The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-01-23


alike agree as to the singular fascina'
ton Of Poe's conversation. He wa:
also an excellent listener-more i'm.
pressive, and infinitely more agreeable
than the takers who SO often eclipse
the gayety of drawing rooms, anc
make listeners long for "few bril-
liant flashes Of silence.'-" a.
1.-THE charm Of his conversation was ir
lite genuineness-its wonderful direct.
ness and sincerity. What added to the
charm Of his presence was his simple
natural, unconventional courtesy and
the perfectly sincere grace of his man.
ner."
From New York he removed to
Philadelphia, and for four years he was
the mainstay Of Graham's Magazine
He abandoned this position with the
intention Of starting a magazine of
his own, but lack of capital drove him
again to New York, and to journalism.
In 1845 1.-THE Raven" was published,
Poe receiving for it the sum Of SO. It's
returns in fame were greater however,
From a man of some note, he became
at once man Of fame and his poem,
in few months, was being read in
every part Of the English speaking
world. But fame was not what was
needed. He wrote one night:
we have now got four dollars and
a half left. Tomorrow am going to
try and borrow three dollars, so that
/ may have fortnight to go on"
Seven dollars and a half, for three
- people. fortnight, in New York.
From the year 1910, Virginia, the
young wife, was slowly dying, Of the
same terrible disease that killed Poe's
father and mother. Poe wrote some-
times fifteen hours a day to procure
for her the necessary comforts and
70 medicines. And it Is from this period
Of suffering, and Of almost necessary
resort to stimulation, that his really
authenticated recourse to liquor dates.
Under this terrible strain he became
i'll. The publication Of his misfortunes
through the newspapers brought to his
- aid host Of friends, among them a
Mrs. shew, a physician. who attended
the last days of the young wife with a
sisterly tenderness. After the death
of Virginia, on January 80, 1s47, Poe
fell into an apathetic state and for
sometime was hardly conscious Of
what was going on around him. His
illness was severe; and, indeed, dur
ing the remainder of lis life he never
thoroughly regained y healthy tone of
body. During this illness Mrs. Shew
continued her care CT him, sharing
with Mrs. GLENN the rights of watch
ing, and even, perhaps. the expenses.
In her Journal Of this reriod, recording
q consultation with DR.. Mott, a ia
nous New York physician, over the
case, Mrs. Shew writes:
II told the doctor that at the best.
when Mr.. Poe was well, his pulse beat
!, only ten regular beats, after which it
suspended or intermittent decided
that IN his best health he had a, lesion
Of ono side Of the brain, and as he
could not bear stinulants or tonics
without producing insanity I did not
feel much hope that he could be raised
up from the brain fever brought on
by extreme suffering If mind and body
actual want and hunger and cold
having been borne by this heroic hus-
band in order to supply food and med
icine and comforts to his dying wife
until exhaustion and lifelessness were
so near at every reaction Of the fever
that even sedatives had to be admin
istered with extreme caution"
From this time forward Poe was a
broken man. He lived part of the
time in New York and part of the
time in Baltimore. and many are the
stories. all very interesting, but all
more or less apooryphal, Of the man.
time composed. One of these legends
states that, while walking down st.
Paul's street, Baltimore, one snowy
night, the plan Of "The Bells'' sud-
!: denly came to him and images crowded
80 fast on his mind that, in his haste
4 to record them, he rushed up the steps
OF the nearest house and demanded
paper and pens. Judge A. E. Giles,
3 The master Of the house, had answered
the bell in person; and seeing that his
visitor. though perhaps little mad,
& was gentleman, he courteously show
rcd him into the library and gave him
{ alT that he required. When, later, he
looked into the room. his strange guest
. was gone, but on the desk was copy
OF the first three stanzas of 1.-The
Bells" which, framed, is still in pos
session Of the family.
The Gold Bug" Is ssid to have been