The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-10

story is, on the whole, remarkably sane
and cheerful-for Poe. In writing it he
seems to have kept at least partially
closed, as he sometimes would the door
of that Haunted Palace of his mind.
through which, as he tells US in 1.-THE
Fall of the House of Usher" "A hideous
throng rushed out forever that laugh-but
smile no more" At one time in the course
of his wild and lurid career Poe was an
enlisted man in the army, and was sta
toned at Fort Moultrie on Sulivan's
Island. 1t is there that he lays the scene
of the Gold Bug and it was there,
doubtless, that he received, from the in
fluence and legends of the place. the i'm
pressions out of which he afterwards
created the story.
W. Hen to a. % ans.n nsss amy belonging of ssT
w Orleans discovered that series
of misfortunes had swept away all but
a small remnant of that family fortune
which had once been so great he felt
that he could not continue to live in his
native city To endure almost abject pow
erty in a community where he and his
ancestors had for SO many generations
lived in luxury and be looked up to with
respect, was more than he could bear
With one old negro. a manumitted slave,
as attendant, he sought a secluded place
on Sullivans Island, which lies at the
entrance of the harbor of Charleston, s.
c., where he built for himself a house,
which was, in truth, little more than a
hut, and there he lived in seclusion from
the walks of man, amusing himself by
wandering about the neighboring woods
and shores and indulging in his favorite
pursuit of the collecting of shells or of
chronological specimens. Also he would
hunt and fish when the humor took him.
and passed much of his time out of
doors
He had brought many books with him
to his retreat but read them little. He
was acquainted with some of the officers
at Fort Moultrie, which is situated on
one end of the island, but seldom visited
them, and as seldom invited them to visit
him. Only one man did Legrand make
a welcome guest at his hut Mr.. -, a
young man living in Charleston, whose
acquaintance he had made accidentally,
and who seemed to have tastes in com
mon with himself Though we'll educated |
and possessed of more than usual mental |
gifts Legrand was morbid and nissan
thropic and subject to alternate moods of
enthusiasm and deep melancholy.
Old Jupiter, his negro attendant, had
been manumitted long before the loss of
the family fortunes, but had always been
devoted to young Massa Will and had
refused to leave him. It was probable
that Legrand's relatives had encouraged
"Jup" in this determination from the
fact that the young mans brain had been
affected by his misfortune and their con-
sequent desire to have some one with HIM
constantly who would watch over him.
This Old Jupiter did with the utmost care, |
acting as II 'Massa WIFI was still a
child and needed discipline as well as
caring for.
Sullvan's Island is a peculiar place; the
'island" part of it's name hardly more
than technical as it is divided from the
mainland only by shallow and narrow
creek. which can scarcely be perceived as
It winds it's sluggish tides through the
tall rushes. In summer a few people fly
to the beaches of the island for a respite
from the heats of the city, but most Of
the year the island is a deserted place, |
its only spot given over TO habitation of
men being the isolated fort. Nearly the
whole island is covered with a heavy
growth of the sweet myrtle, that plant
so priced by the horticulturists of Eng
land which here grows into trees of Is
or % feet high and forms almost i'm
penetrable coppice, burdening the air with
its fragrance. 1t was in the most re-
mote part of this coppice that Legrand
had built his hut.
oF TSia nd al
ways mild, but now and then there comes
q winter day with a perceptible chill in
the air. 1t was on one of these days that
'Massa WINS Charleston friend pushed
his way through the dense growth of
myrtle and knocked at the cabin door. |
only to find that no one was at home.
But bright fire was burning in the fire.
place, and, taking off his coat, he made
himself comfortable. 1t was near sunset |
when he came to the hut, and soon after
dark Legrand and Jupiter returned home,
Legrand was in one of his fits of enthu
giasm, and while Jupiter hustled about to
prepare some marsh hens for supper the
recluse told his visitor strange story.
He had discovered, while walking along |
the beach of the mainland, a beetle of
bright golden hue, with black spots on it |
1t was he believed a species unknown
TO entomologists. lie had met a lieu
tenant from the fort who was an en-
thusiastic bug hunter, and the lieuten
ant had the scarabaeus for examination.
But he would draw the beetle to show
its shape He did so on a. drty-looking
piece of paper which he took from his
pocket and handed the drawing to the
visitor. Just at that moment Jupiter let
in at the door a great Newfoundland
dog who jumped upon the visitor with
avery expression of delight When he
finally made the dog cease his demon
vas no drawing of a scarabaeus on it,
Int the drawing of a deaths head, "It
looks like a skull more than beetle,
said he. and handed the piece of paper
back to Legrand, who looked at it with
amazement.
Then he took a candle and, going
aver TO a chest across the room, ex
amined the bit of paper intently. At
first his face turned red and then pale.
Finally he put the paper in his pocket
and changed the conversation, but all
that evening seemed distracted as If
thinking earnestly upon something OF
which he would not speak. But old Ju-
inter kept returning to the subject of
the bug, saying: de bug is gol bug.
l. H..