The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1823-01-01

From The Christian Register.l
From Mr.. Jefferson to Mr.. Adams.
Monticello, June !, 1922.
1t is very long, my dear sir, since !
have written to you. My dislocated
wrist is now become so stiff, that | write
slowly and with pain; and, therefore,
write as little as ! can. Yet it is due
to mutual friendship to ask once in a
while how we do ? The papers tell
US that Gen. Starke is off at the age of
ninety-three., ***** sill lives, at about
the same age, cheerful, slender as
grasshoper, and so much without mem
DRY, that he scarcely recognizes the
members of his household. An init
mate friend Of his called on him not
long since. 1t was difficult TO make
him recollect who he was and sitting
one hour, he told him the same story
four times over. l. this lie? with
lab'ring step
To tread our former footsteps? pace the round
Eternal to beat and beat
The beaten track--to see what we have SEEM
To taste the tas;ed-o'er our palates to de-
cant
Another vintage,
It's, at most, but the life of cab
bage, surely not worth wish. When
all our faculties have left, or are leaving
US, one by one---sight, hearing, memory,
every avenue of pleasing sensation is
closed, and athumy, debility, and NAL
vaise leftin their places, when the friends
of our youth are all gone, and gene
ration is risen around US whom we knew
pUI, 10 uUdJu eVII
When one by one our ties are torn.
And friend from friend is snatcb'd forIorn:
When man Is left alone to mourn,
Oh, then, how sweet il is to die
When trembling limbs refuse their weight,
and iiinrs slow gathering dim the sight
"hen clouds obscure The mental light,
IT'S natrre's kindcst boon 10 die
really think so. Ehaye ever dread
ed doting cid age; and my health has
been generally SO good, and is now so
good, that | dread it still. The rapid
decline OF my strength, duYing the last
winter, has made me hope sometimes
that sec land. During summer, en-
JOY its temperature but shudder at the
approach of winter, and wish could
sleep through with the dormouse, and
only wake with him to spring, if ever
They say that Starke could walk about
his room. am told you walk well and
firmly. can only reach my garden,
and that with sensible fatigue. | ride,
however, daily; but reading is my de-
light. should wish never 10 put pen
TO paper; and the more because of the
treacherous practice some people have
OF publishing ones letters without leave.
Lord Mansfield declared it breach of
trust, and punishable at law, 1 think il
should be penitentiary felony yet
you will have seen that they have
drawn me out into the arena of the
newspapers. Although know it is too
late for me to buckle on the armour Of
youth, yet my indignation would not
permit me passiyely TO receive the kick
of an ass.
To turn TO the news of the day. il
seems that the cannibals of Europe are
going to eating one another again. A
war between Russia and Turkey, is like
the battle of the kite and snake which.
ever destroys the other, .leaves de-
stroyer the less for the world. This
pugnaciors humour ~ msankind seems
to be the law of his nature, one of the
obstacles to too great multiplication pro-
vided in the mechanism Of the universe.
The cocks of the hen-yard kill one a.
mother; bears, bulls, rams, do the same
and the horse, in his wild state, kills all
the young males, until worn down with
age and war, some vigorous youth kills
him. ***** 1 hope we shall prove how
much happier for man the Quaker poll
cy is, and that the life of the feeder is
better than that of the fighter-and il is
some consolation that the desoIation by
these maniacks of one part of the earth,
is the means of improving it in other
parts. Let the latter be our office; and