Text: John C. Miller, ed., “Entry 168: John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman, Jan. 18, 1877,” Poe's Helen Remembers (1979), pp. 467-470 (This material is protected by copyright)

[page 467, continued:]

168. John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman

My dear Friend,

Great stress of correspondence prevented my immediate response to yours of 15th Ultimo. I, therefore, have now to respond to two communications.

You begin with Gill's book. I shall be glad to see it when it does appear but do not anticipate much profit from it — if there be aught in it of value I shall use, referring to my authority, of course.

Didier's book, I shall, also, be glad to see. Hearing from Baltimore that it was out, I have written Davidson to get me a copy from Widdleton — might I trouble you to ask Davidson (P. O. Box 567, as of yore) whether he has got me a copy? It would save you sending. [page 468:]

It is my hope to make something, however, very different from all these sketches. I wish to paint a living, breathing man — to feel with his feelings — suffer with his sufferings — succeed with his successes. Data, of course, I need, but I now feel that I know the man and, if I do not reproduce Poe as he lived and felt, then it will not be from want of knowledge but from want of power. To you & to you only do I say this thing — for if I fail to add more than a few paving stones to the fabled inferno, I do not want to proclaim the fact upon the housetops. A biography — fit meat for the multitude at least, I can produce.

Returning from this high-flown ramble to our muttons. House where Poe wrote “The Raven” — “important if true,” as you say. I shall put it under the glass of truth & inspect it.

En passant, you once spoke of Swinburne's Under the Microscope. I have read it twice since. It chiefly consists of crushing with a vindictive heel some critic-vipers, but, in a note, refers to Poe as the one poetic voice &c. of America. Have you seen Swinburne's last pamphlet on Carlyle, alias “the Muscovite Crusade &c.”(1) If ever anyone was flayed by words, the egotistic old Chelsea Mightmonger must be raw.

Have you heard aught of Forman's Shelley? Only 2 vols. out yet. I read every proof & enjoy it. But our muttons are out of sight again!

Gill from Clarke. I have some items about Poe & Clarke that G[ill] is likely not to wot of.

Thanks for you on Lathrop's Hawthorne. It was scarcely worth your manipulation & deserved (i.e., Lathrop) scarification.

As regards the young Lowell lady's reminiscences — this is, probably, Mrs. Richmond's sister? If so, I have her record. Mrs. Richmond, besides much information, letters &c. has sent me the 2-vol. edition of Tales of 1839.(2)

Yours of the 31st Ultimo. Re. Didier's sketch & its new & interesting chapter. This probably refers to 1831-33 epoch &, if so, & reliable, will be interesting.

I am sorry you do not like the “Memorial” portrait I sent you because it is — although really an ideal — likely to be wider known & more lastingly known, both in Europe & America, than any other yet published. Personally, I must say that I liked it, but the Academy's — probably W. M. Rossetti — speaker, seems of your opinion. The artist is some German.

Portrait in Baltimore Mem[orial] Vol[ume] I believe to be very like, but like the last remnants of life — worn, haggard, shadowed already by “coming events” of the latter days.

The two events — “facts” — in Didier's vol. are as unveracious, as, I fear, the whole sketch is. Mrs. Poe died in her bed two or three weeks [page 469:] before the Richmond theatre was burned. Mr. Poe's fate seems hidden in mystery. The tale of Mrs. P[oe] having been twice married would seem to be about as true as the very common story that their son had been married two or three times. Stoddard's “point” of her not being young I think I shall be able to “put out of court.”

Mrs. Clemm's letters (indeed, every scrap you have sent me) are safe & ready to return to you at a moment's notice. Mrs. Clemm's unreliability as to dates has been made too much of. I find her very exact — even to the dates of the Stanard incident — having followed other accounts I had got wrong. His friendship with Mrs. S[tanard] (“Helen”) was later — I believe — than you deem. Mrs. C[lemm] was wrong, however, I should think about the Poes having ever done anything for Edgar's mother.

I shall be glad to see your letter to Didier. I had not heard of it before.

What do you think of the Baltimore Mem[orial] Vol[ume]? Very pretty, n’est ce pas? But I think there is too much of “Ingram” & other unknowns, & too little of Poe.

As regards “the fierce flame” &c., I only had a few hours to scribble off by post a few omissions & corrections & never saw any proofs, so must not be held responsible for anything. I did not note that Virginia was then alive — but send me your narrative. I shall be glad to see it, if you will send it but don’t “cast me off” for saying that I am not sure of using it. I can only fly as my own wings will carry me in this matter, though all must please you.

So you have not yet received the Corbeau? Mallarmé is, I do believe, a capital fellow.

I am just tearing through Mrs. E. B. Browning's correspondence — the small portion of it published by Horne.(3) I nearly always agree with E. B. Browning] against Orion, but I think it a great mistake that it has been published. It, the book, does neither credit to Horne nor E. B. B[rowning] — certainly not to the former. Whilst the remarks of latter on Mrs. Norton should not have been published during Mrs. N[orton]'s life.

Would that we could meet! How much I should have to tell & explain.

In haste. Semper idem —

P.S. I may run over to Paris Salon in May, & then hope to hunt out your Rhode Island Rose.

 

1. Algernon Charles Swinburne, Note on the Muscovite Crusade (London: Chatto & Windus, 1876). [page 470:]

2. These volumes of Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque had been found in Poe's trunk, forwarded from Baltimore by Neilson Poe to Mrs. Clemm in Lowell, after Poe's death in 1849.

3. Two Letters from Elizabeth Barrett Browning to Richard Hengist Horne, Printed for private circulation only (London: R. Clay, n.d.).