Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

My dear Brother,

Carr’s brook January 22nd [1823]

I recieved your letter about a week ago, and feel both sorrow and shame for the length of time which has passed since I wrote to you; I have however many excuses. My little delicate daughter and my sick husband necessarily engross so much of my time, that I have but little left for the other duties which devolve on me Mr Minor, at my instigation, has written to you three times since we heard from you before. I am particularly sorry, for the uneasiness you have experienced on his account. He travelled nearly 200 miles on his way to Kentucky, accompanied by Mary Wardlaw, who has relations in Jessamine with whom she intended to spend the winter. I felt fully confident that you, my dear Brother, would procede with him to New Orleans, and supply to him, as far as any one could, the attentions which it was not in my power to render. But both Mary and himself were so much appalled at the badness of the roads and the increasing severity of the season that they jointly agreed to return. I think it was very well that they did so; he could not have supported so long an absence from his family. His spirits are even weaker than his emaciated frame. He has lately been a little better and I fondly hope the amendment may be more permanent than those which have preceded it. The first open weather in February we shall make a visit to Mary Jane. Travelling is always of service to Mr Minor, and the milder climate of Middlesex may also be beneficial to him. Our dear Sister is well and I hear has the loveliest and sweetest boy in the world: I expect though there is a girl in the house here who is equal at least to him; and had I called her Ellen, as I was much inclined to do, may be one of her Uncles might have thought her superior. Boucher has another son—he calls him Frank. That family always enquire after you in the most affectionate manner, and your namesake Dabney T. is becoming a firstrate fine fellow I can tell you. He has almost outgrown the unfortunate defect in his face. The Dunlora folks are unremitting in their enquiries and kind wishes, and the Col: swears that though he will not commence a paper war he will give you blow for blow in it. Indeed Maria has been so much out of patience at my not writing oftener that she has threatened to “attack” you as she expresses it herself. They have a fine boy to whom they are both completely devoted.

Mr Newsum has sold his land and will remove in March to Tennessee. What a blow to Aunt Cary! What a loss too to Mary Jane!

I wish that I could keep up a personal intercourse with the family at Monticello; but I can [. . .] only give you hearsay information. Mr Jefferson broke his left arm in the fall, and it is supposed, from his advanced age, that he will never entirely recover the use of it. It has not however “cost him a day.” He [has] always appeared at meals, and never even suff[ered a] servant to make up his fire for [. . .] him. F. Eppes is married to Elizabeth Randolph. Col: R. has left Richmond with a great deal of most undeserved mortification. His message (the best, by the way I have seen for some time) was severely commented on, and much ridiculed. As a sort of unction to his wounded feelings, his countrymen are to-morrow to give him a publick dinner. Cousin P. Minor is, I believe, the father of the measure. For her “the best beloved of all” I can only learn that neither her health or spirits are very good, and that she is wholly devoted to her venerable grandfather. I have an invaluable friend and companion in Miss Jane Bell a lady who lives with us to instructs the children I entreat you, dear Dabney, to write to me oftener. Let me know what you are doing, and whether there is any prospect of my bright anticipations of your sucess at the bar, being shortly realized. John Davis is getting into [a] very lucrative practice by the way.

I wish you would occasionally fill up your pages with some of the “trifles” as you denominate them, with which you amuse your leisure hours. They will always be most acceptable to me.

Report says Uncle Dabney’s daughter Jane is engaged to Peyton Harrison; he has been studying law with her father With love to all friends Yrs: for ever & forever