The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-02-27
uYEREENns RAVEN.

campaigns. during thSfatter portion of
which my friend had been all over the
country, speaking every night. and drink
ing so freely as often to be visiblys affee
ted, l called to see him at his room. He
was alone. He had done work for>whicb
eager aud noisy politicians wanted him
and now, that the election was over, it
seemed as if he were almost forgotten.
He felt this. for he said, after the first
warm greeting
IF you had-called an eEening- or two
ago.. you would have met "a room full
But l M of DO more use now.
There was a snght shade of bitterness
in, his voice. A bottle Of wine was stand
ing on table in his comfortable furnish
ed room. He filed two glasses. [ saw
his hand shake as heheld the bottle, ss.e
.,Frightfully nervous ~ he said, as he
reached me. one Of the glasses. ''Ive
been on too great strain for the last six
weeks Is i IS ass a
Glad It's OYER" I replied; ''and if
Iwere you, I'd keep out of this thing
another year" arife 49, s-u
sfCan't just do that. he answered.
Got my way to make in the world, and
nothing puts You before the people like
politics I am high, you know"
| slipped wine he handed me, while he
emptied his glass before taking it from
| his mouth. f.H
What have you there?'' he asked,
seeing magazine in my hand.
Something new and strange from our
friend, Poe. Beats anything for weird
/ Interest that he has yet done. | thought
you would relish something purely ideal
after your surfeit Of politics. -
II shall relish it keenly. Thanks for
any diversion!' he replied. rs it a
"trip TO the Dog-Star, this time -.
In aliusion to Poe's Journey TO the
/ Moon" in the Southern Literary Mes
etges, published, not long before. .-
4 "No; it's bit of the quaintest poetry
/ you ever read. don't know what to
make of it. Can't see the alIegory. -
! Maybe he can't see it himself" said
/ Burk hart, with smile.
Just as likely. And now prepare
/ yourself fora treat in word painting, and
metrical art. The poem is called The
Raven, and will. / am sure, make as
much sensation, and give the critics as
much to do and guess after as did the
Ancient Mariner Of Coleridge 81
| opened the magazine and read the
poem through. then lifted my eyes and
looked at Burk hart, who had not spoken.
he sat with one hand shading his face,
and did not stir, until l said, well,
what do you think of that?'. ~.
He started and aroused himself. and
as he looked toward me | saw an uneasy
look in his eyes, and something of a
culver of feeling flash across his face.
He glanced above the window, then down
| upon the floor, then shook himself and
arose to his feet. and began moving
about the room in a nervous, uneasy
manner - -eaz.ss-s, - zee
It was like the spell Of a sorcerer -
he exclaimed, with much excitement,
and again looked, instinctiveiy, to above
the widow and down at the floor. Il
can almost see the foul bird and hear his
croak," he added. IF did not know
Poe as well as | do, [ should say that he
had comnatted murder, and that the
raven was his conscience. -,
l laughed at his ezcitenent, but he
was so serious over the matter, and so
nervous, that thought it best, after dis
cussiug, the literary merits of the poem,
to get his mind away from it, and upon
something, if possible amusing l was
only partially successful. IL was nearly
eleven O'Clock when l babe him good
night. What followed will give in his
owd words, after saying, that on going
to see him next day, | found him very
Ill, and learned that he had passed a
terrible night. tsa
THAT poem finished me- he said.
with an effort TO smile, a few days after
ward, when we were alone together
''Poe's raven was not half SO real as the
one that visited nc. You saw how ner-
yous L had become Well, the nome MT
you left me felt a sudden fear creeping
into my blood, | did not know what it
meant. Then a strange fancy possessed
me. | was the poet in ais loue chamber,
and