The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-07-02
If Woman Hermit.

srR ANGIE STORY WOMAN rnn.sTn IN
LOVE RETIREs FROM THE woRLD-How
SHE LIVED AND DIED.
A Tennessee paper, the Nashville Banner,
prints the following curious story:
"Rebecca Freeman, commonly known as
the Hermit of the Harpeth,' died at the
residence of Mr.. Robert Haley, near Col
lege Grove, Williamson county, q day or
two since, in the seventy-third year Of her
age. The phases of life through which she
passed were of the most weird and incom-
prehensible character, and she remained,
until her death, the wonder Of the hills
among which she had been reared, and
where she lived three quarters ola century.
The name of Becky, the hermit was well
known to almost every child within ten or
fifteen miles of her wild abode
"a short sketch of this strange creature,
now that she has passed away, may not
prove uninteresting to our readers:
"She was the daughter ofrespectable pa
rents, who had only been able to secure to
hsr'a meagre knowledge of the more COM
mon branches of education. At the age of
thirteen she was left an orphan, DEEPEN
dent upon her own exertions for a hveli-
hood. Thus thrown upon the world she
resolved to earn her own subsistence and to
manufacture her own clothing. She not
only succeeded in sustaining herself, but
made enough by spinning and weaving to
purchase a seyenty-acre farm, composed of
little patch of cleared land and dense
growth of forest trees, situated among the
hills some distance from College Grove.
'"Prior to the purchase of this estate,
however, her heart was won by youth
He had a good education and was the son
of well, to- do farmer. Her poverty proved
IN obstacle to their marriage. The youth
full couple, despite this opposition, deter
mined to carry out the vows they had made
to each other, and she accordingly pur-
chased her wedding attire. The nuptials,
however, were finally prevented. He subse-
quently took sick and died of a lingering
disease. She brooded over his death until
she became partially deranged, Not long
after this misfortune she purchased her
farm, and had cabin erected on the top
of high and rugged hill, amid an almost
impenetrable forest. Here she remained
until the seventy-second year of her age,
living alone and seldom visited. She often
stated that she had been crossed in love-
and thus far liked her changed mode of
life She kept the white slippers and the
apparel in which she was to have been made
, happy bride until the day other death.
To these she often pointed with strange
melancholy, and would brood over these
remembrances for half day at time
"Whenever the spirit of sadness fastened
! upon her she went to the door and blew a
long tin horn, bequeathed to her by her
mother for hours at q time. She did
this, she said, to give her relief. 1t was
ALWAYS effective She mingled but very
little with the world. The Bible seemed
to have been her greatest study, and pass
ing political events it was her pride to be
| familiar with. She was the subscriber to
one newspaper. She permitted only few
select persons to visit her. Those she did
not like she both cursed and stoned away.
On this account many people were afraid
even to come within her sight. during
the war she neither met nor saw Confed-
crate or Federal soldier.
During the latter portion OF her life she
took fancy to colored woman named
Eliza, who went and lived with her until
the close of the war, and then departed,
which left her once more entirely alone
Although she had been under the humane
care of Mr.. Haley since 1854, she positive
ly refused to leave her strange home until
she fell out of the door of the cabin, a year
ago and was necessarily compelled TO al
! low herself to be taken to his house for at
, tention, on account Of injuries received