<P> In late 1839, Lowell met Maria White through her brother William, a classmate at Harvard, and the two became engaged in the autumn of 1840 . Maria's father Abijah White, a wealthy merchant from Watertown, insisted that their wedding be postponed until Lowell had gainful employment . They were finally married on December 26, 1844, shortly after the groom published Conversations on the Old Poets, a collection of his previously published essays . A friend described their relationship as "the very picture of a True Marriage". Lowell himself believed that she was made up "half of earth and more than half of Heaven". She, too, wrote poetry, and the next twelve years of Lowell's life were deeply affected by her influence . He said that his first book of poetry A Year's Life (1841) "owes all its beauty to her", though it only sold 300 copies . </P> <P> Maria's character and beliefs led her to become involved in the movements directed against intemperance and slavery . She was a member of the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society and persuaded her husband to become an abolitionist . James had previously expressed antislavery sentiments, but Maria urged him towards more active expression and involvement . His second volume of poems Miscellaneous Poems expressed these antislavery thoughts, and its 1,500 copies sold well . </P> <P> Maria was in poor health, and the couple moved to Philadelphia shortly after their marriage, thinking that her lungs could heal there . In Philadelphia, he became a contributing editor for the Pennsylvania Freeman, an abolitionist newspaper . In the spring of 1845, the Lowells returned to Cambridge to make their home at Elmwood . They had four children, though only one (Mabel, born 1847) survived past infancy . Blanche was born December 31, 1845, but lived only fifteen months; Rose, born in 1849, survived only a few months as well; their only son Walter was born in 1850 but died in 1852 . Lowell was very affected by the loss of almost all of his children . His grief over the death of his first daughter in particular was expressed in his poem "The First Snowfall" (1847). He again considered suicide, writing to a friend that he thought "of my razors and my throat and that I am a fool and a coward not to end it all at once". </P> <P> Lowell's earliest poems were published without remuneration in the Southern Literary Messenger in 1840 . He was inspired to new efforts towards self - support and joined with his friend Robert Carter in founding the literary journal The Pioneer . The periodical was distinguished by the fact that most of its content was new rather than material that had been previously published elsewhere, and by the inclusion of very serious criticism, which covered not only literature but also art and music . Lowell wrote that it would "furnish the intelligent and reflecting portion of the Reading Public with a rational substitute for the enormous quantity of thrice - diluted trash, in the shape of namby - pamby love tales and sketches, which is monthly poured out to them by many of our popular Magazines ." William Wetmore Story noted the journal's higher taste, writing that "it took some stand & appealled to a higher intellectual Standard than our puerile milk or watery namby - pamby Mags with which we are overrun". The first issue of the journal included the first appearance of "The Tell - Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe . Lowell was treated for an eye disease in New York shortly after the first issue, and in his absence Carter did a poor job of managing the journal . The magazine ceased publication after three monthly numbers beginning in January 1843, leaving Lowell $1,800 in debt . Poe mourned the journal's demise, calling it "a most severe blow to the cause--the cause of a Pure Taste". </P>

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