portant verbal changes. "Tamerlane," which is dedicated to John Neal, is preceded by an advertisement, as follows: "This poem was printed for publication in Boston, in the year 1827, but suppressed through circumstances of a private nature." There is only one word changed in the whole poem. After Tamerlane" follow nine miscellaneous poems, all of which, with the exception of the first and part of the eighth, are in the last edition of Poe's works. The first of these miscellaneous poems consists of four stanzas, and is headed "To" It has never been reprinted in full, but the third stanza contains the germ of "A Dream within a Dream."

I have failed to discover that this volume attracted any attention either in Baltimore or elsewhere, although it will scarcely be questioned that it contained thoughts. and sentiments and verses which are far superior to anything in Byron's early poems. Indeed, the delicate, airy grace and musical rhythm of a portion of "Al Aaraaf” give a bright promise of that wonderful metrical sweetness which pre-eminently distinguishes Poe's poetry.

But if Edgar Poe made neither money nor fame by this little volume, it resulted in an acquaintance, a friendship, and a love, which contributed more to his happiness than either money or fame could have done. It was during this visit to Baltimore that he saw, for the first time since his infancy, his aunt, Mrs. Maria Clemm, who was to be his devoted friend through life, and his most enthusiastic

defender after his death. Mrs. Clemm-the daughter of General Poe, who had spent his fortune in the cause of American Independence, and the wife of William Clemm, who had bravely fought for his city, State, and countrywas compelled to earn a living by teaching school. It was at this time, also, that Edgar Poe first saw his cousin, Virginia Clemm, a lovely, delicate girl of seven; "the fair and gentle young Eulalie, who became his blushing bride" -his Ligeia, his beautiful one-his Annabel Lee, "whom he loved with a love that was more than love "-his lost Lenore !

It is not to be presumed that Edgar Poe had any intention of adopting the life of a professional author when he published "Al Aaraaf." He was, at that time, the heir presumptive of Mr. Allan's fortune-thirty thousand dollars a year-with every present want gratified, and his future apparently secure. But, even while on this visit to Baltimore, the beginning of the end of all his fair prospects was approaching. Toward the end of February he was summoned back to Richmond, by the alarming illness of Mrs. Allan. He hastened to obey the sad summons, for he loved his adopted mother with all the warmth of his affectionate nature. But, alas! he was never again to see that kind, motherly face; never again to hear that sweet, gentle voice. Communication, in those days, between Baltimore and Richmond was slow, and before he arrived, Mrs. Allan was dead and buried. Edgar felt keenly the loss of

his earliest friend.

fully.

He mourned her long and sorrow

The death of Mrs. Allan caused no immediate change in Poe's life; Mr. Allan continued his friend, so far as food, clothing, and shelter went. But he missed that tender solicitude, that affectionate interest, which Mrs. Allan was ever ready to bestow.

When Edgar Poe had reached his twenty-first year, Mr. Allan-who very properly thought that a young man, however great his expectations might be, should adopt a profession-had a serious talk with him upon this important subject. Poe expressed a distaste both for the dry drudg ery of the law, and for the laborious life of a physician. The gay, dashing, daring life of a soldier seemed to possess a peculiar fascination for the high-spirited, chivalrous youth, and he told Mr. Allan that, of all the professions, he preferred the army.

Mr. Allan was delighted at his choice, and immediately went to work to secure his appointment to West Point. Recommended by Chief Justice Marshall, John Randolph, General Scott, and other influential friends, the appointment was easily obtained. A handsome outfit was furnished by Mr. Allan, and on the 1st of July, 1830, Edgar A. Poe entered West Point as a cadet. He was perhaps the most brilliant and gifted, but the least creditable cadet that ever entered the Military Academy. He was in the very first bloom of that remarkable beauty of face and form, which neither study,

nor trouble, nor poverty, nor sorrow ever destroyed. Dark, hyacinthine hair fell in graceful curls over his magnificent forehead, beneath which shone the most beautiful, the most glorious of mortal eyes. His figure was slight,

but elegantly proportioned; his bearing was proud and fearless.

The young cadet soon discovered that the life of a soldier was not all so couleur de rose as his bright fancy had pictured it. The severe studies, the severe discipline, the morning drill, the evening parade, the guard duty, were each and all distasteful to the young poet, whose heart was glowing with high hopes, whose soul was full of a noble ambition. He turned with delight from military tactics to peruse the tuneful pages of Virgil; he neglected mathematics for the fascinating essays of Macaulay, which were just then beginning to charm the world; he escaped from the evening parade to wander along the romantic. banks of the Hudson, meditating his musical "Israfel," and, perhaps, planning "Ligeia; or, the Fall of the House of Usher."

The result of his study and meditation appeared in the winter of 1831, when he published, under the title of "Poems, by Edgar A. Poe," seven new poems, together with "Al Aaraaf," and "Tamerlane," from the edition of 1829, omitting all the others. These seven new poems consisted of the exquisite lines "To Helen," "Israfel," "The Doomed City" (afterward improved, and called

"The City in the Sea"), "Fairyland" (which retains its name only), "Irene" (afterward remodeled into "The Sleeper "), "A Pæan" (four verses of which were incorporated in "Lenore"), and "The Valley of Nis" (“The Valley of Unrest "). The book was dedicated to the United States Corps of Cadets, an honor which the cadets did not deserve, for they "considered the verses ridiculous doggerel." The world has pronounced a different verdict.

After Poe had been at West Point six months, the rigid rules became so intolerable that he asked permission of Mr. Allan to resign. This was peremptorily refused. Within a year after the death of his first wife, Mr. Allan married Louise Gabrielle Patterson, of New Jersey, and, a son being born,* Edgar Poe was no longer the heir of the five thousand acres of land in Goochland County, Virginia, of hundreds of slaves, of real estate in Richmond, of bank and State stock, the whole amounting to five hundred thousand dollars. In money matters, Mr. Allan

more.

* Mr. Allan had three children by his second wife: John, the eldest, married Henrietta Hoffman, the only child of William Henry Hoffman, Esq., of BaltiAt the commencement of the late civil war, John Allan entered the Confederate Army, and was killed at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863, while commanding a Virginia regiment. The second son, William, married his brother's widow; he died in 1868, and his wife died in 1870. Mrs. Henrietta Allan had two children by her first husband, Hoffman and Louise Gabrielle. They are living with their grandmother in Richmond. Patterson Allan, the third son, married a lady of Cincinnati, who was banished from Richmond, by Jefferson Davis, as a Union

spy.