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

 

 

2. Mrs. Prevost'S Son.

Footnote Pg 262

 

 

3. The Unfortunate Mrs. Alston, Of Whom Much Will Be Said Hereafter.

Footnote Pg 263

 

 

4. Stagehouse.

Chapter XV Pg 264

 

 

 

From Mrs. Burr

 

 

New-York, August, 1786.

 

 

Your Letter Was Faithfully Handed Us By The Boy From Hall'S. Bartow

Has Enclosed The Papers. Those You Mentioned To Me On The Night Of

Your Departure I Cannot Forward, As I Have Forgot The Names Of The

Parties, And They Cannot Guess Them In The Office From My Description,

I Hope The Disappointment Will Not Be Irreparable.

 

 

If You Finish Your Causes Before Court Is Over, Cannot You Look At Us,

Even Should You Return To The Manor? The Two Girls Followed You To The

Stagehouse, Saw You Seated And Drive Off. Frederick'S Tooth Prevented

His Attendance. My Heart Is Full Of Affection, My Head Too Barren To

Express It. I Am Impatient For Evening; For The Receipt Of Your Dear

Letter; For Those Delightful Sensations Which Your Expressions Of

Tenderness Alone Can Excite. Dejected, Distracted With Out Them;

Elated, Giddy Even To Folly With Them; My Mind, Never At Medium,

Claims Every Thing From Your Partiality.

 

 

I Have Just Determined To Take A Room At Aunt Clarke'S Till Sally

Recovers Her Appetite; By The Advice Of The Physician, We Have Changed

Her Food From Vegetable To Animal. A Change Of Air May Be Equally

Beneficial. You Shall Have A Faithful Account, I Leave Town At Six

This Evening. All Good Angels Attend Thee. The Children Speak Their

Love. Theodosia Has Written To You, And Is Anxious Lest I Should Omit

Sending It. Toujours La Votre,

 

 

Theodosia.

Chapter XV Pg 265

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Albany, August, 1786.

 

 

Your Letter Of Thursday Evening Was Stuffed Into One Of The Office

Papers, So That I Did Not Find It For Half An Hour After I Received

The Packet, During All Which Time I Had The Pleasure Of Abusing You

Stoutly. But I Had Only Prepared Myself For The Most Delightful

Surprise. I Apologized With Great Submission.

 

 

Why Are You So Cautiously Silent As To Our Little Sally? You Do Not

Say That She Is Better Or Worse; From Which I Conclude She Is Worse. I

Am Not Wholly Pleased With Your Plan Of Meat Diet. It Is Recommended

Upon The Idea That She Has No Disorder But A General Debility. All The

Disorders Of This Season Are Apt To Be Attended With Fevers, In Which

Case Animal Diet Is Unfriendly. I Beg You To Watch The Effects Of This

Whim With Great Attention. So Essential A Change Will Certainly Have

Visible Effects. Remember, I Do Not Absolutely Condemn, Because I Do

Not Know The Principles, But Am Fearful.

 

 

Every Minute Of My Time Is Engrossed To Repair The Loss Of My Little

Book. Thank The Boys For Their Attention To The Business I Left Them

In Charge. I Wish Either Of Them Had Given Me A History Of What Is

Doing In The Office, And You Of What Is Doing In The Family. The Girls

I Know To Be Incorrigibly Lazy, And Therefore Expect Nothing From

Them. The Time Was--But I Have No Leisure To Reflect.

 

 

Thine,

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XV Pg 266

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Albany, August, Eleven O'Clock At Night, 1786.

 

 

I Have This Day Your Letter By My Express. I Am Sorry That You And

Others Perplex Yourselves With That Office Nonsense. Am Too Fatigued

And Too Busy To Say More Of It. We Began Our Catskill Causes This

Morning, And Have This Minute Adjourned To Meet At Seven In The

Morning. We Shall Be Engaged At The Same Disagreeable Rate Till

Saturday Evening. I Think Our Title Stands Favourably; But The Jury

Are Such That The Verdict Will Be In Some Measure Hazardous. I Have

Judgment For Maunsel Against Brown, After A Laboured Argument. Inform

Him, With My Regards.

