TOWLES, Catherine Webb, author, born in Charlemont, Massachusetts, 25 October, 1823. She was the daughter of Rufus Barber, of Worcester, Massachusetts, amt has been a teacher. She began to write verses for the newspapers at an early date, and at the death of her father in 1846 she removed to the south. She was editor of the "Family Visitor" in Madison, Georgia, in 1849-'52, in 1861 became connected with the "Southern Literary Companion," and in 1866 became editor and proprietor of " Miss Barber's Weekly," which she continued till her marriage to John C. Towles, of Lafayette, Alabama, in 1867. In 1884 she married Jett T. McCoy, who has since died. She now resides at Columbus, Georgia She has received honorary degrees from southern colleges. She has published "Tales for the Freemason's Fireside" (New York, 1859); "The Three Golden Links" (Cassville. Ga., 1857): and " Poor Claire, or Life Among the Queer" (1888).