, 1875-12-12
BARBARA fRiTChiE
A Visit to Her Burial Place. ans r..
Versatlon with Her Nsphov.
Prof. Weston, OF Lake Forest, the Pr.
ent Owner Of tie Cane with
Which She Punched the
Jol.nnies.D

VOAAA+1C3A~
To the Editor Of Tns Chiea7o Tribune:
LAKE FOREST, Dec. f1.-Poor Aunt n.,n...
at rest these dozen years in tho quiet c.m..@
ofold F1edericI:own. aud Jet eye.uoze di,tn.ss,,
BY the croaa-dre. hspt up by friends and ts''
over her identity, or tho truth Of ha. mai, ~:
tory! 49,
In April. 1859, tbs writer spent a s,h,.u
among the natural wonders and historic 49,"
OF Harper's Ferry, and lustead OF pushing ny.
ward by an early Monday train. ~ ha h,d :;
tended, he was seized with 4 strong de,r, ~
visit the hang'ng-place Of John Brown. ind ~.
burla1-placo Of Barbara Frschie.
omitting details OF an interesting tim >.
CharlestoHn, and the spot whcnce T. H.
Browns soul went marching ou," r.tr.eea -.
way, and sought in D visit to Frederick Cit, n.
foundations OF that other history. born ~ ~.
great civil strife, aud made immortal hr ~
touch Of Whittier's genius.
was aoon put upon suitable line Of inni,.
by the information that a1ayor Ebbist xn.
NEPHEW OF DANE rH1TcH1
and would give me- the deai1ed ioforn.s..
Calling 1T once 1t his Honor'a Office I fonn5 H..
very courteous aud ready to answer nv iooo;...
Indeed, he seemed quito proud OF tha cns,,.,..
and fame OF his patriotic aunt, although hju..,t
in sympathy With tie ''lost cause" All don,t,
Of her genuine existence we're sooa ,s,nov.a
She had indeed lved aud died in Ftsaerct ,,i
was buried in the family inclosu1o, the la. ~
her name, having survived bar husband ,bont
twenty years and leaving no children. n,
Mayor politely accompanied mo to the ceuat.r,
where discovered upon the modest hesds:on.
ss upon that Of her husband, tho mana q,
"Fritchie," the Of the poem not being found
in the genuine name. Let the author dsc;d.
whether the spelling Of the poem or tho t,mjl,
form shall be retained in the future printing.
l1r. Ebbitt then took mo to SEQ Tho lady yh.
had lived with Madame Fritchie during tba l,,t
thirty years Of her life, as friend aud attendant
This lady, whose name is gons with M noss-
book OF that day, was interested in giving IA th
PARTICULARS OF HER HISTORY
in connection with the visits Of tbs suu;.x
Union and Sousharu, which as different emes
passed through the city. Those ststsmeuz
wero corroborated by the lady with whom ID.
was then living. swell as BY Aa.or Ebh,t
himself.
'1s' NY
o3r" ffasenle a1o nave snaaA on'on aae. which
in spite Of jeors aud threats she kept cut 4. be,
window, and defended by her venerable pres
ence and patriotic words But 1t szas not N at
,r.s anita too infirm ia cIimh tbe at,irs md ~.
not 1robably in the chambers at anY tina in IN tb,
season.
'e:1a 49, e.o bou.v.r a., naithar . want ~~;,,
.. aa,1n mr. :. cash" Il WA h,oc.h.
to me- carefully folded in a ANAL box md mss.
nvad ahont 70 inches nv a a vsr
tabie :. aiken ecarf." and not mers cottoa
pnrsryr r., NM WHITTIER
ws. declined tcilh sniru. the lady bsine s,ident,
or,;te aatnnishad that should presums upon he,
1sTtino NTH 10 sacrad relic NJ any price Throueh
tha aid of the Mayor. hovayar. Isucceeded m d.
tainine Aunt Barbsrn'e csoe. which she had beea
accnstoma5 to n., in her daily yisia to frand
. fa9 dno1s nway, and with which ahe h,d besn
known to push OF the gray cos.s who ut along
The curb stone with yieor OF lapkuaxs eos1e-
s,,ond;no 10 her eatim.te OF thsir en,rsctera. /
heva nraservnd the c.ne. and An happy To- H.
h;h;t ;t ~ ;n1ria;t;va friends N msmnriaI II
har n.tr;o+ism nrncnrnd aiao 4 fa,thfn, nha-
tor-enh ~ rha xanarah1e d.me. md anothu OF
~ coTraax IN wmcH sHE arsmxp.
T,;a cottaoa however. had beeo recantly tatsa
down hv a1thoritv Of The city. not. a foollshly
ss.erte3 hv snnoa narsnapef. because ths las4
owner had BECOME obnoxious 10 tho Boutheu
.snt u"aa. - ~ fscsn.a = d~atTnct;ve food hsd
.'ndar1n,ns5 1S ;ta fnnndatona. aod msde il I'M
,.ortant na r. widap tha nassaee Of Tho .lroam "a
which Il stood. ADD to strengthen it's hanks- TIL
effeota Of this flood, originating in Kasassrous
were evident for miles along the stream It tha
time of nv visit.
But did any conversation such - the poem Do