Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-01-07
A Great Man, SeH:Wreckei.
EDGAR ALLAN POE.

: EDGAR ALLAN POE.
!, Many years ago-in the summer of tn
l. year ls Is it was or rthereabouts-a wealth
: merchant of New York took charge of
: little boy who had been left an orphan
. The parents of this child had been actor
of some slight celebrity in the theaters O
the United States; but dying within
short time of each other, they left behiu,
them, in state of complete destitution
three young children. The eldest of thes
|, was handsome boy Of about six years o
age, with quick eye, an active spirit, ,aut
= remarkably intelligent countenance.
The merchant Of whom we speak had
known the parents Of the child and ou
OF pity for its holplessness, lie and his wife
who had no children, adopted it as theil
own.
How happily the ardent boy passed his
days in the house Of hi. bsnefactor how
he was beloved by these two chi.dless peo.
pie; how, in the strength of their great
affection, the merchant and his wife took
him to Europe; how he spent some four
or i've pleasant years under the care and
teaching Of a reverend gentlemen near
Londoo; how he came back again to the
city of his birth to finish his education 4;
and how he was generally looked upon as
the rich merchants heir-it would take
long to tell. But We would fain linger on
this portion of our story fa;n dwell upon
his precocious wit and aptness for learning
his fcats Of strength and agility-his
ease and grace on horseback, his dexteri.y
in race and stream, and his success in all
that seemed to promise for him brilliant
future. But the truth must be told, no
matter how unwilling the teller. He was
sent to the college Of Charlottesville, amply
provided with money. In those days, dis
sipa,ion among the students of colleges
Was unhappily but too common; aud among
the most dissolute and extravagant, the
widest rufaers Of the town, the hardest
drinkers and the most daring gamblers,
there was ever to be found one more wild
and desperate than they all-and that one
was the subject Of our story, now good
looking, free-hearted young fellow of eigh-
teen. Friends advised with him, and he
made fair promises in plenty tutors re-
monstrated, and be declared that be would
amend and win the highest honors yet
tempted and wine allured, and
he embraced the filthy siren and so fell
Instead Of coming home from the univcr-
sity with honors, be was expelled.
One would think that disgrace SO public
would have broken his proud spirit; but
it did not. Because his benetactor refused
to pay the gambling debts be contracted
at college, the wilful young man wrote him
4 violent and abusive letter, quilted his
house, and soon af,erward left his country
with the avowed intention Of joining the
Greeks, who were at that time in the
midst of their struggle with the Turks
He never reached his destination, and no.
hing was known or heard of him for more
han year. At last, however, he was
'ound, and in circumstances which left no
ioubt as to the manner in which his Eu-
.opean experiences had been bought. One
the American Minister at St.
Petersburgh was summoned to save coun-
ryman Of his own from the penalties in-
:urred in drunken debauch. He came
n time to rescue our prodigal from pris-
IN and through bis influence he was set
It liberty, and enabled to return home.
The first to greet him on his landing
vas his old patron, the merchant, who was
low alone in the world, for his wife had
lied while the youth was away. But he
ook the wanderer to his arms, and led
lin back to the quiet home be had quilted
20 ungraciously. The question then arose
is to what should be done for the youth
md on his expressing a wish to become a
soldier, interest was made with the mer-
:hant's friends, and the young man was
entered as q scholar in the military acade-
ny at West Point For little time all
vent on we'll the young cadet was assid
,ous in his studies, became the favorite Of
he mess, and was looked upon by the Of
ieers and professors as one Of their most
pupils. But alas, and alas ! the
Id habits Of dissipation were too strong
o be given up all at once. lie neglected
lis duties; be drank to excess; he DISC
,eyed orders; be openly sneered at the
regulations Of the acadcmy-and in ten
months from his matriculation, he was
:ashiered.
Disgraced and humiliated, where could
he wretched man find refuge but in the
lone Of his adopted father? Thither,
hen, be went, and Was again received with
'pen arms. During bis stay at the acade-
ny, the merchant bad married again to a
ady some years younger than himself