The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-02-11
John Randolph on Woman and Servants.

No'clipcT, 1905.
I ses5 you copy Of peculiar produc
tion of one of the most peculiar of men
John Randolph Of Roanoke. 1t is faith.
ful COPY OF tho original, which was read as
evidence in the celebrated legal proceedings
instituted to set aside the last Will and
Testament of Mr.. Randolph, on the grounds
OF hs being non compos. Tho incident
which elected the strange medley was rs
follows:
He had been visiting in this village at
fhe house of friend, and after his return
he missed his pocket knife. A messenger
was at once sent from his plantation at
Roanoke, distant about ten miles, and when
the knife was not found 4 very free express.
sion OF fscutiment was indulged into the cf.
feet that Jasper, tie little yellow boy, had
pocketed it. Messengers were sent twice
respecting the lost article before it was found,
and special dispatch, as below, when it
came to light.
1t may add something to the interest Of
this communication for me 10 say that m,
residence is now in the same house at which
MIR. Randolph was guest, and that I have
many times occupied the bed room whicl,
he insisted he had lost the knife in, but in
bllssful ignorance Of the celebrity who had
preceded me. Jasper the "ycllow bov," is
yet living near here, faithful old slave.
who can tell many things of intercs, res
pecting tho eccentric guest of his old master
NJ. +.
KoASoKE, Saturday, Dec. Il, 1891,
llalfpast 10.
DEAR M--: On taking out nv
chariot this morning for the first time since
got home from your house, to clean it
and the harness, Oor this dreadful spell of
weather has frozc us all up until to.dav,)
the knife was found in the bottom of the
carriage, where it must have dropped from
a'sballow waistcoat pocket, as got in at
your door, for missed the knife soon after
ward. When got home had the pocket
OF the chariot searched, and everything
there taken out-and it was not until John
had searched strictly into my portmanteau
and bag, taking out every article therein,
that becaE:e perfectly convinced of what
was before fully persuaded, that I had
seft,the knife in my chamber at your house
on Tuesday, the 9Th; and when heard it
had not been seen, took it for granted
that your little yellow boythavirg '1ound
't," had, according to the negro code of
morality, appropriated it to himself. In
this, it seems, was mistaken, and ask his
pardon, as the best amends can make him :;
and at the same, to relieve YOU and Mrs. NJ.
from the unpleasant feeling that such sus-
picion would occasion, despatch this note
by special messenger, although have
certain conveyance tomorrow.
make no apology to you or Mrs. NJ. for
the frank expression ofmy suspicion, because
Truth is the goddess at whose shrine
worship, ahdno Hugue not in France, or
Morisco in Spain, or Judaizing Christian in
Portugal, ever paid more dearly for his
heretlcal schism than have I for leaving the
established church of FalscAood and Gri.
mace. am aware that ladies arc as deli
cate as they are charming creatures, and
that in our intercourse with them we should
strain the truth as far as possible. e.-Brousht
up from infancy to disguise their real senti.
ment, fora woman would be a monster
who did not practice this disguise, it is their
privilege to be insincere, and we should dcs-
pise them, and justly, too, if they had that
manly frankness which constitutes the orna-
ment Of our character as the very opposite
does, theirs. We must therefore keep this
in view in our intercourse with them, and
recollect that as our point Of honor is cour-
age and frankness, theirs is charity and dis
emulation for, as said before a woman
who does not dlssemble her real feeling is
monster Of Impudcnce. Now therefore 1t
doesso happen Gas Mr.. Canning would saw
the TRUTHS very offensive to the cars of a
lady, when to those Of gentlemen (her bus.
band for instance) it would not be at all So.
To illustrate, Mrs. R of D,
my Brothers widow, was beyond all COM
parfsun the incest and best housewife ever
saw. Not one drop Of water was ever suf:
fered 70 stand upe9Jhe sideboards, except
it was in the pitcher; the house from cellar
to garret and in every part as clean as hands
could make it, and,everything as it should
be to suit my fastidious taste. lived there,
after my brothers death, from l796 to 1910
inclusive, and never did see or smell any
thing to offend my sense or my immagina.
tion.bat once. Except in autumn would
defy any one to fiud leaf or a feather in
the yard: No poultry were permitted to
come into it, and we had no dirty children,
s,h;ka >r oa0ro fo oLo ltk,r - Gl.l.