Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-07-04

ny HESRY $. RASDxLL, L. L. D.
Estroct from tic LiJs Of Jefferson.

Bu4rs = ouernou A. = Aover-Rorb0nl O0ecr1p-
ti0n Of Him.
ny HENRY 5. RAKDELL, l. L D.
Extract from the Lift of jefferson.
With Mr.. Jefferson, the lover succeeded the
schoolboy in the due and tims-bonored order,
as laid down by the melancholy jacques
The only record of this affair is to be found in
series of letters addressed by him to his friend
Page, commencing Immediately after he left
college, and extending, at intervals, through
the two succeeding years. These are to be
found at length in Professor fuckers life of
him, and in the Congress edition OF his cores
pondence. They possess some interest perhaps
in relation to their subject matter, but most as
the earliest specimens of their authors epis-
tolary writing, which have been preserved.
Though they display something of that easy
command of language--that running PEN
for which he was afterwards so celebrated, they
exhibit no peculiar grace Of style or maturity
| of thought. Perhaps, however, these would
scarcely be expected in the careless, of;hand
effusions of boyish intimacy. 1t causes smile
to see the future statesman "sighing like a fur
nacen in q first love; concealing, after the ap
proved fashion Of student life, the name of his
mistress under awkward Latin puns and Greek
ana grams, to bury secret which the world oil
course, was supposed to have vast interest
lin discovering; delightfully."- describing happy
dances with his Belinda" in the Apollo THAI
room in the Raleigh tavern where we shall soon
find him acting SO different part) vowing the
customary despairing vow, that "if Belinda
will not accept his service, it never shall be
offered to another, and so on to the end of the
chapter, in the well beaten track Of immemorial
prescription. The object of his attachment
was Miss Rebecca Burwell, (called Belinda
las pet name, or by way of concealment) y
whom tradition speaks of as more distinguished
Nor beauty than cleyerness.
Mr.. Jefferson's proposals. seem to have been
clogged with the condition that he must be abb
sent for two or three years in foreign travel, be-
fore marriage. Whether for this, or because
her preferences lay in different direction,
Miss Burwell somewhat abruptly married
another man in l764.
MIR. Jefferson was generally, however, rather
"a fayorite with the other sex, and not without
reason. His appearance was engaging. His
face, though angular and far from beautiful,
beamed with intelligence, with benevolence,
and with the cheerful viyacity of happy,
hopeful spirit His complexion was rudy and
deiicately fair; his reddish chestnut hair luxu1
rant and silken. His full, deep set eyes, rather
light in color and inclining most to blue or
brown, according to the light in which they
are viewed, were peculiarly expressive, and
mirrored, as the clear lake mirrors the cloud,
every emotion which was passing through his
mind. He stood six feet two and halt inches
in height and though very slim, his form was
crest and sinewy, and his movements displayed
elasticity and vigor. He was an expert must
clan, a fine dancer, dashing rider, and there
was no manly exercise in which he could not
play well his part. His manners were unusu
Ill n, 100 oaf,,l h,t CIV, v,1a o,,l oord;a1
His conversation already possessed no incon-
siderable share of that charm which, in after
years, was so much extolled by friends, and to-
which enemies attributed so seductive an inhu-
ence in moulding the young and the wavering
to his political views. There was frankness,
earnestness and cordially in its tone, a deep
sympathy with humanity, q confidence in man
and sanguine hopefulness in his destiny,
which irresistibly won upon the feelings not
only of the ordinary nearer, but Of those grave
men whose commerce with the world had led
them to form less glowing estimates of it-of
such men as the scholarlike Small, the saga
cious Wythe, the courtly and gifted Fauquier.
Mr.. Jeferson's temper was gentle, kindly and
forgiying. If it naturally had anything Of that
warmth which is the usual concomitant of af-
fections and sympathies so a.dent it had been
subjugated by habitual control. Yet, under its
even placidity, there was not wanting those in
dications of calm selfreliance and courage
which all instinctively recognise and respect,
There is not an instance on record of his hav1
ing been engaged in a personal rencontre, or
his having suffered personal indignity. Pos1
sessing the accomplishments, he avoided the
vices Of the young Virginia gentry of the day.
and class of habits which, if not vices them
selves, were too often made the preludes to-
them. He never gambled. To avoid impor-
tunities to games which were generally ac1
companied with betting, he never learned to-
distinguish one card from another; he was
moderate in the snjoyments of the table; to
strong drinks he had an aversion which rarely
yielded to any circumstances; his mouth was
unpolluted by oatbs or tobaccoI Though be-
speaks of enjoying "the victory of favorite
horse" and the "death of the fox, he never put
but one horse in training to run, never run but
a single race, and he very rarely joined in the
pleasant excitement--he knew it to be too
pleasant for the aspiring student--of the chase.
With such qualities of mind and character,
with the favor of powerful friends and relatives,
and even viceroyalty to urge him onward, Mr.
Jefferson was not q young man to be lightly rel
Sgarded by the young or old of either sex.
He became Of age IN l76l.