| | 1 | Author: | Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Letter to Angelica Schuyler Church (February 17, 1788) [a machine-readable transcription]  | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | You speak, Madam, in your Note of Adieu, of civilities which
I never
rendered you. what you kindly call such were but the gra-
-tifications of my own heart: for indeed that was much gratified in
seeing and serving you. The morning, you left us, all was wrong. even
the sun shine was provoking, with which I never quarelled before. I
took it into my head he shone only to throw light on our loss : to pre-
-sent a chearfulness not at all in unison with my mind. I mounted
my horse earlier than common, & took by instinct the road you had
taken. some spirit whispered this to me : but he whispered by
halves only : for, when I turned about at St. Denis, had he told me
you were then broke down at Luzarches, I should certainly have
spurred on to that place, & perhaps not have quitted you till I
had seen the carriage perform it's office fully by deporting you at
Boulogne. I went in the evening to Madame de Corny's, where we
talked over our woes, & this morning I found some solace in going
for Kitty & the girls. she is now here, just triste enough to shew her
affection, & at the same time her discretion. I think I have discovered
a method of preventing this dejection of mind on any future parting. it
is this. when you come again, I will employ myself solely in finding
or fancying that you have some faults, & I will draw a veil over all
your good qualities, if I can find one large enough. I think I shall succeed in
this, for, trying myself to-day, by way of exercise, I recollected immediately one
fault in your composition. it is that you give all your attention to your
Image of manuscript page 2
Image of manuscript page 2
friends, caring nothing about yourself. now you must agree that I chris-
-tian this very mildly when I call it a folly only. and I dare say I shall
find many like it when I examine you with more sang froid.
I remember you told me, when we parted, you would come to see me at
Monticello. now tho' I believe this to be impossible, I have been planning
what I would shew you : a flower here, a tree there; yonder a grove,
near it a fountain; on this side a hill, on that a river. indeed, madam,
I know nothing so charming as our own country. the learned say it is
a new creation; and I believe them; not for their reasons, but because
it is made on an improved plan. Europe is a first idea, a
crude pro-
-duction, before the maker knew his trade, or had made up his mind
as to what he wanted. let us go back to it together then . you intend
it a visit, so do I. while you are indulging with your friends on the
Hudson, I will go to see if Monticello remains in the same place
or I will attend you to the falls of Niagara, if you will go on with me
to the passage of the Patowmac, the Natural bridge etc. this done,
we will come back together, you for a long, & I for a lesser time. Think
of this plan, and when you come to pay your summer's visit to Kitty
we will talk it over. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 2 | Author: | Alexander, Charles | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Letter to George H. Robinson, 27 November 1867 [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | You will receive
per Stmr. Wanasit 43 Bags containing
64 Bus: Corn Shipped by John Mason
/coloured/ also 13 Bags Containing Bus.
Corn Shipped by James Beverly /coloured.
There are seven bags remaining of the lot
sent down by you yesterday which will
be filled with corn and sent to you by
Wanasit on Sunday next, sent shipped to you by
William Robertson /coloured/ who requests
me to ask you to send him Twenty /20/ bags
by the Boat on friday next to hold the balance
of the corn he has on hand, John Mason
wishes you to sell his corn and retain
the money in your hands until he calls
for it —
William Robertson wishes you to sell
to sell his corn and pay the money to
John Mason. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 3 | Author: | Anonymous | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Contract for indenture of Susan, a girl of five years; August 19, 1865 [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | This Indenture, made this 19th day of August, in the year
Eighteen hundred & Sixty five between 1st Lieut. Ab S Dial A.A.A. Gen'l
J. B. 7th Dist. Va. of the one part, and John F. Hawkins of the
County of Bedford of the other part, Witnesseth, That the said
Lieut Ab S Dial &c. &c. by virtue of the authority in him
vested as Military (Commandant
agent aforesaid, hath put and bound, and doth by These
Presents, put and bind Susan— a free Girl of color, of the said
County, and being of the age of Five years, to be Apprenticed to the
said John F Hawkins to learn the Business of a
house servant, and with him to dwell and remain and serve until She, the
aid Susan —, shall obtain the age of Eighteen
ears; during all which time, she, the said Susan—,
— —
faithfully shall serve and obey, all secrets keep, and all lawful
