The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-10-18

To their shipping party oil mafsthdeTs, vi"
had landed near his residence. But the
Efforts al himself aud friends were nna'al
ing aud those y ho escaped rom The con
fIIrf boie v ilh them tlle news uf the deAas-
fafian nf al that calpe within The reach OF
the modern Gnlhs and tandals. well
boiirn's house and all bis stock fell pre-.
Ia The rapaeily Of thu invaders; aud The
soldier. Inily saved from the runs
scarcely competency To prevent them
from starving. They were, however, shtl-
tered during The continuance of The war ny
the humanity Of friends Who resldedin The
interior; and received from the Justice oil
tie stale, after lis conclusion, IA annuity as
\ reward for tie services of the patriot who
fell IN lis sersice.
The mother Of Thomas possessed mas
culino mind, and early msiilled into Tie
yuathfal soul of her sun lessons "i virtue
aud honor. The task Of literary instfnc-
tion de,ol,cd upon her, and while she iul-
filled II with maternal affection, che adopted
n slrietness ia her conduct towards hh,
without which the efforts of a tutor viii be
always unasalilug. lis early years gave
indications OF rising genius, which WAS
matured IN his Iipcr dgr But Kind oi
melancholy seemed 10 oycrsladow hs
conference and al a,r of diidcnce al
WAYS accompanied him IN his intercourse
with his associate, which could not he ac-
counted for aud which ohrekcd lie ar
drnt hopes Of his mother, TIA, hr would
r,e To cltincnee IN Whatever profession he
might engage. lie reached the aye .
seventeen, before any arrangements wers
made relative 10 his future occupation. II
was then determined, al his own request,
thai he should bc placed under the tuition
Of a celebrated physician at Philadelphia.
He was naturally studious: y after reman-
ing little more than three years with Dr.
II, he obtained from the faculty, d.
ploma, accompanied with many common
dations ON his skill aud lalen;f.
He returned home from Philadelphia,
al that time the principal seat of scienc" ia
this country, with the intention of lmmedi-
ately entering ON the duties Of his probes
sion. lie was elatcd with tle IDEA thai hr
would now have it IN his power 10 rfpa.
his mother, n her old age, for all the eire5
and anNeties which she had bestowed Up
on his youth, and, by his assistance, smooth
her descent To The tomb. How brilliant
were the pictures which his imagination
painted N IFS iondness how glowing we're
his transports, m be reflected ON the pros
poets which davned upon him But
they were airy castles, destined soon 10
tumble 10 the earth beneath the stubborn
touch of Fate Oh hope and anticipation
" Whit drcary change, whnt ruin isnot thine !
/" How doth Thy bowl intoAicn,e the mind
=" 10 the soft entrance OF thy rosy bowers
How dost thou lure the giIdy, thonghtess
youth
+" Drendful attraction while behind thee
gapcs
The uniathomablo gulf, where prospects
blghtrd
Aud fond hopes destroyed, comminSled lie
pgcr altered.
The section Of country III which young
Wellbourn had resided since the establish
ment, hope upon an impcrshablc basis Of
the independence of this ration, was selcc-
led as the sccnc Of his future labors. Sci
eucc, in this country was then in its inlan-
cy aud that of phgSic had not advanced
beyond the other branches of knowledge.
The country was otcrrun by n horde of
empires and quacks, who, conscious of
their inability 10 recommend themselves To
public patronage an Che score of merit, re-
sorted 10 the common alternative of sub
stiiutmg impudence in its stead. The
neighborhood OF Wellbuum's residence
could uot boast OF the scantluess ufihc self
made followers Of Galen aud Hisculapius ::
many there We're, principally Foreigners.
i,a hlaal4 al ,,fi,,,
had
E." Lct their country for their country $ good,
and had thrown over their shoulders, the
nantle Of the great masters of medicine
To impose themselves upon "A community
more ignorant ihan they, as prot, ssors the
healtfg art, becausetley had received their
diplomas from Tia learned faculty Of Edm
burgh or Aberdeen! What Glance of sue
cess, even in our molc enlightened day,
would native, uHassuming youth stand,
esstnst sueh /" fearful odds ~ Let the cx-
pereace and observation OF my readers M
SHrr.
The naturu' modcsty of my friend, land
am proud that during his life fine, be- al
lowed me 10 distinguish HIM by that title
prevented his cultiNatng an extensive ac-
qualnlance amongst the people who resi-
ded near him. And the small number of
persons with whom he was in the habit
OF associatiug had been much diminished
during his residence in Philadelphia, by
deaths and removals. So that when he re-
turned, he, for the most part, found HIM
sell among strangers, or at least ameng
persons with whom he was but slightly ac
quantcd. He was however, patronized hy
some who had known his fathor-whoreycr
ed him for his virtues--& honorcd him for
his amor pdtria-hy some who had fought
under him in times of pcrll-and who SAW
the hero, m his last encounter, perish in
defending the soil of his nativity from in
vasion. But, the young physician broach-
ed new principles, with which the duacks
by whom he was surrounded, were lInac-