Memoirs Of Aaron Burr, Volume 1, Matthew L. Davis [book club suggestions .txt] 📗

Chapter XIV Pg 252

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Chester, 8 O'Clock, 20Th May, 1785.

 

 

Worse And Worse. During The Whole Day We Have Not Been Five Hours At

Business. Our Witnesses Are So Aged, And Many So Remote, That They

Will Not Be In Till Monday, So That, At This Rate, We Shall Eke Out

The Whole Of Next Week. I Have At No Time Been So Completely Out Of

Patience; Just Now Particularly, Being A Little Churlish With My

Headache, Which, Though Not Very Severe, Unfits Me For Any Thing But

Writing To You.

 

 

I Wrote You And The Whole Flock Last Evening, And Added A Line To You

This Morning, And Sent Off The Packet By A Mr. Brown, Who Goes By

Water, And Promised To Deliver It Him-Self. He Has Business At Old Mr.

Rutherford'S. If He Is Punctual, Don'T Forget Him In Thinking Of The

Letters. Do Say Something That Will Make Me A Little More Content With

This Vexatious Delay And Imprisonment. I Am Prompted To Write A

Hundred Things Which I Dare Not, For Fear I Shall Not Find A Safe

Conveyance: That Was Particularly The Case Last Evening And This

Morning. It Is Perhaps Fortunate, Or I Should Spend Too Much Time With

You In This Way. I Believe I Do As It Is. Adieu, A Little While. I Am

Just Going To Prepare Some Hot Punch.

 

 

Ten O'Clock.

 

 

I Have Been Till This Minute Making And Sipping Punch, And With Great

Success. It Has Thrown Me Into A Perspiration, Which Obliges Me To Go

To Bed. I Am Very Illy Reconciled To Leave You And Bid You Good-Night,

But So Says My Hard Lot.

 

 

Saturday Morning, 8 O'Clock.

 

 

I Lay Awake Till After Three O'Clock This Morning; Then Got Up And

Took A Large Dose Of Medicine. It Was Composed Posed Of Laudanum,

Nitre, And Other Savoury Drugs, Which Procured Me Sleep Till Now: Have

No Headache; Must Eat Breakfast, And Away To Court As Fast As

Possible.

 

 

Saturday Evening.

 

 

Every Thing Almost Stands Still. I Begin To Despair Of Getting Away. I

Am Sure The Whole Of Next Week Will Not Finish Our Business At The

Present Rate. To Make It More Tedious And Disagreeable, Some Of Us Are

Less Good-Humoured Than At First. Not A Line From You Since That I

Have Mentioned. I Can Find No Opportunity For This. I Am Too Vexed To

Utter One Sentiment.

 

 

Sunday, 22D May.

 

 

No Opportunity For This Scrawl Yet. I Begin To Be Tired Of Seeing It,

And Wish It Gone For This Reason; And Also, Because I Try To Persuade

Myself You Would Be Glad To Receive It.

 

 

To-Day We Have Fine Scope To Reflect How Much Better We Might Have

Employed It, Had We Been Active In Our Business Last Week. I Find The

Whole Might Have Been Finished By Yesterday (If The Witnesses On Both

Sides Had Been Ready) As Well As A Month Hence.

 

 

My Room Is A Kind Of Rendezvous For Our Side: Have Seldom, Therefore,

Time Either To Think Or Write, Unless At Night Or Early In The

Morning. Judge Yates Concludes To Give Us A Few Days Of His Company,

And To Accept Of A Room With Us. The Coming Of Le Jeune Uncertain; Not

Probably Till Fall. You Will Receive A Pail Of Butter, Perhaps, With

This. I Have Been Contracting For The Year.

 

 

Have You Done Running Up And Down Stairs? How Do You Live, Sleep, And

Amuse Yourself? I Wish, If You Have Leisure (Or, If You Have Not, Make

It), You Would Read The Abbe Mably'S Little Book On The Constitution

Of The United States. St. John Has It In French, Which Is Much Better

Than A Translation. This, You See, Will Save Me The Trouble Of Reading

It; And I Shall Receive It With Much More Emphasis Par La Bouche

D'Amour. Adieu. I Seal This Instantly, Lest I Be Tempted To Write

More. Again Adieu.

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XIV Pg 253

From Mrs. Burr.

 

 

New-York, May 22D, 1785.

 

 

Your Letter By Mr. Bayard Was Brought Me On Saturday, And The First I

Had Received Since The One By Mr. Marvin Till To-Day. Mr. Brown Very

Punctually And Civilly Came With Your Welcome Packet Of Thursday, Nine

O'Clock. It Was Just Before Dinner; The Children Were Dispersed At

Different Employments. I Furnished The Mantelpiece With The Contents

Of The Packet. When Dinner Was Served Up They Were Called. You Know

The Usual Eagerness On This Occasion. They Were All Seated But Bartow,

When He Espied The Letters; The Surprise, The Joy, The Exclamations

Exceed Description. The Greatest Stoic Would Have Forgot Himself. A

Silent Tear Betrayed Me No _Philosopher_. A Most Joyous Repast

Succeeded. We Talked Of Our Happiness, Of Our First Of Blessings, Our

Best Of Papas. I Enjoyed, My Aaron, The Only Happiness That Could

Accrue From Your Absence. It Was A Momentary Compensation; The Only

One I Ever Experienced. Your Letters Always Afford Me A Singular

Satisfaction;--A Sensation Entirely My Own; This Was Peculiarly So. It

Wrought Strangely On My Mind And Spirits. My Aaron, It Was Replete

With Tenderness! With The Most Lively Affection. I Read And Re-Read,

Till Afraid I Should Get It By Rote, And Mingle It With Common Ideas;

Profane The Sacred Pledge. No; It Shall Not Be. I Will Economize The

Boon. I Will Limit The Recreation To Those Moments Of Retirement

Devoted To Thee. Of A Sudden I Found Myself Unusually Fatigued. I

Reflected On The Cause, And Soon Found I Had Mounted The Stairs Much

Oftener Than I Could Possibly Have Done On Any Other Occasion.

