Text: John C. Miller, ed., “Entry 104: John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman, July 6, 1875,” Poe's Helen Remembers (1979), p. 315 (This material is protected by copyright)

[page 315, continued:]

104. John H. Ingram to Sarah Helen Whitman. Postcard

Yours of 25th Ulto. to hand. You are misinterpreting Swinburne's words, if not mine. He did not style the Utopians “a bad lot” but deemed good & bad specimens of them equally numerous. You are adopting the Nation's idea of my views, I fear — or are you “poking fun” at me? I see you are engrafting a few thorns from the Rose!

Unlike the races, &c., I do not think I shall move “westward” this year — vide my letter of the 1st. Next year I hope to trust myself to “treacherous steamboat navigation” — when I trust to talk over & decide so many matters that must remain, as yet, unsettled. If all Columbians were Helens or Roses, I should like them too much.

I gave my account of E.A.P.'s great swim from his own words. I will return the printed paragraph in my next, as I have a copy already, & have written to Colonel Mayo, care of the friend who sent it & who knows the Col. Some other of his schoolfellows have written me, but not John Willis. Parton's idea of the swim you sent me.

I did somewhat misapprehend character of the letter of E.A.P. you sent extract from. I thought it would be more of literary speculation — but such expressions of his are valuable towards a perfect comprehension of his mental history. My biography will aim at a full comprehension of his intellectual, as well as worldly existence.

I must send Mr. Harris a line. Toujours le votre.