Books were at all times his chosen companions.

Mr Jefferson had a most decided taste for music and great natural dispositions for it. His ear was singularly correct and his voice, though he never sang except in the retirement of his own rooms, was sweet and clear and continued unbroken to a very late period of his life. My chamber at...

With regard to Mr Jefferson’s skill on the violin ... Mr Randall’s idea that he became “one of the best violinists of his day” is a little extreme. My grandfather would I believe have disclaimed it ... we see at once that the time given to music by Mr Jefferson could never have accomplished more...

Really, my dear Nicholas, you are quite too modest and humble; you will never make your way in the world with so poor an opinion of your own merits; do you not know that with the common herd a man often passes current for the value he chooses to fix on himself & that impudence is the most...

I have always observed my dearest Mother, that your letters have a secret charm, a spell, by which vapours and blue devils are speedily expelled; in whatever mood I may be, to hear from you is like a dose of æther to an hysterical patient; I am at once animated revived, & things & persons...

I will at least begin a letter to you, my dearest mother, although I scarcely know when I shall have time to finish it, perhaps now, perhaps not until next time week. my baby has been very unwell for several days and this morning I sent for Dr Warren whose prescription seems already to have...

A letter which I received yesterday from Mary, dearest Virginia, gave me the first feeling of anxiety on the subject of Papa’s health. my impression has hitherto been that it was probably a case of dyspepsia (a complaint inherent in the Randolph constitution) & the idea of it’s being at all...

Your letter dearest mother, relieved me from some anxious thoughts which were beginning to take possession of my mind at not hearing of your arrival at Monticello. Col. Peyton mentioned in his letter to Joseph that you were not very well when you left Richmond, & my fears for your health were...

It is long, dearest Virginia, since I have written to you, because I thought you heard regularly from Mama & Cornelia, & would therefore know all that was interesting to you to know concerning your friends here; but now I shall again make a regular correspondent, for, not for worlds,...

A little miscellaneous work is about to appear in New York which will contain among other things a notice of old President Adams furnished by one of the literati of New England. a gentleman of New York, a man of Talents & a republican, has been applied to by the publisher of the work in...