The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-06-05

is no one longer. Since you have
undertaken TO act as my attorney.
you advise me to go Immediately and
| lay siege In FORM" but he explains,
whatever assurances / may give her
In private OF my esteem for her or
whatever assurances ] may ask in
return from her, depend on II they
must be kept in private Necessity
will Obiige me 20 proceed in a method
| which Is not generally thought fair;
| that of treating with ward before
| obtaining the appreciation OF her
| guardian. say necessity Will oblige
me 10 II because I never can bear 10
| 7 main I'm suspense so long a time.
n am 20 succeed the sooner | know
| it, the less uneasness I shall have TO
20 through. If am 20 meet with
| disappointment the sooner know It,
! the more Of life I shall have TO wear
! II off; and If Belinda will not accept
! Of my service IL shall never be
offered 10 another. That she may,
pray most sincerely. but that she
will. she mover gave me reason TO
hope"
The matter OF treating with a
ward before obtaining the approba-
ton OF her guardian" seems to be
thorn In the flesh OF young Jeffer.
son, and he informs Page this is
subject worth your talking over with
her: and / wish you would, and would
transmit 20 me your whole confab
at length. | should be scared 10
death at making her so unreasonable
proposal as that Of waiting until
returned from Britain, unless she
could first he prepared for 1t. am
, afraid It will make my chance OF suc-
ceeding worse. But the event at last
must be this" he sagely philoso-
phizes, that If she consents | shall
be happy; If she does not, l must
endeaver TO be as much so as pos
sible. Perfect happiness. believe.
was never intended by the Deity TO
be the lot OF one OF His creatures in
this world; but that He has very
much put in our power the nearness
OF our approaches to 1t. is what
have steadfastly believed"
In this letter he tells Page that he
expects to be in the colonial capital
by the first OF October. (Perhaps
for the purpose OF continuing his law
studies under the famous iurist,
George Wythe. whose beautiful old
home still delights the passerby in
the historic town OF williamsburg
Jefferson communicated his desire to
Do ~ IN
mo castle, though, | assure you," he
writes, "only a small house, which
shall contain a room for myself and
another for you, and no more, unless
Belinda should think proper to favor
us with her company, in which case.
will enlarge the plan as much as
she pleases." AS he stops over in
Richmond on his journey to Will
liamsburg he writes to William Flem-
ming thus: II do not like the ups and
downs OF country life; to-day you
are frolicking with a fine girl and
tomorrow you are moping by your
self. Thank God. shall shortly be
where my happiness is less inter-
rupted."
But woe TO mems plans where wo-
mans heart is concerned. for by Oc-
tober we find him in Williams
burg beginning letter to John Page
declaring, "In the most melancholy
fit that ever poor soul was l sit down
to write to you. Last night, as
merry as agreeable company and
dancing with Belinda in the Apollo
could make me, | never could have
thought that the succeeding sun
would have seen me so wretched as
| now am! l was prepared to say
great deal. | had dressed up in my
own mind such thoughts as occurred
to me. in as moving language as l
knew how and expected to have per-
formed in a tolerably creditable man.
ner. But, good God! When | had an
opportunity OF venting them, few
broken sentences uttered in great
disorder and interrupted with pauses
{, uncommon length were the two
visible marks OF my strange confu-
sion"
However, with his usual dlscrimi-
mating Judgment and philosophical
mind, he accepts the inevitable and
a few months later. on receiving in-
telligence OF the approaching mar
riage OF the fascinating Rebecca to
his old rival. Jacqueline Amber. he
writes from Shadwell TO Will Flem-
ming: Il have been so abominabiy
indolent as not to have seen her since
last October, wherefore cannot
affirm that | know it from herself,
though am as we'll satisfied that /: is
true as il she had told me. Well, the
Lord bless her, l say! Many and
great are the comforts OF single
estate"
And so came the sudden ending
OF the youthful dream and romance
| OF Nirginas talented statesman. Ii
was nearly ten years before he relin-
( quished the comforts OF single
1 esIate" TO marry the beautiful youns
/ widow, Martha Wayles Skelton.-
! From the American Home Monthly.