Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-03-30
NO. 76.
aNiseellanu.
JEFFERSON As STUDENT AND LOVER.


months at home, at Shadwell, where the
rest of the family continued to reside.
The systematic industry of his college
life continued. Notwithstanding the time
given to company, he contrived to pass
nearly twice the usual number of hours of
law students in his studies. He placed
clock in his bed room, and as soon as he
could distinguish its hands in the gray of
the summer morning he rose and COM
menced his labors In winter, he rose
at five His hour of retiring
in summer, in the country, was nine-in
the winter at ten. At Shadwell. his stud
les were very little interrupted by COM
pany. He usually took gallop on horse
back during the day, and at twilight walk
ed to the top of Monticello. An hour or
two given to the society of his family,
and the favorite violin, completed the list
of Interruptions, and still left fourteen or
fifteen hours for study and reading.
With Mr.. Jefferson, the lover succeeded
the schoolboy in the due and time honored
order, as laid down by the melancholy
Jacques" The only record of this affair
is to be found in series OF letters adj
dressed by him to his friend, John Page.
commencing Immediately after he left col
lege, and extending, at intervals, through
the two succeeding years. These are to
be found at length in the Congress edition
of his works, and also in his life by Pro-
fessor Tucker. They possess some inter-
est perhaps, in relation to their subject
matter, but most, as the earliest specimens
of their authors epistolary writing which
have been preserved Though they dis
play some of that easy command OF Ian
guage-that running pen"-for which he
was afterwards so celebrated, they exhibit
no peculiar grace of style, or maturity of
thought. Perhaps, however, these would
scarcely be expected in the careless, off
hand effusion Of boyish intimacy. 1t
causes smile to see the future statesman
'sighing like furnace in first love;
concealing, after the approved fashion of
student life, the name of his mistress un-
der awkard Latin puns and Greek ana
grams, by burying secret which the
world, of course. was supposed to have q
vast interest in discovering; delightedly
describing happy dances with his Belinda
in the Apollo Chat room of the Raleigh
tavern where we shall soon find him act
ing so different part;) vowing the GUS
tomary dcsparing vow, that ''if Belinda
will not accept his service, it shall never
be offered to another" and so on to the
end of the chapter-in the well beaten
track of immediate prescription. The OBJ
iect OF his attachment was Miss Rebecca
Burwell, Called Belinda, as a pet name,
OF by way Of concealment,) whom tradi-
ton speaks of as more distinguished for
beauty than cleverness.
His proposals seem to have been colgged
with the condition that he must be absent
for two or three years in foreign travel be-
fore marriage He several times express
ed this design, specifying England. France
Spain, Italy, Egypt, and return through
the northern British provinces in America,
as his proposed route. Why he gave this
up does not appear. Whether for this, or
because her preferences lay in different
direction, Miss Burwell somewhat abrupt
ly married another man in 1854.
Mr.. Jefferson was generally, however,
rather favorite with the other sex, and
not without reason. His appearance was
engaging. His face. though angular.
and far from beautiful, beamed with in
telligence, with benevolence and withthe
cheerful vivacity of a happy, hopeful spirit.
His complexion was ruddy, and delicately
fair; his reddish, chestnut hair luxuriant
and slken. His full, deep-set eyes. the
prevailing color Of which was light hazel,
tor f1ecks of hazel on a groundwork OF
gray) We're peculiarly expressive, and
mirrored, as the clear lake mirrors the
cloud, every motion which was passing
through his mind. He stood six feet two
and half inches in height and, though
very slim at this period, his form was
erect and sinewy. and his movements dis
played elasticity and vigor. He was an
expert musician, a fine dancer, dashing
rider, and there was no manly exercise in
which he could not play his part. His
manners We're unusually graceful, but
simple and cordial.
His conversation already possessed no
inconsiderable share of that charm which.
in after years, was so much extolled by
friends. and to which enemies attributed
so seductive an influence in molding the
young and the wavering to his political
views. There was frankness, earnest
ness and cordiality in its tone--a deep
sympathy with humanity--a confidence in
man. and sanguine hopefulness in his
destiny,' which irresistibly won upon the
feelings not only of the ordinary hcarer,
but of those grave men whose commerce
with the world had perhaps led them to
form less glowing estimates OF it-of such
men as the scholar-like Small, the saga
cious Wythe the courtly and gifted Far
quier Mr.. Jetferson's temper was gentle,
kindly and forgiving. If it naturally had
anything of,that warmth which is the usual
concomitant of affections and sympathies
so ardent, and it no doubt had, it had been
sublugated by habitual control Yet under
It's even placidity there were not wanting
those indications of calm self reliance and
courage which all instinctiyely recognize
and respect, There is not an instance on
record of his having been engaged in
personal rencontre, of his having suffered
a personal indignity. Possessing the ac-
complishments, he avoided the vices, of
the young Virginia gentry of the day, and
a class of habits which, if not vices them
selves, We're too often made the preludes
to them. He never gambled.
To avoid the opportunities which were
generally accompanied with betting, he
never learned to distinguish one card from
another; he was moderate in the enjoy
ments of the table; to strong drinks he
had AN aversion which rarely yielded to
any circumstances; his mouth was unpol-
luted by oaths or tobaceo Though he
H. a.