The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-07-22
A Great Man sE-wrscted.
EGDAR ALIEN POE.

tOOk onafge OIHa hGtle D0y Wh0. hHC
been et an orphan The parenEs o
this child had been actors Of some ce.
lebrity in the theatres Of the United
States; but dying within short time
of each other, they left behind them
in a state. of complete. destitution,
three young children, The eldest Of
these was aahandsohle boy Of about
six years Of age. with a quick eye, an
active spirit, and remarkably intelli-
gent cOuHtenanpe, n The merchant of
whom we speak, had known the pa
rents Of the child. and out Of pity for
its helplessness, he and his wife, who
had aa@iif! no chi children, adopted i as their
own. ~ ~" m s'bl W
Fl How ardently the happy boy passed s,,d
his days in the house of bis benefac-.
tor; how he was loved by these two, !,
cbildless people; how; in the strength
Of their affection the merchant and
his wife took him to Europe; how he
spent some four or FIVE years under
the care and teaching Of a reverend
gentleman near London; how he came
back again to the city Of his birth, to
finish his education; and how he was
generally looked upon as I the rich |
merchants heir-it would take long |
to tell, But we would fain linger' I on !
this portion Of our story; fain dwell \
upon his precocious wit and aptness
for learning-his feats Of strength and |
agility-his ease and grace on horse /
back, his dexterity inrace and stream, i
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. dissipation among the stu
dents Of collegs was unhappily but too
common; and among the most disso-
lutte and extravagant, the widest ruff
Hers Of the town, the hardest drinkers /
and the most daring gamblers, there
was ever to be found one more wild
and desperate than they alI-and that
one was the subject of our story, now
a good-looking, free-hearted young
fellow Of eighteen. Friends advised /
with him, and he made fair promises in
plenty; tutors demonstrated, and he de-
clared that he would amend and win
the highest honors yet; companions
tempted and wine allured, and he en-
, braced the filthy siren, and so fell.
Instead of coming home from the uni
Verslty with honors, he was expelled.
One would think that disgrace so
public would have broken his proud !
pirit; but it did not. Because his =
9enetactor refused topay the gambling a
lebts ne contracted at college, the y
Vlliul young man wrote him a violent !
nd abusive letter, quilted his house, u
nd soon afterward left his country g
With the avowed intention of Joining !
he Greeks, who were at that time in : :
ne midst Of their struggles with the =
-urks. lie never reached his desti- "
alton, and nothing was known or a
card Of him, for more than a wear, u u
1t last, however, he was found. and VI
circumstances which left no doubt +
S TO the manner in which his Euro = !.
ean ,s experiences had been bought. y, rs
inc morning, the American Minister p
. d. Petersburg was summoned to y;
ave a countryman of his own from u, ~
ne penalties incurred in a drunken ~ ~
eDauch. He came in time to rescue u u
ar .Prodigalfrom prison; and tbrouob $ $
rs influence he was setat liberty, and T.
hapled to return home. - y
The trst to greet him on his land ~ ~
ng was his old patron, the merchant :, -
1ho was now alone in the world, for Il Il
lis wife had died while The youtb 'wSs ~ :,
WaV. But ha teoIr Al ~ "