Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-18
.JEFFERSON'S LOVE;
TIE FIRST AND LAST ROMANCE OF
THe FATHER or DEMOCRACY.

since the illustrlOus ihoi.o1 49,, go
Gov Tho lieht OF day in his fathers house,
o;,,,stod on a beautiful sloping hillside five
TniIns east of Charlottesville. Va, ana yet
We hnov comparatively little about MS LIE
fro,, That date 10 the time he reached mans
astata Youug Tom jefferson, writer OF
eJns;ra noetry. PLAYER on the violin, stu
dent M William ana Mary College,. was
verv different man from the august lhoinas
Jefferson. author of the Declaration OF IN
dependence. founder OF the Democracy,
and President OF the OhlIeu States;
We are apt TO think OF this great and
roightv man lust az be stands to-day at the
Co1itol with the Declaration OF lndepend-
once in his hand. dressed IN the conven-
tional stvle OF a century ago or more. wear
inc The Gueue of our fOreiathers; ana yet
Jefferson was by no means mace OF mar
ble If this stone representation, wnlch
looks down as il were upon the passing
stranger with suDcrcihous smile, could
have the breath Of life infused lnt0 IL
heart would beat beneath that colo sur
face which would put most men 10 shame'
and young Mr.. jefferson. the roiIicKing'
scaunish student. gayest Of the gay, mig
header in many OF the numerous escapades
al Wllliamshurgh. or "Deyilsburgh," as he
babi4ially wrote OF spoke Of 1t. would APP
pear in an entirely new rof
Tnmindful OF consequences, Tom Jeiier-
son. at the tender age OF ninteen. plunged
into tho CAV arena, falling at once despe-
ratelv in love with Miss Rebecca Burwel,
one of the beauties OF her day. This was
his first taste of love. and in speaking OF
his passion he writes 70 tellow-student
" asst night. as merry "a agreeable COM
pany and dancing with Belinda IN the Apol.
Ia Irooml could make me. never would
have thought the succeeding sun could
have seen me 30 wretched rs / now am "
OF the Belinda here referred 10 he habitu-
ally speaks with the greatest reserve, tfem-
bling almost "a If some one should pene-
trate his secret: and so cautious was he
that in one instance ho wrote her
name in inverted Greek characters.
II was she Of whom he spoke as
d" dear campG00 az de-" or bell-ln-
day." in translation. but why such mys-
terv II is difficult TO fathOm. He failed,
however, 10 preserve the secret from pos
teritv. and Belinda" and dear cdmpdnG
In dicn are no other than the early love OF
precocious, hot-headed young Jefferson.
Miss Rebecca Burwell. An extract from a
letter written to his college friend, John
Page. dated Shadwell. July 10, 1868, IN re-
Spouse to one urging him 90 go imme-
diatelv and lay siege IN form" and at the
same time telling him OF q formidable rival.
SAYS: Necessity will Ohlige me to proceed
in method which il not generally thought
fair, that Of treating with a ward before
obtaining the appreciation of her guar
dian. ] say necessity will oblIge me
to il. because / never can bear to
remain in suspense 50 long a time.
If | am to succeed the sooner | know 1t
the less uneasiness | shall have 10 60
through. If | am TO meet with disap-
pointment the sooner / know it tho more
of life ] shall have TO wear it OF. and if
do meet with one | hope IN God and verify
believe il viii be the last. ! assure you
that almost envy YOU your present free
dom: and if Belinda will not accept Of my
service It shall never be offered 10 another.
That she may 1 pray most sincerely, but
that she viii she never gave me reason 10
hope. With regard 10 my proceeding in
form | do not know how she NAV Ike II.
| am afraid not much. That her guardians
would not. if thew should know of II,
is very certain. But should think that
il they were consulted after | return,
il would be sufficient. The greatest
Inconvenience would be my not having
the liberty Of visiting so freely. This Is a
subject worth your talking over with her.
and | wish you could and would transmit
TO me your whole coniab at length. |
SD .uld be scared TO death at making her
so unreasonable q proposal as that OF wait
inc until return from Britain unless she
could first be prepared for 1t. | am afraid
it will make my chance OF succeeding con-
siderably worse. But the event at least
must be this, that il she consents shall be
happy if she does not / must endcayOr TO
be as much so rs possible. / have thought
n great deal on your case, and as mine may
perhaps be similar | must endeavor TO look
on il IN the same light in which | have
often advised Won 20 look on yours. "
Sore at heart aud standing as it were on
the verge Of ptecipice. the youth again
speaks: Perfect happiness. l believe,
was never intended by the Deity 10 be the
lot of one Of his creatures in this world;
but that He has very much put in our
power the ncarness of our approach to 1t
is what 1 have steadfastly believed. The
most fortunate OF Us in our Journey
through life frequently meet with calami-
ties and misfortuncs which may greatly af-
fict us, and to fOrtify our minds against
the attacks Of these c9lGmities and misfOr-
tunes should be oneOt the principal studies
and endeavor5 of our lives The only me-
thod of doing this Is TO assume perfect
resignation to the Divine will, to con-
slider that whatever does happen must
happen, and that Nv our uneaslness we
cannot prevent the blow before it does
fall, but we NAV add to its. force after It
has fallen. These considerations and
OF hers such as these NAV enable us in some
measure TO eurmount the difficulties
thrown in our way. 20 bear up with toler-
able degree of patience under Ihls burden
Of life. and 20 proceed with piOus and
unshaken res gnation till we arrive at our
jOufnev's end, when we may deliver our
trust into tho hands of Him who gave il.
and receive such reward as 81 Him shall
seem proportional to our merits. Such.
dear Page, will be the language of
the man who considers. hrs stua-
ton in this life; and such should be the
language of every man who would wish to
render that situation as easy az the nature of
it will admit. Few things Will disturb
him at all; nothing will disturb much"
To still another friend he writes: " have
thought Of the cleyerest plan Of life that
can be imagined. You exchange your land
for Edgchill or l mine for Fairfelds; you
merry l. P and | marry R. b:
Join, and get pole chalse and a pair of
keen horses, practice law in the same
courts, and drive about to all the danes
in the country together. How do you
like it,"
The fond hopes Of young jefferson Just
about this time were destined 10 have an
fall. Miss Rebecca Burwell.
failing TO appreciate his powers of attrac-
ton. degned not TO smile upon him, and
apparently left his mind in a state Of I'M
certainty. 40 tell the plain truth" he
again writes. Il have not a syllable TO
write 10 Won about, for | do not conceive
that anything can happen in my world
which you would give a curse to know, or l
either. All things here appear to me to
trudge on in one and the same round.
We rise in the morning that we may
eat breakfast, dinner, and supper, and
60 to bed again that we may get
up the next morning and do the
same; so that you never saw two peas
more alike than our yesterday and to-
day. Under these circumstances what
would you have me say? Would you that
1 should write nothing but truth? | tell
you know nothing that is true. Or would
you rather that | should write you pack
Of lies ? Why, unless they were more IN
Cenious than | am able TO invent, they
would furnish Won with little amusement.
What can | do then? Nothing. but ask
you the news in your world. How have
YOU done since saw you? How did Nancy
look at YOU when YOU danced with her at
Southall's? Have you any glImmerlng OF
hope? How does II. b. do! Had better
stay here and do nothing or 60 down and
do less Z or, in other words. had l better
stay here while am here, or go down, that
may have the pleasure OF sailing up