- father ▁John ▁All an ▁also ▁correspond ed ▁with ▁Henry . ▁In ▁one ▁letter , ▁dated ▁November ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 2 4 , ▁All an ▁apolog ized ▁that ▁Ed gar ▁was ▁slow ▁in ▁writing ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁Henry , ▁compla ining ▁that ▁his ▁fost er - son ▁" had ▁little ▁else ▁to ▁do , ▁for ▁he ▁does ▁nothing ... ▁The ▁boy ▁poss esses ▁not ▁a ▁Spark ▁of ▁affection ▁for ▁us , ▁not ▁a ▁particle ▁of ▁grat itude ▁for ▁all ▁my ▁care ▁and ▁kind ness ▁towards ▁him ." ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twenty , ▁Henry ▁served ▁in ▁South ▁America ▁and ▁elsewhere ▁on ▁board ▁the ▁USS ▁Mac ed onian . ▁As ▁a ▁crew man ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁Mac ed onian , ▁a ▁fr ig ate , ▁he ▁also ▁visited ▁the ▁West ▁Ind ies , ▁the ▁Mediter rane an , ▁and ▁Russia . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 7 , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Baltimore ▁to ▁live ▁with ▁his ▁grand m other , ▁his ▁a unt ▁Maria ▁C lem m , ▁and ▁his ▁two ▁c ous ins ▁Henry ▁C lem m ▁and ▁Virginia ▁C lem m . ▁Ar ound ▁this ▁time , ▁Henry ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁" sl im , ▁fee ble , ▁young ▁man ▁with ▁dark ▁in express ive ▁eyes " ▁who ▁possessed ▁a ▁" sing ular ▁personal ▁beauty ". ▁ ▁Writ ings ▁In ▁Baltimore , ▁while ▁working ▁at ▁a ▁law ▁office , ▁Henry ▁developed ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁writing . ▁He ▁wrote ▁verse ▁inspired ▁by ▁Lord ▁By ron ▁into ▁the