commands willingly do and perform; and shall not absent herself from the service of
her master day or night, without his leave; but shall, in all things, as a faith-
ful Apprentice, behave herself towards her master, and all his family, during the said
term: and the said John F Hawkins doth hereby covenant, promise and
agree to, and with the said Lieut A. S. Dial &c and his succeſsors in office,
that he the said John F Hawkins will instruct said Apprentice in the
business of a houseservant (which now
Ann useth), shall and will
teach and instruct, or cause to be taught and instructed in the best manner that he can,
and shall and will provide and allow unto the said Apprentice, during all the said term,
competent and sufficient meat, drink, washing lodging, apparel, and all other things ne-
ſsary for the said Apprentice to have, and that he will well and truly pay
to the said Susan — at the end of —her—
term of apprenticeship aforesaid, the sum of Twenty — dollars, lawful money of
Virginia; and that during the term aforesaid —he— will instruct,
or cause to be instructed, the said Susan, in reading, writing and
arithmetic, as far as the Rule of Three. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 6 | Author: | Brown, Charles Brockden, related material: Anonymous | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Quaker testimony against Charles Brockden Brown, 1805 February 20 | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | At a monthly meeting of friends of Philadelphia
for the Southern District held the 20th of 2mo. 1805.—
The following Testimony against the conduct of Charles
Brockden Brown was united with and a committee
appointed to deliver him a copy out— | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 7 | Author: | Armitt, Elizabeth | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Will of Elizabeth Armitt [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | I Elizabeth Armitt of the City of
Philadelphia Widow being through Divine
Favour in good health and of Sound
Disposing mind and memory Do make
this my Last Will and testament in
maner following Item I give &
bequath to
my great grand Daughter Elizabeth Waln Wiſter
my Silver tankerd marked EL Item
I give and bequeath my part of the meſsuage
and Lot where I now Dwell with the
appurtenances and also all my household
furniture and Plate except what is before
given. unto my grandson Charles Brockden
Brown his heirs and
aſsines in trust, as to
the furniture and Plate to and for the separate
Use of my Daughter Mary Brown Item
and as to the meſsuage and Lot in truſt to
and for the Separate Use of the said Mary
Brown Item I give and bequeath to my Said
Daughter Mary Brown all my waring
Apparel. Item I hearby Authorise and
Impower my Exceutors on the Surviver
of them to Sell and convey my Ground rent
of fourteen Pounds per year payable by
Thomas Wright and my Meſsuage and Lot
situate on the weſt Side of Second Street
bounded Northward by ground Late of Conrad
Pidgen and Southward by ground Late of Joshua
Fiſher and require them to pay the Intereſt on
the Sum for which it is Sold to
my Grand Son Charles Brockden Brown in trust
to and for the separate use of my
Daughter Mary Brown, and after her
decease to Divide the Said Sum the one
half betwen the Children of my Said
Daughter Share and Share alike and the other
half betwen the Children of my Late
Daughter Elizabeth Waln Share and Share
alike. Item in case my Excutors Shall
not Sell my Said Ground rent and meſsuage
and Lot of Grownd I give and Devise the
Same to my Grand Son x Charles Brockden Brown
to and for the Separate use of My Said Daughter
Mary Brown During her Life. I will that
after her Death the one half of my Said Eſtate
be Divided between the Children of My Said
Daughter Mary Brown or the Surviors Share and Share alike
and the other half of my Said Estate be Divied
betwen the Children of My Late Daughter
Elizabeth Waln or the Surviors Share and Share alike.
Laſtly I nominate and appoint my Son
in Law Richard Waln and my Said Grand
Son Charles Brockden Brown Exceutors of
this my Last Will and tastatment hearby
revoking all Wills by me heartofore Maide
and it is My Earneſt Decire and requeſt that
My Children and Grand Children Live in Love
as becomes the followers of Chriſt | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 8 | Author: | Brooke, B. S. | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Letter to John T. Blake, November 1859 [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | I am happy to inform you of my
safe arrival in this place, found all well
and glad to see me.
I have nothing of importance to communicate
the times seem hard, money scarce, but not
quite so bad as in Greenbrier for here you can
get plenty to eat for the money—and at rather
reasonable prices. I see by the paper this
morning that Cook has been convicted —
Stevens has been handed over to the
U.S authority
and will doubtless be tried in Staunton.
There is considable excitement ment here in
reference to this insurrection. Many persons
are selling, and sending their negros to
the South.
