“MyDEARMR。WILLiS-Iamabouttomakeaneffortatre-establishingmyselfintheliteraryworld，and_feel_thatImaydependuponyouraid。
　　“MygeneralaimistostartaMagazine，tobecalled’TheStylus，’
　　butitwouldbeuselesstome，evenwhenestablished，ifnotentirelyoutofthecontrolofapublisher。Imean，therefore，togetupajournalwhichshallbe_myown_atallpoints。Withthisendinview，Imustgetalistofatleastfivehundredsubscriberstobeginwith；
　　nearlytwohundredIhavealready。Ipropose，however，togoSouthandWest，amongmypersonalandliteraryfriendsoldcollegeandWestPointacquaintances-andseewhatIcando。Inordertogetthemeansoftakingthefirststep，IproposetolectureattheSocietyLibrary，onThursday，the3dofFebruary，and，thattheremaybenocauseof_squabbling_，mysubjectshall_notbeliterary_atall。I
　　havechosenabroadtext：’TheUniverse。’
　　“Havingthusgivenyou_thefacts_ofthecase，Ileavealltheresttothesuggestionsofyourowntactandgenerosity。Gratefully，_mostgratefully，_“Yourfriendalways，“EDGARA。POE。’’
　　Briefandchance-takenastheselettersare，wethinktheysufficientlyprovetheexistenceoftheveryqualitiesdeniedtoMr。
　　Poe-humility，willingnesstopersevere，beliefinanother’sfriendship，andcapabilityofcordialandgratefulfriendship！Suchheassuredlywaswhensane。Suchonlyhehasinvariablyseemedtous，inallwehavehappenedpersonallytoknowofhim，throughafriendshipoffiveorsixyears。Andsomucheasierisittobelievewhatwehaveseenandknown，thanwhatwehearofonly，thatwerememberhimbutwithadmirationandrespect；thesedescriptionsofhim，whenmorallyinsane，seemingtouslikeportraits，paintedinsickness，ofamanwehaveonlyknowninhealth。
　　Butthereisanother，moretouching，andfarmoreforcibleevidencethattherewas_goodness_inEdgarA。Poe。Torevealitweareobligedtoventureupontheliftingoftheveilwhichsacredlycoversgriefandrefinementinpoverty；butwethinkitmaybeexcused，ifsowecanbrightenthememoryofthepoet，evenweretherenotamoreneededandimmediateservicewhichitmayrendertothenearestlinkbrokenbyhisdeath。
　　OurfirstknowledgeofMr。Poe’sremovaltothiscitywasbyacallwhichwereceivedfromaladywhointroducedherselftousasthemotherofhiswife。Shewasinsearchofemploymentforhim，andsheexcusedhererrandbymentioningthathewasill，thatherdaughterwasaconfirmedinvalid，andthattheircircumstancesweresuchascompelledhertakingituponherself。Thecountenanceofthislady，madebeautifulandsaintlywithanevidentlycompletegivingupofherlifetoprivationandsorrowfultenderness，hergentleandmournfulvoiceurgingitsplea，herlong-forgottenbuthabituallyandunconsciouslyrefinedmanners，andherappealingandyetappreciativementionoftheclaimsandabilitiesofherson，disclosedatoncethepresenceofoneofthoseangelsuponearththatwomeninadversitycanbe。Itwasahardfatethatshewaswatchingover。Mr。Poewrotewithfastidiousdifficulty，andinastyletoomuchabovethepopularleveltobewellpaid。Hewasalwaysinpecuniarydifficulty，and，withhissickwife，frequentlyinwantofthemerestnecessariesoflife。Winterafterwinter，foryears，themosttouchingsighttous，inthiswholecity，hasbeenthattirelessministertogenius，thinlyandinsufficientlyclad，goingfromofficetoofficewithapoem，oranarticleonsomeliterarysubject，tosell，sometimessimplypleadinginabrokenvoicethathewasill，andbeggingforhim，mentioningnothingbutthat“hewasill。”whatevermightbethereasonforhiswritingnothing，andnever，amidallhertearsandrecitalsofdistress，sufferingonesyllabletoescapeherlipsthatcouldconveyadoubtofhim，oracomplaint，oralesseningofprideinhisgeniusandgoodintentions。Herdaughterdiedayearandahalfsince，butshedidnotdeserthim。Shecontinuedhisministeringangellivingwithhim，caringforhim，guardinghimagainstexposure，andwhenhewascarriedawaybytemptation，amidgriefandthelonelinessoffeelingsunrepliedto，andawokefromhisselfabandonmentprostratedindestitutionandsuffering，_begging_forhimstill。Ifwoman’sdevotion，bornwithafirstlove，andfedwithhumanpassion，hallowitsobject，asitisallowedtodo，whatdoesnotadevotionlikethis-pure，disinterestedandholyasthewatchofaninvisiblespirit-sayforhimwhoinspiredit？
