Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-27

A MEMORIAL OF ALICE AND PHGBE CARY
with Some OF their Later Poems, By Mary
Clemmer Ames. New York: Hurd & Hough-
ton, publishers. Alice and Phoebe Cary have
a certain reputation in literature, and as the
warmly appreciated associates of literary peo-
pie, which will incline many to read this book.
Mrs. Ames knew them intimately, and she has
done her work better than it could have been
done by any other person, probably. Materials
for a biography Of the Cary sisters were very
scant, she tells, there being among their own
papers not single word referring in personal
way to themselves. With such materials as she
could gather, added TO what she herself knew of
their lives, she has made very interesting
volume, which has throughout the attraction of
her own bright, huent, and graceful style of
writing. Alice Cary was born April 20, 1920;
Phoebe, Sept. 4, 1924. Their birthplace was a
farm in the Miami valley, about eight miles
from Cincinnati. They had intelligent and esti-
mable parents, but no special advantages of
education. Mrs. Ames shows us what they were
in person and character, tells us a great deal of
their lives, and succeeds admirably in giving the
book positive value as we'll as special interest
Alice Cary was one of the truest and noblest of
women. This was felt by Mr. Whittier when he
said of her:
Gan felt behind the singer stood
"A sweet and gracious womanhood
Unseen of her, her fair fame grew
The good she did she rarely Knew
Unguessed of her In life the love
That rained its tears her grave above"
There are in the books good portraits of the
sisters, which show that they were as unlike in
person as in character. 1t is plain that while
Phoebe was bright, witty. and genial, Alice was
far superior to her in "the fullness and tender
ness of her emotional nature" as well as in
''strong will, energy, industry, and patience"
Mrs. Ames says: "Alice's tireless energy and
answering will at times weared Phoebe, though
she found in both the staff and support of her
life; while Phobe's inertia was a much more
perpetual trial to Alice" Alice is described as
a remarkably fine looking woman "tall and
graceful with suggestion of majesty in her
simple mieu." Sue could have been one of the
grandest and tenderest OF 'house mothers"
The selected poems in this volume fill ia pages,
and, excepting three or four, they have ''never
before been gathered within the covers of
book" For sale by Sanford & Co.
MEMOIRS OF MADAME DEsBoRDEs-vAL.
MORE. By the late c. A. Saint Beuye. With
a Selection from her Poems. Translated by
Harriet w. Preston. Boston: Roberts Broth
ers, publishers. The name and reputation OF
Sante Beuve as an almost perfect writer OF
French prose, will draw attention to this book;
and the name of Miss Preston, the translator of
'Mereio," will be accepted as sufficient assur-
the TRANSLATION is odp
contents of the book consist of four papers on
Madame Desbordes-Vamore, and twenty five or
thirty pages of selections from her poems.
Those who read these papers and poems, will be
led 10 admire her character and spirit. She was
born in 1856 and died in Paris in 1859 She was
early lett lriendless, and had life long strug-
Tle with misfortune. Salnte Beuve tells what
she was, what her life was, AMI what she did
The four papers seem tohave been written for
weekly publication, in 1869 They were the last
Of Sainte-Beuve's portraits de Femnes." For
sale by Grout & Putnam.
The PERFECT LIFE; in Twelve Discourses
by William Ellery Charming, DID. Edited from
bis Manuscripts, by his Nephew, William Hen.
ry Claiming. Boston: Roberts Brothers.
These discourses were never before published.
they have been selected from the mass of DIR.
Cummings unpublished manuscripts; and they
are printed precisely as they were prepared for
delivery in the pulpit. There is such a connec.
ton between them as makes it proper 10 print
them together as a regular series on one great
SUBJECT which the editor names as title for the
book. AS il is quite unnecessary to tell our
readers who DR.. Channing was, or to describe
the talent, culture, and spiritual gifts, which
have given him worldwide reputation, we
have said all of the book that seems necessary
For sale by Grout & Putnam.
The WORLD PRIEST. Translated from the
German Of Leopold Schefer, author of "The
Layman's Breviary." By Charles T. Brooks.
Roberts Brothers, Boston, publishers. The
World Priest is a collection of poems of q re.
ligious cast, by the most German of Germans,
as one Of his admirers has called him. They
are mostly short, expressing each a single
thought, often noble and beautiful, clothed in
language which seems sometimes to serve rather
as q coDcealment than expression. Most of it,
however, isintclligible, and will repay the study
needed TO appreciate the subtle meaning which
underlies The sometimes rather rugged verse
Scheler has been called a pantheist, and not
without reason, but his panlheism is not of the
KIND that is akin 10 atheism. IL is needless TO
say that the translation by Mr. Brooks is adj
mirably DONE The book is for sale here by
Grout & Putnam.
THORNTON HALL, or Old Questions in Young
Lives, by Phebe + McKeon. Published by A.
D. i. Randolph & Co., New York. This is a
story written specially for girls It is record
Of life in boarding school; OF the haps and
mishaps, perpexities and pleasures, temptations
aud struggles Of number OF girls thrown TO-
aeiher in the intimacy Of daily life. The author
seems 10 unoersiand girls, to feel sympathy for
hem ana 10 have genuine wish TO help tbcm
70 live the best as well as the happlest lives
The yoiumeis neat and attractive ia appearance.
1t Is for sale by Grout 4 Putnam,