1187. CEREMONY, Yellow fever and.
—Those [in Philadelphia] who caught the
yellow fever seemed to consider every man
as their personal enemy who would not catch
their disorder, and many suffered themselves
to think it was a sufficient cause for breaking
off society with them. I became sensible of
this on my next arrival in town, on perceiving
that many declined visiting me with
whom I had been on terms of the greatest
friendship and intimacy. I determined, for
the first time in my life, to stand on the ceremony
of the first visit, even with my friends;
because it served to sift out those who chose
a separation.—
To William Hamilton.
Ford ed., vii, 441.
(Pa.,
1800)
