The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-02-12
RfCOtfeCti0us or the Ofden Time,
NUMBER FOUR.
JAMES D. W ATTERs,
J. M. STREET.,

To The Editors IF G1is Intelfgcncer;
MEssRs. EDITORS: My last letter, be-
lieve, closed with the intimation that would
refer, in my next, to few of the gentler sex
in Bel Air and vicinity, who were young Ia
dies when left there l am afraid, however,
that will be compelled to defer such refer
renee to another letter, as | desire to refer to
number OF the rOugher sex to whom have
not yet alluded, and without doing which,
these sketches would he incomplete. AS la
dies, i'll these times of expansive crinoline, do
not love TO be crowded, my next letter shall
be exclusively devoted to them.
In previous letter, spoke of the Rcvs.
Davis and Morrison ofthe Bel Air Academy.
During their management of the school, there
were many pupils from distance, and among
them few who have since left their impress
upon lineage in which they lived l have in
my mind two Of this class, one of whom be-
licye is still living. / refer to John G. Chap
man and Anthony Mclean. Mr.. Chapman
became painter, and by the productions of
his pencil attained a world wide reputation.
lie visited all the capitals of continental Eu-
rope, Travelled in Asia, and suiourned for time
in the capital of the Cesars-old Rome itself.
He boarded, while at the Bel Air Academy,
with my kind old friend John Calvin Norris,
who then lived some two miles southwest
from Bel Air. John used to annoy friend
Norris no little by his pencil sketches on the
walls and all over the house, and there was
scarcely plank or smooth rail to be found
within his reach that bore not the impress of
his everlasting pencil. He died young, but
not until he had attained an eminence in the
art but seldom reached among our country
men.
Another boy from that Academy who sub
sequeptly distinguished himself as great
huSiupSc -+b,
Mclfcap, living q few years ago, in Alexan-
deria, and perhaps residing there yet. He
was nol,e-heartcd boy, and loved him as
a brother
A Hartford boy from that Academy, still
fresh III my memory, and who subsequently
distinguished himself, was James Archer,
who was General In the Confederate Army,
and died i'll Richmond about the close of tile
war. He was one of the best boys in school,
and divided honors in scholarship with his
cousin Tom Hays, another of Natures young
noblemen.
There were several other boys of promise
whose names have escaped me, but whose
features are still familiar.
was gratified to hear few DAYS ago, that
Thomas Hope, Alexander Norris, Samuel
Sutton, DR.. Elijah and VIM. B. Bond, (all of
whom named in preceding letter. are
still living, and enjoying, hope, the fullest
irulllon earth can give, ofvirtuous and useful
lives. They were all gentlemen of standing
and influence, and il ~ III moi, | am sure. in
flate Mr.. Sutton, now well on towards his
/. three score and ten, to say that he was, forty
years ago, regarded as the handsomest man
in Hartford, particularly by the ladies' Mr..
Norris was also fine looking gentleman, but
was about turning down on the down-hill
side of life, before he could nerve himself to
clOOSn IN CHI
sorrows. He married some years after | left
Hartford, but l knew the lady of his choice
before She married at all, having often seen
her at tho residence of Charles S. Sewell
When L was a boy. | then thought she was !
the prettiest creature had ever seen, and
was an angel minus the wings. | knew her
first husband, Capt. Ohio Norris, noble
specimen Of humanity, WHO was lost in the
sloop.-ot-war Hornet, Of which he was COM
mander, in the Gulf of Mexico, in 1897. L
brought dog he gave me into yirginia-he
called him Captain sam"--and buried him
in rude coffin at the White Sulphur Syringe,
where he died at q very advanced age.
Thomas Hope was plain practical man,
and possessed of rare Judgment, industry
and integrity. | was agEceably surprised to
hear that DR.. Elijah Bond is still living, for
II nc hadn't the consumption forty years ago,
Old DIR. Davidge of Baltimore was mistaken,
and all the rest of the Drs in that part of the
would. Al all events, it seems not to have
been the 'galloping" form of that malady.
William b. Bond was a sprightly young law
yer, full of zeal and vim, with no disparaging
impressions of his own abilities.
These gentlemen, ! am sure, will pardon
me for speaking of them thus unreservedly,
for they are all monuments of past genera
ton now, and have too much sense or gener-
osity to be either flattered or offended by the
freaks Of my oflcous pen.
Bob Richardson was another whose name
must not omit to mention. Hc was char
acter in his day, but has, presume long since
gone to rest, as he was threatened with con-
sumption before he had grown old. He was
man of many good parts, but apparently
selfish and exclusive. Flo had three dogs
from which he was inseparablc-two hounds
which followed him in couples, and grizzly
terrier he called "Buf," which was always
lame in one or other of his legs. Bob's whole
time, it seemed to me, was taken up i'm hurt.
ing, and teasing me. used TO think II ]
could succeedin conquering the devil. won't!
have but ono more to fear, and that ~ rs Bob
Richardson. Not that he was cruel or I'M
kind, but because mischief was his element
and it was just about us unnatural for him
to live without teasing somebody, as for n fish
TO live out of water
In my last letter, in connection with Billy