Text: William Poe to Edgar Allan Poe — June 15, 1843

Baltimore, 15th June 1843.

Dear Edgar, — I wrote you on the 15th ulto since which time I have rec’d nothing from you, mine was in answer to a letter rec’d giving an a/c of yr many recent reverses, & I fear it was in a style not relished by you, but in great sincerity of feeling for you & yours I wrote it, and the reason why I presumed to be so free in my expressions was, in consequence of the great friendship, I feel for you & interest I take in yr welfare, & therefore hoped to hear again from you, & of yr wife’s being better, & yr recovery from the sickness & despondency you were suffering when you last wrote. I still write from the same motives — I observed in the Baltimore Sun newspaper in an editorial, that you have again, lately been successful in having awarded to you a prize of $100, by the Dollar Newspaper for a tale called the “Gold Bug “ which gave me much pleasure, & hope it came in time to relieve you from some of yr pecuniary wants — Ought you ever to give up in despair when you have such resources as yr well stored mind to apply to? let me intreat you then to persevere, for I hope the time is not far distant, when a change will take place in yr affairs & place you beyond want in this world. Will you write to me freely & let me know what are your prospects in getting out the “Stylus “ & how yr wife is & Mrs Clemm how is she, it would give me pleasure to hear from her. There is one thing I am anxious to caution you against, & which has been a great enemy to our family, I hope, however, in yr case, it may prove unnecessary, “A too free use of the Bottle.” Too many & especially Literary Characters, have sought to drown their sorrows & disappointments by this means, but in vain, and only, when it has been too late, discovered it to be a deeper source of misery — But enough of this say you, & so say I, therefore hoping this may find you in better spirits & better prospects of future happiness, I subscribe myself

Yrs affectionately
William Poe