The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-12-31

Thomas Jefferson as Dacribed by Dan
lei Webster.

Thomas Jefferson as Decribed by Dam
lei Webster.
In 1924 Mr.. Webster visited Thomas
Jefferson at his home in Virginia. At
that time Mr.. W. keut a diary, from which
; fhe following is extracted:
DECEMBER, 1924.
Mr.. Jefferson is now between eighty
one and eightvtwo, about six feet high.
of an ample, long frame, rather thin aud
spare His head which is not peculiar in
it's shape, is set rather forward On his
shoulders; and his neck being long, there
is when he is walking or conversing, an
habitual protusion of it, 1t is still well
| covered with hair, which, having been
f once red, and now turning gray, is of an
indistct sandy color.
His eyes are small, very light, and now
neither brilliant nor striking. His chin
is rather long. but not pointed. His snose
small regular in its outline, and the nos
trls little elevated His mouth is well
formed, and still filed with teeth; it. is
strongly compressed, bearing an express
sion of contentmeut and benevolehce. His
complexion, formerly light and freckled,
now bears the marks of age and cutaneous
affection His limbs are uneommomly
long; his hands and feet very large, aud
his wrists of all extraordinary size. His
walk is not precise and military, but easy
and swinging. He sinops little, not so
much from age as ftom natural formation
When sitting, he appears short, partly
from rather lounging habit of sitting,
and partly from the disiroportionate length
nf his limbs.
His dress, when III the house, is gray
! >ur,out coat, ker>eymrre stuff waiScuas,
with an under one faced with some mate
rial of dingY red His ,,anialoons are
: very long aud loose. and of the same color
: Cd his coat. His stockings are woo!leu,
e either white Gr grey; ani his shoes of the
; KIND that 'ear his name. His whole dress
is very much neglected, but not slovenly
He wears IA common round hat His
dress, when on horse back, is gray
c straight bodied coat and spencer of the
\ same material, both fastened with large
/ pearl buttons. When We first saw him he
j, was riding; and, in addition to the above
articles of apparel, wore around his throal
knit white WOODEN tippet in the place OF
a cravat, and black velvet CATERS under
t, his pantaloons. His general appearance.
: indicates an extraordinary degree of health
! vivacity, aud spirit. His sight is Still
good, for he needs glasses only in the eve
e ning. His hearing is generally good, ba,
S a number Of voices in animated CONVERSE
:, tion confuse it.
!. Mr. Jefferson rises in the morning a,
soon as he can see the hand Oh his clock
which is directly opposite his bed, and ex
amines his thermometer immediately, a:
. he keeps a regular meteorolo ycal diary
= He employs himself chiefly in writing til
= breakfast, which is at nint. From thai
!. time till dinner he is in his library, ex
y cepting that in fair weather he rides Oh
- horseback from seven to fourteen miles
!, Dimes at four, returns to the drawing-roon
. at six, when coffee is brought in; aud
;. passes the evening till nine in converse
tion. His habit Of retiring at that hour
is so strong that it has become essentia
to his health and comfort. His diet is
simple, but he seems restrained only by
:, his taste. His breakfast is tea and coffee
:, bread always fresh from the oyen Of which
:. he does not seem afraid, with sometime:
q slight accompaniment of cold meat =
He enjoys his dinner well, taking will
3 his meat a large proportion of vegetables
. He has Il st omg preference for the wines
!, Of the Continent, OF which he has man,
= SORTS of eXesllent quality, having beer
more than commonly successful i'll hi:
mode OF importing and preserving them
Among others We found the following
. which is very rare in this country, AN,
apparently not at all injured by transpor
tallon: X Ednau, Muscat, Sanial;, ant
- BlancheIte de Limoux. Dinner is serve
u IN half Virginian, half French style, il
:. good taste and abundance. No wine i
. put on the table lii the cloth Is removed
In conversation Mr. Jefferson is eas,
and natural, and APP arentiy not ambitious
II Is not loud, as challenging general al
,f ieulion, but usually addressed 10 the per
Ir son next 10 nlIn lhe topics, "neh ho
:, selected TO suit the character and feeling
al of his auditor, are those subjects Wit
J. which his mind seems particularly occu
i, pied; and these at present may be said L
~, bt science aud letters, and especially lh
University ot Virginia, which Is comm;
1. Into existence almost entirely from his ex
), er,ions, and will rise, it is to be hoped, /
-, usefulness and credit under his continue,
re care, When we were with him his favol
ite subjects were Greek and Angio-SaXol
, historical recoieclions of the times an,
I'd events of the revolution, and Of his resi
SO dcnce in France from 1894 to 1889
C.
Y ~A gentleman having done som.