Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-03-05
EdRar Allan Poo

8no Hkofery exeSutot. Auo maHHcf "a WHtVH WIS
sacred trust was discharged consigns DR.. Griswold,
in the eyes of all feeling men. to nfamy
IL less disgraceful than thai tho attempted to ias-
ten upon the memory Of the unhappy poet. A
more intolerant, unkind, vitupera,ive piece of
writing than his memoir Of Edgar Poe it would
be very difficult to name. This one-sided Life .
has furnished the text for the various sketches and
! reviews Of the poet that have. from time To time.
appeared in the American. French and English
periodicals The immaculate critics have pursued
poor Poe with q severity Of inyectiye, and n ma
lightly of hatred that is without parallel in the
| history of literature. While his virtues and
amiable qualities are utterly forgotten, his errors
aud minutest faults have found jealous historians,
aud been deliberately unfalded by q host Of ILL
natured critics 1t is trite remark, tbat mcdi-
ocre reviewers are the quickest and kcenes, gen
tlemen on the face Of creation at finding out the
faults and infrmities Of men Of brilliant genius.
II is strikingly illustrated in the case of Edgar
Poe. At last however, n friendly and nppr ccn-
tive voice is heard amidst tho universal clan or Of
abuse. The modest little volume under review
does infinite honor to the heart and the he ad of
its fair and talented nutboress Considered mere
" ns n composition il deserves considerable praise
The slyle is easy, graceful and agreeable with
out effort or ostentation. But its chief value II
owing to tho fresh light which 1t sheds the
romantic life Of of the most superbly nd'wcd
men that America has yet produced. We cannot
say TINT this wcll.writtcn brochure supp ies the
aeknow lodged demand for n biography, Mt once
satisfactory and elaborate, Of this splen1 cd poet
and cruelty prosecuted mau. life OF Peel still
wantcd-so much remains that is still obscure
about his strange history. Nevertheless, We are
thankful to this gifted lady for whit she la" nc
complished; size has most nobly taken upthc quaint
let for the illuminated poet against the cwcrs,
and cleared away the mist in which their nisrcp-
reservations and basclcss assumptions huvc OBJ
scured his memory. She successfully proves that
many Of the injurious anecdotes told by DR.. Girls
void are either unmtigaied fctions or shameless
peryersions Of tho truth. 1t is rot our intention
10 dwell ON the facts of Poe's life. but we will
mcttion for tho benefit of readers who have
strong biographical interest in him, that they will
find in this little volume n satisfactory statement
of the evidence which yindcaies Poe from the
charge of unkindncss or ilconduct towards bis
Young and lovely wife. We find that no was
happily and congeniaIly married; tho dow OF
love fell soft upon TINT wild brain OF his
But tho "hish horn knsmen" Of his bcauti-
full Virginia soon beckoncd her away to their
celestial gardens, and Poo was left dcs late
deprived Of love and sympathy. with "
sense Of insapportable loneliness which went
| with him to the grave. That E.lgar Poo was gus.
ceptble Of tho tenderest emotions, and the strong
est attachment, let the following pathetic story
bear witncss:--"While Mt tho academy in Rich
mood, which no entered in his twelfth year, he
ono day accompanied schoolmate to his home,
whore no saw for the first tune Mrs. II s.,
the mother of his yonng friend. This lady, ON
| entering room, took his hand and spoke some gen
tie and gracious words Of welcome, which SO pen
ctrated the sensitive heart Of tho orphan boy n5
to deprive him Of tho power of speech. anl Tor
,imo almost of consciousness itself lie returned
home in dream, with but ono thought, one hope
in lfc-to hear again tho sweet and gracious
words that Ind made the desoa,o world 30 beau
tIul to him. and filled his lonely heart with the
oppression OF u new joy This lady afterwards
became the confident oil all his boyish SORROWS,
| and hers was the rcdeemin5. influence that
saved aud guided him in the carly days oil h'stur
luenNand passionate youth. Alter the Visitation
of strange and peculiar sorrows she died. and Tor
months after her dcccasc it was his habit to visit
nightly tho cemetery whore the Inject Of his boy.
ish ,lola,ry lay entun,bed The though, Of hor---
sleeping there in her loneliness II filled his heart
with profound, incommunicable SORROW. When
the nights we're very drenry nnl cold, when the
autumnal rains fell and the winds walled mourn
. fully o,er the graves, he fingered longest and
came away most regrctIully.'
1t is picture worth studyng-thNt refined, in.
telleciual face, thoughtful aud intensely sad, with
It's genus. lighted eyes. Watching in the loncly
chureh.yard by the grave of the dead and gentle
hearted lady Tho spectacle presented by Poe, in
his lite and death, is one of which the mysterious
sadness may be called Infinite.
, We will, in as lew words rs possible. give what
we conceive to be the key which will partially UNI
lock Tho mystery Of his lie and character. My
dear sir, said DR.. johnson, clear your mind of
can't" This process is essential to right apprc-
citation of Edgar Poe. The poetical, 'ultra-sen'i
tive temperament is AS often n curse as it is n
blessing to it's possessor. The rapturous excite
1 ment of imaginative vision units man for the
sober realities and perplexins difficulties of this
very prosac earth. Edgar Poe is one of the most
striking illustrations of this truth that can be
iound in all the glorious band of those who have
possessed "tho vision and the faculty divine"
All intermedinms of emotion appeared to him
tame and commonplace. Overweight exctaion
rendered him incapable of enjoying the ordinary
ailments Of nature.
lie lost the peace of years in eager search after
tho rapture of moments. In fine, he required
better bread than is baked with wheat. To oh