　　Wehavealetterbeforeus，writtenbythislady，Mrs。Clemm，onthemorninginwhichsheheardofthedeathofthisobjectofheruntiringcare。Itismerelyarequestthatwewouldcalluponher，butwewillcopyafewofitswordssacredasitsprivacyistowarrantthetruthofthepicturewehavedrawnabove，andaddforcetotheappealwewishtomakeforher：
　　“IhavethismorningheardofthedeathofmydarlingEddie……
　　Canyougivemeanycircumstancesorparticulars？……Oh！donotdesertyourpoorfriendinhisbitteraffliction！……Ask-Mr。
　　tocome，asImustdeliveramessagetohimfrommypoorEddie……
　　Ineednotaskyoutonoticehisdeathandtospeakwellofhim。I
　　knowyouwill。Butsaywhatanaffectionatesonhewastome，hispoordesolatemother……”
　　Tohedgeroundagravewithrespect，whatchoiceisthere，betweentherelinquishedwealthandhonorsoftheworld，andthestoryofsuchawoman’sunrewardeddevotion！Riskingwhatwedo，indelicacy，bymakingitpublic，wefeelotherreasonsasidethatitbetterstheworldtomakeknownthattherearesuchministrationstoitserringandgifted。Whatwehavesaidwillspeaktosomehearts。Therearethosewhowillbegladtoknowhowthelamp，whoselightofpoetryhasbeamedontheirfar-awayrecognition，waswatchedoverwithcareandpain，thattheymaysendtoher，whoismoredarkenedthantheybyitsextinction，sometokenoftheirsympathy。Sheisdestituteandalone。Ifany，farornear，willsendtouswhatmayaidandcheerherthroughtheremainderofherlife，wewilljoyfullyplaceitinherbands。
　　TheUnparalleledAdventuresofOneHansPfaal{*1}
　　BYlateaccountsfromRotterdam，thatcityseemstobeinahighstateofphilosophicalexcitement。Indeed，phenomenahavethereoccurredofanaturesocompletelyunexpectedsoentirelynovel
　　soutterlyatvariancewithpreconceivedopinionsastoleavenodoubtonmymindthatlongerethisallEuropeisinanuproar，allphysicsinaferment，allreasonandastronomytogetherbytheears。
　　ItappearsthatonthedayofIamnotpositiveaboutthedate，avastcrowdofpeople，forpurposesnotspecificallymentioned，wereassembledinthegreatsquareoftheExchangeinthewell-conditionedcityofRotterdam。Thedaywaswarmunusuallysofortheseasontherewashardlyabreathofairstirring；andthemultitudewereinnobadhumoratbeingnowandthenbesprinkledwithfriendlyshowersofmomentaryduration，thatfellfromlargewhitemassesofcloudwhichchequeredinafitfulmannerthebluevaultofthefirmament。Nevertheless，aboutnoon，aslightbutremarkableagitationbecameapparentintheassembly：theclatteringoftenthousandtonguessucceeded；and，inaninstantafterward，tenthousandfaceswereupturnedtowardtheheavens，tenthousandpipesdescendedsimultaneouslyfromthecornersoftenthousandmouths，andashout，whichcouldbecomparedtonothingbuttheroaringofNiagara，resoundedlong，loudly，andfuriously，throughalltheenvironsofRotterdam。
　　Theoriginofthishubbubsoonbecamesufficientlyevident。Frombehindthehugebulkofoneofthosesharply-definedmassesofcloudalreadymentioned，wasseenslowlytoemergeintoanopenareaofbluespace，aqueer，heterogeneous，butapparentlysolidsubstance，sooddlyshaped，sowhimsicallyputtogether，asnottobeinanymannercomprehended，andnevertobesufficientlyadmired，bythehostofsturdyburgherswhostoodopen-mouthedbelow。Whatcoulditbe？InthenameofallthevrowsanddevilsinRotterdam，whatcoulditpossiblyportend？Nooneknew，noonecouldimagine；noonenoteventheburgomasterMynheerSuperbusVonUnderdukhadtheslightestclewbywhichtounravelthemystery；so，asnothingmorereasonablecouldbedone，everyonetoamanreplacedhispipecarefullyinthecornerofhismouth，andcockinguphisrighteyetowardsthephenomenon，puffed，paused，waddledabout，andgruntedsignificantlythenwaddledback，grunted，paused，andfinally
