The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-08-30

eXpaDse of water glittering in the dis
distance, diversified by white sails and NINA
ture clouds from passing steamboats,, the
scene from the house is charming beyond
description. And it is but little wonder that
separation from such scenes makes the aver
age man of that region SO soon hOmesCk
when he visits the uplands far away from
the sparkling water.
'Shandy Hail. has been tie home of the
family for four or five generations. The
house, although it covers II considerable area
is of modest height, being but one story and
u half Spacious piaZZas extend along it's
entire length, both front aud rear. The Older
portion was built in 1901 of bricks, which (ioi
wonder, as our brick stories CO., were not
brought from England, but were made on
the spot. The upper rooms were originally
paneled in sweet gum, which | am told
from its lack of acid never Tusts u nail driven
into it, In the lower story were immense
fire places where in season, the trunks Of
trees which were the early colonists most
formidable enemies, were offered up to ap.
peasc the Frost-king, the great fires cracking
and roaring into the throat of the capaciOus
| chmneys, The fire places, however, have
been reduced TO reasonable dimensions
while much OF the paneling has Lecn remov
ed
The newer part of the house was built soon
after the Revolution, of sands one from the
island OF Malta. This sandstone was the bal
last that had been brought over from thai
! island By vessel and thrown out on the
bay-shOre near at hand. 1t is in blocks hav
ing much the shape and proportions OF ordi
nary bricks, but much larger, is very light
and so soft that you can crumble it with
your fingers. One would suppose the lower
| layers of such material in building woulC
be crushed by the superintendent mass
| There is, however, not the least sign of Civ
ing way iu these walls. After standing more
than Il hundred years, although numerous
holes have been bored into the stones up
parenty W til penknives, and probably by
ld.ers OF the Olden days, who had not Learned
10 kill time by the elegant modern accom-
plishment of whiting. Much OF this cur
ious stone having been left over, blocks o.
it are still lying about the premises, and Mr.
Hall gave me specimen for the society.
think, but am not quite sure, that the stone
came over in large masses. and that the
blocks were shaped on the spot.
AT the time otthe erection of this addition
to "Shandy Hall, it was the home of Bene
dict Edward Hall, grandfather of the present
owners and one OF our staunChest patriots
during the Revolution. Yet, strange tosay, hi
had nothing to do with the erection OF The
building, except perhaps to foot the bills. II
was all managed by his estimable wife
the daughter of Garrett Amos, one of Mr.
Halls fellow patriots. She accomplished
this creditable feat during the prolonged
absence Of her lord and master at Annapolis
where he was faithfully attending to bis
duties as State Senator. That was, indeed, d
good wife
In the yard is group of venerable box
trees which are said to have been planted
when the older part OF the house was built
in 1901. And it may well be believed, for the
group is now so large and compact, that
but for the color, il might readily he mis-
taken, at u little distance, for a misplaced
hay rick
When say that this remarkable growth
of box is thrown completely into the shade
even at midday, by u white oak nearly hal
mile distant, you may begin to Judge o
the immensely of the oak Not that the oak
literally casts a shade quite SO far as that a,
noon, but that | found it, by actual measure.
ment, to be thirty-nine feet four inches in
girth at the ground, and twenty-one feet seven
inches at the smallest part Of its venerable
waist, where the limbs begin TO swell out
Indeed, its limbs are as large Ms most full.
grown oaks. The first one, where it branches
OFT, ten feet from the ground, is exactly
twelve feet four inches 10 girth. The ex.
tent of this patriarch of oaks, from end to
end of its opposite branches, is one hundred
and twenty feet. 1t stands in an open
field, solitary and alone, and wondered that
the lightning had left it so long untouched
It's guardian dryad must be good spirit
Yet could not help fearing that a bolt
might ere long, strew the earth with its
ruins. Not the least remarkable thing about
1t, is that from tip to root, it gives no hint
whatever of decay. Ifit were a human being
| might say it has not gray hair in its head
nor the sign of u wrinkle on its rugged limbs
A deed of 1872, two hundred and seventeen
years ago. designates it as spreading oak y
marking Il corner of tract of land; and il
was, no doubt, large tree when Columbus
landed on the Bahamas, four centuries ago
though. then, of course embowered in pri.
meval forests. Could it, like Tennyson g
Talking Oak" which
--"circed in the grain
Five hundred rings of years"