The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-19
@DD gave me a spark Of genius
and quenched 1t in misery"
. said Poe. A spark? No; 1t


Ms.ryc Yes; misery intensified beyond
n.,.ure by the abnormal sensibillties of
is inject, but glorified by love such
rs f,.v mortals have known.
ro,ts have an unusual charm for
xon,rn. No master singer had more
charm for them than Poe, and few mems
uvos have been more influenced by
women than was his
Women are the imprisoned defenders
Of his name: women were the idols and
the guardians Of his household; women
are the themes OF his most exquisite
pocms: women have erected the noblest
monument to his memory. A dozen or
more women have been proud to think
and to proclaim that he loved them, but
h. never loved but two. Strangest Of
all in a man whose life was so irregu-
lar there is no record that he ever
penncd or uttered a sensuous thought.
He loved beauty but 1t was the beauty
Of the pure.
II was in one Of the dark periods Of
poe's career that his fathers sister,
Maria GLENN, found him penniless, half
starved and desperately III In Baltimore.
She nursed him back to health. No sac
lrdcc was too great for this devoted
woman. She took in boarders taught
small children. sewed far into the night
did anything or everything to make
ends meet. From the day they met Poe
never again was to be homeless. She
was To have son, he was to have
mother. =.
The maternal love Of this good woman
went out to this child of genius with
out stint. She made allowance for
everything he did, for she knew how
oueery he had been handled by fate.
Il was pathetic to her that he had not
known childhood as other children
know il.
offspring of two strolling players, he
, had been left an orphan when > years
old II occasionally he drank, might 1t
rot be due to the gin with which a negro
nurse stupefed him to keep him from
crying when he was a babe?
In his hours of convalescencc Poe
found employment in teaching Mrs.
Cemms daughter. his little cousin Nir-
gina She became very fond of the
handsome young man. He was %, she
was little more than 10. He was
Buddy" she Sissy" and Mrs. GLENN
Muddy" Big Brother and Little Sister
they were to each other for two years
or more while he struggled to add to
the family income with his pen.
She carried love letters he wrote to
other girls. was his confidant and COM
panion shared his few joys and his many
sorrows. and then somehow this man
OF genius and this immature child dis.
covered that their love was not OF
brother and sister. but Of man and
| woman.
on September %. 1894, they took out
| marriage license. Virginia was onl,
IL years and / month old. They might
have welded then but for the protest
Of a relative. Mrs. GLENN was willing.
Less Than two years ater-on May IL.
1886 another license was procured and
soon after that they were married.
BY all accepted standards. there could
be little happiness in union of first
2 cousins and of such ages. He was -,
she less than II. but never were they
known TO have a difference. Poverty
abjeot want, they knew, almost con-
stant,y, but never squalor. Her faith
IN nm ana ms love Tor her never raiied
She developed into girl OF matchiess
beauty ana lovellness, nut II was
q beauty that was unearthly, for she nao
'he rdHor that Spells ueath. She had
ht eyes OF a hourl race To dety the
genius Of Canova to initiate, a temper
anu disposition OF SURPRISING sweetness
'hIld as she was, she was as TENDER de-
voted ana watchfui OF MN ana ms
every interest as young mother Is OF
hef nrst porn.
lie had the stamp OF genius. IN Inc
ran OF the House OF Usher in the part
=" R"derick. he has pictured himset.
Inc character OF MS race had peen
al all times remarkable. a cadaverous-
mss ~ 'ohpieNioh' an eye large. iiluio
anu luminous beyond conparisoh' lips
so'he"hdt thln ana very pa'iid' put OK a
suipdSSlhSly beautlful curve nose Oh
uHtatc Hebrew model, nut with
mead'h III hostril unequal IN similar
'o'"a''"hs; iinely nodded chin, speak
NIX N us want OF prominence OF want
" 'hn''I energy mar OF a more thah