Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-13
"THE STAR.SPANGLED BANNER. :"

"THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER. "
The door had just closed upon his re.
firing figure, and haste to gather into
sheaf the stalks of ripened grain he has
scattered around me during the last hour.
An American gentleman of unblemished
reputation and strict integrity is an hon.
ored guest at any tileside but when to
these noble graces is added the dignity
of eighty years varied experiences, and
memory as clear and sharp as the blue
black eyes which sparkle under his gray,
shaggy brows, he is q gem of visitor,
as rare as valuable.
Such was mine. And his talk-hke
the mirage of the desert, which reflects
from the beautifully tinted sky back
again to ones eye the pomp, circum-
stance, and host of the caravan gone be-
You'd the horizon of vision-brought up
almost into active life some of the scenes
and incidents of near a century ago
through the clear lens of his mclouded
recollcctions. 1t seems a long time since
Charles Carroll Of Carrollton died and
still longer since, with one bold stroke
of his pen, he affixed his signature and
the name of his estate to that great doe
ument which, had England conquered,
would have been the recorded evidence
of his treason, and the cause of the loss
of millions.
''Yet | knew him we'll" said my visit.
or, Mr.. Hendon. 'In my native town
of Frederick, Maryland, many times,
when | was boy, l have seen hlm-ar
old man, with hair white as the silver
knob Of his cane, walking slowly. We
boys would step aside when he APP.
preached us, with the Difference due c
king. He was little man, his figure
bent his frame slight and muscular, anG
his manner the gentlest and most court
eous-well, child, there are no such gen
tlemen as when was boy" And the
old mans gaze seemed introverted as
with the end of his cane, he traced cab
alistic figures upon the carpet, to the
meaning of which his memory alone ha(
the key
DOC0 JlluU tllllt NtCul very lUE Oil
Sir ?" L ventuled, by way of bringing
his thoughts back.
mo it scarcely seems longer than las
Christmas since a parcel of us boys were
playing before Medtard's tavern, wher
we saw procession coming up town
Some men were Oh horseback, and theil
knee-buckles shone like glass others, il
their best new leather breeches and blue
coats, marched behind the drum anC
fife were playing and everybody looked
excited but old Medtard, who stood OIL
the door-sill, smoking his pipe, and look
ing monstrous contemptuous.
"'What's coming, Mr.. Medtard ? W,
asked.
"'Only green man, down the Lancas
ter Road
"Away we went, like pack of hounds
in that direction, to meet a coach draw
by four black horses, with liveried footmel
hanging on to the tassels behind, and sur
rounded by large troop of military as al
escort. Inside the coach sat President
John Adams-a portly gentleman, dressed
in pearl-colored broadcloth and large pow
dered wig, who, with his suit was travelling
from Philadelphia to Washington, on tn,
occasion of the removal of the seat of gov
eminent from Philadelphia to that place
We followed the procession until the Pres
ident alighted at Mrs. Kimbal's tavern
the sign of the Golden Fleece-where Ma
ior-General Henry Lee received him."
Sand why was Mr.. Medtard so indiier
ent to the approach Of his President ~
"Umph Politics change, but human
nature never. John Adams was FEEDER
alist and poor Medtard a Republican
which made big difference those days
o Yes, that happened seventy years ago thi
very month, but it don't seem longer thai
the span of my hand"
"Yet you have lived to see grea
changes"
eyes, in degree, but not much in quail
ity. Folks worked and suffered and diet
for ideas then, same as now. AS poo
Frank Key used to say,
"'No need after novelties ever to run,
There is nothing that's new beneath the sun. -
"And you knew Francis Key ~ | eager
ly asked, fired to know something of rca
poet who dared appropriate such an old
fashioned quotation.
"Knew him Why he lived but few
doors above my fathers house. Their
were once two brothers, John Ross ant
Philip Barton Key. Philip was an Office
in the British army during the Revolu
tionary war, while John was in that of tn
United States. John lived on Pine
Creek, near Taneytown, Frederic County
Maryland, where Francis and his sister An
ma, Johns only children, were born. Their
was an exiled Scotchman, Mr.. Bruce-sai'
to have been heir to the throne of Scotlan'
who had built mill on Pipes Greek
and there, in the company of this nobl
old aristocrat, Frank spent his very earl,
boyhood. The brothers, Philip and John
we're large, manly looking fellows, bu
Frank and Anna were of much smalle
mould. Anna Key was beautiful littl
girl, with the cheerfulest face and mos
pleasant smile / ever saw. When the,
moved into town, near my fathers, Franz
was half grown, and ready to enter as
law student with Roger B. fancy, then a
the head of the Frederick bar. Roger wa
tall, eaunt fellow, as lean, they used t.
say, as Potomac herring, and as shrew,
as the shrewdest. He married bright Lit
tie Anna. twas like the union Of hawl