Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-08-29
ALICE CARY.
The Untold Love OF a Poetess

The following story of Alice Cary
appeared in the Chicago Republican
short time since. Now that her Sis
ter Phone is deceased, aud both the
gifted casters are Joined in death,
every Renaissance concerning them
becomes doubly interesting: calico
Cary lived and died maiden queen
of poesy. 1t has seemed to many i'm
possible that she should have carried
her tender and passionate heart
through the social and literary
thoroughfares wherein she was called
to tread unpierced by any amorous
shaft. There is secret page OF the
history of the deceased poetess which
has never been written, and seldom,
of late years, been told. To this
Pheby Cary briefly and indefinitely
alludes in the sketch published in The
Ladies' Repository Of last month,
which was widely copied. The writ
ed says substantially therein that if
her sister ever loved there is no line
in her published works to tell the
tale; over the mouth of the sepulchre
of her sad experience she rolled the
stone never by herself removed. The
double 'if' half conceals and half dis
closes the truth 1t seems intended
to stop flying rumor', while refrain
ing from an unequivocal and impos-
siblc denial. As the story can only
serve as q foil to the many virtues
nd hla I,o I,s,a. 90 -,
we need no further excuse for our eff
fort TO rescue the fragmsntary record
from the oblivion to which the mis-
taken and morbid kindness of friends
would fain consign it. When the
Cary sisters made their first pilgrim
age to the Eastern literary Mecca,
Rufus WilmoL Griswold was among
their earliest acquaintance. This
gentleman was a prominent Ltterd-
teW when men of letters were less nu
merous in New York than at present.
He was born in Benton, VT, in 1915,
and was consequently about five
years the senior of the elder sister.
Having been educated as a printer,
be became successfully a Baptist
preacher, a journalist, and an auth-
or. As an editor, he presided over
the destinies of the Brother Jonathan
and the New York World, mammoth
weeklies; the Ne,0 Yorker, celebrat-
ed literary hebdomadal and era
hams and the International Magazines.
To the first monthly mentioned he
added considerable character. The
last resembsd Harpers Monthly, and
was bought out by the owners Of
that magazine after brief existence
In wider field Of letters he should be
spoken of rather as compiler than
as an author. He published various
collections Of the prose and poetry
of England and America, and, in CON
neetion with other authors, several
works of popular biography. No
one was better anquainted with the
state of the literary market, or with
the publishers of the metropolis than
Mr. Griswold The two rural devo-
tees of literature form the far West
were strangers, and needed chaper-
one. He came 10 the rescue He
gave them space in his books, flatter-
ed them, encouraged their hopes, and
assisted in finding market for their
wares. Toward Alice he moro es-
pecially inclined. Their first ac-
quaintance ripened into friendship,
friendship into intimacy, and intima-
cy into love. 1t is said at last that
the parties were solemnly afianced
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 arc ever passed
by man. But he was blaze citizen
of the world, and she was quiet, re-
tired, sensitive, domestic, and unas-
suming Trouble came between tho
two in the shape of woman Of soci-
ETY. externally more attactive than
Alice Cary. This haiSon produced a
separation The engagement was
broken, and Alice, concealng her
sorrows, kept herself more closely at
home, and turned her attention more
assiduously to her special labors
The story needs not to be fully de-
tailed 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 q lingering
disease in the metropolis, in poverty
and alone. His literary ventures
had brought inadequate remunera-
ton, and he had lived life which it
was not altogether pleasant to look
back upon. But the sisters had
many friends and had been reasona-
bly, blessed by fortune. The injured
woman forgot her wrongs and for
gave the past with a readiness char
acteristic Of her SEX She came again
to the bedside of the man who had so
grievously deceived her, and watch
ed with him day after day, and week
after week, as life slowly ebbed away.
The sick-room was made pleasant
with books, flowers, and all necessa-
ny comforts and, to dcfray necessa-
ry expenses, the money earned by
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 made public.
sYT The names of Sumner, Wade,
Morton, Trumbull, Wilson, Carpen-