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

Ten Miles From Town, Where I Can Spend The Greater Part Of

Every Day.

 

 

You Will Perhaps Admire That I Cannot Leave Congress As Well As

Others. This, If A Problem, Can Only Be Solved At A Personal

Interview.

 

 

You Perceive That I Have Received Your Letter Of The 18Th. It Was

Truly Acceptable, And Needed No Apology. I Do Not Always Expect

Letters Of Wit Or Science; And I Beg You Will Write Wholly Without

Restraint, Both As To Quantity And Manner. If You Write Little, I

Shall Be Glad To Receive It; And If You Write More, I Shall Be Still

More Glad; But When You Find It A Troublesome Or Laborious Occupation,

Which I Have The Vanity To Hope Will Never Happen, Omit It. I Take,

And Shall Continue To Use, This Freedom On My Part; But I Am For Ever

Obliged To Put Some Restraint On Myself, For I Often Sacrifice The

Calls Of Business To The Pleasure Of Writing To You.

 

 

 

27Th December, At Night.

 

 

This Evening I Am Suffering Under A Severe Paroxysm Of The Headache.

Your Letters, Received To-Night, Have Tended To Beguile The Time, And

Were At Least A Temporary Relief. I Am Now Sitting With My Feet In

Warm Water, My Head Wrapped In Vinegar, And Drinking Chamomile Tea,

And All Hitherto To Little Purpose. I Have No Doubt, However, But I

Shall Be Well To-Morrow. As I Shall Not Probably Sleep Till Morning,

And Shall Not Rise In Season To Acknowledge Your Kind Letters, I Have

Attempted This Line. I Am Charmed With Your Account Of Theodosia. Kiss

Her A Hundred Times For Me.

 

 

The Reports Of My Style Of Life Are, I Should Have Thought, Too

Improbable To Be Related, And Much Too Absurd To Gain Belief, Or Even

Attention.

 

 

I Have Been These Three Weeks Procuring Two Trifles To Send You; But

Am At Length Out Of All Patience With The Stupidity And

Procrastination Of Those Employed; Especially As The Principal Article

Is A Piece Of Furniture, A Personal Convenience, Which, When Done,

Will Not Cost Five Dollars. The Other Is Something Between A Map And A

Picture. Though They Will Not Arrive At The Season I Wished, They Will

At Any Season Be Tokens Of The Affection Of

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XV Pg 299

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Philadelphia, 2D January, 1792.

 

 

My Dear Theodosia,

 

 

Mr. Trumbull Is Good Enough To Engage To Deliver This. You Have Long

Known And Admired The Brilliancy Of His Genius And Wit; I Wish You

Also To Know The Amiable Qualities Of His Heart.

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XV Pg 300

To Mrs. Burr.

 

 

Philadelphia, 19Th February, 1792.

 

 

Yesterday I Received Your Truly Affectionate Letters; One Dated

Thursday Evening, The Other Without Date.

 

 

You May Expect A Host Of Such Falsehoods As That About The Indian War.

I Have Not Been Offered Any Command. When The Part I Take In The Bill

On That Subject Shall Be Fully Known, I Am Sure It Will Give Entire

Satisfaction To My Friends.

 

 

It Will Not Do For Me At Present To Leave This Place. I Shall

Therefore Expect You Here; And If You Cannot Spare The Time To Come

Here, I Will Meet You Either At Princeton Or Trenton (Preferring The

Latter) Any Evening You Shall Name. Saturdays And Sundays, You Know,

Are Our Holydays. I Can With Ease Be At Trenton At Breakfast On

Saturday Morning, Or Even On Friday Evening, If Thought More Eligible.

But I Expect This Letter Will Pass You On Your Way Here. My Rooms At

No. 130 South Second-Street Are Ready To Receive You And Mrs. A., If

She Chooses To Be Of The Party. But The Tenour Of Your Last Induces Me

To Think That You Intend A Very Short Visit, Or Rather, That You Will

Come Express. Arrange It As You Please, Provided I See You Somewhere

And Soon.

