Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-04-04
Latter Of John Randolph of Roam he

We copy from q Washington Sentinel, the
! following letter Of John Randolph, of Roanoke,
written TO J. II. Bryan, Esq, % years ago,
which '.imparts lessons of wisdom which can
never cease to apply to the youth OF every age"
LONDON, DECEMBER %, 1880.
Nv Dear Godson Although have so late
" written To your better half, aud Mt such ted
ious length, too, yet ! cannot refrain from the
attempt to engratt an old head upon young
shoulders, notwithstanding my belief that no
unn was ever the wiser for nnother's experience
There too many who are unable To profit by
their own; witness the sot ; the gafneser, and
the spondtlrift, not TO mention another class Of
victims of licentous propcnsities matrred into
habituul indulgence. Each of these wretched
yotnrirs of his darling vice Is more sensible of
the ruinous effects of his folly than any preacher
who cNhorts him against the consequences He
thai wears the chains best knows low aud where
the fcttcr gnlls They who declaim against tie
fixed and rooted i'll habits of their ueighbor un
der the expectation Of reforming him, only show
that they themselycs coxcnmbs. Rather sen
tentioua and Hat this, you will say, and you will
tell the truth
Having established yourself in G ouces,er, let
me remind yun mot To put off until TO morrow
whai may be done to day. and "a tortiori,'
not to leave until next year what can be done
thus, (153l.) Plant all sorts of trees. Man and
boy, kuer' John Lewis for some forty years or
81, although never was in his house. Iii pro-
bable that hc may have say,d you the trouble of
rearing orchards But be that as it may, fail
not 10 have good apple orchard, especially, and
banish ardent spirit, "A beverage from your tn
Bile. have serious fears on this head for Ger
tain young >. II at the beginning
you obliged Ia resort to spirits, lct your wife
mike the punch or toddy by measure, of a Ger
tain strength, never To be increased, according
10 the good old Virginia fashion.
,. Have no dealings, that can possibly he a
wooded, with your n"ighhors The disregard of
this cnuton will ccrialn'y lead to sqnabhlcs and
utc.
3. Inkr no receipt, ON loose pieces of paper.
Curry receipt book in Your pocket, aud take
ID receipts in il if you afraid OF losing it,
keep IT in your desk. Always have the receipts
witnessed, where practicable
!. Copy ar have copied all your bills III n
book, 30 that you may I glancc see the cost of
any article or branch of expense. Without
euratc accounts you must fall behind humid
What voyage would IA ship make without obser-
sation or reckoniugl You are now embarked
on the voyage of lite;wthout good look out you
must he cast away.
,, Form no intimacics with your neighbors
under seven years acquantance-'qa uuH de
cipi dccipiatur.' The rigid observance of my
own maXims didnot prevent i'll blood between
some OF my neighbor~ and myself. My maxims
/ preserved me from ~tritp,aud from loss by those.
Il. Economy the adapting your supplies iu-
dciously To their tended end. This is gift of
/ God. II cannot be taught, at least have tried
To learn ii al my life, without success. My moth
or had ii in perfection.
7. frgaty: Mon Intelligent homines guam
mogham cectigdi sit parsimonid." 1t is in the
power ot every honest man, who means to retain
his honesty, to refrain from indulging in expen-
SEES which he cannot afford A disregard of this
maxim, the result of their indocnt ignorance of
their own affairs has ruined all my and
race they did not know what they could afford,
aud some, fear did not care.
shall send you acorns of an oak from
Turkey, and also few English. Plant them in
beds, keep clean,and transplant ut eighteen inch
cs or two feet high. hope that you will not for
| get broad nuts, English walnuts, and black wal
nuts too, tlberts, hazlcnuts, and chestnuts, |
will bring or send you. | saw trees of this sort
| planted about n century ago, at lloughton Hall,
! by the great Sir r. Wapole, from two 10 three
! feet IN diameter. This was in August lS26-
| They afford a noble shade as well as valuable
fruit,
Get tobhetts American Gardener. 1t can be
had at Pishey Fhompsols in Washington. Spare
no expense or labor for good enclosures aud a
tight warm house. The parsimony that preach
up does not extend TO the exclusion of comforts.
| hope never t. see a fire place in your house
without shovel and tongs and fender, with
broken windows. When was visit to poor
H. he had eight or ten sponging visitors and
their horses, and ii was with difficulty that could
get a basin or towel; even the most necessary
article IN bed chamber missing. do not
mean the bed for there although most
uncomfortable. No; furnish your rooms we'll
however plainly. 1t is a first expense for your
whole llte. Plate and china, and glass, you will
have ~ occasion to buy.
shall probably never see how you and my
darling niece succeed as honsekcepers. Daily
and every day find that | am sinking. To
be laid by thu side of my honorcd parents at old
MatoaX, is now the only wish that have per-
sonally to my self No tomb stone no monu-
ment for me. Let "spring WITH dewy fingers
col ~ dress the turf that shall cover my no lon
ger fevcrlsh head or throbing heart. If there be
amy memorial of me- let il he plain head stone,
with this incription:-''J ohn Randolp of Roam
oke. son of John Randolph Of Roanoke the elder
der, and Frances Bland, his wife. and strpson
OF Virginia, born June I'd. l773, died -------
lS3l.' Beyond this last period feel thatt is
impossible, short of n miracle, for my existence
to be prolonged. "Tny will be done!'>
am nov closely confined to my apartment
with faithful Johns aid. | have all the com
Tort, h that am an now capable OF enjoyng my life
had liked to have omitted one special eau
ton against going to the watering places in au-
tumn IN search of health. 1t is an idle, dissipa-
ted and expensive practice. If you are to live in
| ihe lower country, you must aceustom yourself
10 the climate, which have no hesitation in say
Ing is in every way more healthy than that of the
upper country, short of the Allegheny. When
"asa boy, ngues AMI fever were hardly known
twenty miles west of thetaiI~ ot the great riv-
| prs.
The Inhabitants of the lower country were al
| way jeerod 10y the trans mountain pee, lie. espe.
o.aly on account OF their ,ckly climate. But
nov the valley is, perhaps, the sickliest in the
Statc. whoever card Of the breaking uP # I'D
y Diam upd Nary by au nId .g.lina- n ne! r.