The Domestic Life of Thomas Jefferson Compiled From Family Letters and ReminiscencesRandolph, Sarah N. (Sarah Nicholas)
History
The Domestic Life of Thomas Jefferson Compiled From Family Letters and Reminiscences
Randolph, Sarah N. (Sarah Nicholas)
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826; Presidents -- United States -- Biography
Dear Papa--I should be very happy to see you, but I can not go
to France, and hope that you and sister Patsy are well. Your
affectionate daughter. Adieu.
MARY JEFFERSON.
Dear Papa--I want to see you and sister Patsy, but you must come
to Uncle Eppes's house.
POLLY JEFFERSON.
Mr. Jefferson's anxieties about his little daughter crossing the
ocean, and his impatience to fold her once more in his arms, are
vividly portrayed in the following letter:
_Thomas Jefferson to Mrs. Eppes._
Paris, Sept. 22d, 1785.
Dear Madam--The Mr. Fitzhughs having staid here longer than they
expected, I have (since writing my letter of Aug. 30, to Mr.
Eppes) received one from Dr. Currie, of August 5, by which I
have the happiness to learn you are all well, and my Poll also.
Every information of this kind is like gaining another step, and
seems to say we "have got so far safe." Would to God the great
step was taken and taken safely; I mean that which is to place
her on this side of the Atlantic. No event of your life has put
it into your power to conceive how I feel when I reflect that
such a child, and so dear to me, is to cross the ocean, is to
be exposed to all the sufferings and risks, great and small, to
which a situation on board a ship exposes every one. I drop my
pen at the thought--but she must come. My affections would leave
me balanced between the desire to have her with me, and the fear
of exposing her; but my reason tells me the dangers are not
great, and the advantages to her will be considerable.
I send by Mr. Fitzhugh some garden and flower seed and bulbs;
the latter, I know, will fall in your department. I wish the
opportunity had admitted the sending more, as well as some
things for the children; but Mr. Fitzhugh being to pass a long
road both here and in America, I could not ask it of him. Pray
write to me, and write me long letters. Currie has sent me one
worth a great deal for the details of small news it contains. I
mention this as an example for you. You always know facts enough
which would be interesting to me to fill sheets of paper. I pray
you, then, to give yourself up to that kind of inspiration, and
to scribble on as long as you recollect any thing unmentioned,
without regarding whether your lines are straight or your
letters even. Remember me affectionately to Mr. Skipwith, and
to the little ones of both houses; kiss dear Polly for me, and
encourage her for the journey. Accept assurances of unchangeable
affection from, dear Madam, your sincere friend and servant,
TH. JEFFERSON.
In the letter to Mr. Eppes of August 30th, which Mr. Jefferson
alludes to in the preceding, he writes:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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