Unpublished Correspondence by Edgar Allen Poe [pp. 421-430]

4A PPL ETONS' JOURNAL.
requirements. She wrote to a friend in the New
York Union Club on the subject, and he brought the
matter before some of the members, several of whom
were personally acquainted with Poe. General Scott,
who was present at the time, gave five dollars, saying, "I wish I could make it five hundred," adding
that he believed "Poe to be much belied; that he
had noble and generous traits, which belonged to the
old and better school. True-hearted America,"
concluded the old hero, what was quite a speech for
him, "ought to take care of her poets as well as her
soldiers." (General Scott was uncle to the second
wife of Mr. Allan Poe's adopted father, and it was
through his influence the poet obtained his nomination to the West Point Military Academy.) A private collection of about one hundred dollars was
made, and with it old debts were paid, and the most
urgent necessities provided for.
Mrs. Shew saw the poet frequently in I847, and
in her diary has the following interesting reminiscence: "Mr. Poe came to town to go to a midnight service with a lady friend and myself. He
went with us and followed the service like a churchman, looking directly toward the chancel, and holding one side of my prayer-book; sang the psalms
with us, and to my astonishment struck up a tenor
to our soprano; and got along nicely during the first
part of the service, which was on the subject of the
sympathies of our soul with our wants. The passage being often repeated, "He was a man of sorrow, and acquainted with grief," he begged me to
remain quiet, and, saying he would wait for us outside, he rushed out, too excited to stay. I knew he
would not leave us to return home alone (although
my friend thought it doubtful), and so, after the sermon, I began to feel anxious-as we were in a
strange church-I looked back and saw his pale face.
As the congregation rose to sing the hymn,'Jesus,
Saviour of my soul,' he appeared at my side, and
sang the hymn, without looking at the book, in a
fine clear tenor. He looked inspired.... I did
not dare to ask him why he left, but he mentioned,
after we got home, that the subject' was marvelously
handled.\"'
During the greater part of i847 Poe was working
on his great philosophical" prose-poem" " Eureka "
and, while engaged upon it, says Mrs. Shew, he was
quite certain of success. But, she remarks, "I did
not expect him to live long; I knew that organic
disease had been gaining upon his physical frame
through the many trials and privations of his eventful life. I told him in all candor that nothing would
or could save him from sudden death but a prudent
life of calm, with a woman fond enough and strong
enough to manage his affairs for him.... I was
often subjected to his irony for my lectures, coming,
as they did, from a woman so little skilled in worldly troubles or cares as I was then.... He said I
had never troubled myself to read his works or poems; which was true, for my heart found so much
sorrow to sympathize with in the griefs of those I
came in contact with... but I was'a rest for his
spirit' for this very reason."
In the latter part of I847 Poe wrote his "most
musical, most melancholy" dirge of "Ulalume,"
and published it in December of that year. Early
in i848 he indited some fresh lines "To Marie
Louise," a portion of which were published after his
death, without a title. But the complete poem does
not appear to have ever been printed.
In May the poet is found inditing the following
characteristic letter to this constant friend:
" Sunday Night.
"MY DEAR FRIEND LOUISE-Nothing for months
has given me so much real pleasure as your note of
last night. I have been engaged all day on some
promised work, otherwise I should have replied'immediately, as my heart inclined. I sincerely hope
you may not drift out of my sight before I can thank
you. How kind of you to let me do even this small
service for you, in return for the great debt I owe
you! Louise! my brightest, most unselfish of all
who ever loved me!... I shall have so much pleasure in thinking of you and yours in that music-room
and library. Louise, I give you great credit for
taste in these things, and I know I can please you in
the purchases. During my first call at your house after my Virginia's death, I noticed with so much pleasure the large painting over the piano, which is a
masterpiece indeed; and I noticed the size of all
your paintings, the scrolls instead of set figures of
the drawing-room carpet, the soft effect of the window shades, also the crimson and gold.... I was
charmed to see the harp and piano uncovered. The
pictures of Raphael and'The Cavalier' I shall
never forget-their softness and beauty! The guitar with the blue ribbon, music-stand, and antique
jars! I wondered that a little country maiden like
you had developed so classic a taste and atmosphere.
Please present my kind regards to your uncle, and
say that I am at his service any or every day this
week; and ask him, please, to specify time and
place.
"Yours sincerely,
"EDGAR A. POE."
In explanation of the above communication it
may be added that Mrs. Shew had asked Poe to assist her uncle in selecting furniture for a new house
she had taken. She remarks: "I gave him carte
blanche to furnish the music-room and library as he
pleased. I had hung the pictures myself,... placing over the piano a large painting by Albano. Poe
admired it for hours, and never tired of gazing upon
it.... Mr. Poe was much pleased at my request,
and my uncle said he had never seen him so cheerful and natural-' quite like other people.'"
In the autumn of the year he wrote his first
rough draft of "The Bells" at Mrs. Shew's residence. "One day he came in," she relates, "and
said:'Marie Louise, I have to write a poem; I have
no feeling, no sentiment, no inspiration.'" His
hostess persuaded him to have some tea. It was
served in the conservatory, the windows of which
were open, and admitted the sound of neighboring
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