Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-08-09

study. At Christmas, Theodotick and went
to New York, to spend what little money we
had boarded for that purpose; Qttle 1t was' SINCE
Witherspoon's necessities drove him 10 emoeL
zle our funds;) and were recalled IN a few eays
by letter from your father, enclosing one 'rom
our mother, which summoned US to her dyins
he'd side. We FASTENED home. and saw ner TOT
the last time. In January, 1873, she died
The sun rose and set; the rivers flowed; the OF
der of nature went on. This seemed 10 me al
FIRST unnatural and shocking. MY mother nad
been faithful executrix Of my fathers WILL a
faithful steward of the effects committed 10 her
charge, in trust for her children: she lett e'ear
accounts, and money mot small sum- IN mana.
In May, 1888, Theodorick and ! were sent 10
college in New York; and your ta'her came Oh
here to attend the debates OF the Convennon' %
the question Of adopting or reJectng tne 'euera'
constitution of 1887. This visit gave rise 70 tue
attachment between himself and your mother,
which terminated in their marriage about e'sth'
teen months afterwards.
Your father joined US in New York. lie was
in his nineteenth year. and the most manly YOUTH
and most elegant gentleman that ever saw
Mrs. Bingham, of Philadelphia, used to send him
invitations to her parties, and he often went IRON
New York to that city to them! Yet he was
neither debauched, nor dsspated. He was re-
sular, studous, above low company Uf any sort,
= the great vulgar or the smaIl;" his "appare,
according TO Lord Burlegh's advice. was "cost'
". not fines" and YOU might see in his old atten'
dant. Syphax, whom he carried with him to New
York, that his master was gentleman. Colnm'
bia COLLEGE was not vet recovered from the shoe
of the revolution; it was just emerging out oil
chaos. The Professor of Humanity, (Cochrane.
now in the college of Nova Scotia, was an Irish
man. educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and a
most accomplished scholar. With him | enter
ed as a private pupil, paying eight dollars
month, tout of my own allowance for clothes. &c.)
for the privilege. l had devoted the TALL vara'
ton ut Princeton, (1787,) to an attempt at re-
gaining nv Greek; and now July, 1888. burn
| inc with the thirst of knowledge, (which l was
not permitted to Stake at the fountain Of Nassau,)
and enuous Of literary distinction, sat serious
" to work, and was greatly encouraged by my
tutor, who was, or affected to be, amazed, at the
rapidity of nv progress. 10 my irreparable loss
he left college about two or three months alter
had entered myself as his private pupil. Your
fathers return to Virginia left me without
friend. "Where." you will ask, "was my
uncle Theodorickf" Alas! my poor brother dill
fered in every respect from your noble father.
or all things in the world, he detested most
book. Devoted TO pleasure and "fun, as ne
termed it, he not only set the bad examples but,
with his dissolute companions, absolutely pre-
vented me from reading Often have they lore
ed the door of my study, and tossed the books
over the floor, sometimes out OF the window. "
In two years, he undermined his constitution,
and DESTROYED his health forever; and after lin
geripg long time mere skeleton OF himself ne
died at Bizarre, just before the birth OF your bro
Their ST. George.
| Nv euardian-for under the impulse Of the
ascendencyhe had acquired over me, had cho
sen Mr.. Tucker as such-was so scanty IN his
SUPPLIES, that became necessitous; OF course,
unhappy; and (why should conceal it?) sradu
ally fell into the habits and way Of life Of my IN
| fortunate brother, with this difference, that
continued to read, but books Of amusement only,
enervstng and almost destroying my Intellectual
powers, and vitiating my taste. Your father was
married on the last day of the year 1889; and IN
the summer following, Theodorick and lett Ne"
York for Virginia In consequence OF my mo
theirs death, her husband left Matoax, to reside
at WiIlamsbursh, where Edmund Randolph. Jns'
appointed Attorney Gen. Of the U. s., at thai
tune lived. He proposed to Mr.. Tucker, that
should study Law under him.; accordingly went
to Philadelphia in the month of September, l79o'
the year of the removal Of Congress from New
York l had seen the old Congress expire, and
the new one rise like Phenix from its ashes.
| saw the coronation (such in fact it was) OF Zen.
eral Washington in 1889, and heard Ames and
Madison, when they first took their seats on the
floor Of the House Of Representatives. Congress
met at Philadelphia, and Mr.. Randolph was too
much engrossed BY politics and his own necessi
ties, to think of me. He too embezzled the
funds which Mr.. Tucker entrusted to him for
my use. Had they been faithfully applied, they
were inadequate to my decent support-only
S4OO per annun. For what cause know not.
Mr.. Randolph put into nv hands, by way prePa
ration for course Of law, Hume's metaphysical
works. ! had great propensity for that sort OF
reading. The conduct and conversation OF Mr..
Tucker and his friends, such as Col. Jones and
Beverly Randolph (every other word an OATH
had early in life led me TO regard religion as the
imposition Of priestcraft. soon became deist;
and. BY consequence, an atheist Il shudder
Will st w,ite it; although my intentions were
pure. and l was honestly seeking after TRUTH |
say "by consequence" because am convinced
that deism necessarily leads. by the airest Undue