Wichita eagle., 1890-01-02
roE's COTTAGE.

TWO rooms ON Cni6 uOO8, 8nO Two TOOu18 ABOVE,
but the house is full of little closets and nook,
and Is moro roomy than it seems She Ger
tainly did open doors In most unexpected
places, Two windows to the north
opened upon an exceptionally beautiful land
scape in summer, and . wide expanse Of i'm
maculate snow in winter; and two windows
to the south swept the pretty garden and
fields beyond In their season, the
perfume Of many flowers, and the music Of
birds and bees filed the air which Tanned his
brow. The chamber where Poe slept, and
where they say bis mother-in-law used to lock
him up for days together, was upstairs. It
had rooted ceiling, with q sharp point in
the center (dc). At the east end was high
wooden mantel, with . small square window
on each side Of 1t, and thsre was little one
pane window under the caves, 10 the south.
NY eye fell upon the door, with its queer lit
tie old fashioned panels, and last centuryb
latch two-thirdsof the way to the top. .
THAT was Mr.. Poe's cowhouse over there
said the young woman, pointing towards
little Enclosure some six feet square in the
side Of the lodge"
The most tragic part Of Edgar A Poe's life
was enacted In this cottage. Poe was q de-
ecendant Of Cromwell. The son of an aot-
ress, born while his parents Here members of
> theatrical company, be early showed a
most extraordinary precocity. He was
adopted by Mr.. Allan, q rich Baltimorean;
be went to school IN England a. q child, and
later entered the University Of Virginia, but
be contracted heavy gambling debts, and his
guardian, In consequence Of Poes wildness,
placed him IN his counting room, where, how
ever, Pos did not stay long, preferring to
seek his own fortune He went to Boston
and started out on his literary career. FL
naliy becoming discouraged, he enlisted in
the army, was lately discharged through the
efforts Of his friends, wrote q story which Sc
cured prize Of 500 from The Saturday Wis
ttor, and became editor Of The Southern
Literary Magazine, where he wrote some Of
hts best short stories In 1885 he married his
cousin, Virginia GLENN, girl IA years old.
In 1887 be went to New York and lived in
straitened circumstances for two years. In
1889 he went to Philadelphia and became as
sociate editor Of w. E. Burtons Gentlemans
Magazine, and after that editor Of Grahams
Magazine. In 1874 Poe returned to New
York with his wife and her mother. He be-
in the columns Of this paper that 1.-The Ra-
ven dppoo<cus o1SuOo&so l NC uoAAA0
was not then attached to it
'sThe Raven" established Poe's fame. At
this time his wife was dying Of consumption,
the poet himself was In failing health and 50
poor that it was only through the assistance
Of friends they managed to exist.
Mrs. Gore Nichols, herself an author, thus
writes about the Poe household: II saw her
Virginia, Poe's wife, in her bedchamber.
Everything was SO neat, 20 purely clean, 50
scant and 20 poverty stricken. There was no
clothing on the bed, which was only straw,
but had white counterpane and sheets. The
weather was cold, and the sick lady had the
dreadful chills that accompany the hectic
fever Of consumption She lay on the bed
wrapped Ia her husbands great coat, with q
barge tortoise shell cat in her bosom. The
coat and the cat were the sufferers only
means of warmth"
Mn. Nichols, on her return to New York,
enlisted the sympathies Of a number Of kind
hearted persons in an effort to relieve the
Poe family. A subscription was raised, and
bedclothing and other articles were sent to
Fordham.
A statement Of the poets poverty was pub
hshed, and the facts became widely known
Comforts were sent to the cottage, which
aided much In making smooth the iast hours
Of poor Virginia She died on Jan. 80, 1S47.
There was a quiet funeral, and Mrs. Poe was
buried In the family vault Of the Valentines
at Fordham, but her remains were subse-
Quently taken to Baltimore and inferred
close by the remains Of the poet.
Poe staid north until 1S49. During this
time, although poor, be managed to keep
from starving. His mind was filled with the
idea Of starting a new magazine, but he
never succeeded in doing so. In 1S4e he went
south, visiting Richmond, the scene of his
early childhood, and on his return be stopped
at Baltimore He disappeared, bat was final
ly found by his friends In that city. He died
O few DAYS later The manner Of the poets
death viii probably always remain in obscur-
ity. Some declare that his death was the
direc. result Of debauch, and that hs died
in delirium tremens; Others deny thiA No
one denies, however, that Es was one Of
Americas greatest poetA