Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

I almost despaird of hearing from You The hope of being an agreeable corrispondent to a young man never never enter’d my mind but as you had thrown the gauntlet and I accepted the challange [. . .] I anticipated much pleasure from your letters as being not only entertain’g but a [. . .] vehicle that wou’d convey to me all the family occurences more frequently than I cou’d expect to obtain them from your dear Mother or sisters but your procrastinating foible will I fear still keep my restless sperit in a state of inquietude which is always the case when I am long with out hearing for be assured my heart is deeply interested in the welfare of a family I sincerely love and respect but your occupation and diffidence are both against me, so you have become a tax gatherer, before the Land, without deriving any profit from it, which is not so consolatory an Idea as if your labours were productive of some advantage to your Self as well as the public but it will have one good effect it will prevent ennue and give you habits of industry that may ensure you, if not great riches at least independence. fortune will take a turn by and by If I was as young as you are and as capable I wou’d not mind her powers the next turn of the wheel may be in your favor, never despair respect your self and be industrious is all that is necessary tho I have experienced sufficient to depress most minds I have never despaird, for God proved a friend to me by supporting me through all the vicissitudes that has attended my eventful life and has given me cause to rejoice as well as to mourn I dont know when my feelings have been more gratefully operated upo[n] than they were by a letter I received from my daughter a few days since which for the first time for several years gave me assurences of her happiness she is now Madame St Julian De Tourneillon, who the Gentleman is I know not for a letter which she refers me to never reached me from his name he must be french but whether a native of Louisiana I can not conjecture for I never heard his name before The Boys are excessively attach’d to him Nicholas writes me that they are made very happy by their Mothers marriage that they have now a Father friend and protector that Mr Tourneillon is temperate mild and industrious for he rises every day before the sun and superintends the Negroes clearing ground and has great hopes of making a fine crop next year and will place Browse at college with him that they only want my society to render them compleatly happy Nicholas wrote the 15th of October the marriage took place on 25th Sept his vacation gave him the opportunity of being present, his Mothers letter dated 25th October containd a letter from the President of the College wherein he regrets her not being at the examination that she might have had the pleasure to place the crown upon the head of her Son that he received a premium in the translation class and the crown in the mathamatical Class the premium was his, the crown was to be contended for the next year the letter is in french and the hand makes it rather difficult for either my niece or Mr Gilmer to translate but I have the satisfaction to learn that he has been honord his Mother says the improvement in his character exceeds her most sanguine expectations that he has grown in the last year five inches and is as broad as he is long with a Northern complexion and as wild as a Deer that I wou’d not suppose that he had been a Student the last year that her only regret is, that I am not there to share in their happiness Mr Tourneillon desires that she will say every thing in their joint names to induce me to pass the re[mai]nder of my days with them and what ever Money [is ne]cessary for my expences to draw on her and my bill [sh]all be duly honord and that Mr T desired her to say that if I wishd to dispose of my half of the Plantation that he wou’d purchase it it has long been her earnest wish to make me that offer as the only means of making me independent of my friends for my private expences which she knows is necessary to my happiness and begs that I will not permit the interest of my Grand sons to deter me as it is for them he wishes to buy it—This intelligence is for your Mother, as I dont immagin you can feel much interest in those you are unacquainted with unless the goodness of your heart