prose. New York: Literary Classics of the U.S., 1982.</Edition>
<Date>1855-1892</Date>
<body>
<div0 type=part n=1>
<loc><locdoc>WhiPros689</locdoc><milestone n=689>
<p> <i>Specimen Days</i> (1)
<p> A HAPPY HOUR'S COMMAND
<p><i>Down in the Woods, July 2d, 1882. -- </i> If I do it
at all I must delay no longer. Incongruous and full of
skips and jumps as is that huddle of diary-jottings, war-
memoranda of 1862-'65, Nature-notes of 1877-'81, with
Western and Canadian observations afterwards, all bundled up
and tied by a big string, the resolution and indeed mandate
comes to me this day, this hour, -- (and what a day! what an
hour just passing! the luxury of riant grass and blowing
breeze, with all the shows of sun and sky and perfect
temperature, never before so filling me body and soul) -- to
go home, untie . . .
