The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-08-22
cause they live only for the present moment
and not for the long years OF life and the
endless ages of eternity.
From the Kokomo Qndiana) Dispatch, I'd.
POsTHUMOUS POETRY.

A hitherto unpublished Poem of the lsmented Edgar
Allan Poe-written on the Ayleaf OF an OLD DOCK
now in possession OF gentleman in this city.
The following beautiful posthumouS poem,
from the gifted pen of the cratic poet Edgar
Allan Poe, we believe has never before been
published in any form, either in any published
collection Of Poes poems now extant, or IN
any magazine or newspaper of any descrip-
ton, and until the critics shall show conclu-
sively to the contrary the Dispatch shall
claim the honor of giving it to the world.
That the poem has never before been pub
lished, and that it is genuine production OF
the poet who we claim to be its author, we
are satisfied from the circumstances under
which it came into our possession, after a
thorough investigation. Calling at the house
of gentleman of this city the other day, on
business errand, our attention was called
to poem written on the blank fiyles OF an
old book. Handing US the book ne observed
that it (the poem) might be good enough to
publish, and that if we thought 80 to take 1t
along. Noticing the initials, &. A. T., at
the bottom of the poem, it struck us that
possibly We had run across "bonanza, 80
to speak, and after reading it, we asked who
it's author was, when he related the following
bit of interesting "Reminiscences: He said ne
did not know who the author was, only that
he was young man, that is, he was young
man when he wrote the lines referred to-
He had never seen him himself, but heard
his grand father, who gave him the book con-
tanning the verses, tell of the circumstance
and the occasion by which he, the grand
father, came into possession of the book
His grand parents kept country hotel, a
sort of way side inn, in a small village
called Chesterfield, near Richmond, Virginia.
One night, just before bed time, a young
man, who showed plainly the marks of dissi-
patton, raped at the door and asked if he
could stay all night, and was shown to
room. That was the last they saw of him.
When they went to his room the next morn
ing to call him to breakfast he had gone away
and left the book, on the hy-leaf of which he
had written the lines given below.
Further than this our informant kne"
nothing, and, being an uneducated, illiterate
man, it was quite natural that he should al
low the great literary treasure to go for SC
many years unpublished.
That the above statement is true, and oul
discovery no cNnard, we will take pleasure
in satisfying any who cares TO investigate
the matter. The poem is written in Roman
characters, and is almost as legible as print
itself, although somewhat faded by the lapse
of time. Another popularity in the manu-
script which we notice is that it contains no
the least sign of erasure or sing lie interim
Gated word. We give the poem verbatim
just as it appears in the original. Here ills
Leonainie-angels named her;
And they took the right
Ofthe laughing stars and framed her
In a smile of white;
And they made her hair of gloomy
Midnight, and her eyes of bloomy
Moonshine, and they brought her to me
In the solemn night.
In a solemn night of summer,
When my heart of gloom
Blossomed up to greet the conner ...
Like rose in bloom;
All forebodings that distressed me
l forgot as JOY caressed me-
(Lyng Joy that caught and pressed me
In the arms of doomD
Only spake the little lisper
In the angel.tosgue;
Yet l, listening, heard her whisper
"Songs are only sung tl
Here below that they may grieve you
Tales are told you to deceive you
So must Leonaine leave you
While Ter love is young"
Then God smiled and it was morning,
Matchless and supreme;
Heavens glory seemed adorning
Earth with its esteem;
Every heart but mine seemed gifted
With the voice of prayer, and lifted
Where my Leonsinie drifted
From me like q dream. Il. a. I.