Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

My very Dear Grand Sons letter of the 23d of Sept has been longer than [. . .] usual un acknowledged but I had nothing to communicate worth the Postage, Browse had been nearly five weeks without paying me a visit there was Some excuse for his not coming, the weather was bad for Several days and Mores creek very high Mr Jeffersons Horses all sick with the sore mouth which has been the means of disappointing the family of their visit to Poplar Forest where they ment to spend three months except Mrs Randolph who only was to stay about ten days and the carriage she returnd in, was to take Virginia and my self to Bedford but the premature winter renders it too cold to travil even if no other impediment was in the way there is no carriage to be hired in Charlottesville and Browse wou’d not hearken to my proposal of taking the Stage to Staunton and hiring a carriage there to take me to Bedford, however I am more reconciled to the disappointment since your letter to your Brother contain’d hope of your visiting Albemarle in July and my friends at Ridgeway and this family indeed all I have denominated such, have press’d me to remain longer among them I have every reason to be thankful for their Hospitality and kindness, to part from them will wring my heart for I expect it will be the last visit I shall make to Albemarle. some times I am prone to wish I was rich enough to keep a carriage of my own, but it is only a transient wish: unattended by hope I ought to be thankful for the comforts I enjoy which are beyond my deserts and I am for it never was my disposition to be dissatisfied with my lot wich is favorable in comparison with thousands who had greater merit than I ever had, tho I have met with my troubles but have never known want, my spirits are good and my health is improving tho my memory is weakend and I am sensible of the imbecility attendant on old age, Browse wrote you a long letter while he was here about a week since I did not see it, but presume he mentiond that he had the pleasure of seeing Judge Cooper at Monticello also a great mathematician a Mr Cutbush lately from Europe where he had been for his improvement in science and from all account had attended to nothing else Epps and Baker are gone to Columbia but Browse had not detirmined when I saw him, to go there he is anxious to be nearer you and he is afraid that he shall find some difficulty in getting remittances but on that score I make no doubt there will be less difficulty than he thinks as Charleston is a place of Trade and any thing directed to the care of Mr Isaack Course in that City wou’d be transmitted to him beside I believe there is less danger of getting a fever there than in any of the large Cities and there their having a vacation of three month every year will give an opportunity for the Students to visit their friends but Browse says it will be attended with expense to make long journeys, better that than paying Doctors Bills, I am sorry that he is losing time for want of getting his Remittances to clear out, the kindness of Mrs Randolph can never be erased from my mind—I received a letter last week from your Mother date 26th Sept she says that no one will accept the Post Office at Donalsonville the Mail is opend on the other side of the river at Bringiers, she had Sent a Check for 250 Dollars to Mr Nott which he did not Receive and they were anxiously waiting an answer to a letter she wrote on the 19th enclosing another Check for the same amount She is afraid that it will be the means of retarding my journey to Bedford—They were all well and had the prospect of a good Crop for which I am truly thankful I presume that Browse informd you of the Death of Wilson Nicholas a very unexpected event to the family tho they had every reason to expect that he wou’d not live many months he expired sitting in his chair just after he got up and dress’d in the morning he died without a struggle or a groan at Jefferson Randolphs and was buried at [. . .] Monticello I am told that Jefferson R was extremely effected at his funeral but I presume Browse as he was there will have informd you of all the incidents that occur at the Mountain I had the pleasure of seeing Mildred Nelson and her husband his Mother and two sisters her Mother and three children they came on Saturday Morning we all went to church and they dined at the Parsons and returnd to Belvoir Mildred had just recoverd from a Typhus fever she lookd very pale her husband is of the same name a first Cousin and dont look older than her self, Mrs Nelson I had not seen since Mildred was a baby she enquired after you I suppose she has seen you, we are all in good health at present at Farmington tho Mr D has had several spells of the head ache he talk’d of going some where to the South and take Mrs D with him but I have heard nothing of it lately They sent the carriage for me on the 6th 3 days after Lucy Minor had another Boy she was remarkably well and Mr Minors sister Louisa had come to stay with her during her confinement so that I was easy about leaving her She wrote me that they expected me spend part of my time with them as Dinner is going in I must bid you Adieu may God bless and preserve you and believe me ever your affectionate