The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-07

an umbrella and look for boarding
house. l made bargain In fow
minutes, and then got hack and
went for Sis. 1 had not gone more
than half an hour, and sho was quito
nstonished to see me back SO soon.
Sic Is delighted, and we are both
In eXcollont spirits. She has coughcd
hardly any and had no night sweat.
She is now busy mending my pants.
| which I tore against n nall. :.
| Sissy had n hearty cry last night be-
cause you and Catarina {thc caD wero
not here"
Compare this touchingly unaffected
| littlo picture Of the two. so contcntcdly
| all alone to themselves in the great
city, with that othor picture preserves
| by Mrs. Osgood. when she herself was
present. She had gladly accepted a
| worm invitation from both to call on
them In Anity Street. Poe had Just
| finished tho articles disaectlnG tile
| Litorati of New York. which. as was
customary with him. he had written
on very long. narrow rolls Of manu-
| script. Come. Virginia" he cried out.
| help mel" And. ono BY one" says
Mrs. osgood. they unfolded the rolls.
| At last; they cumc to one which seem
! cd interminabe. Nirginiu lnuShinGly
| ran to one corner of tho room with
one end, and her husband to the OPP
posite with the other. And what
heightened sweetness long drawn out
Is that? said l. Hear her he cried;
Just MS II her little vain heart did not
| tell her It's herself"
But unhappily not all the scenes
during this sojourn in New York re-
veulcd Virginia in such lively and
active mood. Poe" says Mrs. Brcn-
! nan, With whom they passed the sum
mcr Of 1913, was the gcntlcst OF hus-
bands and devoted to his invalid wife.
Frequently when she was weaker than
usual. he carried her tcnderly from
her room to the dinner table ana sat
isiied every whm."
But it was at Fordham that the
most beautiful. because the most pa
,hntic. side of Poc's married life was
unfolded. 1t was there that Virginia
, died, and II was there that he drank
tho overlooking contents of the cup
OF sorrow down 10 the last drop. 1t
was In the vain hope OF Improving
her rapidly sinking health that. aban-
doninS the city, he rented the little
rural cottage, situated on the high
road Leading to Kingsbridgc. where he
! passed the last three years OF his
career. 1t was III the spring that he
carried Virginia thithcr. the cherry
. trees were in bloom. the grass was
lushly vcrdpnt. the wild ilowcrs were
blooming, and all growing things were
full of 4 new vitality In sad contrast
with the fading form at his side
Mrs. GLENN, recalling the events Of
these closing days, says that Poe rare.
ly left his OWN threshold. even for a
stroll, unless either she or her dauSh-
ter accompanied him.
His Touching Letter.
His thoughtful solicitude for his
l,,.if, 10 loj
only letter addressed to her by him
which has been preserved. He was com
PEELED, on one occasion. to remain
away from her for Il night. Our
mother" he wrote. will explain ~
you why | stay away from YOU this
night. / trust the interview | am
promised will result in some substun-
; tial good for me-for your dear sake
and hcrs-kcep up your heart in all
hopcfuiness, and trust yet Il little
| longer. On my last great disappoint-
ment I should have lost my courage
but for you. my little darling wife.
You arc my greatest and only stimulus
| now to battle with this unconEcnial.
unsatisfactory and unEratcful life. I
| shall be with you tomorrow l.. NJ,
and be assured until see you, I will
keep III loving remembrance your last
words, and your fervcnt prayer. Sleep
| well. and may God grant you peace
full summer with your devoted Edgar"
Do we require any further proof OF
the poets devotion to his wife than
this tender and considerable letter, writ
ten in the deep privacy OF his own
disappointed heart? Was II not the
unconscious and unaffected express
sion of the charming love and con
fdcncc." which. as Mrs. Osgood so
earnestly affirmed. from her own per-
! sonal observation of the couple at
this time, was always delightfully."-
apparent in their relations" Nor Is
| The sincerity of such an intimate
| epis;lc rcfutcd by those little pocti-
| cal episodes in which Ito use again
Mrs. ossood's words the itnpassioncd
| eomuhce of his temperament ilnpellcd
! him to indulge: episodes which Mrs.
| Weiss has asserted revealed the shall
ioUncss Of his love for his wife.
! Never did the poet appear more
winning than At F'ordham in the So
eiety OF his family and their occasiona