Text: John C. Miller, ed., “Entry 108: John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman, Sept. 11, 1875,” Poe's Helen Remembers (1979), p. 325 (This material is protected by copyright)

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108. John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman

My dearest Friend,

I am just come home from a month's tour through France & Switzerland, much better, I believe, in health.

I am so glad to find among my letters two from you. Long replies by next mail. I feared you were too ill to write. Accept my very best & most fervent good wishes. I won’t postcard you again.

Among letters is one from Widdleton, the publisher of Poe's Works in New York, saying he had written before (his letter never reached me) in reply to mine & asking if I were still willing to carry out my suggestions as to my “Memoir” prefixing Poe's Works!! He adds, “Mr. Gill, of Boston (publisher), to whom I mentioned your kindly offer, asks us not to use your “Memoir” as it covers material taken from his paper on Poe in Lotos Leaves.” Did you ever hear of such audacity? His own letters to me convict him of falsehood.

Best wishes to Miss Rose, to whom a letter at earliest opportunity. Haste for today's mail. Yours ever & ever the same,

P.S. I have Southern Magazine.

I’ve just written to Mrs. Hale: do you know her personally? A note from you might interest her on our behalf. My great aim now is to get Clarke's Museum with the sketch of Poe's life (and portrait) therein.(1) I have no correspondent in Philadelphia where so much lies perdue. Can you name anyone likely? Godey never answered. Did you ever hear of a tale by Poe called “Siope”? ’Twas published in Tales of the Grotesque & Arabesque.(2) Is that in your library? I never saw Burton's letter (about Poe) in answer to Griswold, but expect it will turn up some day. Poe & Burton, I fancy, became partners!!

 

1. Henry B. Hirst's biographical sketch of Poe, with a portrait, had appeared in the Philadelphia Saturday Museum on Feb. 25, 1843. Poe himself had almost certainly furnished Hirst with at least portions of the materials.

2. “Siope,” the first version of “Silence — A Fable,” was first published in the Baltimore Book for 1838.