Text: John C. Miller, ed., “Entry 023: Sarah Helen Whitman to John H. Ingram, Mar. 13, 1874,” Poe's Helen Remembers (1979), pp. 75-76 (This material is protected by copyright)

[page 75, continued:]

23. Sarah Helen Whitman to John H. Ingram. Item 131

My dear Mr. Ingram,

Your interesting letter of Feb. 27 came this morning, & with it the enclosed pages from Mr. Davidson of March 11th, which will show you the result of our enquiries, after Mr. Clarke up to the present date.

I send fragments of one or two letters from him [Davidson], written in the early years of my acquaintance with him when he contemplated writing a memoir of Mr. Poe. They are not of much importance, but as they touch upon some things of which we have already spoken, I send them with his letter of March 11th.

I have been prevented from writing today by unexpected interruptions, but will write by the next mail. I am anxious to hear about Mrs. St. Leon Loud, of whom I know only the name as reported in connection with his [Poe's] return from Richmond shortly before his death

The story of the three wives is quite “a new fact.” About as true, probably, is this about Elizabeth Arnold as a widow, which I enclose.(1) I knew from Mr. Poe himself that he allowed the lines to Eliza to be published to F[rances] S[argent] O[sgood] — I think it was at her request, but of this I am not quite sure. They were written to Miss Lizzy White, the daughter of Mr. White, the publisher.

But I must not say more tonight.

Yours sincerely and gratefully,

[page 76:]

 

1. Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins was a widow when she married David Poe, Jr., in 1806. She had married Charles Hopkins, an actor, in Baltimore between June 12 and Aug. 11, 1802. Hopkins died on Oct. 26, 1805. See Quinn, p.12. See also p. 466, n.2, this volume.