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POE TO DUANE.

Oct. 28, 1844.

1

Poe wrote to Willis on Oct. 28, 1844, that he was very sorry Mr. Duane thought him neglectful or discourteous in not taking back the " Messenger." It happened that about eight months before Poe, in Mr. Hirst's presence, said he wanted to see a certain article in the Messenger." " Mr. Hirst at once offered to get him a copy. Poe would have chosen rather to borrow it for himself, but since Mr. Hirst seemed interested he acquiesced. At that date it was more than seven months since he had returned the volume to Mr. Hirst, Mrs. Clemm having delivered it to one of his brothers at his office. It may have been put on a bookshelf and forgotten.

send for it?

66

Would Mr. Duane

This letter has an endorsement by Duane that Hirst had said the story of the return to him of the "Southern Literary Messenger was a damned lie," Poe having sold the book to a bookseller — perhaps unintentionally sold it.

POE TO LOWELL.

Oct. 28, 1844.

Poe addressed Lowell upon Oct. 28, 1844, saying that numberless little troubles, the brood of the one trouble, poverty, had kept him from thanking Lowell for the sketch of his (Poe's) life, and its friendly estimates, but that now he thanked him

1 See next to the last sentence in Poe's letter to Mrs. Clemm, of April 7, 1844, and for further account Poe's letter to Duane of January 28, 1845. - ED.

many times.

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He sent the sketch at once to Graham and made but a change of one short poem for the last Lowell had done him the courtesy to quote. - He spoke of Lowell's marriage, and said he could wish him no better wish than that he may gain from his marriage as substantial happiness as he himself had enjoyed from his own. A long time before Poe had written of a co-operation of authors in magazine publication against the exactions of their publishers. Concisely stated, it was that say twelve of the most energetic and interested of the men of letters in this country should work together in publishing a periodical of the best sort; that their names should be withheld; that each should furnish an article every month; that each one should own a one hundred dollar share of the stock, and the magazine be kept up by contributions of its members and articles furnished by outsiders without pay. The plan would choose men already associated with periodicals, and Poe and Lowell initiating the venture, would get together the first number to draft the constitution. - Such a combination seemed to Poe a very desirable one, and the periodical assured of success, for there would be no outlay in contributions. Such a publication would advantage, not depress American literature, free it from authoritative voices over the sea, and also pay its ownThe mechanical part should be of the best, and for a subscription price of $5 per annum, and vigorous personal support, a circulation of 20,000 would bring in $100,000 - which, deducting $40,000 for expenses, would leave $60,000 a year, or $5,000 for each of the twelve editor-publishers. Poe had long had the matter in mind, and was convinced that the project might be carried to even greater success than that he had outlined.

ers.

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