The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-01-14

Miss Mary Ann Jones, though not les
attractive than either eff the foregoing i
all respects, was of an entirely differcn
temperament She was scdatc and digni
fled, but not the less social and warm heart
ed Her features were very regular, he
hair dark, glossy brown, and her face Il
round and plump as a ripe cherry.
My own opinion was and | have credi
for being good judge of such matters
that she was the prettiest girl in Bel Ali
Quiet and dignifed, however, as she was
she seemed to take great delight in m.
misfortunes when John Robinson's do!
would steal my dinner, and then for mo.
ment would persuade myself she was no
so very pretty after all, but when her kline
} old father, hearing of the dogs illegal ap
preparation of what did not belong to hin
land l knew she told him. would invite mt
over to dinner, the momentarily suspended
charms returned in augmented force, ane
my impression remained fixed until the
dog made another forage, and offered her
another opportunity for merriment at my
expense. She subsequently married Mr.
A, Lingan Jarrett, long after l left, and
am glad to learn that they are both still
living, with the prospect of many happy
and useful years before them. Lingan, as
still love to call him, has a place farther
back in my memory than any of my play
mates-years before either of us saw Bel
Air, and loved him as brother.
The Misses Robinsons | had but slight
acquaintance with, as they were more re-
served and retiring that those have named,
but they were elegant ladies'
| There wore two MiccnS Tor6on lint &c
they left Bel Air some years before did, l
haven't very distinct recollection ofthem.
The foregoing are all that remember dis
tinctly in Bel Air. I will now take the lib
erty of referring to few in the vicinity.
Miss Susan Morris, an only daughter
(and the sister of William and Joshua to
whom expect to refer in another letter.
was regarded as very handsome young
Lady. She was graceful rider, and many
tms when have seen her mounted upon
the pretty little grey horse "Squirrel,'
presented to her by "Lame" Joshua Bond,
almost imagined could see Di Vernon,
so dramatically described in Rob Roy
McGregor, or some other historic eques-
trienne. She, too, had large share of the
social and urbane in her nature, and always
made visitors feel at home in her fathers
old-tashioned but hospitable mansion
Miss Mary Magness, sister of John, who
resided mile or two south of Bel Air, was
sweet little creature. She kept house
Tor her brother, as he, in my day, had new
er mustered courage enough to make some
body happy or miserable, as the case might
have been, and so tidy, and pleasant, and
facinating was she that it was almost i'm
possible for young gentleman to tear
himself from her presence. | took it into
my head at one time to make an assault
upon the citadel of her affections,-(a
though might have known that the result
would have been just the same as if |
hadro-but when commenced preparing
to go over and take her captive at will,
like peafowl, my feathers fell upon look
ing at my feet-not that they were not as
respectable as other peoples feet, but for
the simple reason that they were precisely
in the state they were when they came in
to the world, and what made the matter
worse was, had no shoes to put on them.
| at once came to the conclusion.-and it
Is the only sensible conclusion | ever did
arrive at when love formed the basis of ac-
tion-that she would not be very apt to
feel honored or complimented by the admi-
ration of a bare-footed boy, and began to
cast about to devise ways and means to get
pair of shoes. During this suspension
of hostilities" more fortunate--or at least
a better-shod-rival supplanted my pur-
pose, and surrendered to the fiat of fortune
in sulen despair.
Daniel Lamborne, of whom | have
spoken III preceding letter, had lovely
daughter, bright and blooming as the rose
OF Sharon. Her complexion was as fair as
lily, and being set otto great advantage
by mass OF ebon ringlets and brilliant
black eyes, she was absolutely bewitch-
ing | have forgotten her name, but moth
ing but previous discouragements kept me
from falling violently in love with her also,
She subsequently married Francis A. Bond,
as heightened, chivalrous and as honorable
a man as Hartford possessed.
About this time, there was an old gen
tlemen by the name Of Benjamin Gibson,
owning farm about mile north west of
town, who had housetuli Of pretty girls
therewere only five ofthem-and as was not
very susceptible of female influences, as may
be learned from what have written, did
not of course fall in love with all of them in
general, but became very near doing so with
one in particular. That one was Miss Ro-
setta, who removed about this time with
a married sister to Cincinnati, where she
soon after married, and have mover seen or
hoard Of her since. In visit to Cincin-
natl in 1851, | ransacked the city for a
week to find her, but the enterprise failed,
and shook the dust from my feet as a tes-
timony against that place and people.
Poor uncle Ben Gibson and his wife have, |
presume, "shuffledoff this mortal coil" long
ago-he to where there is no more whiskey
and she to whore the weary find rest She
was noble woman, and raised her daugh-
tiers in virtue, intelligence and industry.
| could name several Others, but | find
this letter is growing already too long 1t
may be asked by some if there were no
homely- looking ladies in Bel Air and vi
entity at my day, l answer no--if there
were their parents kept them concealed,
and never had the honor oftheir acqaint-
ance In one word, no gentleman ever saw
an ugly woman!
And now in conclusion Messrs, Edi
tors, may not hope to be pardoned fol-
parading before the public the names of
those, one of the bright adornments OF
whose characters is the love of retirement
and the finer sensibilities of whose natures
revolt at notoriety9 AS all have mention
ed if living, have turned down tho opposite
slope oflite they will forgive an old man
journeying in the same direction, and