Journal and Letters of Philip Vickers Fithian: A Plantation Tutor of the Old Dominion, 1773-1774.Fithian, Philip Vickers
History
Journal and Letters of Philip Vickers Fithian: A Plantation Tutor of the Old Dominion, 1773-1774.
Fithian, Philip Vickers
Carter family; Virginia -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
I was waked by _Sam_ the Barber thumping at my Door--I was dressed--In
Powder too; for I propose to see & dine with Miss _Jenny Washington_
to Day. D--n the Bugs & Chinches, says _Ben_ rolling over on the Bed,
& rubbing his Eyes, I have slept none for them--Mr Fithian, do you
rest any o-Nights? Dont these cursed Bugs keep you awake?--No Sir; for
you see I commonly sit & read til half after ten, or eleven--So that
by the Time I lay my poor Skin & Bones on the Bed, I am so much
fatigued with the tumultuous Business of the Day, & the Study of the
Evening that my sleep the rest of the night is sound & unbroken--
Priscilla hangs her head a little this morning, She looks feverish,
dispirited, sits on a low bench, with her Elbow in her Lap, & Leaning
her head upon her hand, swings backwards and forwards, just as I have
seen beautiful Quaker Girls when they are weeping at the frightful
distortions & Grimaces of some deep-inspired _Father_. But _Priscilla_
& _Tasker_ are unwell--Fanny teizes me for a Picture, I must draw her
a slip, she says, on Paper like the one I drew for Her the other Day
with my finger in the Sand--I love the little careless Girl, & will
oblige her--On the writing-Table in the School-Room I found this
morning an old Book of Esops Fables done into English Verse; In the
Margins of this Book up & Down Bob had in his scribbling Way recorded
the Names of several young Ladies of Westmorland & Richmond Counties.
I shall set them down, as I turned over the Leaves & found them--I do
not insinuate, by writing this Story, the smallest reproach to either
of the Ladies; I mention it solely to shew _Bob's_ Taste, & the
Meditations of his heart when wholly alone. In the Life of Esop, page
23, at the Bottom of the Leaf his own Name is written at full length &
in as elegant a hand as he is master of with a Dash below.
_Robert Bladen Carter._
He has in the same manner introduced it a few leaves further on, he
has done this to be a kind of Preface for what is to follow; he has
also very cleverly interspersed it with the Ladies, either that the
Ladies Names should be a foil to set his off to advantage, or that his
Name be a Foil to adorn the Ladies--In the Life of Woglog the great at
the first page
Miss Lucy Carter of Sabine-Hall.
Page 3d at the Bottom of the Leaf
Miss Lettitia Turberville of Hickory Hill.
Page 8.
Miss Betsy Carter of Sabine-Hall.
Page 9.
Miss Priscilla Carter of Nomini-Hall--his Sister:
Esops Fables Page 1st he writes the Name of the Girl he loves
above all others
Polly Tayloe the Lovely of Mount-Airy.
Page 39th Miss Betsy Lee.
Page 41.
Miss Kitty Tayloe. Mount Airy.
Page 43.
Miss Lydia Pettit has d--m'd ugly Freckles in her Face, otherways
She is handsome & tolerable--
Page 45.
Miss Betsy Gaskins.[186]
Page 47.
Miss Sally Tayloe.
Page 50.
Miss Jenny Washington of Bushfield is very Pretty.
Then he Bolts in
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