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a half faith in the old superstition of the significance of anagrams,
found, in the transposed letters of Edgar Poe's name, the words "a
God-peer." His mind, she says, was indeed a "Haunted Palace," echoing to
the footfalls of angels and demons.
"
No man," Poe himself wrote, "has recorded, no man has dared to record,
the wonders of his inner life."
In these twentieth century days--of lavish recognition--artistic,
popular and material--of genius, what rewards might not a Poe claim!
Edgar's father, a son of General David Poe, the American revolutionary
patriot and friend of Lafayette, had married Mrs. Hopkins, an English
actress, and, the match meeting with parental disapproval, had himself
taken to the stage as a profession. Notwithstanding Mrs. Poe's beauty
and talent the young couple had a sorry struggle for existence. When
Edgar, at the age of two years, was orphaned, the family was in the
utmost destitution. Apparently the future poet was to be cast upon the
world homeless and friendless. But fate decreed that a few glimmers of
sunshine were to illumine his life, for the little fellow was adopted
by John Allan, a wealthy merchant of Richmond, Va. A brother and sister,
the remaining children, were cared for by others.
In his new home Edgar found all the luxury and advantages money could
provide. He was petted, spoiled and shown off to strangers. In Mrs.
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