The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-10-06

Al the age OF seventeen ne was
placed in the University of Virginia
and even thus early in years the
turning point of his life began, for
here he acquired a love for strong
drink and a disposition for gambling
which was destined to shadow his
entire career and dispel his memory
from the hearts of many to whom
his true sentiments and noble works
were destined to endear him. So
pronounced did these habits of vice
become that Mr.. Allan found it nee
cessary to remove him from the
University and place him in his own
counting room where he might watch
over his actions and in time cure
him of his evil tendencies. This
new life, however, was not to the
liking of Poe and shortly afterwards
he left his home to make his own
way in the world. About this time
he published his first book of poems,
crude, scanty effort resulting from
his spare hours at college, but it met
with little success. He soon became
reduced in circumstances and being
unable to find any employment that
would afford him the means Of ex-
isting, enlisted in the United States
Army at the age of eighteen. In
his new role as soldier he met
with undivided success and won the
good will of all with whom he came in
contact. 1t was not long before his
achievements became known to Mr..
Allan who gladly. welcomed any
signs of reformation on the part of
his erstwhile son. In order to better
the young mans condition and at
the same time help him to reach the
threshold of an honorable career he
purchased the discharge Of his ward
from the army and secured for him
admission to West Point Military
Academy. The shiftless disposition
of the young genius soon asserted
itself again and six months later Poe
sought freedom from the none too
congenial tasks of a soldiers life.
Being unable to win the consent
and assistance of Mr.. Allan to fur
ther his desire he managed, through
wilful neglect of duties, to become
the subject of a court-martial and a
dishonorable discharge soon fol-
lowed.
Much has been said of late regard
ing the opposition to national honors
being extended to Edgar Allan Poe
and there is little doubt that much
of this opposition is occasioned by
the fact that as boy of eighteen he
thus deliberately brought disgrace
to the uniform Of his country to for
ward his own interests. At any rate
the fact remains that he now faced
the world friendless and pennilesa.
With the door of his former home
thus closed to him, by his own act
of folly and being without the means
to exist in idleness he was forced to
accept the first position that offered
a means of livelihood. Through the
influence of some kindly-disposed
friends, who felt a warm interest in
the youthful genius, he secured the
position of assistant editor of the
Messenger, a new magazine pub
lished by T. w. White of Richmond,
Va. Here he appeared in a new
role and one which in my opinion
shows him to the greatest advantage.
His poetical ventures had thus far,
and in fact all through life, lacked
in clearness and comprehension.
Possessed as he was of an extraor-
dinary power of imagination he
sought and found the beautiful be-
yond the ordinary reach of human
conception. His prose, however,
not only displayed his genius at the
best, but contained an element of
vim and even humor entirely lack
ing in his poetry. It was while thus
engaged he first met his future wife
Mics Virginia Glenn. 1t is not
hard to believe that the gentle, win
ming Virginia was the first to awaken
the tender passion in the heart of
the young poet and judging from
the manner in which he idolized his
young wife and cared for her in
poverty and illhealth we might be
justified in supposing she ever
reigned supreme in the affections of
him whose name she shared. About
the time when Poe's success seemed
assured, when his jealous efforts
seemed to have won him a place in
the world of letters, he again fell a
victim to his evil habits, the lndul-
gence of which caused him to