Edgar Allan Poe’s mother was an English actress, whose mother had also been an actress.  She was born at sea, and as she went with her mother on her travels from town to town, naturally the daughter learned the mother’s art as a means of self-support, and in time became very successful.

At seventeen, her mother having married again, Elizabeth Arnold, for that was her name, was thrown upon her own resources.  She joined a Philadelphia company, and remained with it for the next four years.  In June, 1802, she acted in Baltimore, and perhaps it was there that David Poe, Jr., first saw her.  She was pretty and gay, yet a good girl and a very fine actress.

She soon married a young Mr. Hopkins, who had been playing with the company, and for the following two years the young couple lived in Virginia.  It was then that David Poe, Jr., having left his uncle’s home at Augusta and gone on the stage in Charleston, joined the same company.  He was not a very good actor; and he never rose to a high place in his profession.

In the following year Mr. Hopkins died, and a few months later young David Poe married Mrs. Hopkins, who had been Elizabeth Arnold.

Mr. and Mrs. David Poe were now husband and wife, and very poor, as most actors are.  Soon after their marriage they went to Boston, and remained for some years.  There Edgar Poe, their second son, was born, January 19, 1809.

While Edgar was still a little child his parents went to Richmond, Virginia, to fill an engagement in the theater there.  Misfortune followed them.  His father died in poverty, and his mother did not survive him long.  Edgar and his brother and sister were thus left penniless orphans.  But good friends took care of them.

Edgar was adopted by a Mrs. Allan, the wife of a wealthy man in the city of Richmond.  She was very fond of the bright little boy, and as long as she lived he had a good home.  He was petted and spoiled; but those were almost the only years of his life when he had plenty of money.  He was very fond of his adoptive mother, and held her memory dear to the day of his death.  He was now known as Edgar Allan.

CHAPTER III

YOUNG EDGAR ALLAN

Edgar was a beautiful child, with dark eyes, curly dark hair, and lively manners.  At six he could read, draw, and dance.  After dessert, sometimes they would put him up on the old-fashioned table, where he would make amusement for the company.  He could speak pieces, too, and did it so well that people were astonished.  He understood how to emphasize his words correctly.  He had a pony and dogs, with which he ran about; and everywhere he was a great favorite.

In June, 1815, when Edgar was about six years old, his adoptive father and mother, with an aunt, went to England to stay several years.  Before starting, Mr. Allan bought a Murray’s reader, two Murray’s spelling books, and another book to keep the little fellow busy on the long sailing voyage across the Atlantic; for at that time a trip to England occupied several weeks instead of a few days as now.  When the family reached London and were settled down, Edgar was sent to a famous English school.