Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-11-16

VIII Mott in the Baltimore Sum
With so many new, diverting and in
structiye themes OF discussion, it is
surprising to find the old question Of
the identity of Barbara Frietchie
awakening the same interest that it
did years ago. For this we are doubt
less indebted to the versatile Clyde
Fitch, who has written the new play,
Barbara Frietchie. 1t is said to be
poor one, but Julia Marlowe is lead
ing lady. and it is, indeed, duh play
that she cannot invigorate. Mr.. Fitch
has taken full advantage of the au-
thor's prerogatiye and introduced such
surprising incidents as are calculated
to make unassuming Barbara Frietchie
step out of the iron Enclosure that des-
ignates her resting place in the old
cemetery at F'rederickstown. So much
Of this play being from a practical
standpoint impossible, the question has
arisen, Is it not all myth and was
there or was there not a real Barbara
Frietchie, and, if so, did she reside in
Frederick, Md?
Mrs Donald r. Mclean who was
born in the noted little town, has taken
up the subject, asserting that Barbara
did live and flourish; Mr. C. e. Hud-
son Of Brooklyn Continues to assert
that the white-headed heroine is an en-
tlrely unauthentic creation of the poet
Whittiar. New Workers, at least are
not inclined to believe in her actual
ity If they do not believe the preach
ers, how can we expect them to believe
the prophets? 1t was genuine disbe-
lief, and a desire to prove its practical
foundation, that led me to investigate
Stopping before a two-story house on
South Washington street, to which
anybody in Frederick win uirect you,
| made the rotary lmocker sound twice
before the door was opened by a dig
nified, neatly-attired woman This
was Mrs. Abbott. great niece of Bar
bara F'rietchie, She greeted me amIa-
i've, well kept room, into which the
October sunlight streamed from two
windows letting on the tree bordered
street Between these windows,
framed in gilt was the flag the old LADY
is said to have shaken forth with a
royal will. 1t could not have created
much of nutter, being less than a
yard in length. In one corner is a
photograph of Barbara, strong,
rugged face encircled by the wide frill
Of a snowy cap. 1t requires no effort
of the Imagination to trace a resem-
blance between the face behind the
frame and that of Mrs Abbott. This
resemblance settled at once all doubt
as to the relationship. When it was
mentioned Mrs. ABBOTT smiled ana re-
Taxed from a chilling reserve,
Il do so hate to be written about, =
she said, because ! see in the papers
and one magazine so many things they
say | have said, things | never even
thought Of Everybody in Frederick
knows that Aunt Barbara did live but
she was a quiet woman and didn't want
any fuss made about anything This
teapot on the mantel was hers and
General Washington once drank out OF
IT, | do not know how il happened
About the flag? O yes, SO many wrong
things have been said about it. | was
at Aunt Frietchie's house. The south
ern men, Jackson s men, came through.
Aunt Frietchie was awfully sorry.
She was always Union woman, bur
She never thought OF waving a flag az
them She felt sorry for them; they
looked 50 worn out, Chen after awhile,
the Union troops came She was at
the upstairs window, and she was smil-
ing and sort of nodding. half to her
self. as old folks will When the sol
iers saw her they began TO cheer at
her and said Aunt Frietchie, you
ought to have your flag, and ! ran and
got it for her. She didn't wave it,
but luttered 1t a little now and then.
and that seemed to SCI the troops wild
/ She did not wave it nj Jacksons men
+ How did Whittier get hold Of il? Mrs
I Sauthworth was near here at the time
She knew Mr. Whittier and wrote &c
/ him about it, because she said ne could
make poetry SO much better than shJ
could Now, that is really an / know
i OF course, you have seen Aunt Friet
che's grave in the old cemetery"
Can II be that this is at last the clG,
TO the lack of authenticity that ha'
awakened such controversy? Strang,
that the visionary imaginative Mrs
Southworth should have used tn
equally imaginative, hut strictly an
I thentic Quaker as a mouthpiece
The discussion has worn itself AM
I hearers threadbare. but one has only Il
look at Mrs Abbott to'realize that sh,
speaks the truth II is not for Bar
I hara's sake we drop tear on the gray
af Stanewall Jackson. but for the SAX