Edgar Allan Poe Author:George Edward Woodberry Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER AT THE SOUTH. Poe determined to settle at Baltimore, probably because he had a grateful remembrance of the kindness of his relatives there dur... more »ing his visits two years before, and because he had no prospects elsewhere nor money to seek them. He at once asked employment of his former acquaintance, William Gwynn, the editor, who apparently had some cause to distrust him, and it is noticeable that the form of his application shows that he still kept ostensibly on some terms with Mr. Allan : — May 6tk, 1831. Me. W. Gwtnn-. Deab Sib, — I am almost ashamed to ask any favour at your hands after my foolish conduct upon a former occasion — but I trust to your good nature. I am very anxious to remain and settle myself in Baltimore as Mr. Allan has married again and I no longer look upon Richmond as my place of residence. This wish of mine has also met with his approbation. I wish to request your influence in obtaining some situation or employment in this city. Salary would be a minor consideration, but I do not wish to be idle. Perhaps (since I understand Neilson has left you)you might be so kind as to employ me in your office in some capacity. If so I will use every exertion to deserve your confidence. Very respectfully yr. ob. st., Edgar A. Poe. I would have waited upon you personally but am confined to my room with a severe sprain in my knee.1 Mr. Gwynn seems not to have exercised the Christian grace of forgiveness. Within a few weeks Poe turned to another Baltimore acquaintance, Mr. N. C. Brooks, who had recently opened a school at Reisterstown, not far from the city, and offered himself as an assistant; but of this, too, nothing came. To a man of Poe's talents and poverty there was left only a literary career. Baltimore was not the mos...« less