Edgar Allan Poe to John Allan — 1831-02-21

Edgar Allan Poe to John Allan — 1831-02-21 Historical letter date: 1831-02-21. Source edition: Mary Newton Stanard, Edgar Allan Poe Letters Till Now Unpublished, 1925, letter twenty-five. This is repository machine OCR of the printed transcription; spelling and recognition errors remain. Consult the accompanying local scan excerpt and manuscript facsimile. [Source scan page 303] LETTER NUMBER TWENTY-FIVE N. York Feb 21, 1831 Dear Sir, In spite of all my resolutions to the contrary I am obliged once more to recur to you for assistance It will however be the lat time that I ever trouble any human being I feel that I am on sick bed from which I never shall get up. I now make an appeal not to your affedion because I have loft that but to your sense of justice I wrote to you for permssion to resign because it was impossible that I could Stay my ear has been too shocking for any description I am wearing away every day even if my lat sickness had not completed it I wrote to you as I say for permission to resign because without your permission no resignation can be received My reason for doing so was that I should obtain my mileage amounting to $30.35 according to the rules of the institution, in my present circumstances a single to me dollar is of more importance A than 10,000 are to you and you deliberately refused to answer my letter I, as I told you, negleded my duty when I found it impossible to attend to it, and the consequences were inevitable dismissal . I have been dismissed when a single line from you would have saved it The whole Academy have inter- efted themselves in my behalf because my only crime was being sick, but it was of no use I refer you to Col Thayer 267 [Source scan page 304] 268 EDGAR ALLAN POE LETTERS to the public records, for my landing and reputation for talent but it was all in vain, if you had granted me per- mission to resign all might have been avoided I have not Strength nor energy left to write half what I feel you one day or other willfeell how you have treated me. I left W* * * Point two days ago and travelling to N. York without a cloak or any other clothing of importance, I have caught a moft violent cold and am confined to my bed. I have no money no friends I have written to my brother but he cannot help me I shall never rise from my bed besides a mot violent cold on my lungs my ear discharges blood and matter continually and my headache is diSlrafting I hardly know what I am writing I will write no more Please send me a little money quickly and forget what I said about you God bless you E A Poe do not say a word to my sifter. I shall send to the P. O. every day. Apl 12, 1833 it is now upwards of 2 years since I received the above precious relift of the Blackest Heart & deepest ingratitude alike destitute of honour & principle every day of his life has only served to confirm his debased nature Suffice it to say my only regret is in Pity for his failings his Talents are of an order that can never prove a comfort to their possessor