Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-09-18
A Female Hermit.

The following account is taken from one
of series OF letters recently published in the
NatiORG. LateIligencer, descriptive of tour
to the sources OF the Potomac:
Delighted, however, and deeply impress
sed as | have been by the scenery of this
Alpine land, have been far more interested
in an old woman, whom had the pleasure
Of seeing. Her name is Elizabeth Golding
Goldizon, and she resides in log cabin, en-
tlrely, alone, directly at.the foot of the gorge
which has taken her name. She is Of Ger
man origin, and represents herself as one hun
dred and tacetUe gears Of age. She was born
according to her own words, "within two
days ride to the city ofPhiladelphia, in Penn
sylrania," and her father was soldier of
the revolution under Washington, and she,
herself, was in the immediate vicinity of the
American camp at the defeat of General Brad
dock, of which event she habitually recounts
a great number of interesting and thrilling
incidents, closing each paragraph with the
remark that the battlefield was wet, very
wet with blood She has been husbandless
aud chlldless for nearly half century, and
for many years has lived as now, in the soli-
tude of the mountains, utterly alone. In
deed everything about the old woman was
peculiar and strange. In stature she is quite
small, and her hair, which is as white as
snow, is very long when engaged in con-
Versation, her countenance fires up exceeding
~, and she accompanies each sentence with
the most animated of gestures; her voice,
though still strong, is altogether beyond her
control, having an unnatural tone; and the
wrinkles running entirely over her face and
neck, are as deep as we might i'm agine them
to be after having been furrowed by the tears
OF even one heart for so long time as cen
tury. She was clothed in the simplest man.
ner, having upon her head cap made Of
brown cotton, frock Of blue homespun cloth,
and upon her feet nothing bu. wooden socks.
I During the whole time we were in her
cabin size was smoking some bitter weed In a
corn-cob pipe, and, though haggard and worn
to marvellous degree, she had pleasant
smile, and when either of her guests happened
70 utter something that was novel to her ear
she would exclaim, 'Oh, yes, that is wonder
ful! Her only means of subsistence, fol
years past, has been obtained by making hick
ory brooms, but even this subsistence she ha:
been compelled to give up, for she could nc
more climb the mountains TO obtain the prop
, er material, and, though she seemed to be per
fectly certain that she would be provided for
she expressed the greatest dread of the coun
ty aims house. We inquired as to her appe
tite, and she replied, 'Oh, eat very little
never cat much, sometimes nothing in
whole day, and never more than once day
and | am well acquainted with hunger A
, to sleep we also questioned her and she said
That's what troubles me most; / cannot slee
now; am so Old and so lay on my bed al
night thinking of NY great, good and s~ee
Father in the HeauenS' We asked her nov
she managed to obtain the necessaries OF liit
+ and she said that she did not know, only tha
e people who travelled On the road sometime
stepped in to give little coffee or -four, he
main stay being small garden ofvegetable'
the brush fence around which has been bull
by her cwn hands apdthis garden was lus