WCP4908

Letter (WCP4908.5317)

[1]1

Broadstone, Dorset.

Nov[embe]r 3rd. 1903

Ernest Marriott Esq.2

Dear Sir

I was very much surprised and interested to find that the little poem "Leonainie"3 is not contained in any edition of Poe's4 works. It was sent [to] me about ten years ago by my brother5 from California who died there soon afterwards, and being I suppose occupied with other matters I made no enquiry how he got it, but took it for granted that he had copied it from some newspaper & that it would therefore be certainly known to editor's [sic] of Poe's works. I now send you [2] a complete copy (as sent [to] me) and I think you will agree with me that it is a gem with all the characteristics of Poe's genius while the last verse is most exquisite. It may be considered to be a kind of supplement to "Eulalie"6, inspired by the idea of the loss of an infant daughter, after having lost the mother.

I will write to my sister—in—law7 in California to try & find out how the poem came into my brother's hands, & then perhaps send it for publication to the [3] "Fortnightly"8.

I shall be greatly obliged to you for the loan of the Essay "Eureka"9, which I much wish to read. You will also be able to tell me whether Poe was a freemason! There is no reference to it in any of his poems or tales that I know. But there are such references in certain poems alleged to have been given under the inspiration of Poe, by an American trance—speaker — Lizzie Doten10. These, to me, have all the characteristics of Poe's work, and my friend the late Frederick [sic] Myers11 agreed with me.

[4] If you do not know these poems you should get a small volume — Poems from the Inner Life'12. by Lizzie Doten to be had of most dealers in Spiritualistic Literature.

You will find there "The Streets of Baltimore"13 a wonderful description of his last hours. This and the "Farewell to Earth"14, are in my opinion finer and deeper & grander poems than any written by him in the Earth-life, though, being given through another brain, they are deficient in the exquisite music & rhythm of his best known work.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

P.S. If you read my book you will I think find the authorities on the light question given, & will also see that that subject forms a very small part of my whole argument.

A.R.W.

1

In the top left hand corner of page one of the manuscript, the text reads "2." This letter was one of a series of seventeen letters published privately by an unknown person.

Smith, Charles. (2012). Edgar Allan Poe;

A series of seventeen letters concerning Poe's scientific

erudition in Eureka and his authorship of Leonainie.

http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/wallace/S708.htm [accessed 30 May 2014]

2
Marriott, Ernest (1882-1918). English literary figure and Librarian at the Portico Library, Manchester from 1901 until 1911.
3
Leonainie. A poem allegedly written by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1877 in The Kokomo Dispatch. The poem was actually written by James Whitcomb Riley.
4
Poe, Edgar Allan (1809-1849). American author and poet.
5
Wallace, John (1818-1895). ARW’s eldest brother.
6
Eulalie. A poem written by Edgar Allan Poe, published in July 1845 in The American Review.
7
Wallace, Mary (née Webster) (1855-1898). ARW’s sister-in-law and wife of John Wallace.
8
The Fortnightly Review. A popular nineteenth century magazine.
9
Eureka. A non-fiction essay written by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1848.
10
Doten, Elizabeth ("Lizzie") (1829-1913). American trance speaker and writer.
11
Myers, Frederic (1843-1901). English psychical researcher.
12
Poems from the Inner Life. A collection of poems written by Elizabeth Doten whilst supposedly under the influence of spirits, published in 1864.
13
The Streets of Baltimore. A poem written by Elizabeth Doten whilst supposedly under the influence of the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe. Published in Poems from the Inner Life in 1864.
14
The Farewell to Earth. A poem written by Elizabeth Doten whilst supposedly under the influence of the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe. Published in Poems from the Inner Life in 1864.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP4908.5317)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Enclosure (WCP4908.5318)

[1]1

Leonainie2

Leonainie, angels named her, and they took the light Of the laughing stars and framed her, in a smile of white, And they made her hair of gloomy midnight, and her eyes of bloomy Moonshine, and they brought her to me in a solemn night.

In a solemn night of summer, when my heart of gloom Blossomed up to greet the comer, like a rose in bloom. All foreboding that distressed me, I forgot as joy caressed me, Lying joy that caught and pressed me, in the arms of doom.

Only spake the little lisper in the angel tongue, Yet I, listening, heard the whisper; "songs are only sung Here below that they may grieve you, tales are told you to deceive you, So must Leonainie leave you, while her love is young."

[2] Then God smiled, and it was morning, matchless and supreme, Heaven's glory seemed adorning earth with its esteem, Every heart but mine seemed gifted with a voice of prayer and lifted, When my Leonainie drifted from me like a dream.

