The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition: Table Of Contents And Index Of The Five VolumesPoe, Edgar Allan
General
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition: Table Of Contents And Index Of The Five Volumes
Poe, Edgar Allan
American fiction -- 19th century; Fantasy fiction; Horror tales, American; Indexes; Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849; Short stories
suffering one syllable to escape her lips that could convey a
doubt of him, or a complaint, or a lessening of pride in his
genius and good intentions. Her daughter died a year and a half
since, but she did not desert him. She continued his ministering
angel—living with him, caring for him, guarding him against
exposure, and when he was carried away by temptation, amid grief
and the loneliness of feelings unreplied to, and awoke from his
self abandonment prostrated in destitution and suffering,
_begging_ for him still. If woman’s devotion, born with a first
love, and fed with human passion, hallow its object, as it is
allowed to do, what does not a devotion like this—pure,
disinterested and holy as the watch of an invisible spirit—say
for him who inspired it?
We have a letter before us, written by this lady, Mrs. Clemm, on
the morning in which she heard of the death of this object of her
untiring care. It is merely a request that we would call upon
her, but we will copy a few of its words—sacred as its privacy
is—to warrant the truth of the picture we have drawn above, and
add force to the appeal we wish to make for her:
“I have this morning heard of the death of my darling Eddie....
Can you give me any circumstances or particulars?... Oh! do not
desert your poor friend in his bitter affliction!... Ask Mr. ——
to come, as I must deliver a message to him from my poor
Eddie.... I need not ask you to notice his death and to speak
well of him. I know you will. But say what an affectionate son he
was to me, his poor desolate mother...”
To hedge round a grave with respect, what choice is there,
between the relinquished wealth and honors of the world, and the
story of such a woman’s unrewarded devotion! Risking what we do,
in delicacy, by making it public, we feel—other reasons
aside—that it betters the world to make known that there are such
ministrations to its erring and gifted. What we have said will
speak to some hearts. There are those who will be glad to know
how the lamp, whose light of poetry has beamed on their far-away
recognition, was watched over with care and pain, that they may
send to her, who is more darkened than they by its extinction,
some token of their sympathy. She is destitute and alone. If any,
far or near, will send to us what may aid and cheer her through
the remainder of her life, we will joyfully place it in her
hands.
THE UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES OF ONE HANS PFAAL (*1)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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