The Red Cloud chief., 1878-05-02
A I.snanre In l'oe's Life,

Byron. Edgar A. Poe saws. at was
born OF the hour. and Of the youthful
necessity Ia love-" adding further that
in similar circumstances of frequent
and unrestricted intercourse. such as
the children are represented Ia have en-
jOyed, "it was not merely natural. or
merely probable; IL was ns inevitable M
destiny itself" That any maiden. not
positively repulsive. would have served
- sufficiently well ~ the incarnation of
the ideal that haunted the fancy of the
poet" he also opincs. Notwithstanding
the fact that the affection may not have
been r~eciprocatcd. or Iii she felt Mt all,
1t was only while the magnetism Of has
actual presence compelled her to feel"
Finally, with the evident remembrance
Of the ideal Of his own boyhood, he
deems that .'He. to her. was not un.
handsome. and not igpoble. but y some
what pOrtionless. somewhat eccentric
young man. while ''she, to him, WAS
the Egeria Of his dreams; the Venus
Aphrodite that sprxng in full and SUPER
nal loneliness, from the bright foam up
on the rm.tOrmented ocean VI his
thoughts"
Reading his own story by these words.
how suggestive. and how intensely in
teresting il It to ~ enabled. owing to
the cordial cooperation and generous
frankness Of the still living ''Egeris" Of
Edgar Poc's own boyish passion. 10 re-
cord the incidents of his first. a. II wal
also his last, love!
Between the years 1922 '25. Edgar
Poe was = scholar in q well-known Rich.
mond academy. The adopted sOn and
reputed heir Of a wealthy ~Scotchman.
the lad-during this period being be-
tween thirteen and sixteen years Of age.
and already well grounded In general
education from several years tuition In
England-was enabled to make no mean
figure among his fellow-studcnts. His
memory IL still cherished by some Of
them for his classical attainments, his
athletic fcats, and for a certain magnet-
ic. rather than sympathetic. influence
which he exercised upon them. Fore
most among those. however, who fell
more completely under the spell Of his
nObler qualities, was . little maiden.
but a year or two younger than himself
Elnira Registers parents lived opposite
to the Allans In Richmond. and in the
usual course Of vents she made the Nc
quaintance Of their adopted son. Ed
gar, she says. was q beautiful boy; he
was not very laxative. and his general
manner was sad, but when he did talk
his conversation was very pleasant. He
was devoted to the first Mrs. Allan, and
she to him. OF his own parents he new
or spoke. have q his brother Hen
~, who was in the navy. He had very
few associates. but he wa very intimate
with Ebenezer Berling, n widows son,
Of about the same age as himself. Ber-
ling was an interesting, intelligkt young
man, but somewhat inclined to dissipa-
ton. They used to visit our house to-
gether very frequently" Berling, Il
panied Poe when he started for Europe
to offer his services to the. Greek insur-
gents. but died before the departure Of
the poet, who had to journey to Europe
alone.
Edgar continues the lady. WAS
warm and jealous in any he was
Interested in. being enthusiastic and
impulsive. He had strong prejudices.
and hated everything coarse and unre-
fined. / car still remember him saying
to me, when an acquaintance made an
u~nladylike remark, 4 I'm surprised you
should associate with any q VINO could
make such . remark"
HE wa very generous. He drew
beautifully, and drew q pencil likeness
of me In Q few minutes. He WIS pas
sionately fond Of music. -. 1t distrss.
SEES me greatly whom ! see ANYTHING
scurrilous written about him. DO not
believe the tenth part Of what is said.
1t Is chiefly produced BY Jealousy and
envy. have the greatest respect for
his memory. -. Our acquaintance We
kept up until he left to 30 TO Tie untver-
sity, and during the time be was q ths
university be wrote IN me frequeotly.
b.. my father intercepted the letters
because We were too yOung-Sor no 9th.
er reason. ! was betwceu fifteen and
sixteen when we were engaged. Twas
not aware that he had written 10 me
from the university, until after Was
married, when ! WAS seventeen, 70 MI.
Shelton"
Many years passed by; Mr.. shelton
died, and lelt his widow wealthy. N
Poe she Lost sight for years. Al last. In
the summer Of 1919. he returned to the