Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-04-18

Not few literary men exteDuate in
temperance in poets, as if refined IN
tellect, brilliant imagination, noble
conceptions of life, clear insight into
the beauties of nature, and splendid die
ton could not consist without indulgence
in wine. Some of the most famous poets
England ever saw were not inebriates.
John Milton, George Herbert, William
Cowper, James Montgomery and Will
liam Wordsworth had no delight in the
wassail-bowl; and if Shakespeare, Byron,
Hartley, Coleridge, and many other
singers of song, had never flooded their
brains and blood with strong drink, their
worst lines had never been written, and
their productions would have been shorn
of none of their glory.
The history OF Edgar Allen Poe is
one of the saddest and darkest ever told.
His parents were theatrical performers,
who died early, and left three children,
of whom he was one-in utter destltu-
tion. He was born in Baltimore in JAN
uary, 1911, and after the death Of his
parents, was adopted by Mr.. John AL
len, rich merchant, who intended to
make him his heir. Mr.. and Mrs. Al
len took him with them on visit to
England, and for several years he went
to school at Stoke Newington, near Lon
don. On Mr.. Aliens return to Ameri-
ca he was sent to the University at
Charlottesville.
He there begun his fatal course of
dissipation, and went to such deplorable
extremes in vice, that, although brill
liant scholar, he was expelled from the
University. He then went to Europe,
was guilty Of such drunken follies in st.
Petersburgh that the police apprehended
him, and it needed all the influence of
the American Ambassador to save him
from the penal consequences of his mis-
deeds. On his return to America, Ed
gar Allen Poe was forgiven by Mr.. AL
len, who procured his admission into
the Military Academy. but although
popular with his mess, he yielded so
completely to his love of wine that he
was dismissed from the Academy in dis
grace. Once more Mr.. Allen, now
widower, forgave him, but Poe behaved
so disgracefully that he was expelled
from Mr.. Aliens house. who, when be
died, did not leave him dollar.
Poetry had by this time begun to
have some charms for him, and he pub
lished small volume containing some
of his poems. That he was poet none
can doubt. just listen to a stanza taken
from The Bells;'
Hear the mellow wedding bells.
What world of % happiness sii their harmony fore
Through the balmy air of night
How they ring out their delight.
From the molten golden notes,
And all in tune.
What liquid ditty floats
To the tu rtle dove that listens, while she gloats
On the moon!
Oh from out the sounding cells.
How it swells;
On the FutureI how it tells
OF the rapture that impels
To the swinging and the ringing
OF the bells, bells, bells,
To the rhyming and the Ginning of the bells.
One of his biographers writing of
him at this period, gives a deplorable
account of his appearance, and relates
the kindness of Mr.. Kennedy, literary
gentleman, to him. He says: chin
and pale even to ghastliness, his whole
appearance indicated sickness and the
utmost destitution. A well-worn frock
coat concealed the absence of shirt,
and imperfect boots disclosed the want
of hose But the eyes of the young man
were luminous With intelligence and feel
ing, and his voice and conversation and
manners all won upon the lawyers re-
gard. Poe told his history and his am
bition, and it was determined that he
should not want means for a suitable
appearance in society, nor opportunity
for Just display of his abilities in liter
ature. 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 suddenly re-
gained style of gentleman. His new
friends were very kind to him, and
availed themselves of every opportunity
to serve him. Through their efforts, he
obtained the editorship of magazine
published at Richmond, Va, to which
he contributed numerous articles; but
after the lapse of few months, his old
habits of dissipation, began to show them
selves, and for week he was in condi-
ton of british drunkenness which led to
his dismissal.
Edgar Allen Poe had friends who
warned him of his folly, and urged him
to abstain from wine and strong drink" !"
Seldom have we read a wiser, kinder,
more forcible letter than one which is
given in an American sketch of his life.
The writer, Mr.. White, who was then
his literary employer, thus wrote to him,
"I cannot address you in such language
as this occasion and my feelings de-
mand | must be content to speak to
you in my plain way. That you are sim
cere in ali your promises, | firmly be-
lieve but when you once again tread
these streets, have my fears that your
resolutions will fail, and that you will
again drink till your senses are lost. If
you rely on your strength, you are gone.
Unless you look to your Maker for
help, you will not be safe. How much
| regretted parting from you, is known to
Him only and myself. | had become
attached to you; 1 am still; and l
would willingly say return, did not
knowledge of your past life make me
dread speedy renewal oe our separa-
ton. If you would make yourself con-
xr..L a,a -, 49, Ioraa - IL