The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1869-09-04

o'clock, saying "It's well I went so early II
| had been half hour later, should not have
been able to get pound of beefor bacon Robert
Morris is sending his men III about to buy up
provisions for the army.
"When, few months later, she was one night
reused from sleep by the old watchman crying
under her window, Past twelve o'clock, and
Lord CORVALLIS is taken 7 she knew, and all
our people knew, that Robert Morris had had a
great deal to do in bringing about that surrender,
which virtually ended the war. He had been
the right-hand of Washington. Yet while
| Washington was President, Robert Morris was
confined in the old debtors prison in Philadel-
| phia.'
"What shame '' one of us hotly exclaimed.
| "Why did not Congress pay his debts, and
| liberate one TO whom the nation owned so great
| debt ?'
"Well, that was not thought practicable. His
liabilities were immense and the precedent would
have been, perhaps, little dangerous. He was
| a rash manager of his own affairs. He bore his
| misfortunes bravely they said but think he
used to look very sad as he walked up and down
the narrow prison-yard. Sometimes, remember,
he seemed TO be listening, in pleased sort Of
way, to old Billy Wood, the play y-actor, who was
also in difficulties. Wood was an educated man,
and good company"
questioned our friend as TO his impressions of
be had only seen them casually, and had very
faint recollectons OF them. Aaron Burr he re-
membered as "a little, alert man, with very brighs
dark eyes,
o those wonderful Edw ards eyes, full of pow
er, and fate, aud predestinaton l-those keen,
eager, passionate eyes--they seem to beam on un-
quenchably in the memory of all on whom their
glance fell, even carelessy and for a moment
When Wendell Phillips was child, Aaron
D.
think. He did not then know much of the life
and the genius, the sin and the sorrow of that
famous and in n'amons old man, but he felt and
has never forgotten the power of his eyes. Only
to-day asked u venerable relative who in his
youth met Aaron Burr, what he remembered of
him.
''Not very much" he replied ''he was a
small man, very quick in his movements, and
with remarkable eyes"
Mr.. Gray also, l think, described Jefferson ss
small or as looking SO, in comparison with
Washington, that one grand and lofty figure,
that evidently stands apart and unapproachable
in the long gallery of his memory. He sees that
figure still through the beautifying and exalting
atmosphere, the rosy mist of childish love and
revcrence-after all, a truer medium, doubtless,
than the cold light of latter-day theories of his
life and character, speculative and skeptical.-
To him Washington seems both nearer and far
eyes, dust and darkness for nearly seventy years.
shine for the old man, as they shone on the little
boy, with a lofty but not uEkindly look. Their
color is to him like the far blue of summer skies |
not like the cold blue Of Alpine glaciers. The |
more than royal dignity OF that martial and pa
ternal presence is to him simply and grandly he
roc. The pure morality and honest Christian |
faith of the leader and saviour of the nation of
the representative gentleman, with his careful |
punctuality and unerring propriety, his generous
hospitalities and exact economies +; of the kind |
neighbor and just master /; of the lover of chill.
dren, dogs, and horses, to him better than all
the philanthropy and much of the religion of our |
time.
While this friend talked with US, /, for one, |
felt that | had taken dip into the golden past.
| half fanced that | too had seen Washington, |
and had my little head thatched for moment |
by his broad white hand that had eaten sweet |
meats from that bounteous table in the old High |
street house or, better, still, met Washington |
in his stable among his horses.
But all such pleasant illusions were dispelled |
by our visitor glancng at the clock on the man
and exclaiming "Bless me, it is nearly eleven
must be going.'
Then he shook hands all round, and with kind |
ly adieux and graceful compliments, left US.
Ah what troop of old-time shades went out |
after him into the summer night Washington,
stately as ever, but more human and and home
like than he had before seemed to me. About
him was faint, agreeable equine odor, and the
shadow of stag-hound trotted after fsus. Be-
tide him walked his comely, comfortable wife
and just following went pretty prim Nelly Gus
lis, and that young prg, Master George Wash
ngson Parke Custis
We might have pictured as waiting for this
august party, in the dim starlight, just outside
General rs door, the old cream-colored
chariot, drawn by six spectral bays, with ghost
y John on the box, the lively appartion of
ootman beside the steps, and smart spook of
position mounted in front. These all vanished
without sound of rumble or gallop with silent
racks of mpalpable whips, and inaudible huz-
sas from the little boys of long ago.
Robert Morris passed out with head bowed,
md after him, with something of a stage-stride,
'Billy Wood, the play-actor." Then went
Thomas Jefferson, with his cold, unbelieving face
and Timothy Pickering hurrying back to the
and Alexander Hamilton, with his
grave, statesmanlike mien, and Aaron Burr, with
bis quick, nervous step, and his magnetic, mas
terful eyes.
And so closed our evening with the past.