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

be forgotten. In July, 1898. again returned
to PbiIadelphia, at my guardians instance, 10
while away the time Of my minority; and a'ter
eucountering the horrors Of the yellow 'ever;
(which broke out few days after my ARRIVAL anu
drove my friend Bryan to Georgia. passea .ns
winter less unpleasantly than the Two ,o1"e'
which had spent there, and lett the rign' an.
e,ed CITY in April or May 1894. In June came
Of age. The crop Of that year was destroyeu'
and also that Of 1895, BY the food. MY gua'e..
an showed me no accounts, PAID me nou.as w.
the profits Of my estate during minority Oh nine
teen wears. and | found myself overwhelmed WIN
overseers', blacksmi,hs', and sherlhs e'a'ns A., "
several wears standing. This reconciled me 10 tne
sale of Matoax. urged by your father. ! ma .,'s
his house lat his request) my home' anu ''e' '''
life Of mere lounger.
The society Of your father, the conVersau y s,e
and company of T. Thompson, Tor was ia, nan
my time in Petersburg,) did not rouse my mte,
rary ambition. rode about from one race he'u
to another; and while at New Market races my
earliest friend, (your father excepted.) Henry
Middleton Rutledge, sou of Edward Rutiedge.
and nephew of the celebrated John Rutledge, OF
South Carolina, called at Bizarre, on his way 70
Charleston. and not finding me at home, lett
letter. informing me of his intended voyage 10
Europe. [ knew Rutledge in New YORK; we
were m College together, and burned with de.
sire to see him once more. My guardian had
always frowned upon nv wish to travel; and
nov had not the means of INDUCING the Incll'
| nation to any extent borrowed, however, as
much money as would defray the expense OF my
tourney; and in January, 1896, went to Charles;
ion, Qeaving you an infant in the cradle,) and
then to Savannah, to see Bryan. returned IN
Nav. and few weeks afterwards, whilst lay
i'll Of bilious fever, at Petersburg, your tather'
who had left me cOnvaescent, although i"'he
dately relapsed, was, in the most strange anu
mysterious manner, snatched away IRON US no'
week after he had reached his own house. lie
left considerable Gebts Of his own, (Prouuced az
| have before explained to you,) aud my ia'hers
whole estate was under mortgage Tor heaVJ
British debt. Unpractised in business, ignoran
Of the value of property, made compromise
with the creditors, and saved much OF the estate
that must otherwise have been sacrificed. Or
YOU and ST. George my affections and hopes cen
tered; and in you had the sweetest companions
and most dutiful children. In 1899, chance
threw me into public life. The rest you proba
bly, know. o.
I omitted to state, that in the winter OF 1895
s., | spent some weeks at William and Mary
College, and made slight beginning in mathe
matcs and natural philosophy
These are but hints and dates, an outline tina
| will on some other occasion fill up. With thu
superficial and defective education, commenc
ed politician. can truly say, that except frou
my mother, who taught me to read, never learn
ed any thing from one of my Preeeptors: l mus
make further exception in favor OF Cochrane'
with whom was for few weeks only: think
not more than five or six. The little that
know has been seftausht, picked up from the
most desultory reading aud chiefly from an In
tercourse with the world. When took up my
pen, nothing was farther from my thoughts than
to dash off this loose and imperfect sketch. Take
it as it u.s. Of the books that have read with
most pleasure, and profit too, | reckon Shakes
peare, Milton. Pope's Homer, Don Qulxotte,
Chaucer, and Robinson Crusoe. This last was,
I believe, the second book ever read. Vol
taire.s Life of Charles XII. was the first, and
ought to have been named above. My mother
pointed my attention to the Gar, and may say
:. vIdeo meiora. etc"
Enclosed is draft for $500. May il afford
YOU pleasure and profit. wish it were cyPher
more. am as ever, Your fond uncle.
JOHN RANDOLPH, Of Roanoke.
4