Thomas Jefferson Randolph to Martha Jefferson Randolph

Dear Mother

I have waited with impatience for nearly two a month expecting to hear from some one of the family (yourself excepted) respecting my final arrangement for the winter; The house is very much crowded at present, but we experience no inconvenience from it, having a room in another, house I never see or hear the company without except at meals, when I generally go in after they are all seated & most frequently speak to no one, except Answering Aunt whos who is very solicitous to know if her Jeffy as she calls me, is helped; I am perfectly satisfyed with my situation. The school certainly does not equal my expectation[s] it will in all probability fail from Geradins Avarice once having felt the withering hand of poverty he seems determined to place himself far beyond its reach, We1 do almost as what we please in school pro Geradin da does not attend regularly & Doyle the Latin teacher is drunk every night of his life & does little but blab between the teachers & boys. My old teacher Wood for I have little to do with any other is as good better tempered than most persons, we vex him he scolds & we laugh at him, he does the greater part of the business of the other teachers the consiquence is he is obliged to neglect those immediately und[er] him & we are often obliged to tease him to hear us; I have gone half through the 4, 5, 6 & nearly finished the sixth book of Euclid, as far as involution of f in Algebra, & am goning with class in Natural philosophy & french for the pronunciation.

your affectionately
Thos J Randolph

PS I shall send up my the cotton for my shirts the next stage I want of them very much as two or three are unfit for father farther service; your watch is not done repaired yet If papa or grandpapa have Cavallo on Natural philos: I wish you would send it to me with my boyers dictionary which you will fin find in a large black trunk in my room; & my dufief My case of Mathematical instruments in the bookcase at edgehill.T these I want very much.

Adieu once more dear mother remember to papa grandpapa Ellen & the other little ones children

yours affectionately
Thos J Randolph

NB poor St luis has in spite of my exertions to save him, fallen once more & probably for the last time, in to Uncle Jacks hands

RC (ViU: Edgehill–Randolph Papers); edge-trimmed; undated.

In late October 1809, Thomas Jefferson sent his grandson Thomas Jefferson Randolph to attend the school of Louis Hue Girardin in Richmond (TJ to Louis Hue Girardin, 31 Oct. 1809 [RC in PPAmP: Thomas Jefferson Letters]).

1 Manuscript: “We we.”
Date Range
Date
October 31, 1809 to December 31, 1809
Collection
Repository