 

 

Since Writing Thus Far, I Have Your Affectionate Letter By The Stage,

Which Revives Me. I Shall Not Go To The Manor. But, If I Succeed In

Our Causes, Shall Be Obliged To Go To Catskill To Settle With The

Tenants, Make Sales, &C. Of This You Cannot Know Till Tuesday Evening.

 

 

I Am Wrong To Say That I Shall Not Go To The Manor. I Am Obliged To

Attend A Court Of Chancery There. The Chancellor Had Gone Hence Before

My Arrival. I Cannot Be Home Till Thursday Evening. I Hope Your Next

Will Be Of The Tenour Of The Last. Your Want Of Cheerfullness Is The

Least Acceptable Of Any Token Of Affection You Can Give Me. Good

Angels Guard And Preserve You.

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XV Pg 267

From Mrs. Burr.

 

 

New-York, November, 1787.

 

 

What Language Can Express The Joy, The Gratitude Of Theodosia? Stage

After Stage Without A Line. Thy Usual Punctuality Gave Room For Every

Fear; Various Conjectures Filled Every Breast. One Of Our Sons Was To

Have Departed Tomorrow In Quest Of The Best Of Friends And Fathers.

This Morning We Waited The Stage With Impatience. Shrouder Went

Frequently Before It Arrived; At Length Returned--_No Letter._ We Were

Struck Dumb With Disappointment. Bartow Set Out To Inquire Who Were

The Passengers; In A Very Few Minutes Returned Exulting,--A Packet

Worth The Treasures Of The Universe. Joy Brightened Every Face; All

Expressed Their Past Anxieties; Their Present Happiness. To Enjoy Was

The First Result. Each Made Choice Of What They Could Best Relish.

Porter, Sweet Wine, Chocolate, And Sweetmeats Made The Most Delightful

Repast That Could Be Shared Without Thee. The Servants Were Made To

Feel _Their Lord Was Well_, Are At This Instant Toasting His Health

And Bounty; While The Boys Are Obeying Thy Dear Commands, Thy

Theodosia Flies To Speak Her Heartfelt Joys:--Her Aaron Safe, Mistress

Of The Heart She Adores; Can She Ask More? Has Heaven More To Grant?

"_Plus Que Jamais A Vous_," Dost Thou Recollect It? Do I Read Right? I

Can'T Mistake; I Read It Everywhere; 'Tis Stamped On The Blank Paper;

I Sully The Impression With Reluctance; I Know Not What I Write. You

Talk Of Long Absence. I Stoop Not To Dull Calculations; Thou Hast

Judged It Best; Thy Breast Breathes Purest Flame. What Greater

Blessing Can Await Me? Every Latent Spark Is Kindled In My Soul. My

Imagination Is Crowded With Ideas; They Leave Me No Time For

Utterance; _Plus Que Jamais_; But For Sally, I Should Set Out

To-Morrow To Meet You. I Must Dress And Visit To-Morrow. I Have Heard

Nothing Of The W.S. Our Two Dear Pledges Have An Instinctive Knowledge

Of Their Mother'S Bliss. They Have Been Awake All The Evening I Have

The Youngest In My Arms. Our Sweet Prattler Exclaims At Every Noise,

There'S Dear Papa, And Runs To Meet Him. I Pursue The Medicine I Began

When You Left Us, And Believe It Efficacious. Exercise Costs Me A

Crown A Day; Our Own Horse Disabled By The Nail Which Penetrated The

Joint. I Have Grown Less, And Better Pleased With Myself; Feel

Confident Of Your Approbation. W. Hastens The First Assembly. F.

Feigns Herself Lame, That She May Not Accompany M., Who Submits To

Every Little Meanness, And Bears All Hints With Insensibility. Has

Called Here Once. Clement Sailed On Monday.

 

 

Your Remark On The Shortness Of My Letters Is Flattering. This Is The

Last You Shall Complain Of. My Spirits And Nerves Coincide In Asking

Repose. Your Daughter Commands It. Our Dear Children Join In The

Strongest Assurances Of Honest Love. Mamma Will Not Be Forgotten.

Sweet Sleep Attend Thee. Thy Theo.'S Spirit Shall Preside. I Wish You

May Find This Scrawl As Short At Reading As I Have At Writing. I Am

Surprised To Find Myself Obliged To Enclose It. Adieu.

 

 

Theodosia Burr.