　　puffedagain。
　　Inthemeantime，however，lowerandstilllowertowardthegoodlycity，cametheobjectofsomuchcuriosity，andthecauseofsomuchsmoke。Inaveryfewminutesitarrivednearenoughtobeaccuratelydiscerned。Itappearedtobeyes！itwasundoubtedlyaspeciesofballoon；butsurelynosuchballoonhadeverbeenseeninRotterdambefore。Forwho，letmeask，everheardofaballoonmanufacturedentirelyofdirtynewspapers？NomaninHollandcertainly；yethere，undertheverynosesofthepeople，orratheratsomedistanceabovetheirnoseswastheidenticalthinginquestion，andcomposed，Ihaveitonthebestauthority，oftheprecisematerialwhichnoonehadeverbeforeknowntobeusedforasimilarpurpose。ItwasanegregiousinsulttothegoodsenseoftheburghersofRotterdam。Astotheshapeofthephenomenon，itwasevenstillmorereprehensible。
　　Beinglittleornothingbetterthanahugefoolscapturnedupsidedown。Andthissimilitudewasregardedasbynomeanslessenedwhen，uponnearerinspection，therewasperceivedalargetasseldependingfromitsapex，and，aroundtheupperrimorbaseofthecone，acircleoflittleinstruments，resemblingsheep-bells，whichkeptupacontinualtinklingtothetuneofBettyMartin。Butstillworse。
　　Suspendedbyblueribbonstotheendofthisfantasticmachine，therehung，bywayofcar，anenormousdrabbeaverbat，withabrimsuperlativelybroad，andahemisphericalcrownwithablackbandandasilverbuckle。Itis，however，somewhatremarkablethatmanycitizensofRotterdamsworetohavingseenthesamehatrepeatedlybefore；andindeedthewholeassemblyseemedtoregarditwitheyesoffamiliarity；whilethevrowGrettelPfaall，uponsightofit，utteredanexclamationofjoyfulsurprise，anddeclaredittobetheidenticalhatofhergoodmanhimself。Nowthiswasacircumstancethemoretobeobserved，asPfaall，withthreecompanions，hadactuallydisappearedfromRotterdamaboutfiveyearsbefore，inaverysuddenandunaccountablemanner，anduptothedateofthisnarrativeallattemptshadfailedofobtaininganyintelligenceconcerningthemwhatsoever。Tobesure，someboneswhichwerethoughttobehuman，mixedupwithaquantityofodd-lookingrubbish，hadbeenlatelydiscoveredinaretiredsituationtotheeastofRotterdam，andsomepeoplewentsofarastoimaginethatinthisspotafoulmurderhadbeencommitted，andthatthesuffererswereinallprobabilityHansPfaallandhisassociates。Buttoreturn。
　　Theballoonforsuchnodoubtitwashadnowdescendedtowithinahundredfeetoftheearth，allowingthecrowdbelowasufficientlydistinctviewofthepersonofitsoccupant。Thiswasintruthaverydrolllittlesomebody。Hecouldnothavebeenmorethantwofeetinheight；butthisaltitude，littleasitwas，wouldhavebeensufficienttodestroyhisequilibrium，andtilthimovertheedgeofhistinycar，butfortheinterventionofacircularrimreachingashighasthebreast，andriggedontothecordsoftheballoon。Thebodyofthelittlemanwasmorethanproportionatelybroad，givingtohisentirefigurearotundityhighlyabsurd。Hisfeet，ofcourse，couldnotbeseenatall，althoughahornysubstanceofsuspiciousnaturewasoccasionallyprotrudedthrougharentinthebottomofthecar，ortospeakmoreproperly，inthetopofthehat。Hishandswereenormouslylarge。Hishairwasextremelygray，andcollectedinacuebehind。Hisnosewasprodigiouslylong，crooked，andinflammatory；
　　hiseyesfull，brilliant，andacute；hischinandcheeks，althoughwrinkledwithage，werebroad，puffy，anddouble；butofearsofanykindorcharactertherewasnotasemblancetobediscovereduponanyportionofhishead。Thisoddlittlegentlemanwasdressedinaloosesurtoutofsky-bluesatin，withtightbreechestomatch，fastenedwithsilverbucklesattheknees。Hisvestwasofsomebrightyellowmaterial；awhitetaffetycapwassetjauntilyononesideofhishead；and，tocompletehisequipment，ablood-redsilkhandkerchiefenvelopedhisthroat，andfelldown，inadaintymanner，uponhisbosom，inafantasticbow-knotofsuper-eminentdimensions。