My kindest raguards to your Mother & Sister
I have no news to give you. I read none
I thought I would write you a line to let
you know of my safe arrival — Love to —
all | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 9 | Author: | Brown, Charles Brockden | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Letter to John Hall, Philadelphia, November 21,
1806 [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | I should deserve to be entirely discarded from your good opinion
if I did not take an early opportunity of replying to your last
kind letter just received. I sincerely hope you will not allow a
negligence which is constitutional & impartial which
has lately found some excuse in the pressure of a good deal of
business, to exclude me from your friendship. I will not
promise to do better for the future, because the strongest
resolutions are sometimes unavail=ing, & promises unexecuted
are only covert insults. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 11 | Author: | Child, Lydia Maria Francis, 1802-1880 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Letter to John Sullivan Dwight, 1844 April 23 | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | It would be uninteresting to recount the
manifold little hindrances, which have delayed my an-
-swer to your refreshing and most welcome letter. Suffice
it to say, that it has not been because I do not always
carry the memory of you in my heart. You are one of
the few whom I want to go into heaven with, and stay
near forever. Your letter exhilerated me like a
shower-bath. It made me feel more cheerful and strong
for weeks after. I am glad my letter about Ole Bulbul
found such an echo in your soul. It is a proof to me that
I struck a chord in the "everlasting chime". If I did
say "the very best thing that was ever said about music",
it must have been Ole Bulbul's violin that told it
to me. You, unfortunately, know so much,
that this Shakespeare of the violin may not delight you
as he did me. I have known nothing like it, in my ex-
-perience of pleasure. Perhaps none but the ignorant
could feel such a rush of uncriticising, overwhelming
joy. Connoisseurs give the palm to Vieux Temps; but
I persist in my belief that France made him, and
Mr. Child is still at Washington, or he would send a
heart full of kind remembrance.
God made Ole Bull. I have certain theories about the
nations, which makes it difficult for me to believe that
France ever goes very deeply into the heart of things,
though her mechanism of all the external of man and
of society is most perfect. The application of this theory
may, of course, be very unjust to individuals. Shall I
confess my weakness ? I am not quite willing to be con-
-vinced that the genius of the French minstrel equals
that of the Norwegian. I can not explain exactly why;
except that my imagination has anointed and crowned
Ole Bull king of the realms of sound, and is willing to
admit no rival. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 12 | Author: | Child, Lydia Maria Francis, 1802-1880 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Letter to Samuel Stillman Osgood, 1842 | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | This is the young
friend of whom I spoke to you.
His inclination to cultivate your
art is very strong, and he has in-
-telligence, quickness of perception,
and it appears to me an uncommon-
-ly correct eye for outline. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 13 | Author: | Child, Lydia Maria Francis, 1802-1880 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Letter to Frances Locke, n.d. [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | In looking around my humble little
parlour for some memento of our cottage to bestow upon
you, I could think of nothing more appropriate than my
perfectly proportioned inkstand and arrowy pen. They
have little value in themselves, but they come from one
whose heart is full of sincere affection for you.
God bless you, my dear young friend, and preserve
that pure simplicity of character, which makes you
such a diamond in the desert of this pretending world. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 14 | Author: | Child, Lydia Maria Francis, 1802-1880 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Letter to Lucy Ann, April, 1878 [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | It would be
more proper to write Dear Miſs
Brooks; but, in memory of the old
times, when I called you Mam'selle
Sac, such an address seems too
formal. Moreover, it does not
represent the affectionate feelings
with which the memory of you is
surrounded. So, though we are both
white-headed, let the girlish epithet
remain. We are both children in
heart. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 16 | Author: | Child, Lydia Maria Francis, 1802-1880 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | The Rebel Faulkner [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | This gentleman is now a prisoner at Fort Warren; having taken
up arms against the U.S. for the purpose of establishing a
government avowedly based on Slavery, and for the sake
of with the explicit avowal that Slavery shall be introduced
and sustained all over the continent. To judge how he has
fallen, it is only necessary to read his own description of the
baneful effects of Slavery. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 17 | Author: | Child, Lydia Maria Francis, 1802-1880 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Letter to Mr. Higginson, 1859 July 4 | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | I am sorry I wrote
to you about feeling lonely; for from what
I hear, I judge that it troubled your kind
heart. Now I beg leave to inform you that
cheerfulness is my normal condition. I am
too busy doing all sorts of things, to find
much time to be lonely. Then my passion
for cultivating flowers is so intense, and
my interest in the habits of every little
bird and beast is so amusing, that I
seldom lack company. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 18 | Author: | Cooper, James Fenimore | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Preface and initial pages of The Pathfinder [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | The plan of this tale is old, having suggested itself to the writer, many years since
though the details are altogether of recent invention. The idea of associating seamen and
savages, in the incidents that might be supposed characteristic of the Great Lakes,
having been mentioned to a publisher, the latter obtained something like a pledge
from the author, to carry out the design at
some future day whose pledge is
now tardily and imperfectly redeemed. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 19 | Author: | Cooper, James Fenimore | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Preface to the Water Witch [a machine-readable transcription] | | | | Published: | 1996 | | | | Description: | It was a bold attempt to lay the scene of a work like this, on the coast of America. We have had
our Buccaneer on the water, and our witches on the land, but we believe this is the first time
occasion on which the rule has been reversed. After an experience that has now lasted more than twenty
years, the result has shown that the public prefers the original order of things. In other words, the book
has proved a comparative failure. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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