The silver star., 1899-10-13
THE CARY SISTERS.
THEIR EARLY LIFE ON THEIR
OHIO HOMESTEAD.
rh. Quaint Old House san standing
Whore They Lived Dursns rhslr
Youth Amid Many rrlals They Per
scserea In Writing.
Especial Letter.)


About eight miles north OF the Gin
cinnati postoffice. on the Hamilton cleo
tric line. is pleasant country home
which the passer-by is likely to notice
twice. even though ignorant OF its
identity. In the middle OF a large fenced
yard or lawn set with shade and fruit
trees. starred with peonies and lilies.
and thick-grown with lush blue grass.
stands commodious. old fashioned
brick house. the whole structure, bar
ring its green shutters, as white as
paint and whitewash can make 1t. and
showing pure as snowbank from
among the verdure and the hecking
shadows. 1t is house OF sixty years
ago. the heavy. many-paneled doors
and square, small-paned windows i'm
parting favor OF quaintness. while
row of white brick pillars in e. rear
angle of the walls supporting an over
head piazza adds picturesqueness. A
hooded well hard by. furnished with
bucket and windlass. is in keeping
with the house. and looks so inviting
that the stranger feels he may. on the
plea OF thirst, enter the grounds with
perfect propriety.
To do so is worth his while. especial
ly II he has in him any strain of senti-
ment. for this immaculate old home
stead and its rural surroundings are the
once famous "Clovernook'-the nurs-
ing place of the Cary sisters. who fifty
years ago stood in the forefront, of that
interesting literary group that had
sprung up in the Ohio valley. presaging
an intellectual life in the West
Among the relics kept in the old
house. which the interested visitor may
see for the asking is parchment gov
ernment deed. dated 1914. signed by
James Madison. and emitting Christie
pher Cary (the grandfather of the
poets) to $50 acres in Hamilton
county. Ohio. Christopher's son Rob
srt took possession of these acres. and
here in 1890 and 1925 were born Alice
and Phoebe. the two sisters who were
destined TO make the family name not
ed. There were other children-nine
o: them all told-but they seem no, to
have been literary. One OF the flock.
an elder sister. Alice speaks OF as n
companion TO whom she confided he.
crude little verses. and who. in turn.
confided stories OF her own composing;
but this sister died when the budding
poet was yet mere child. Then As
Phoebe's mind un.olded. she and Alice
grew together by the force of kindred
tastes, and all through girihood these
TWO lived together and alone in the lit
tie ideal world which they built up. II
was no easy thing to do. Life in .he
West in those days had not passed .he
pioneer period. and in pioneer life tSere
was little time for culiiva;ing the
muses. and scan; opportunity 10 ac-
Quire the education and training essen
;ial TO literary art.
The actual schooling the girls got
was ueager: an Unsuitable appetite for
reading and -ireless attempts At liter
ary performance did the rest. and this
culture had 10 be snatched as best the
aspiran;s could n household where
work was never ended. and it was a
struggle TO provide the comforts Of life.
The publications that struggled for
existence in the Ohio valley half cen
t1ry ago had. as rule. very kindly
attitude toward literary beginners. and
so the sisters. first Alice and then
Phoebe. soon found their way into
various columns The harvest was
chiefly fame" favored by an OCCASION
al mention. but 1t brought them in;o
the atmosphere for which they lorged. I
They became known TO. and. In a per-
sonal way. came 20 know people whc /
thought and aspired as they did. Kind
ly letters OF goodwill anG praise. no:
only from nearby friends. but rom
across the mountains. found their way
10 the country home The s;iEiulus /
quicksned them TO n new growth. and. /
within ten years after their first ap-
pearanee In print. this pair OF Wild /
flowers was fairly famous. Ere that.
pecuniaFy reward. In 4 small way.
spa-red them on. and. TO help matters. /
the father. as 4 remedy for domestic I
friction. bull, another house. and went I
;hithsr with the s;epnother. leaving
the frst house 20 the ave surviving
-sili-er os the family. with Alice a.