The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-10-10
Extract from the Life of Jefferson.
MIR. JEFFERSON AS A LOVER.
PERSONAL DESCRIPTION oFSHIM.

|
With Mr.. Jefferson, the lover succeeded the
! schoolboy in the due and time honoreds order,
as laid down by the melancholy jacques
The only record of this affair is to be found in
a series of letters addressed by him to his friend
Page, commencing Immediately after he5leit
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 correspondence.
They possess some interest perhaps, in relation
to their subject matter, but most, as the earliest
specimens of their authors epistolatory writing,
which have been preserved. Though they dis.
! play something Of that easy command of Ian
1guage- that running pen'-for which ne was
s5afterwards celebrated, they exhibit no peculiar
grace of style or maturity OF thought. Per-
haps, however, these would scarcely be expect
Led in the careless, off hand efflsions of boyish
dintimacya. 1t causes smile to see the future
sstatesman signing like o furnace in first love;
concealed, after the approved fashion of stu
dent life, the name Of his mistress under awk-
ward Latin puns and Greek anagrams. to bury
secret which the world of course was suppos-
ed to have asyast interest in discovering; de.
lightfuIly describing happy dances in his BE
linda in the Apollo THAT room in the Raleigh
tavern where we shall soon find him acting so
different a. part) vowing the customary despair.
ing vow, that 'if Belinda will not accept his SER
vice it shall never be offered to another and
so on to the end of the chapter, in the well bea-
ten track of immemorial prescription. The OBJ
iect of his attachment was Miss Rebecca
Burwell, (called Belinda as a pet name, or by
way of concealment,) whom tradition speaks of
as more distinguished for beauty than clever
ness. -.
Mr.. Jefferson's proposals seem to have been
clogged with thecondition that he must be alb.
sent for two or three years in foreign travel
before marriage. Whether for this, or because
fer preferences lay in different direction,
Miss Burwel somewhat abruptly married an
other man in 1864. Is
Mr.. 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 beneyolence,
and with the cheerful vivacity of abappy, hope
ful spirit His complexion was ruddy and del.
ioatey fair; his reddish chesnut hairluxuliant
1 and silken. His full, deep set eyes, rather.
Fight in color and inclining most to blue or
brown, according to the light in which they are
viewed, were peculiarly expressive and mirror
ed, as the clear lake mirrors the cloud, every
emotion which was passing through his mind.
He stood six feet two and half inches in
heighth, and though very slim, his form was
erect and snewy, and his movements displayed
elasticity and vigor. He was an expert musi-
ciaIs n file dancer, a. dashing rider. and there
was NO, manly exercise in which be could Lot
we'll play his part His manners were usually
graceful, but simple and cordial.
His conversation already possessed no in
considerable share of that charm which, in af-
ter years, was so much extolIe,: by friends, and
to; which enemies attributed so seductive an in.
Alence in moulding the young and wavering to
hisSpolitcal views There was. a, frankness,
earncstness, and cordiality .iil'h his tone, deep
sympathy with humanity, confidence in man
and, sanguine hopcfulness in his destiny,
which irresistably wonsupon the feelings not
only of the ordinary hearer, bat ofthose grave
men whose Commerce with the world had led
them to form less glowing estimates of fit-of
such men as the scholar. like Small, the sagac.
:ious Wythe, the courtly and gifted Fauquier.
/ Mr.. Jefferson's temper was gentle, kindly, and
forgiving. If itnaturaly was anything ofthat
warmth which is the usual concomtant Of affec-
tions aud sympathies so ardent, it had been.
subjugated by habitual control. Yet, under its
| even placidity, there was not wanting those in
dcatons of calm scf:reliance and courage
which all instinctively recognize and respect.
There is not an instance on record of his
'having been engaged in a personal rencontre,
or his having suffered personal indignity.--
Possessing the omplishments, he avoided
the vices of The young Virginia gentry of the
day, and class of habits which, iftnot vices
themselves, were too often made the preludes
Ito them. He never gambled. TO avoid i'm.
opportunities to games which were generally ac-
tcompanied with betting, he nevenslearned to
distinguish one card from, m,another; he was mod.
erate.in the. .enjoyments ofthe table; to strong
drinks he had an aversion which rarely yielded
to any circumstances;s.h mouth was unpollu.
ted by oathsgor tobacco!9 Though he speaks
of enjoying the victory ofSa favorite horse
tand the death Of the fox he never put but one
horse in training to run, never run but gsingle
race, and lie very rarely Joined in the pleasant
! excitement-he knew it to be too pleasant for
/ the aspiring sstudept-of the classes. With
suchquaties of mind aud character, with the
favor of powerful friends and relatives, and
even, yieesroyalty, to urge him onward, Mr..
Jefferson was not a young man to be lightly
regarded by the young or old of either SEX
I;IIe became of age in l76l.
4 @ Enduring Affection.
The following interesting incidenti is from an
4 ort;ola hv TWDa corrasnondont of tho Jonrnal