Text: John C. Miller, ed., “Entry 164: John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman, Dec. 12, 1876,” Poe's Helen Remembers (1979), pp. 460-462 (This material is protected by copyright)

[page 460, continued:]

164. John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman

My dear Providence,

At the risk of only sending a few lines I will try & scribble off an [page 461:] acknowledgment of yours of 14th Nov. answering, to the best of my abilities, your questions therein.

As regards “Landor's Cottage”: I derived my information from two of Poe's own letters relative to his then literary adventures — in the first he speaks of the forthcoming appearance of “Landor's Cottage” in the magazine, & in the second of the magazine's failure & the return of his MS.

As regards Mallarmé — I believe him to be a noble fellow. I have repeatedly urged him to send you Le Corbeau: he says one copy was sent, but as that has not reached you another is going, or gone — I think he said gone — but his letter is “to hum.” He promised to look after a copy of the translation of “To Helen,” but said if that did not reach you it would not matter, as you would get it in the vol. of his translations. I have not seen his translation of “Ulalume,” but feel certain that he has made one, & will ask for it, so that I may see whether he has quite comprehended the various points you have drawn my attention to, although I dare say your explanation to him will have sufficed. The last stanza, however valuable to us, the students, is not a happy ending for those who read poetry only for its sound & should, therefore, be kept separate.

Thanks re. the O’Connor's deleted remarks. From your words I should say Miss Rice's — or her advisers’? — “qualifications” were right.

I should like, of course, to see the Gill book — or, indeed, anything about Poe — from any quarter & will — where needed — return same.

I must get Didier's sketch from New York, but fear it will be more to confuse than elucidate matters.

The Flag of the Nation was, I fancy, the one in which lines “For Annie” appeared. She (Mrs. Richmond) is now in correspondence with me.

Have you heard from Miss Neal? I have not since I sent her the Athenaeum. I will look up the number with my notice of Neal in — ’twas a short paper, & published at the end under Miscellanea through a mistake of mine, as it appeared.

Many thinks for the photo. It does much resemble the two lost ones. I hope they’ll be found. I cannot hear of the publication of the Bruckmann portrait, although I had the proofs months ago. Yes! poor Dodge's — I told you, did I not, that he was dead? — photo did resemble the lost two, even more than the one you now send. Mrs. L[ewis]'s information about hers is — like all her information — very vague.

The Baltimore Memorial, I hear, is in the press & proceeding.

It was I who told Malarmé of Miss Peckham & I wondered he never spoke of her in his letters.

You speak of Horne & Mrs. Browning's correspondence. I fancy Browning is very annoyed at this publication.(1) [page 462:]

Two vols. of Forman's Shelley are published, & two to appear. They are the poems & not the life of Shelley, & will be the only complete edition. Reviews will appear when last vol. is published.

Many thanks, but I have Lowell's paper on Poe in Graham's Mag.

Mrs. Nichols has not yet published her “Recollections.” She is much engaged just now at Malvern with illness. I hope to meet her in London this winter. My suggestions may have delayed her publishing.

Have you heard of Moncure Conway?(2) I was at his wife's weekly reception yesterday.

Haste for mail. Always & ever yours,

P.S. You do not say how your health is now.

 

1. Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning Addressed to Richard Hengist Horne, ed. S. R. Townshend Mayer, 2 vols. (London: Richard Bentley and Son, 1877).

2. Moncure Daniel Conway (1832-1907), was a minister and an author. He was a cousin of Moncure Daniel, the editor of the Richmond Examiner, who had written the so-called “Eulogium” of Poe which was published in the Southern Literary Messenger, 16 (Mar. 1850), 172-87.