Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-07-24

!, the obstreperous mirth, with which they
= follow drunken, or crazy man, or an organ
: grinder, and his monkey, but with the silent
} wonder with which they would have follow
: ed Chinese, bedecked in full costume.
f Immediately knew the individual to be
Randolph from the descriptions. |, there
fore, advanced towards him, that | might
have full look, without violating the rules
of courtesy, in stopping to gaze at him. As
! nc approached he would occasionally turn
towards the boys, with an angry glance, but
without saying any thing, and hurry on, as
| If to outstrip them; but it would not do,
they followed close up, each one so intently
observing him, that pc said nothing to his
companions. Just before he reached me,
he stopped to speak to a Mr.. -, a cash
Ter of one of me banks, said to be as odd a
fish as Jobn himself stepped into store
close by, and, unnoticed, observed the Roam
oke orator for a considerable time; and
really he was the strangest looking being |
ever beheld.
| His long thin legs, about as thick as a
stout walking cane, were arrayed in pair
Of tight small clothes, so tight that they
seemed part and parcel of the limbs and
wearer. Handsome white stockings were
bnckled with great tidiness at the knees, by
, small gold buckle, and over them, coming
nalf way up the calf, were pair of, what
believe are called hose. He trod like an
Indian, without turning his toes out, but
planking them down straight ahead. 1t was
the fashion in those days, to wear fan.tail.
| Id i,a e., hoh I'd
and with few on the breast, and with a
small collar; Mr.. Randolph wore his pre-
csely the reverse of all this; the buttons
behind, were in kissing proximity, instead Of
. the coat being faDtailed, it was, what we be-
leve the knights of the needle called swal-
low-tailed, being the opposite of the fashion.
His waist was remarkably slender, so slen-
der, that, as he stood with his arms a-kimbo,
he could easily with his long bony fingers
him his coat was buttoned so tight, by one
button, that the hutton was pulled out from
the cloth, and an inch oftape was perceptible
to which it was sewed, and which was pull
led through the cloth by The tightness of the
garment. The collar Of his coat was very
small, the reverse of the fashion again. A.
round his neck he wore a great white era
vat, in which his chin was occasionally burr.
ed. as he moved his head in conversation
no shirt collar was perceptibe-every other
person seemed to pride himself upon the
size of his, as they were then worn large.
Mr.. Randoph's complexion was that of a
mummy, withcred, dry and bloodless; you
could not have placed pins point upon his
face, where you would not have touched d
wrinkle. His lips were thin, compressed
and colorless; the chm beardless as boys.
was broad for the SIZE of his face, which was
small, his nose was straight, and nothing re-
markabIe in it, except, perhaps, it was too
short. He wore fur cap, which he took of
and stood a few minutes uncovered; OBJ
served his head was quite small, a quality
which was common as we are told, to Scott
and Byron, and is to Chief Justice Marshall
&c. Mr.. Randolph's hair was remarkab,
fine, fine asan infants, and thin, it was very
long, and parted with great care on the tor
of his head, and tied behind with piece O
black ribbon, about three inches from hi:
neck, the whole forming queue not thicker
than the little finger of delicate girl. Hi.
forehead was low with no bumpology abou
lit; but he had an eye, sunken, but mos
brilliant, and startling in its glance. 1t was
not an eye of profound, but of impulsive
and passionate thought, with an expression
at times, such as physicians describe to be
that of insanity, but an insanity that seemed
to quicken, not to destroy intellectual acute
ness. never beheld an eye that struck
me more--it possessed a species of facina
ton, such as would make you wonder ovel
the character of its possessor, without find
ing any clue in your wonderment to discov
er it, except that he was passionate, way
ward and fearless. He lifted his long, bony
finger impressively, as he conversed, ane
gestured with it in peculiar manner. His
whole appearance struck; and l.oould east
ly imagine how with his great command o
language, so appropriate and full-so bril-
liant and classical-how with its vast infor
nation, which its discursive oratory enable.
him to exhibit in its fullest extent, and il
which the powers of his imagination would
always point out happy analogy, or a bit
ter sarcasm, that startled the more from the
fact, that the hearers did not perceive it un
til the look, tone and finger broughtit dowr
with the suddenness of tightening, and with
its effects upon the head Of his adversary
taking all this into consideration, could