The Lexington advertiser., 1908-06-05

During the summer OL 1870 WAS
spending the month in Virginia, pur
posely to secure editorials on the life
of Allen Poe, and the surroundings in
which he lived. Whether successful
in my journalistic work, | shall not
admit here, but must confess as part
of my short -comings, less diligence in
my work, since by the death of an old
bachelor uncle, became possessor of a
small fortune.
But some day | intend to write
something famous.
To resume my narrative, however, on
of the warmest and drowsiest day of
June had driven out to Poe's old
home, telling my driver not to come for
me till dark, as wished to be alone.
After exploring the old house and
its surroundings, | wandered out to
the orchard, for there it looked cooler,
and selecting one of the larger apple
trees as affording most shade, threw
myself down upon the grass and taking
from my pocket we'll worn volume
of Poe's poems, began to read.
had read several, and lastly ''The
Raven" meditating on its strange
weird stanzas. | was feeling very
drowsy, when | heard a futterlng above
my head; and consider my surprise,
when saw a huge black raven sitting
on limb.
Laughingly, repeated those lines
which | had just read Bird, said l.,
thing of evil, prophet still if bird or
devil. BY that Heaven that bends
l said no more, for surely the bird was
croaking. How like Poe's Raven
thought |. Imagine! my surprise,
when he slowly croaked Il. H. S. '0S.
At these words what a crowd of
memories surged before me. Forms
and faces of 20 years past came to my
mind as fresh and real as though | met
them again in the old school halls
There was the Glass Poet, Santa
Tackett, thought l, who now had be-
come so famous. She had held the
chair of English in our best woman s
college and while there had published
her first volume of poems. The world
read, the critics studied and then ap.
proved. What an honor, the Univer-
sity of Lexington received the poems
dedicated 10 the old High School from
NhlSh ~ hud SPl utiS'
Bird, said /, tell me l implore, will
the fame last which our poet has sc
quickly gainedI Will her works as
classics Ger be readf
'Quoth the Raven Evermore more.
There was Cornelia Dyer, whom we
thought would be the society belle,
but alas disappointed, love had
changed her view of men, For now
see the tall, proverbial old maid going
about with her few strands of hair on
curl papers, caring for a dozen cats
and quite industrious with her knit
ting. Some day she will meet another
gallant knight, and live happily fol
ever more, but quoth the raven, ''Nev
er more. ~
And Bette Alexander had followed
her chosen profession dear to her hear
as school girl; and many little chaI
had been taught his A. B. C's ant
: other rudiments of the primary depart
ment. For twenty years she had beer
teaching the young hopefuls of The
Zeiglerville school, just 25 miles from
the railroad, True time had changed
her also, for now she wore spectacle!
on her nose, and perhaps the air O
school room had given her that solemr
and wise look, which she had not pos
sessed when one of the '0S's. She vii
continue to teach that school now fol
she will never get man.
And Never more croaked the
Raven
Hattie Jordan was in Africa. Or
leaving school she became society lead
er of the city. Her home was wher,
the smartest teas bridge parties ant