New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-09
THE ROMANCE OF ALICE CARY.
An Unpublished Story of the Sweet
Poets Life.
lFrom the Chicago Republican.


When the Cary sisters made their first
pilgrimage to the eastern literary
Mecca Rufus Wilmot Griswold was among
their earliest acquaintance. This gentle
man was prominent liferatear when men
of letters were less numerous in New York
than at present. He was born in Benson.
Vermont, in 1915, and was consequence but
about five years the senior of the elder
sister. Having been educated as printer,
he became successfully Baptist preacher, "a
journalist and an author. As an editor he
presided over the destinies of the Brother
Jonathan and the Nesc World, mammoth
weeklies; the Neao Yorker, a celebrated
literary hebdomadal, and Grahan's and the
International magazines. To the first
monthly mentioned he added considerable
character. The last resembled HdipeY's
Feekly, and was bought out by the owners
of that magazine after brief existence. In
the wider field of letters, he should be
spoken of rather as compiler than as
an author. He published various collec-
tions of the prose and poetry of England and
America, and, in connection with other
authors, several works of popular biography.
No one was better acquainted with the state
of tile literary market, or with the pub
fishers Of the metropolis, than Mr.. Griswold
The two rural devotees of literature from
the far West were strangers, and needed a
cjtapcrone. He came to the rescue He
gage them space in his books, hattered
them, encouraged their hopes, and assisted
them in finding market for their wares.
Toward Alice he more especially inclined.
Their first acquaintance ripened into friend
ship, friendship into intimacy, and intimacy
into love. 1t was said at last that the
parties were solemnly affianced. This was
nearly twenty years ago. and Alice had
then passed thirty. He was still older, and
would seem to have passed the bounds of
juvenile folly, if those bounds are Fever
passed by man: But he was a blase citizen
of the world, and she was quiet, re-
tired, sensitive, domestic and unassuming.
Trouble came between the two in the shape
of a woman OF society, externally more at
tractive than Alice Cary. This Hdison pro-
duced separation. The engagement was
broken and Alice, concealing her sorrows,
kept herself more closely at home. and
turned her attention more assiduously to
her special labors. The story need not be
fully detailed here. 1t has been told over
and over again ever since the world has
had literature.
Several years passed, and in 1857 Rufus
Wilmot Griswold lay dying of lingering
disease. in the metropolis, in poverty and
alone. His literary ventures had brought
inadequate remuneration, and he had lived
life which it was not altogether pleasant
to look back upon. But the sisters had
Aidut MANY IFltIGS, anu betH TtdSoHdulV
blessed by fortune. The injured woman for
got her wrongs, and forgave the past with
readiness characteristic of her sex. She
came again to the bedside of the man who
had SO grievously deceived her, and watched
with him day after day, and week after
week, as life slowly ebbed away. THE sick
room was made cheerful with books, flow
ers, and all necessary comforts; and. to de-
fray the necessary expenses, the money
earned by days and nights of labor with the
pen was freely lavished. At last death
ended the sufferings of the false lover, and
the grave closed over the secret of
woman's sorrow, now for the FIRST time