46 Edward Livingston Youmans. 



upon that eye. From a state of comparative comfort 

 and self-helpfulness on going to bed he would often in 

 the morning arise quite blind again ; and when this 

 happened at the island, he had to go back to the city 

 and take the treatment at the doctor's office. 



Early in 1842 he left Mrs. Cook's and boarded for 

 a time at Mrs. Chipman's, on Chambers Street. It was 

 here that he made the acquaintance of Walt Whit- 

 man, when he was plain Mr. Whitman, wearing a coat 

 and necktie like other people, and editing a newspaper 

 called the Aurora, for which Edward wrote occasional 

 " Saratoga correspondence." In later years Youmans 

 always maintained that Walt was an arrant humbug, 

 and that his " barbaric yawp " and obtrusive filthiness 

 were assumed purely for pelf, after he had found that 

 polite writing would not pay his bills. Among the 

 friends made at this time, and who for many long, 

 weary years proved most sympathetic and helpful, 

 was Mr. Benjamin Flanders, whom he met at Dr. 

 Elliott's office undergoing treatment for a minor mal- 

 ady of the eyes.* Mr. Flanders was a sailmaker do- 



* The sight of any one in trouble always moved Mr. Flanders to help 

 him in some way if he could. Hence he sought Edward's acquaintance, 

 and at once took a personal liking to him. He was much pleased by 

 Edward's manner, in which at that time, along with the embarrassment 

 due to blindness, there was unusual modesty and deference to others, asso- 

 ciated with peculiar energy of speech and confidence of statement. No 

 doubt the liberal opinions of the youth and his ability to state and defend 

 them also pleased Mr. Flanders, so that when his eyes were cured and 

 the two friends ceased to meet at the doctor's office he sought Edward out 

 in his boarding-house and in the most delicate way did much to alleviate 

 his circumstances. His persistent kindness throughout the long years of 

 helpless dependence that were to follow had much to do in bringing about 

 the final recovery. In the early years of his stay in New York Edward 

 was much alone, and suffered a great deal from low spirits. Often when 

 Mr. Flanders found him downhearted he would take him to his home in 