(The above was left by Poe at a Wayside Inn in lieu of cash for board and lodging one night.)

1

In the top left hand corner of page one of the manuscript, the text reads "2a". This enclosure was included in a series of seventeen letters published privately by an unknown person.

Smith, Charles. (2012). Edgar Allan Poe;

A series of seventeen letters concerning Poe's scientific

erudition in Eureka and his authorship of Leonainie.

http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/wallace/S708.htm [accessed 30 May 2014]

2
Leonainie. A poem allegedly written by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1877 in The Kokomo Dispatch. The poem was actually written by James Whitcomb Riley.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Enclosure (WCP4908.5318)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Published letter (WCP4908.5495)

[1]1 [p. 5]

Broadstone, Dorset

Nov. 3rd, 1903

Ernest Marriott, Esq.

Dear Sir:

I was very much surprised and interested to find that the little poem "Leonainie" is not contained in any edition of Poe's works. It was sent me about ten years ago by my brother from California who died there soon afterwards, and being I suppose occupied with other matters I made no enquiry how he got it, but took it for granted that he had copied it from some newspaper & that it would therefore be certainly known to editors of Poe's works. I now send you a complete copy (as sent me) and I think you will agree with me that it is a gem with all [2] [p. 6] the characteristics of Poe's genius while the last verse is most exquisite. It may be considered to be a kind of supplement to "Eulalie," inspired by the idea of the loss of an infant daughter, after having lost the mother.

I will write to my sister-in-law in California to try & find out how the poem came into my brother's hands, & then perhaps send it for publication to the "Fortnightly".

I shall be greatly obliged to you for the loan of the essay "Eureka", which I much wish to read. You will also be able to tell me whether Poe was a freemason! There is no reference to it in any of his poems or tales that I know. But there are such references in certain poems alleged to have been given under the inspiration of Poe, by an American trance-speaker—Lizzie Doten. These to me, have all the characteristics of Poe's work, and my friend, the late Frederick Myers agreed with me.

If you do not know these poems you should get a small volume—"Poems from the Inner Life", by Lizzie Doten to be had of most dealers in Spiritualistic Literature. You will find there "The Streets of Baltimore" a wonderful description of his last hours. This and the "Farewell to Earth", are in my opinion finer and deeper & grander poems than any written by him in the earth-life, though, being given through another brain, they are deficient in the exquisite music & rhythm of his best known work.

Yours very truly,

(signed) Alfred R. Wallace.

P.S. If you read my book you will I think find the authorities on the light question given, & will also see that that subject forms a very small part of my whole argument.

(signed) A. R. W.

LEONAINIE

Leonainie, angels named her, and they took the light

Of the laughing stars and framed her, in a smile of white,

And they made her hair of gloomy midnight, and her eyes of bloomy

Moonshine, and they brought her to me in a solemn night.

In a solemn night of summer, when my heart of gloom

Blossomed up to greet the comer, like a rose in bloom.

All foreboding that distressed me, I forgot as joy caressed me,

[3] [p. 7] Lying joy that caught and pressed me, in the arms of doom.

Only spake the little lisper in the angel tongue,

Yet I, listening, heard the whisper; "songs are only sung

Here below that they may grieve you, tales are told you to deceive you,

So must Leonainie leave you, while her love is young."

Then God smiled, and it was morning, matchless and supreme,

Heaven's glory seemed adorning earth with its esteem,

Every heart but mine seemed gifted with a voice of prayer and lifted,

When my Leonainie drifted from me like a dream.

(The above was left by Poe at a Wayside Inn in lieu of cash for board and lodging one night.)

1
Editor Charles H. Smith's Note: Second of fifteen letters in a pamphlet, a background to which is as follows: In 1904 Wallace published a pair of short essays (S612 and S614) describing what he had mistakenly taken to be a previously unknown poem by Edgar Allan Poe. This turned out to be a hoax that had been perpetrated by the Indiana writer James Whitcomb Riley some years earlier. In late 1903 Wallace had entered into a correspondence with the literary figure Ernest Marriott about this matter; sometime later Wallace's part of the correspondence—seventeen letters in all (actually, fifteen separately dated ones)—was collected and turned into a privately printed pamphlet. Who did this and when it was done is unknown, though it could not have taken place any later than 1930 (by which time both Wallace and Marriott were long dead), the date a copy of the pamphlet was added to the New York Public Library's collection.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP4908.5495)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Smith, Charles Hyde [2013-02-07] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-02-08]

Please cite as “WCP4908,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP4908