The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-11-09
ALICE CARY'S LOVE.
BY MARY CLEMMER.
From the Independent.

"A story under the title Of the "Cn
KNOWN Love of Alice Cary" in the news
papers, is stil travelling through the
length Of he land. 1t asserts that in her
youth she was affialced to Rufus w. Girls
void !, that he was false to her-forsaking
her for woman OF the world that long
after, when be returned to New York,
riendless, poor, and sick, she forgave HIM
the great wrong that he had done, and
nursed him till he died. This story, in
many conflicting phases, was often to her
annoyance, told of her during her life
The fact that Rufus w. Griswold did in
in his last will bequeth to her his per
sonal effects was made much of in printed
and private circles, and used as an unans
cradle proof that at one time he had been
her lover. Within week I have read
| in letter to the New York Forming Post
that the will proved the love and relation
ship between the two persons beyond q
doubt Yet no less, in its foundation, the
story IS false. Referring to it once, while
we two sat alone together Alice said to
me: 81 will tellGyon just the truth. II
you ever think IT necessary, you can tell
IT." believe it tn be but Justice to her
sacred life, with which idle gossip is vet
TOO busy, to tell it now Bereavement in
death and in life had made her Western
home too desOlate to be borne These,
with the impulse of the brave will that
served her to the last, brought her to New
York to make not the lite tnat she would
have chosen for herself, yeC a life worthy
10 be lived. IGNORANCE stood me in the
stead 81 courage" she said. Had [
known the great world as have learned
1t since, l should not have dared but |
didn't. Thus came" The leading lit
teratour at that time was Dr. Rufus Girls
void. He had complied the books called
: The Female Prose Writer" and "The
Female Poet of America" He was sharp
ly on the lockout fer every new genius
IN literature that appeared. He had viz
tied :he sisters in their Ohio home, and
IN 1850 obtained publisher for their
first volume, and had added both their
names with selections from their poems
to his own Poets of America" He
knew everything necessary their sue
Cess In the sphere Of labor which they had
chosen, while they practically knew next
to nothing He encouraged and helped
them in many ways, and thus commanded
d
debt of gratitude was to pay it, it at the
cost Of her life. Yet even the good will
of one type of man to woman is often a
misfortune. Her soul may be white as
snow; yet he cannot take her innocent
name upon his lips without smirching 1t
somewhat with his OVID vileness. His
vanity had been fattered by idle women,
till conquest had become lot only the hab-
1t, but the necessity, Of his morbid and
soul till, where he knows he
has not won it, he yet is base enough to
boast OF 1t. Sucn man Judging byl
every record left of himl was Rufus W
GrlsWold. He was man of poetic tenn
prrment, of fine scholarship, of generous
impulses, and IN certain directions of rare
gifts; yet no less he was q man of tickle
tancies, of violent temper, which often
fell upon his dearest friends, Of monstrous
vanity, and of ungoverned passions. al
was never engaged to him In marriage | |
never loved him" said Alice Cary to me- |
:" could not have loved such man,
though learned him in his best phases
[ came to pity him, because he was his
own worst enemy. AS friend owed
him much, and before his death found it |
III my pow rto pay back in part my large
debt OF gratitude. When he returned 10
New York, poor and sick, with certain
death before him, |, with Miss, hired |
a room and nurse for him. From that
they have made the romantic story of mv1
nursing him for unrequited love. 1t was I
old Betsey who nursed him, You know
how big and strong she is; yet even she
became worn out, for his sickness was
long and very painful. Many unkind
and even cruel things have been said be-
cause he willed to me his personal effects
Besides the books and pictures which he
bequithed to the Historical Society, these
were all that he possessed, and he left
them to me no more out of personal re
gard than from desire to pay as far as
he was able the money which I had ex-
pended for his comfort during his last
long sickness" In the profoundest sense
Alice Cary never loved but once. The
man she loved is still alive; yet gossip,
with its keenest scent, has never found or
named him. With all her fulness of af
fiction, hers was an eclectic and solitary
soul. He who by the very patent of his
being was more to her than any other
mortal could be might pass from her life,
but no other could ever take his place.
A proud and prosperous family brought
all their pride and power to bear on u son
to prevent his marrying a girl unedu
Gated, rustic, and poor. 81 waited for
one who never came back" she said
yet | believed he would come till I read
in paper his marriage to another. Can
you think what life would Believing one,
waiting for one who would never come p
He did come at last. I saw him. His wife
had died. Alice was dying The gray
haired man sat down beside the gray.
haired woman. Life had dealt prosper
0ilSIV with him AZ is its wont rr1th rnn,, j