The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-06-29
By
ThOs. E. UdtSOn,
Hufhor of
"The Story of France,
"Vapoieon,
Etc.
30. .o.e..s4 :.e. ..e..4..s..sae..e:e+e
Copyright, 1908. by Thomas E. tDats ON.
.2U Rights ReserUed

! mad ever existed
| He had no liking for novels, though he
| paid Cervantes the tribute Of reading
| Don Quixote" twice
But 1t must be borne In mind that
novel writing in Jefferson's youth was an
infant industry in comparison with what
! it soon became. lie believed that the
writings of Sterne formed the best course
OF morality ever written; and he express
ed unnitigated contempt for Plato as
q mere visionary
Far in advance OF the youth of his
| day in academic knowledge. Mr. Jefferson
had no sooner left college than he took
up the study of law. Therein his guide,
philosopher and friend was George
Wythe a most excellent man and able
lawyer. AS Mr.. Wythe lived in Williams
| burg young jefferson was there much Of
his time during the five years that he
spend in preparing for the bar.
Possessed of q competence and devoted
| 70 his books, the young man was In no
hurry to throw himself into active prac-
tee. lust as he had studied systemat-
ically at college. he continued to do 50
at home. He rose as soon as he could see
the hands Of the clock and passed the
day with his books, varied with exercise
on foot or horseback. The evening he
filed with music he ana his favorite sis
ter, Jane singing the ballads and the
psalms Of that olden time to the accom-
panment Of his violin.
Thomas Jefferson became of age in
17Gi while he was still studying law. and
he celebrated that event by setting out
ar avenue of trees He now fully
developed physically and was a fine speci-
men OF manhood. He was nearly feet
5 inches in height, was active and strong;
l,a1 nd goo n blJ
not handsome His figure was spare. If
not slender and was not well built. not
compact. like his fathers, but more on
the angular shacklng order with large
wrists. large hands and feet-a raw boned
man. but, nevertheless he was so straight
and vigorous SO able to bear himself
with credit in ball room or hunting field,
was SO fine a horseman, so much an
aGept IN all manly sports and games, that
Ills lack of perfect symmetry was rarely
noticed Ills hair, abundant and siken.
was in color light auburn or sandy; his
eyes We're gray, hecked with hazel, and
were clear mild, expressive. full and
deep set; his teeth were perfect; his chin
ana mouth were good features without
being particularly fine; his nose was
somewhat too small for the angular
breadth Of face and his neck was 50
long q to give his head the appearance
of being habitually thrust forward; his
complexion was ruddy. of the peculiar
redness caused by the showing Of minute
veins beneath q thin skin which peeled
off under the slightest exposure to sun
or wind.
His manners were simple and cordial
mis- Voice pleasing to the ear and his tenn
, Qer gentle conciliato7y forgving, No
rancor or yindictiveness uarred his youth,
and there is no recorded instance to his
/ baVlug been subjected to a personal in
suit or drawn into a personal brawl. He
was a temperate truthful, honest. warm
hearted boy; one whom the young people
liked because Of his genial. social sport
loving nature; one whom the elders liked
because he gave rein to no vices, was
pattern of good behavior and was defer
eptial to his seniors He did not use to-
bacco, did not gamble, was not profano
ana did rot lock upon white wine or red.
III after life he drank but one glass Of
water per day, and did indulge in several
| glasses OF wine. So also his faithful ac-
oouEt books show that when he had
! grown older he Won nearly as much as
| 81 at one sitting al game of cards and IA
| cents at backgammon. AT lotto he met
with disaster, for he records that he lost
nearly s. at one time. IN other words
/ tttl+tI SOF tIdNeA games Oh CNdQCS cor
iriging stakes Just az Washington and
tiers including the state CT ,rsy did in
/ those days 1t was social pastine with
them, and, with them. went no further
1t may have been after his Waterloo at
! lottp that Mr. Jefferson planned this
twism: Gambling corrpts all disposl-
/ tions and creates a habit OF hostility
against all mankind"
| Later in life his manners to strangers
seemed cold and reserved ana he de-
| VeiOped q capacity for hatred which
! would have satisfied Or. Sam johnson.
This was. however, after he had been
| through the fiery ordeal Of politics, had
| been beat upon by the fercest storm OF
abuse and SANDER that ever assailed a
state sman so essentially pure. so abso-
| luteiy patriotic, SO consistently unselfsa
ana benevolent.
one Of the most beautiful traits In Mr.
! Jenersons character was his capacity for
frendship-deep. lasting, tender. splendid
" loyal friendship. Few We're the In
dviGuals he ever hated and he loved a
great many, some of them being persons
whom others found it hard to love-John
Adams for example. We Will find these
friendships multiplying around him at
every stage of his career, we viii see
them embrace all sorts and conditions
Of men. We will see his sympathetic ar
lection reaching out to warriors like Paul
Jones and George Rogers Clarke, to sa-
| vants like Button and Cabanis. His cir
Gle OF good fellowship embraced such op-
| p0site characters as the Able Corea and
| Or. Rush, the marquis of Chastelleux,
ana Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin
ana Tobias Lear. He was endeared to
| English Priesuy and to French Lafay-
| cite. TO Mazzei, the Italian, and KOS
ciusko, the Pole; TO James Madison, the
| scholarly statesman, and to Thomas
Pane, the unpublished patriot. And few
men have even shown more stanchness
more downright pluck in standing by
| his friends even when he incurred abuse
and losses by doing SO.
| But the most thoroughly congenial tie
! he ever formed in the way Of manly
friendship was with Dabney Carr, who
| owed books as jefferson loved them,
I whose soul was filled with the same en-
thusiasm for things beautiful and true
AMI great; whose mind yearned for noble
sentiments, useful facts high ideals.
whose every pulsebeat was that of a man
warmly loving aspiring loftily. eager for
thorough equipment that he might bear
himself CALAMITY in the great battle Ct
life.
This young man had all the tastes
which jefferson had, many of the gifts
which made Jefferson great, and had the