 

 

I Have A Letter From Witbeck Of A Later Date Than That By Strong, And

Of Much More Satisfactory Tenour. I Believe He Will Not Disappoint The

Expectations Of My Friends. He Requests That Some Persons In New-York

May Write To Him And Others In And About Albany, Giving An Account Of

The Expectations In Ulster, Dutchess, And The Southern District, And

Naming Persons Who May Be Corresponded With.

 

 

My Lodgings Are On The Right Hand As You Come. Drive Directly Up A

White Gate Between Two Lamps, And Take Possession. If I Should Be Out,

The Servant Will Know Where, And Will Find Me In A Few Minutes. Do Not

Travel With Any Election Partisan (Unless An Opponent).

 

 

Yours,

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XV Pg 301

To Miss Theodosia Burr.

 

 

Albany, 5Th August, 1792.

 

 

My Dear Theo.,

 

 

I Have Received Your Letter, Which Is Very Short, And Says Not One

Word Of Your Mamma'S Health. You Talk Of Going To Westchester, But Do

Not Say When Or How.

 

 

Mr. And Mrs. Witbeck And Their Daughter Talk Very Much About You, And

Would Be Very Glad To See You.

 

 

See What A Letter I Have Got From Little Burr, [3] And All His Own

Work Too. Before I Left Home I Wrote Him A Letter Requesting Him To

Tell Me What I Should Bring Him; And In Answer, He Begs Me To Bring

Mamma And You. A Pretty Present, Indeed, That Would Be!

 

 

Your Father,

 

 

A. Burr.

Chapter XV Pg 302

From Dr. Benjamin Rush.

 

 

Philadelphia, 24Th September, 1792.

 

 

Dear Sir,

 

 

This Letter Will Be Handed To You By Mr. Beckley. He Possesses A Fund

Of Information About Men And Things. The Republican Ferment Continues

To Work In Our State; And The Time, I Think, Is Approaching Very Fast

When We Shall Universally Reprobate The Maxim Of Sacrificing Public

Justice And National Gratitude To The Interested Ideas Of

Stock-Jobbers And Brokers, Whether In Or Out Of The Legislature Of The

United States.

 

 

Your Friends Everywhere Look To You To Take An Active Part In Removing

The Monarchical Rubbish Of Our Government. It Is Time To Speak Out, Or

We Are Undone. The Association In Boston Augurs Well. Do Feed It By A

Letter To Mr. Samuel Adams. My Letter Will Serve To Introduce You To

Him, If Enclosed In One From Yourself. Mrs. Rush Joins Me In Best

Compliments To Mrs. Burr, With

 

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

 

Benjamin Rush.

Chapter XV Pg 303

To Miss Theodosia Burr.

 

 

Westchester, 8Th October, 1792.

 

 

--I Rose Up Suddenly From The Sofa, And Rubbing My Head--"What Book

Shall I Buy For Her?" Said I To Myself. "She Reads So Much And So

Rapidly That It Is Not Easy To Find Proper And Amusing French Books

For Her; And Yet I Am So Flattered With Her Progress In That Language,

That I Am Resolved That She Shall, At All Events, Be Gratified.

Indeed, I Owe It To Her." So, After Walking Once Or Twice Briskly

Across The Floor, I Took My Hat And Sallied Out, Determined Not To

Return Till I Had Purchased Something. It Was Not My First Attempt. I

Went Into One Bookseller'S Shop After Another. I Found Plenty Of Fairy

Tales And Such Nonsense, Fit For The Generality Of Children Of Nine Or

Ten Years Old. "These," Said I, "Will Never Do. Her Understanding

Begins To Be Above Such Things;" But I Could See Nothing That I Would

Offer With Pleasure To _An Intelligent, Well-Informed Girl Of Nine

Years Old_. I Began To Be Discouraged. The Hour Of Dining Was Come.

"But I Will Search A Little Longer." I Persevered. At Last I Found It.

I Found The Very Thing I Sought. It Is Contained In Two Volumes

Octavo, Handsomely Bound, And With Prints And Registers. It Is A Work

Of Fancy, But Replete With Instruction And Amusement. I Must Present

It With My Own Hand.

 

 

Your Affectionate

 

 

A. Burr

Footnote Pg 304

 

 

 

1. Major Prevost, Who Was A Widower, And Whose Children Were Left In

The Care Of Mrs. Burr While He Made A Voyage To England.