The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-26
NEW POEM CREDITED TO POI.
yor,yD IN A HOUSE ONCE Hrs
HOME IN SOUTH CAROLINA.


indicating That II Genuine.
8. c.. Jan. 2s.-Below Is
1,yen what Is believed to be q poem by
Sdoar Allan Poe never before printed.
A, nresent proof OF It's authenticity cannot
he eiven, but the circumstances surround
,,g its discovery indicate that II is genuine.
part OF Poe's disappointed and disap-
noin,ing career was passed In dismal Sc
.Iusion In an old and ramshackle franc
hovel at the extreme eastern end OF Sui
iivan,s Island, one Of the gateposts at the
entrance OF Charleston harbor. II was q
weird habitation.
n white and barren sandhills rolled on
eycry sido like hugo and ghos.ly waves
about 10 swallow up the vcnturesome
o., ruder. Here and there between the
ounes may 10 caught a glimpse OF the sea
.rd tho foam OF the surf dashing with
ipcessant rear upon the broad. hard beach.
This. with the moaning and tile whistling
~, Tho winds anu the occasional grucsorne
ard startling cries Of the sea birds, was
ali ,bnt could bs heard and seer about the
6re,,v spot. II was In this neiEhborhood,
Zoo. that tradition told Of the e~ver~yawning
NAV Of the quicksands and the restless
shirts Of dead pirates and other uneasy
,iumbcrsrs wandering, ever alert to catch
the bold or the unwary visitor. TO their
miserable domain
Hero Il was that Poe, morbid and alone.
Ia supposed to have written his famous
rory OF The Gold Bug And. In all
probability, others of his blood-cutd1ing
hut withal wonderfully executed tales were
evolved in his spot.
-- - l. A-.ls a,.l hAxA 1tl hA
write, and here his masterpiece Of prose
was doubtless composed. As has been
said. he probably effected other work In
this strange and lorn retreat; and at least
sue ~poem-that given below-was certainly
wrought out amid these surrounding.
This poem was apparently unnamed by
him. but perhaps appropriately may be
called .Kelah"-the motif, 30 to speak.
Of tho piece. The history Of IL Is this-so
far as Is known. or can DO discovered, after
careful inquiry.
An old maiden lady. Miss Mary Wilkes
North. a member Of an aristocratic South
Carolina family, was In the habit Of SPEND
Eng part OF each summer on Sullivan's
Island. During one of her eojourns there
she bought from an ignorant Covite-a
native Of the ~placc-an old battered copy
Of Dante's Inferno which, the Covite
assured her, he had found between the
withdrawing n the edge Of the floor
Ing tho house was unceilcd--of the shack,
Poe's quondam residence.
This find, with Poe's name on the inside
ofthe front cover. would Of itself have been
Of considerable sentimental value: but In
comparison Ia what the book was found
10 contain, the mere discovery Of n battered
old tome that had belonged 10 Poe was as
nothing.
Upon the two sides OF the first hy leaf
Of this volume. In cramped and erratic
handwriting, with several erasurcs and
corrections, the ink all but faded away
from the yellow. m~oisture-rotted sheet,
we're found the verses composing the poem
above referred 20. and below them the sim
pie initials. &c. A. p
Miss North, however. h n sentimental old
lady. and lovingly selfish wherever matters
of sentiment are concerned. and. perhaps
not unnaturally. she considers this volume
and Its contents a. one OF her own treas
uTes. only TO be shared In by her nearest
kinsfolk and intimates, and as much too
sacred 20 be exhibited OF exploited before
q vulgar curiosity.
How the poem fell into the writer's pos
session i simply told He n a near rela-
tive and godson Of Miss North. A few
weeks ago. In her desire To see her old
friends. her books. distributed a. she wished
before she passed away-for three score
and ten II a distanced milestone In her
lfe-shs sent a lot Of them TO the writer.
Among them he found this treasure
II turned out. however. that the old lady
had not intended Ia include tat least
just ye,-in the legacy o. hooks. and che
asked a return 81 her precious belonging.
There was time. though. for a hAsty copy
az tho ny leaf poem. and thu wAs made
forthwith
The composition u thoroughly character
istic ~ the Eighty and phantAsmAgono
genius - IA. gifted author The veindly
descriptive and fantastic aspects are dis-
unctly typical. and when ~e consider the
habis. dnspp intmeBts and trials ~ the
pct . We y 10 easy 20 graz tie beni -
be inspiraiinn AZ evino.d by thsso linz
u va mo inien'ion q tho writer g. OBJ
tan a photographic illustration - ,bo hook
Hnd tho nv lcaf containing ne poem. lat
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