 

 

I Am Vexed With My Last Letter To You; 'Tis Impossible For Me To

Disguise A Single Feeling Or Thought When I Am Writing Or Conversing

With The Friend Of My Heart. I Hope You Have Attended Only To The Last

Paragraph, And Avoided All Unnecessary Anxiety For Her Who Wishes To

Be A Constant Source Of Pleasure To Thee. I Have Been In Good Health

Since Saturday Morning. Since Yesterday, Unusually Gay And Happy;

Anticipating A Thousand Pleasures, Studying Every Little Arrangement

That Can Contribute To Thy Comfort. This Wet Weather Is A Bar To Any

Essential Progress. The Walls Are Still Too Damp To Admit Of Either

Paint Or Paper. I Have A Bed Ready For The Judge; _Ne Vous Genez Pas

La-Dessus_. I Am Afraid Some Foolish Reflections In My Last Will

Embarrass You. Your Affection And Tenderness Has Put Them To Flight.

"Let Nothing Mar The Promised Bliss." Thy Theo. Waits With

Inexpressible Impatience To Welcome The Return Of Her Truly Beloved.

Every Domestic Joy Shall Decorate His Mansion. When Aaron Smiles,

Shall Theo. Frown? Forbid It Every Guardian Power.

 

 

Le Jeune Perplexes Me No Longer. I Am Provoked With Myself For Having

Repeated It To You. Your Dear Little Theo. Grows The Most Engaging

Child You Ever Saw. She Frequently Talks Of, And Calls On, Her Dear

Papa. It Is Impossible To See Her With Indifference. All Moves As You

Wish It. All Count The Passing Hours Till Thy Return. Remember, I Am

In Good Health And Spirits; That I Expect The Same Account Of Yours.

To Think Of Me Affectionately Is My First Command; To Write Me So, The

Second. Hasten To Share The Happiness Of Thy Much Loved And Much

Loving

 

 

Theodosia.

Chapter XIV Pg 254

From Mrs. Burr.

 

 

New-York, August 28Th, 1785.

 

 

The Enclosed Was To Have Gone Yesterday, But The Intended Bearer

Disappointed Me. Young ---- And His Companions Have Just Left Us; At

Tasting Your Madeira He Pronounced You A D----D Clever Fellow. Your

Merit Increased With The Number Of Glasses; They Went Away In

Good-Humour With Themselves And The Hostess. O My Love, How Earnestly

I Pray That Our Children May Never Be Driven From Your Paternal

Direction. Had You Been At Home To-Day, You Would Have Felt As Fervent

In This Prayer As Your Theo. Our Children Were Impressed With Utter

Contempt For Their Guest. This Gave Me Real Satisfaction.

 

 

I Really Believe, My Dear, Few Parents Can Boast Of Children Whose

Minds Are So Prone To Virtue. I See The Reward Of Our Assiduity With

Inexpressible Delight, With A Gratitude Few Experience. My Aaron, They

Have Grateful Hearts; Some Circumstances Prove It, Which I Shall

Relate To You With Singular Pleasure At Your Return. I Pity A. C. From

My Heart. She Will Feel The Folly Of An Over Zeal To Accumulate.

Bartow'S Assiduity And Faithfullness Is Beyond Description. My Health

Is Not Worse. I Have Been Disappointed In A Horse; Shall Have Pharaoh

To-Morrow. Frederick Is Particularly Attentive To My Health; Indeed,

None Of Them Are Deficient In Tenderness. All Truly Anxious For Papa'S

Return; We Fix Tuesday, Beyond A Doubt, But Hope Impossibilities.

 

 

I Had A Thousand Things To Write, But The Idea Of Seeing You Banishes

Every Other Thought. I Fear Much The Violent Exertions You Are Obliged

To Make Will Injure Your Health. Remember How Dear, How Important It

Is To The Repose, To The Life Of

 

 

Theodosia.

Chapter XIV Pg 255

From Mrs. Burr.

 

 

New-York, August 29Th, 1785.

 

 

As Soon As Tuesday Evening Came, I Sent Repeated Messages To Cape'S,

Who Persevered In The Answer Of There Being No Letter. I Slept Ill;

Found My Health Much Worse In The Morning; Rode Out; In Spite Of

Exercise, Continued Ill Till Your Dear Letter Was Handed Me. I

Immediately Called For Refreshment, And Imagined I Had Recovered My

Health; My Sensations Still Tell Me So. Ten Thousand Thanks For The

Best Prescription That Ever Physician Invented. I Ride Daily;

Breakfasted With Clem. Clarke This Morning, Who Has Scarce A Trait Of

Himself. He Neither Knows Nor Cares For Anybody But His Son, Who Is

Three Years And A Half Old, Fair Hair, But Not Handsome; Much

Humoured; Is Introduced As A Pet Of The First Value. Aunt More In

Temper Than Was Expected. He Dines Here To-Morrow With The Two Blakes.

I Felt No Other Compulse To Notice Them Than Your Wish.

 

 

Our Little Daughter'S Health Has Improved Beyond My Expectations. Your

Dear Theodosia Cannot Hear You Spoken Of Without An Apparent

Melancholy; Insomuch That Her Nurse Is Obliged To Exert Her Invention

To Divert Her, And Myself Avoid To Mention