The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Edgar Allan Poe [1431]
(. . . .)
You compose with such astonishing facility that you can easily furnish me, quite soon enough, a poem that shall be equal to my reputation. For the love of God I beseech you to help me in this extremity.
Edgar Allan Poe to Frances Sargent Osgood — October 1845
My Dear Madam,
Through some inadvertence at the Office of the B. Journal, I failed to receive your kind and altogether delightful note until this morning.
Thank you a thousand times for your sweet poem, and for the valued words of flattery which accompanied it.
Business, of late, has made of me so great a slave that I shall not be able to spend an evening with you until Thursday next.
(The signature from this letter is missing.)
OTIS, JAMES FREDERICK
James F. Otis to Edgar Allan Poe — June 11, 1836
Washington
June 11, 1836
My dear Sir,
I have just come out of the House of Repr[esentautives] after a session of Twenty-Five Hours — jaded, tired, and tripped. So pray bear this in mind as, you peruse my letter in reply to yours, apologetical. I pray you think no more of that. As regards all my pieces to you, I say with Pope
“ — pray take ‘em, —
I’m all submission: what you’d have ‘em, make ‘em!”
Indeed I will do something for you in the course of a week or two, but at present I am “used up.” —
Tell our good friend T. W. White so, an you please. — I actually could not get health, breath, or time, to do the notice he wrote about. — Shall write him soon. —
Also tell him, Evans relucts at having letters sent him to be franked by distant correspondents, and by people he does not know. I think this should not be. —
And now a word or two, autographical. I send you a collection.
The George Lunt is characteristic. He dwells in Newburyport, (Mass.) — is the author of “The Grave of Byron, and other Poems,” — a clever fellow, a lawyer, and Senator of Mass; about 30 years of age.
The Willis is all I can do for you. I have others of his at my residence at home. —
James Brooks is something of a literary lion Just now. This autograph is perfect. — Residence Portland Maine.
The G. Mellen is also good. He sometimes writes it as this — Grenville Mellen. The enclosed is genuine. His home is Cambridge Mass.
I send you one of Noah and Stone, which I happen to have.
William Cutter is genuine. Resides in Portland Maine, A merchant. Educated man. Young. Fine poet.
P. Mellen’s autograph is genuine. He was Chief Justice of Maine until last year, when he was legally disqualified from holding that office by reason of his having attained to age of 70. A fine writer: in the full vigor of his intellect. Portland. Maine.
Miss Gould’s is only genuine in the initials. — the rest I believe I added some years ago. — It is at your service. Newburyport. Mass.
Mrs. Stephens is editress of the Portland Magazine. Portland. Maine
The Downing is also positively genuine. I will vouch for its being from the pen of the veritable. — Downingville. Down East.
Harrison Gray Otis’s autograph may have some value to your readers. I need add nothing as to it. It is a fair specimen, will be recognized all over the country.
Hoping this dozen will do you some good, and promising you my aid to obtain more, I remain
Yours very truly,
PABODIE, WILLIAM JEWETT
Edgar Allan Poe to William J. Pabodie — December 4, 1848
Fordham — Dec. 4 — 48.
My dear Mr. Pabodie —
On the principle of “better late than never” I seize the first opportunity afforded me, in the midst of cares and vexations of all kinds, to write you a few words of cordial thanks for your considerate and gentlemanly attentions to me while in Providence. I do hope that you will always think of me as one of the most obliged and most devoted of your friends. — Please say to Mrs. W., when you next see her, that I thank her for the “papers” and for her promptitude. Say, also, that perhaps Mrs. Wright is right, but that I believe her wrong, and desire to be kindly remembered. The commands, about Post, have been attended to. — Present my respects to Mrs. Allen and to your father.
Truly yours always.