The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-30

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astsr his dsatA. Of he ess6sasA ~Wss ~ !
dyunkardf-
Against volume oe W.T. uhicA ~ Snsw
standard and patssrn Of EnsiiaA pssssy. against
. scors os masterpieces q astssn which touched
the vsry depths Of human tmaginaAaoa, against
sssays and criticisms which sxhibitsd mar
riass Of labor with learning such = not the
highest paid Of present day students has the
fortituds or power to contract, this foolish
question stu remains to haunt tho memory Of
Amsrica's prime contributor 70 permanent 1T
sraturs
II Il = curious instinct. this rsiic hunting Of
the puny fer any sort Of msmsnto Of the great.
this effort Of msdiocrity TO search out and CRY
aloud . wart Of genius. In the case Of Poe. II 10
moro than curious; It H. primo tocte, ridiculous.
His work itself bellies the scandal to any
thoughtful mind.
For Poe, for all his ecosntricity. for ell the
queer physical sensitiveness that Is said to have
made him change instantly with . single glass
Of wine. for all his nervous susceptibilities. was
a prodigious worker His output considering
its quality was enormous. No man could have
been . drunkard, and done that which he &c
ccmplisbed. no matter how high his genius
Even when nature has saved the steady tip
pier from the usual fate Of drunkard, thu mere
matter Of time necessary to libation denies him
the possibility of voluminous accomplishment
1t 10 another literary fable that Lord Byron
was roisterer. pronigate. . drunkard, and =
rake. Yet he died young. leaving behind MIN
. mass Of work done. . single canto Of which
many . more prosaic and respected man Of
literature would gladly have given q lifetime to
produce As with Poe It ID doubtless true that
the envy Of few contemporaries. working Oh
the curious Imagination Of the many. gave TO
the life Of Byron the tradition Of idleness which
tho very products Of his life render impossible
The talk about Poe and his drunkenness has
gone far enough. When the foolish Hall Of
Fame finally let him in to keep company that
he would have scorned, It was time that the
superhuous gossip about the life Of one Of the
most brilliant Of the very few American gen.
fuses should give way to consideration. not Of
the amount of Poes daily tipple. but Of consider
ation Of his immortal work Yet In The South
Atlantic Qsoyterly Of this month. q Southern
publication Of high literary merit and unique &C
complement. We ind the leading article, by
Philip Alexander Bruce. concerning itself with
this WORKOUT theme. With infinite pains the
author has collected his evidences: When Poe
was on the spree. when he was unjustly accused.
when he mounted the water wagon. how many
drinks It took to Tight him up" whether or
not he ever lost his legs as well - his head.
whether he was pleasant, d!snined. or dis
agreeable in his cups. whether his sensitivness
to wine was due to lesion in the brain. etc..
ct ccteroi Philip Alexander Bruce wrote Eco
nomic History Of Virginia in the Seventeenth
Century" q learned and valuable historical
work. He would do well to confde his future
labors to tho production Of something that will
bring enlightment. rather than. u In this in
stance, delving into the personal habits OF .
man long dead. whose history stands for all
time entombed in the art with which he be-
queathed his brain to the world.