Cary, Phoebe, and her sister Alice hold an
honored place among the female poets of
America. Phoebe (her sister Alice being
four years her senior) was born in the
Miami Valley, Ohio, September 4, 1824.
The sisters began writing poetry at a very
early age. Their collected Poems were
first published in 1850. They moved to
New York City in 1852, and soon had
bought and paid for with their pens a very
delightful home on Twentieth Street, where
they lived until their death. The death of
the elder sister preceded and hastened that
of the younger, which occurred in 1871
while on a visit to Newport, R. I. Miss
Cary was at the time of her death a member
of the Church of the Strangers (Independent),
in New York City. In 1869, in
coöperation with her pastor,
Dr. Charles F. Deems,
she published a collection of sacred
songs titled Hymns for All Christians.
She published Poems and Parodies in 1854
and Poems of Faith, Hope, and Love in
1868. The deep devotion of these two sisters
to each other and their intimate fellowship
in literary work attracted widespread
and admiring attention on the part
of all who knew them. Three other hymns
by Phoebe Cary and seven hymns by Alice
Cary are found in Church hymnals.
| One sweetly solemn thought |
620 |