Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-26

his weaknesses. ard 'apses or connuc''
there 10 not room 20 speak In a notice IKE
this. The stock 49, ~ation a|ainst rlin
has been CHI 'rrnf, "i' anu
| 6ebauchery. OF this. hs an
habitual practice ave his "wn pro-
test. in the most 60. .in form in which the
words OF such denial can be Put. That the
terrible oblivion OF drink was sometimes
his refuge from the agonies OF life cannot
be denied. But It is to be said that few
men, with such capacity for SUFFERING
have been so tried and tempted as he was.
Proud and sensitive. conscious OF high
| powers, and yet paid at the rate or ool-
lar a column for work that is now I'M
mortal: sometimes wanting means 20 get
even absolute necessaries for loved wire,
no wonder that he yielded 20 the fatal
| temptation that offered respite ana
nepenthe" from the disasters that haunted
| his footsteps. He himself Is his accusing
and excusing witness. He writes TO a
| friend: six years ago wife whom
| loved as no man ever loved before, rup-
tured a blood-vessel. Her life was des-
paired OF. ] took leave Of her forever,
and underwent all the agonies OF death.
She recovered partially. and / again
hoped. At the end Of year the vessel
broke again. / went through precisely the
same scene. Then again, again, at vary
| ing intervals, and at each accession or
| Il
| chung TO her life with more desperate te-
nacity. But / am constitutionally sensi-
| tive nervous In q very unusual degree.
| became insane, with long intervals OF
horrible sanity. During these lits or abso-
| lutte unconsciousness I dra1k-God only
knows how often or how much. AS mat
ter Of course. my enemies referred the
insanity to the drink. rather than the
drink to the insanity"
NJ IN +alr extr
Memoir: 'In the spring OF 1876 he moved
out to Fordham. and rented a small cot
| tage furnished with only the ne
| cessary articles and a few keepsakes.
Then he fell i'll, and from this time his
health was fairly broken. His wife, too.
who was even now but Is years old, was
plainly doomed to an early death. At
fairs became worse, and. finally, In the
winter IL came to restitution. Mrs Gore,
hearing of this. visited the family, and
found the dying wife with only sheets
and a coverlet on the bed, and wrapped
| I'm her husbands coat" Think OF the
author OF 1.-THE Raven" and the lines ITO
| One I'm Paradise reduced to such extremi-
ty, trammelled by the alliance OF such
poverty, and such pride as was his. The
thought of such misery may suggest some
excuse or palllatlon for human, or, II you
choose. moral weakness in contrast TO
perior prudence, while he denounces tho
poor wretch fallen by the waysde.
II is with peculiar prOpriety that this
edition OF the works OF her distinguished
son is dedicated in honor of the Univer-
sity OF Virginia. One or the earlier stu
dents Of the University, Poe imbibed, and
personated in his literary life, the spirit
Of freedom and bold thinking Impressed
on his Alma Mater by her great founder.
A parallel might be drawn between Poe's
literary career and the political career
of Mr.. Jefferson. Both were distinguished
for independence OF thought, and were
intolerant Of the prescription OF authority,
merely as such In their different ways
each shattered the false ideals of his time,
and led mems minds to the true paths,
and the glory OF EACH In his respective
sphere, is now being more and more
recognized and acknowledged. In treat
ing Of Poe's training and equipment Tor
his life work, the accomplished editor OF
these volumes shows some OF the SEEM
ingIy inevitable ignorance Of the northern
mind in dealing with the subject OF south
ern education. Speaking of Poe's classical
attachments. the editor remarks: He had
more knowledge Of books ancient and
modern, than most of his compeers south
Of New England. Where and how did he
pick IL up?" Ihe answer to the ques-
ton is that he picked it up; 1t was
grounded and drilled into him In good
English and Virginia preparatory schools,
and afterwards at the University Of Vir-
ginia, under Professor George Long, who
has even established a European repu-
tation as one Of the master scholars OF
this century.
OF Poes poems and the tales by which
he Is best known Il were superfiuous TO
add words of commentator. They have
fixed and established the fame OF their
author as the foremost OF American
writer's. THE rhythmic creation OF the
beautlfuP was his definition and theory
of poetry; and the poems perfectly illus
trate the theory. That his poetic crea-
tions deal with the Hottest sentiments and
deepest feelings Of humanity Is attested
by their universal and human popularity,
even among people who do not trouble
themselves with questions as 10 how or
why their minds and souls are enthralled
by the magic power OF this wizard OF
thought and words. Beauty is truth,
truth beauty-that is all ye know on
earth, and all ye need to know"
The interest In Poe has wonderfully
grown OF late years, and all readers OF
him Will thank the editors for this new
edition OF his works. The final word about
him has been by no means yet SPOKEN
WEIR OF HERMIsTON. BY Robert
Louis Stevenson. Charles Scrioners
Sons, New York. From ]. w. Ran
dolph & Co. $50.
Nothing can compensate for the untime-
ly taking off OF such a writer as Steven
son was; but, II anything could, II would
be this story completed as the author IN
tended IL should be. In none Of his many
books, super-excellent as they are, did
ne start of with a clearer view or
surer stroke than are manifest In this
nine-chapter fragment o. what would
have undoubtedly been the highest pro-
duct Of his inimitable art and genius. AS
Il Is, we have n mournful pleasure, In
that we have even this much more from
the hand forever stilled, and we read
the fascinating pages slowly, lingering
lovingly over each line and sentence, con-
scious that we are taking final farewell
of one OF the most precious OF lfe's few
genuine Joys The fragment in every
part shows that the author had reached
the fun maturity OF his splendid and
unique powers; there is no sign OF doubt
OF hesitation, OF groping for indistinct
ideas or obscure effects; every word hts
the thought; every phrase goes straight
to the mark We know OF no stronger
misunderstanding no truer scene-paint-
ing. in the whole wonderful Steyensonian
range, and when the exhausted hand
dropped the pen in it's owners prime OF
years in the far Samoan isle. literature
sustained a loss that il would be only
trite to call irreparable. or writers-and
good ones-there is no dearth; but the
great geniuses of originality, the sun
lights OF literature, come in solitary
grandeur, and have no successors. Such
was Stevenson. and he was the first and
last of his line.
1t is not to our mind a matter OF much
moment that Stevenson had indicated 10
his amanuensis. Mrs. Strong. his step
daughter. enough of tho complete plot OF
"Weir OF Hermiston" 10 enable that lady