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109. John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman
15 Sept. 1875
My dear Friend,
I am in a perfect chaos of letters & papers, but I am determined to put everything on one side for a few moments’ chat with you. In the first place, let me express my intense delight at once more hearing [page 326:] from you after your very lengthy — very cruel — silence of so many weeks. And a ten-page letter too! Quite your old style & not the more recent two or three sides. Oh, my dear Providence! would that I could but once clasp your hand & let you know me & see me as I am, instead of through letters, or other folks’ eyes — rose-colored though they be! Mais, en avant!
A month ago and life was a burden to me & a burden that I fancied would not be carried much longer. Ill health & domestic affliction — that affliction which is worse than death — distracted me. I put all on one side — ordered all letters & papers to be kept back, and, although feeling almost too broken down to leave home, I started for France. The first night, too ill to cross the Channel, I stayed at the English port, Newhaven. Next day, made an effort and crossed to Dieppe — stayed there three days & thence to Paris — second morning there contrived to faint. (En passant, called on the Cleavelands who are there.) Still vainly seeking health, I pursued my way, stopping at various towns en route to Neuchâtel. No better. One day the weather changed to cool — that day I sought out & found some English friends living in the mountains. A magical change took place. I grew almost well in a day! My adventures need not be further detailed. After three days’ visit I left my friends & rambled about Switzerland — to Geneva, Chillon, Martiguy, Saxon, Chamouni, &c., & home via Paris. I cannot believe the change. I am as sceptical as the old lady who was so shamefully treated by Pedlar Stout & begin to think that “it surely can’t be I,” so much better in every respect do I feel. I shall yet live, I ween, to do something. And now enough of self, & let me see what there is to answer in your two letters, not replied to in mine of Saturday 11th Instant.
First, yours of the 10th Augt. As regards postcards, I deemed if too unwell to write a letter you could at least send me a line by one of these conveniences. As regards the portrait — Mrs. Houghton afterwards quite unsolicited, somewhat modified her words & said that she grew to like it more & more. Why wish your words respecting the “Ultima Thule” portrait verified — your words are all in all to me. I think the resemblance of the one in Mr. Dodge's possession marvellous. Did you see a short article on the “Portraits of Poe,” in the Home Journal, by Chandos Fulton? It is not of much account, but mentions some portraits I am not acquainted with: for instance, a
large photo to be seen in Brady's Portrait Gallery, formerly on Broadway, has been made popular by Anthony's carte de visite in his collection of celebrities. This was taken while Poe was editing the Broadway Journal. There is much vitality in this portrait. {also, it continues} A very “speaking” portrait is a daguerreotype taken of the poet about the same time as the Brady photograph by Mr. Gabriel Harrison, who has presented this & a photograph [page 327:] in color (worked from it) to the Long Island Historical Society. The mouth of the poet was crooked, slanting or running down on the left side: in this portrait, this peculiarity, not always concealed by the moustache which the poet wore in early life & latterly, is in a measure concealed by the poet's holding his head a little sideways, at the suggestion of Mr. Harrison, who was quite well acquainted with him.
I copy for fear you may not have seen this article.(1) I will try for photographic copies. Have only just received the printed slip.
As regards the daguerreotype in possession of Mr. Dodge, I fear he will not sell it to me — he does not seem to want money — but I’ll try & get him to allow photographic copies to be made. Perhaps I may send a few words about the Poe portraits to the Home Journal, but I have so much to do. Remember! only my evenings for literature.
I cannot think how I said such stupid words to you about the unpublishable reminiscences, but I know that I sometimes feared you were overtasking your strength by writing so much. You may be assured that personally I wish to learn every atom of information about Poe. I wish to glean every thought, & word & deed, not merely for publication, but that the man in his entireness may be known to me — that I may gather into one comprehensive form that great & weird mind, the history of which, as well as its carnal covering, I wish to strive to put into a literary shape. And I will succeed. Whilst it does not overwork your strength pray do give me every jot & tittle of your mental & material memory of our Israfel. Do you see how his name & fame now permeate every American publication: another generation, & he will overtop, by a head, all his literary compeers of your land, in the public estimation — scholars acknowledge his preeminence already.
I am sorry I did not enclose you the poem — an editor forced it from me & sent it to America for publication, but just as it arrived a copy appeared in Scribner's Monthly for Sept. — in facsimile. You have, of course, seen it, & will decide with me, that the handwriting is not Poe's, but that the style of composition is, or at all events is a splendid imitation. The note in Scribner's (by E. L. Didier — entre nous) is full of errors, as you will see, as regards dates, &c. Even “Allan” is spelt incorrectly. I have written a letter to the editor, Dr. Holland. Now privately, entre nous, the handwriting is as much like Didier's own as is possible to be!!(2)
Dr. Buchanan is still to blame, I deem. I did not note where he was living, & merely mentioned Mr. Harris or some friend, thinking a personal visit from a male friend likely to prove more effectual than a letter.
Browne, the editor (a splendid fellow, I fancy) of the Southern Magazine, has now sent me a copy.
I told you — did I not? — all about Mrs. Lewis giving me the MS. of [page 328:] Politian & that it contained some unpublished scenes. I have written an article about it which will appear in the first number of the new London Magazine, to appear middle of Oct., with facsimile page.(3)
I did not know of the article on Poe in London Quarterly for July. I will inquire. There was a review of my “Memoir” in London Q[uarterly] Review for, I fancy, April? — but I’ll hear tomorrow. The reviewer is a friend of mine. Did you get the St. James Magazine for Augt.? I did not like the paper much & arranged with the editor for a note on it in Oct. no. but forgot all about it whilst abroad — forgot everything, & now hope he’ll let me off. I asked him to send you copy of the magazine.(4)
Herewith verbatim copy of the lines “To Marie Louise.” I feel positive that Poe & not Griswold made the known version, although G[riswold] may have suppressed the names & even put “Italian.” Do kindly keep this version sub rosa for the present — you see how carefully I must keep my treasures until ready for publication when such harpies as that Gill are about. Did you ever hear of such audacity as his?
