Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-08-24
IH=E INTEL.L,IG IGENCyFR.

i
IHE same author who has been writing for
the N Y. Century, a series Of b;oora nS;..1 ~
sNe'enes OF Chief Justice Marshal, George Ma
son. and John Randolph, has commenced il the
last number some sketches Of Thomas Jefferson
winch promise much interest. We lilsc.to see
tnls feature in journalism. It shows how suro
ana steadily the popular taste is rising 1anc fla
mandlng something higher than the emntv
nct'on which has had so large aud so democrat
lzlng run. The higher tone of newsnoncr
selections and contributions, this year or two
think ''s1'4't0" we
According TO the century's historian the
author of tho Declaration of Independence vos ,s
rather rather an nngoinly youth,at College. We are
was extremely thin. His complexion was rnd1v tti,
ms hair ola chesnut color, with strong inc!'
of hazel. "'eu neeAs
Heres picture of Old Virginia in the DAYS
OF the youth Of Jefferson. 1t is almost enough
TO make one regret not having lived then and
there: tN0
If you yield yourself without resistance to
the stream, you will see pass on before vonr
eyes something like gay procession Of the
brilliant figures of other davS, when the vonnsy
men dressed in embroidered coats and Eold.
threaded Walstcoats, and wore fairtop boots and
Powoer; when the youthful dansels tipped along
upon their dainty little higll-hecled shoes md
ttirted their fans deckcd out with shenhertlS
and shepheFdesses tending lazy flocks on the
banks OF Arcadian streams. 1t was an Already
indeed, that land Of old Virginia previo,,s tn tTa
tleSola.ion' where the sons of the planters, liv-
ing on lne great estates, had nothing more i'm
portant to attend to than falling in lnvc. ona
where the maidens only clad themselves ins all
me cOiorS OF the rainbow, aud rode through the
smiling fields, and danced the minuet and Star.
ted with delight at reading in the old Gngette
lhe verses cAronlcllng their beauty, under the
tTsnsparent Al guise of "Chloe," .SDaphne," or
"Florea." AT williamsburg. even ,rhen tba
gallant youths came to think Of sometime rero
than making love, and seriously contemplated
the propricty Of arming for their cnreers in liCn
there was still the rOllicking, fun loving snirit
ofNthe rural circle The youngsters continued
there as at home to pay more attention TO cock
ugntlng' riding biooded horses, and bestowinc
their society upon the fairscx, than to study
ing Greek and mathematics, or s'brcaking their
he36s, as. Panurge says, over my Lord Coke
or Fleetwood. They veXed the souls Of nro
lessoFs oy playing at ye billiard tables"
against the collegiate statute made and provIdcd
tneY snrTePttlousiy exposed" many a s'main
3
'1sGry hnnrs Of youth dane,su ~
OF Their presence and conversation.
1t seems that the author of the Declaration,
by-and-by go: to be quite fast young man at
College. He, too began to exhibit great
weakness fof female society, as well as the rest
of the youth at William and Mary. But it was
no use--the lady on whom he had set his heart,
did not set hers OF, hiul. Weare told that
ID.
Jefferson just as Mary Cary, afterwarCl the wife
of her husbands brother, Edward Ambler, dis
carded George Washington-bccause the young
| ladies could not return the attachment Of the
young gentlemen. That the suitors of both la
dies alteward mounted to the.noblcst heights of
fame, and that one of them towers like giant
above all the great men OF the world is nothing
to the purpose. The husband whom Miss Bur.
well selected from her numerous suitors was a
gentleman of the highest character, with whom
she lived happily to the day of his death He
became Treasurer Of the Commonwealth: was
one OF that great circle which gathered around
the good John Marshall obtained for himself the
noble name Of the "Aristides of Virginia." and
expired full of years and honors
That the disappointment of the young student,
to whom return, in conclusion affected him
very long or deeply, does not appear 1t is
rather to beinferrcd that he soon recovered from
the blow. The heart of youth is elastic. Moth
ing moves it long. Even the awful circumstance
ofa failure in affairs of the heart soon ceases TO
affect it. By studying, travelling about, and at
tending his tavoritc dancing parties, he doubt
less soon rallied, and was sthimself again. ~
Whether the matured nlan looked back with
amusement or with sadness on this passage of
his youthful days is impossible to saySbnt
assuredly there was nothing lndicrous in the
affair. 1t is much more to his honor than to his
discredit.
Rev. GEoneE Gllrl1LAn on rnn 1n1sn Rrur.