I was, & for my Life, could not avoid, being dumpish & melancholy, in the midst of Humour & Pleasantry--Smith[35] was in great Distress on Account of his approaching Examination; He is in the Senior-Class, & that Class is to be examined for their Degree tomorrow, so that he too was sour all Day.--Directly opposite to both was your Brother; he was noisy, & troublesome; We dined at Mr Irwin's. Your Brother kindly rode with us to the Ferry, where we parted; he for Mr McConkey's; We for Princeton. I am to day happy as Amusements & good-Company, in this lovely Habitation of the Muses, can render me. [35] William R. Smith, who was one of Fithian's classmates, was afterwards ordained as a Presbyterian minister. Cf. Williams, ed., _Fithian_, p. 34, fn. 2. There is yet, among my Acquaintances, a young Lady; & She is also, I firmly believe, one of your most agreeable Intimates, whose Friendship I think so valuable, & whose Manner every Way, is so peculiarly engaging, that if you should soon see her, whom you have sometimes heard me call Laura, give my Duty, my Love to her, & acquaint her with what I have often told you of her, that She is, in my undisguised Oppinion, "A Pattern for Female Excellence." Tell her also, that a singular, & very important Occurrence, which has lately presented itself to me, seems to make it necessary, if it be any how agreeable to her, She should in some Way, chosen by Herself, signify to you that I may thereby know, whether She favours or dislikes what I have told her. I assure you, Madam, so strong is the Esteem I have for that dear Girl, which certainly I shall ever retain, that neither, Place, nor Time, nor any Alteration in my Condition of Life, will blot it out. This, however, I intrust only to you, & put so great Confidence in the many Expressions of your Friendship for me, that I hope you will use your Influence to persuade her that what I write is Truth. I expect to leave Deerfield[36] & go Home next Week; But I am not determined yet upon going to Virginia. Dr Witherspoon desires & advises me to go--My Directors here seem backward, & rather unwilling.--I myself Am yet in doubt--But, on the Whole, it is probable I shall go down in October. But whether I do the one or the other I am always Yours, PHILIP. V FITHIAN. [36] Fithian was studying theology in Deerfield under the supervision of the Reverend Enoch Green, at the same time he was being taught Hebrew by Andrew Hunter, Sr., in nearby Greenwich. [JOURNAL] _Monday August 30._