The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-12-10

Committees to award literary prizes drink
to the payers health, in good wines, over
| the unexamined MSS, which they submit
TO the discretion of publishers, with per-
mission to use their names in such way
as to promote the publishers advantage.
So it would have been in this case, but
that one of the Committee, taking up a
little book, in such exquisite caligraphy
as to seem like one of the finest issues OF
the press of Putnam, was tempted to read
several pages; and being interested, he
summoned the attention of the company to
the half-dozen compositions in the volume.
1t was unanimously decided that the prizes
should be paid to the first of genius who
had written legibly. Not another MS. was
unfolded. Immediately the confidential
envelope" was opened, and the successful
competitor was found to bear the scarcely
known name of Poe.
The next day the publisher called in to
see MIR. Kennedy, and gave him anaccount
and sympathy, and caused him to request
that he should be brought to his office.
Accordingly he was introduced; the prize
money had not yet been paid, and he was
in the costume in which he had answered
the advertisement of his good fortune.
Thin, and pale even to ghastliness, hiswhole
appearance indicated sickness and the ut
most restitution. A tattered frock coat
concealed the absence of shirt, and the
ruins of boots disclosed more than the want
of stockings. But the eyes of the young
man were luminous with intelligence and
feeling, and his voice, and conversation,
and manners all won upon the lawyers re-
gard. Poe told his history, and his ambi-
ton, and it was determined that he should
not want means for suitable appearance
in society, nor opportunity for q just dis
play of his abilities in literature. Mr.
Kennedy accompanied him to clothing
store, and purchased for him respectable
suit, with changes of linen, and sent him
to bath, from which he returned with the
acknowledgement bearing of gentleman.
The late Mr.. Thomas w. White had then
recently established The Southern Litera-
ny Messenger, at Richmond, and upon the
warm recommendation of Mr. Kennedy Poe
was engaged, at small salary-we believe
of $500 year-to be its editor. He en-
tered upon his duties with letters full of
expressions of the warmest gratitude to his
friends in Baltimore, who in five or six
weeks were astonished to learn that with
characteristic recklessness of consequences,
he was hurriedly married to girl as poor
as himself. Poe continued in his situation
about year and half, in which he wrote
many brilliant articles, and raised the Mes
senger to the first rank of periodicals.
He next removed to Philadelphia, to as
sist William e. Burton in the editorship
of the Gentleman's Magazine, a miscellany
that in 1910 was merged in Graham's Mag
azine, of which Poe became one of the
principal writers, particularly in criticism,
in which. his papers attracted much atten-
ton, by their careful and skillful analysis,
and generally caustic severity. At this
period, however, he appears to have been
more ambitious of securing distinction in
romantic fiction, and a collection of his
compositions in this department published
in 1S41, under the title of ''Tales of the
Grotesque and Arabesque," established his
reputation for ingenuity, imagination, and
extraordinary power in tragical narration.
Near the end of 1874, Poe removed to
New York, where he conducted for several
months literary miscellany called "The
Broadway Journal" In 1845, he published
q volume of Tales" in Wiley and Put
the same series collection of his poems
Besides these volumes ne was the author
of arthur Gordon Pym," romance; ga
New Theory of English Versifcation !"
Eureka" an essay on the material and
spiritual universe; awork which he wished
to have Judged as poem" and several
extended series of papers; of periodicals.
the most noticeable of which are "Margi-
nalia," embracing opinions of books and
authors; "Secret Writing" "Autography,"
and "Sketches of the Literati of New
York;
His wife died in 1947, at Fordham, near
this city, and some of cur readers will re-
member the paragraphs in the papers of
the time, upon his destitute condition.
His wants were supplied by the liberality
OF few individuals. We remember that
Col. Webb collected in few moments
fifty or sixty dollars for him at the Union
Club; S. D. Lewis, of Brooklyn, sent a
similar sum from one of the Courts, in
which he was engaged when he saw the
statement of the poet's poverty; and others
illustrated in the same manner the effect
of such an appeal to the popular heart
Since that time Mr.. Poe had lived quiet
ly and with an income from his literary
labors sufficient for his support. A few
weeks ago he proceeded to Richmond in
Virginia, where he lectured upon the poet
ical character, &c. (; and it was understood
by some of his correspondents here that he
was this week to be married most advan-
tageously, to lady of that city, widow
to whom he had been previously engaged
while student in the University.
The character of Mr.. Poe we cannot at
tempt to describe in this very hastily writ
ten article. We cannot but allude to
some of its most striking phases.
His conversation was at times almost
supra-mortal in its eloquence. His voice
was modulated with astonishing skill, and
his large and variably expressive eyes
looked repose or shot fiery tumult into
theirs who listened, while his own face
glowed, or was changeless in pallor, as his
imagination quickened his blood or drew it
back frozen to his heart. His imagery was
from the world which no mortals can see but
with the vision Of genius. Suddenly star
ting from proposition, exactly and sharp
ly defined in terms of utmost simplicity
and cleamess, he rejected the forms of Gus
tomary logic, and by crystalline process
of accretion, built up his ocular demon
STATIONS in forms of gloomiest and ghast-
Hest grandeur, or in those of the most airy
and delicious beauty-so infinitely, and
distinctly, yet so rapidly, that the attention
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