That Graham died long since I’m sure, & now T. C. Clarke is dead! He died in Camden, N.J., 23 Dec. 1874, aged 74. He was descended from Dr. John Clarke, of R[hode] Island & Providence fame. I am hoping to unearth much about his connection with Poe. It is positively asserted that as the firm of Clarke & Poe they did publish some nos. of the Stylus in 1843. The American Monthly was published by Dr. R. M. Bird & Clarke. The Museum also was published by Clarke. Griswold says Poe wrote his autobiography for the Museum in 1843 & the Northern Monthly writer is now revealed as T. C. Clarke.(5) I had so imagined &, I believe, suggested it to you, but, for want of evidence (half my information has been first obtained by intuition), and that Gill's concealment, could not follow up the clue. Had Gill but sold me Clarke's address, what a rich field I might have had, whilst Gill himself could not use it for lack of knowledge.
I will get a few copies of my Nation reply printed & send you copy. Mrs. Cleaveland & Mrs. Lewis are bosom friends. It is well to know that Stoddard was the Round Table man — it puts us on our guard & diminishes the number of our foes. Davidson is quite true, & most kind, but is a friend of Stoddard's. Mr. Wellford's address is somewhere, but my Poe material has grown to such proportions that I’m wondering how to arrange it all — mentally it is all arranged. I know there is much I have omitted telling from time to time — especially of the boyhood — but you’ll know all when the life appears.
Oh, how shameful! You’ve not had the books yet! Pray, pray forgive me. The four cannot go in one parcel so I’ll send 2 vols. tomorrow & 2 Saturday. Lotos Leaves I’ve not yet seen. Will describe Le Corbeau [page 329:] hereafter. It emenates from some of Poe's admirers in Paris. Another translation of his poems is to appear there. The translator & illustrator have begged my aid.(6) Would you had better news of your own health. I had hoped your long kind letter foretold a restoration to the enjoyments of health.
Yours of the 13th respecting the British Quarterly. I had neither seen nor heard of it! I have heard first from America of several English notices, &c.! I’ll get it at once and try & discover the author's name. The Nation's answer is too long, I fear, to copy at present but will get it done, or printed.
John P. Poe is said to have written a long letter to me but it has not come to hand. I doubt the Poes, although what they say will be facts.
Friend “summer weather” will not get a letter just yet I fear. I enclose a paragraph about Le Corbeau — similar notes have been in many English & some American papers, but latter exclude my name. If you don’t want it, kindly paste on card & send to my friend Wm. Hand Browne, Esq., Southern Magazine Office, Baltimore, Md.
And now, goodbye for a little time, from yours most devotedly,
John H. Ingram
[Enclosure]
Verbatim
To Marie Louise
Not long ago, the writer of these lines,
In the mad pride of intellectuality,
Maintained the “Power of Words” — denied that ever
A thought arose within the human brain
Beyond the utterance of the human tongue:
And now, as if in mockery of that boast,
Two words — two foreign, soft dissyllables —
Two gentle sounds made only to be murmured
By angels dreaming in the moonlit “dew
That hangs like chains of pearl on Hermon hill”
Have stirred from out the abysses of his heart
Unthought-like thoughts — scarcely the shades of thought —
Bewildering fantasies — far richer visions
Than even the Seraph harper, Israfel,
Who “had the sweetest voice of all God's creatures,”
Would hope to utter. Ah, Marie Louise!
In deep humility I own that now
All pride — all thought of power — all hope of fame —
All wish for Heaven — is merged forevermore
Beneath the palpitating tide of passion
Heaped o’er my soul by thee. Its spells are broken —
The pen falls powerless from My shivering hand — [page 330:]
With that dear name as text I cannot write —
I cannot speak — I cannot even think —
Alas! I cannot feel; for ’tis not feeling
This standing motionless upon the golden
Threshold of the wide-open gate of Dreams,
Gazing, entranced, adown the gorgeous vista,
And thrilling as I see upon the right —
Upon the left — and all the way along,
Amid the clouds of glory, far away
To where the prospect terminates — thee only.
Undated and unsigned but the finest specimen of his caligraphy I have seen.
J.H.I.
1. Chandos Fulton, “Portraits of Poe,” a newsclipping from the New York Home Journal, Mar. 12, 1873. Item 563 in the Ingram Poe Collection.
2. Neither Ingram nor Mrs. Whitman had seen specimens of Poe's handwriting of 1829-30 (see Cauthen, “Poe's Alone,” p. 289). But Ingram's skepticism was instrumental in forcing Didier's hand in this matter.
3. This article on Politian was reprinted by William Hand Browne, editor of the Southern Review, 17 (Nov. 1875), 588-94, and is reproduced in this volume on pp. 357-64.
4. John Watson Dalby, “Edgar Allan Poe,” St. James Magazine, 36 (1875), 473-87. This biographical-critical article was based on Ingram's recently published edition of Poe's works; it suggested changes and omissions to be made in possible future editions. Item 608 in the Ingram Poe Collection.
5. This refers to the article “The Late N. P. Willis, and Literary Men Forty Years Ago.” See p. 84, n. 1.
6. The translator and illustrator were, respectively, Mallarmé and Manet.
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Notes:
None.
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[S:0 - PHR, 1979] - Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Bookshelf - Poe's Helen Remembers (J. C. Miller) (Entry 109)