Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-05-27
II. Jefferson as a Lover---personai De
scription of Him


With Mr.. Jefferson, the lover succeeded the
school boy in the due time honored Older. laid
down my the stmeancholy Jaques." The only
record of this affair is TO be found in series OF
letters nddreSsedby him 10 Ills friend Pnge com.
nlencing Immediately Tfter he left college, and ex
-teIi.ling nj intervals through the two succeeding
yeats. These are TO tie found at length in roies.
sor fuckers life of him, andiin the Congress edi
ton oil his correspondence. They possess some
interest perhaps in relation 10 their subject mnter
but m ST. as The earliest specimens of their authors
epistolary writing which hive been preserved -
lhongh they DISPLAY something of that easy COM
LllaM9 OF lahgnage--that "runnIng pen"--for
which lie was afterwards so celebraied,- they ex
hlblt no peculiar grace of style, or maturity of
ihtlPht. Perhaps. however, these would see. ce.
~ oe expected IN the careless, off hand etlusicn of
boylSh intimacy. 1t causes smile 10 see the fu-
thte statesman ''sgling like furnace. i'll first
love; cnnceallng, after tile approved fashion oil
student lille, the natre Of his mistress under awk-
ward Latlns puns and Greek nnagtams, 10 bury
secret Which The world, of course, was supposed
TO have vast interest i'll discovering; delightfully."-
describing happy d,nces with his "l1elnta'' 3
the Apollo that rom in The Raleigh tavern where
we shall soon find him acting SO different puri,)
vowlng the customary despaTIng VOW that "if BE-
linda will accept his service, it shall be Of
fereI 10 another;" AM. 10 the end of the
chapter in tie well beaten track of inmemoIial
prescription. The object Of his attachment was
Miss Rebecco Burwell, (calletl Belinda as pet
| name by way OF conceament,) whom tratli-
ton speaks OF more distinguished for beauty
than cleyerneSS
Mr.. Jeifrrson's proposals seem to have been
| clogged with tie condition that lie must be absent
for two three years in foreign travel before mar
riage. Whether for this or because her reference
| lay IN different direcii;n, Miss Burwell some
what abruptly married another man, in l7G4.
Mr.. Jefferson WIS generally, However, rather n
favorlte with the other sex, and without re;l.
sun. His appearance was engaging. His face
though angular, and fnI from beautiful, beained
with Intelligence, with beneyoence, and with
| the cheerful viVacItyof hLappy, hopeful spirit.
HIS complexion was rUdey, and deIicalely fair; his
| reddish, chestnut hair, ruxuriaht nnA sllken. His
full, deep EYES, ralher lIghtIm color, and incli-
ming most 10 blue or brown, according To The
light III which they are viewed were peculiarly
expressive aud nIIrOre =, Tie clear lake nTIOrs
The cloud, every emotion which naSlng tliro
his mind. He Stuutl six lret and two aid hall
inches m heigl T. and though very slii::, his fam
was erect and $Inewy. aud his movements DIS
played elasticity aud Sigor. llU was an expert
musIcian line damcsr, daslllng ttder, and there
was 10 many e%etc:se in which he could net play
well his paIt, HIS manners Were unusually grace
lul, but simple ami cOIdiai. His conversation al
ready POSSESSED no inconSierable share of that
charm which, i'll alter years, WAS extolled by
his friends, and 10 which enemies attributed so Sc
ductivs influence III moulding the young and wa
Serlng 10 his political view. There was frank
nsss, earntSineSS and cordially in lis tune-a
deep sympathy with humanity confidence in
man and a Sanguine hopefulness III his destiny
which IreSislibty won upon lie feelings, moi only
of the ordinary llearer, butol those grave men
whose commerce with tie world had perhaps led
10 form les glowing estimates ofit-o such men
as the schrlar-like. Small, the sagacious Wythe,
the coLrtly and gifted Fauquier. Mr.. JelTerSons
temper IVES gentle, kindly and forgiying. II il
naturally had any thing of that warmth which is
tre usual coucomiiant ofonections and syInpathies
80 ardent, it lad been habitually subjngnted by
control. Yet m1rr its placidIly, there were not
waning those indications of calm Self-reinnce
aud couras which all instinctively It cognice and
respect. There. is not an instance record OF
his having suffered personal ndgnity. Pos
SeSsing the accomplishments, lie avoided the vices,
of the young Virginia gentry OF the day, and
class of habits, which If not vices themselves,
W, re loo Often made the pIeludes 10 them. He
never gambled.- To avoid opportunities TO games
which were generally accompanied with betting,
he never I'armed 10 distinguish one card from an
other, he was moderate in the enjoylnentS of The
tn:e; 10 strong drinks he had aversion win
rarely yielded 10 any circumstances; his mouth
was unpolluttd by uaths or tobacco. Though he
speak ks oil enjoying the victory OF avoTite hurSc
aud The death Of the fox he never put but one
IotSc in trimming 10 nun never but one Srgle race,
and he very rarely joined in The pleasant excite
rnent-he knew it 10 he loo pleasant for lie aspi-
ring student-of The Chase. With such qualities
OF mind and character, wilhthe favor of powerful
lends and relatives, and, even of vice-roynlty 10
urge him onward MI. Jefferson was not a young
man toe lightly regarded by The oung and old Of
either sex.
lie 6ecan Of age in 1851.