The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-05-02
FENIININITES.
pOE's FIRST HOWE .AFFAIR.

Richmond academy. The adopted son
and reputed heir Of q wealthy Scotch
man, the lad during this period being|
between thirteen and sixteen years OF
age. and already well grounded in gen
eral education from several years til-
ition in England was enabled tomake
no mean figure among his fellow stu
dents. His memory is still cherishedI
by some of them for his classical at-I
tainments, his athletic feats, and for a
certain magnetic, rather than sympa
thetic, influence which he exercised
upon them. Foremost among those,
however, who fell morecompletely I'M
der the spell of his nobler qualities
was little maiden but a year or two
younger than himself. +EbGnira Roy
sttr's parents lived opposite to the Al
lans in Richmond, and in the usual
course of events she made the saequint-
ance of their adopted son. Edgar she.
says, "Was a beautiful boy, he was, not
very talkative, and his general manner
was sad, but when he did talk his con-
yersation was very pleasant. He WAS
devoted to the first Mrs. Allan, and
she to him. Of his own parents he
never spoke. [ have seen his brother.
Henry, who was in the navy. He had
very few associates, but he was very
intimate with Ebenezer Borling a
widows son of about the same age as
himself, Berling was an interesting.
intelligent young man, but somewhat
inclined to dissipation. They used to
visit our house together very frequent
ly." Berling it may bementioned, was
to have accompanied Poe when he;
started for Eqrope to offer his services
to the Greek insurgents, but died be-
fore the departure OF the poet, Who
had to journey to Europe alone,
Edgar" continues the lady, Twas
warm and jealous in any cause he was
interested in, being enthusiastic and
impulsiye. He had strong prejudices,
and hated everything coarse and unre-
fined. I can still remember him say
ing to me, when an acquaintance made
an unladylike remark, L am surprised
you should associate with amy one who
could make such q remarkp
"He was very generous. He drew
| beautifully, and drew q pencil likeness
| Of me III q fow ninutSys. 1To was a)as-
siOnately fond of music 1T dis
tresses me greatly when see anything
scurrilous written about him. DO not
| believe a tenth part OF what is said
It is chiefly produced by jealousy and
envy. / have great respect for his
memory -. Our acquaintance was
kept up until he left to go to the uni
versity. and during the time he was at
the university he Wroteto me frequent
| ly. But my father intercepted the let
| ters because we were too young for
ne other reason. was between fifteen
and sixteen when we were engaged. |
was not aware that he had written to
me from the university until after /
was married, when | was seventeen, to
Mr.. Shelton E a# ="
| Many years passed by, Mr.. Shelton
died and left his widow wealthy. Of
Poe she lost sight for years. At last,
in the summer of 1849, he returned to
thesscenes Of his childhood, and, again
in Richmond, called upon his boyhood's
love. Mrs. Shelton thus describes the
meeting:
II was ready to 60 to church, when
a servant entered and told me that a
gentleman in the parlor wished to
see me. / went down and was amazed
at seeing him a.. e., Poe), but knew
HIM instantly He came up to me in
the most enthusiastic manner, and
said, oh! Ezmira, it is you?' / told
hiin / was going to church, that /
never Let anything interfere with that,
that he must call again $50, When he
did call again he renewed his addresses.
I laughed; he looked away serious,
and said he was in earnest, and had
been thinking about it for a long time.
When ] found out that he was very
serious, / became serious also, and told
him that, if he would not take posi-
tive denial, he nanst give me time to |
consider. He answered, "A love that
hesitated was not a love for him.. -.
But he stayed a long time, and was
very pleasant and cheerful. He came
to visit me frequently ~. . ;. / went
with him to the Exchange Concert
Room, and herd him read. J. When
he was going away he begged me to
marry him, and promised he would be
everything could desire. He said,
when he left, that he was going to
New Y ork to wind up some business
matters, and that he would return to
Richmond as soon as he had accom-
plished it, although he said, at the
same time, that he had presentiment
he should never see me any more.
/ was not engaged to him, but there
yUoC q rfi md onHinn IIo1
was a gentleman In every sense of the
word. He was one of the most fasci-
mating and refined men ever knew.
never saw him under the influence
of wine. I admired him more than
any man I ever knew na.s a... III.
Nothing can be added to this histo-
ry Of the poets first and last love,
which the gracious kindness of the
lady concerned permits us to use. "A
week after parting from Mrs Shelton,
Edgar Poe was found unconscious and
dying in the streets Of Baltimore
T. A. 81. r. y r