The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-08-13
ALICE CARY.
THEHEART STORY oFTHIs QUEEN
OF POESY.
HOW SHE LOVED AND WAS DE.
SERTED.

From the Chicago Republican, July 81
Alice Cary lived and died maiden
queen of poesy. 1t has seemed to many
impossible that she should have carried
her tender and passionate heart through
the social and literary throughfares where
in she was called to tread unpierced by
any amorous shaft. And IL was indeed
impossible. 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 Phoebe Cary
briefly and indefinitely alludes in the
sketch published in the Ladies Repository
of last month, and widely copied. The
writer 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 ex-
pcrience she rolled the stone never BY
herself removed. The doubtful "if" half
oncea's and half disclose the truth. 1t
seems intended to stop flying rumors,
while refraining from unequivocal and
impossible denial. As the story can only
serve as a foil 10 the many virtues and
amiable qualities Of its subject, we need
no further excuse for our effort to res cue
the fragmentary record from the oblivion
| 10 which the mistaken and morbid kind
ness of friends would fain consign it.
| When the Cary sisters made their first
pilgrimage to the estern literary Mecca,
Rufus Wilmot Griswold was among their
earliest acquaintance. This gentleman
was a prominent litterateW when men of
letters were less numerous in New York
than at present. He was born in Benson,
w. in 1915, and was, consequently, hut
about five years the senior of the elder
| eistar haan I'D, al
ter, he became successfully Baptist
preacher, n journalist and an author. As
an editor he presided over the destinies of
the Brother Jonathan and the Neio World,
mammoth weeklies; the New Yorker, a
celebrated literary hebdomadal; and Ora
hant's and the International Magazines
: To the first monthly mentioned he added
considerable character. The last resem-
bled Harper's MonthtN and was bought
out by the owners of that magazine after
, a brief existence. In the wider fold OF
letters he should be spoken of rather as a
compiler than as an author. Unpublished
various collections Of the prose and poetry
of England and America, and, in connee
ton with other authors, several works Of
popular biography. No one was better
: acquainted with the state of the literary
market, or with the publishers OF thu
; metropolis, than Mr.. Griswold. The tive
y rural devotees of literature from the far
9 west were strangers, and needed chaper
s. one. He came to the rescue. lie CAV
le them space in his books, ilattered them
~ encouraged their hopes, and assisted il
finding u market for their wares. Towar
o. Alice he more especially inclined. Thci
in first acquaintance ripened into friend
al ship, friendship into intimacy, and intin
acy into love. 1t was said Mt last that IL
80 parties were solemnly atiianced. Tn
rs was nearly twenty years ago, and AliC
ly had then passed 80. He was still old
TO and would seem to have passed the bounl
,o of juvenile folly, if those bounds are eve
~ passed by man. But he was a biase cit
De- zen of the world, and she was quiet, r,
Of tired, sensitive domestic and unassumnl
II Trouble came between the two in tn
A shape of woman of society EXTERNAL
- more attractive than Alice Cary. Tn
J. iiaison produced separation. TIL
IS engagement was broken and Alice, con
9 cealinc her sorrows, kept herself NOR
: closely at home, AMI turned her attentio
moro assiduously to her special labor,
The story needs mott to be fully detaile
- here. 1t has been told over and owe
a again. ever since the world has had
literature. Several years passed and il
1897 Rufus Wilmot Griswold lay dyin
of lingering disease in the metropolis, il
poverty and alone. His literary venture
10 had brought Inadequate remuneration
u and he had lived life which it was NJ
d altogether pleasant to look back upo
Ie But the sisters had made many friend
D and been reasonably blessed by forum
\ The injured woman forgot her wrongs an
Is forgave the past with readine
e characteristic of her sex. She came agsi
j to the bedside of the man who had S
d grievously deceived hor, and watche
!, with him day after day and week aftC
: week MS life slowly ebbed away. The sic
room was made cheerful with books, fov
5 crs, and all necessary comforts and,
, defray necessary expenses, the none
] earned by days and nights of labor wit
e the pen was freely lavished. At lai
= death ended tho suiferings OF the falls
Q lover, and the grave closed over the sc
s cret Of womrn's sorrow, now for tn
Y rat III mn tnada public