The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-06-12
''''''a TM3s''''
by MARY l.. FOSTER.

CHANGING through the vista of the
long vanished past, entwined as it
is with legendary lore, and filled
with shadowy shapes of generations
long gone to dust, one sees in fancy
forms and faces which have long
since faded from public view except
as they look down from ancestral
walls or appear as veritable appa:l
tons out of musty records and old
letters.
In recalling the fleeing memories
o. the long ago we are prone to over
look the sentimental phase of the dis
tinguished personages of colonial
days, and the romances of these great
men come as forgotten melodies. The
correspondence of Thomas Jefferson,
carefully preserved for future gen.
erations, has brought to light much
OF the youthful romance of Virginia's
talented statesman. Among his con-
temporaries there is not one whose
love story is sweeter, purer or more
beset with stony paths.
In March, 1860, he journeys from
his home at Shadwell to Williams
burg, the colonial capital, and the
seat f the renowned college of Will
liam and Mary, there TO enter upon
his career as student. He is seven
teen years of age, long, lank, red
headed youth of six feet. His eyes
are blue and his long nose slightly
turned up. He is fond of dress,
scrupulously neat in appearance and
Is attired in suit of Mecklenburgh
silk. The old capital is the scene
OF much gaiety and festivity on his
arrival, and he enters the social life
OF the college and town with the
greatest enjoyment. He is fond of
riding, chess, dancing and all of the
sports and amusements of the day.
Notable among the pretty girls who
grace the assemblages, stroll through
the quiet street down lovers lane"
to the wishing tree or out toward the
Indian camp with the admiring COL
lege youths, are Jennie Taliaferro,
famous for her sweet voice and de-
lightful music on the spinnette;
Patsy cambridge, Sucky Potter,
Nancy Wilton, Fanny and Rebecca
Burwell and number of fair girls
celebrated for their charm and
beauty. Out of all this bevy of at
tractive femininity young Thomas JEFF
ferson singles out the lovely and fas-
cinating Rebecca Burwell for his most
ardent admiration. This noted belle
lives in handsome manor house on
the banks of the James, just seven
miles from Williamsburg. When she
is not visiting her gay friends in town
the red-headed youth mounts his
saddle horse and covers the distance
TO the home of his enamorata in
scarcely more than an hour. When
the evenings are balmy and moonlit
tney sit on the wide veranda over
looking the river, or perhaps on the
|Fterrace while he invokes the muses.
with his fiddle. During the following
TWO years of his college life the two
are constantly meeting and he loses
no opportunity of giving her many
assurances of his esteem" as he
quantity expresses himself. The
lovely Belinda presents him with a
"atch-paper Of her own cutting,
winch he "esteems much more,
though it were plain round one,
imam the incest in the world cut by
other hands,"
In December, 1852, his course of
true love meets with a setback and
ne pnilosophizes thus:
is there any such thing as hap
piness in this world? No. and as for
admiration, am sure the man who
ponoers most. perfumes most. en-
broiders most, and talks most non
sense, Is most admired. Though. to
be candid, there are some who have
too much good taste to esteem such
monkey-like animals as these in
whose formation, as the saving Is
the tailors and BARRIERS go shares
with God Almighty"
Caiamities came thick and fast
"A voracious rat chews his pocket.
book and destroys his best pair ot
blue silk garters. Harder to hear
than either of these mishaps.. the
roof leaks directly over his watch
and the water soaks in, hopelessly
wetting his precious watch-paper. Tn
H.