The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-04-21
'GBt 1ailp journal.
lCorrssPondenee ofthe Utica On .il1 Hsrald-lI i.
LITERARY N0TABTMTIEs.
The Author of 'cWide, Wide world'-Miss Me- /
----sas 1ntosh-Alice Carey. f7ffrr--s !


But its world of letters is quite loorzd and
its Inhabitants have an infinite variety of de-
lights. Among the more prominent are Their
Literary Lectures; their Receptions; their
Critical Clubs; their Esthetic Sociables, &C. !
met one ofits most brilliant companies few
evenings since, at the abode of Professor-----
1t was an assembly of philanthrophists, and
professors; lawyers and diyines; sculptors and
painters; novelists; poets and beautiful women,
with slight sprinkling of mortals, 'little and
unknown" like me, dear friend. | counted
eleven of the artists whose Studios" were the
leading article in the Home Journal for num-
ber Of weeks. Among the literary women
present, were Catherine NJ. Sedgwick, Maria
u. Mcintosh, Mrs. Kirkland, Mrs. Stoddard;
the Misses Warner, Alice and Phoebe Carey
| was seated upon q sofa which commanded
view of the suite of apartments, when | saw
lady advance who looked so ecidedly odd
that in spite Of my will [ smiled. She ap-
preached into the room in which | sat, and
soon became the centre of group 1t seemed
as if one of the spinsters whom 1 had seen so
often pairing apples and knitting stockings in
the chimney corner Of secluded New Eng
land farm house, had suddenly appeared in
New Y orl1 drawing room. She was very tall
and very angular. She appeared to have no
shoulders, and the upper dart of her forth
seemed to consist entirely of neck Her face
shall not describe, for would not even seem
to ridicule any one for what they cannot help.
To me it appears mean and wrong to make
the physical defects of persons the objects of
public laughter. But this lady's very evident
contempt of the fitness of attire, the harmony
of colors, justifies me in speaking of her dress.
1t was made of silk and covered with violent
red and white stripes. 1t was neither long
nor flowing; made low on the neck. over which
was folded a black lace cape. Her whole ap-
pearance was decidedly funny.
And was somewhat surprised when intro
duced, to be presented to Miss Warner, author
of ''Wide Wide World" work which has
been translated into a number of foreign Ian
guages, and has wider circulation in Europe,
than perhaps any other American book. 1t is
the younger Miss Warner, who is the author
of dollars and Cents, /" "My Brothers Keep
er'' and not the one who wrote "Queechy,"l
and "Wide Wide World J" These sisters, as
they perambnlate Broadway, make a most
marked appearance. Enveloped in large beay-
er cloth coats, which can boast of neither form
nor comeliness; with huge shawls twisted
around their threats, wearing upon each head
\ brown antique bonnet-upon the top of
whose crown dances fantastic bow, arm in
arm, engaged in the most earnest conversation
ON and on they go,apparently oblivious to the
crowds, the fashion, the misery and
the beauty of Broadway. .ae.ga
Miss Mcintosh is noble looking woman
somewhere on the hther side of forty. She
has fair open face; smile bright as the April
sunshine. Those who love her delightful
books. would love them all the more could
they see and know their author. In early life
she was engaged to be married to "a gentleman
who before their union could be consummated
became deranged. HIS insanity proved incur
able His bride, turning from every other
offer, took upon herself the burden of his sup
port through life. She has exhausted. her for
tune and her earnings in alleviating the sor-
rows of his painful lot. To him she has con-
centrated her whole life Is that not fine
instance of womanly devotion? @
To my partial eyes, in all this brilliant COM
pany, no woman looked better than Alice Ca
rcy. She wore no flowers in her hair, no jew
els on her arms; but pale grey, lustrous satin
dress the sleeves and skirt of which were
trimmed with broad folds Of crimson velvet.
| believe that the habtual colors whicha per-
son wears are Indicative Of the character; and
| thought that this dress of Alice Carey's was
like her heart;with its pale sad ground, and bril-
liant bordering of gorgeous dreams. Her por-
traits do her no manner justice. She is not
old and homely as they would make US believe.
She has one of those sad sweet faces at which
T love to look Her face is q history, not
1 behold the lingering light
ofmanya a departing dream. Sorrows touch
has not frosted her waying hair; and though its
shadows linger in the depths of her clear
brown eyes they still are lustrous with all a
poets inspiration. All literary women are
not frights; all are not pendants; all are not
bores-although these charming characters
tics are often ascribed to them as class. Any
one who knows Alice Carey will never again
dislike literary woman simply because she
is literary.
Gentlemen of the most indiscrimating state
are glad to claim her as personal friend, and
| never heard a gentleman speak OF her from
personal knowledge, who did not call her a
lovely woman. And it is true. She is one of the
most womanly Of women. Gentle, quiet, re-
firing. unless compelled, she never talks Of her
books, or of herself She is versed in those
household virtues which no woman has right
to despise, and for the want of which, no splen
dor of intellect can atone. III, =.
Born and nurtured in a secluded village OF
the West years ago, a.young girl amid her
daily tolls sang to her restless heart songs OF
its own making, songs so sweet, that at last
the world paused and listened, and the name
of Alice Carey became a household name, well
coined to unnu,nbered hearth stones, and dear
! - Tonnnohered hearts But before that time
came sbut out from the realm of action and
ambition within the circle of her native hills,
she saw the graves of her kindred grow green
Iarolnd ;ler,--saw the hope of her youth 60
ldown. in darkness, saw youth itself passing
away with desire unsatisfed, and faith unre-
alized lis it strange that her song thrilled
with an undertone of sorrow that at last grew
q 10 n fI1l to the listener,s heart Bnt sing as