The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-06-21
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Extracts from the Life of Jefferson.


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With Mr.. Jefferson, the lover sue.
ceedcd the schoolboy in the duo and
time.honored order, as laid down by the
melancholy Jaoues The only record of
this affair is to be found in series of let
ters addressed by him to bis friendP Page,
commencing Immediately after he left
college and extending, at intervals,
through tho two succeeding years. These
are to be found at length in Professor
fuckers life of him. and in the Congress
edition of his correspondence. They
possess some interest perhaps in relation
to their subject matter, but most, as the
earliest specimens of his epistolary
writing which have been preserved.
Though they display something of that
easy command of language, that running
pen' for which he was afterwards so eel
obrated, they exhibit no peculiar grace
of style, or maturity Of thought. Per.
haps, however, these would scarcely be
expected in the careless. off.hand cffu.
sions of boyish intimacy. 1t causes q
smile to see the future statesman sigh.
ing like furnace in first love. conceal
ing, after the approved fashion of student
life. the name of his mistress under awl,
~aro Latin puns ana GrGek anagiIams,
10 pury a secret whlch the world, OF
course; was supposed 10 nave vast IN
'etes' III discovering; aergntiuIiy des,
crlDing happy dances with his belinda
IN INC Apo'lo lthat room IN the faieigh
tavern where where we shall soon ind h,m act
ing SO diherent a parD vowing the Gus
'omary aespairing vow, that II Belinda
VIII not accept his service, II never shall
De onered TO another and so on to the
end OF the chapter in the well.beaten
track o, immemorIai prescription be OBJ
lFct OF MS attachment was MISS he
pccca burwell, lcalled Belinda as a pet
name or ty way Of conceaiment) whom
craui'ioh speaks OF as more distinguished
'or beauty than elevernesS'
mf oeHersons proposals seem 10 nave
Deen Glogged with tue condition mat he
must pe absent Tor TWO or three years IN
foreign travel before marriage Whether
lol tnls'or because her preferences lay IN
u'nereht direction, Miss Durwcil some
what Abruptly married another man, III
100.
Mr.. Jefferson was generally. however.
rather favorite with the other sex. and
not without reason. His appearance was
engaging. His face. though angular.
and far from beautiful. bcamed with in.
teligence. with bepevolence and with
the cheerful vivacity of q happy. hopeful
spirit His complexion was ruddy, and
delicatoly fair; his reddish. chesput hair.
luxuriant and sikcn. His full. deep. set
eyes, rather light in color and inclning
most to blue or brown. according to the
light in which they were viewed, were
peculiarly expressive. and mirrore ed, as
the clear lake mirrors the cloud, every
emotion which was passing through his
mind. He stood six feet two and a half
inches in height, and though very slim.
his form was erect and sinewy, and his
movements displayed elasticity and yipor
He was an expert musician. a fine dancer.
a dashing rider, and there was no manly
exercise in which he could not play we'll
his part. His manners were usually
graseful, but simple and cordial. His
conversation already possessed no inco,,.
siderable share of that charm which, in
after years, was so much oxtollod by
friends, and to which enemies attributed
so seductive an influence in moulding the
young and the wavcring to his political
views, There was frankness, earnest.
ness and cordiality in his :one-a deep
humanity confidence in man and q
sanguine hopefulncss in his destiny
which irresistibly won upon the feeling
not only of the ordinary hearer. but ol
grave men whose commerce with the