 | Berkeley papers |  |
I received your letter by today's mail, and w.d be very
much inclined, if I had but the opportunity, to write about many
things. Among the changes wh. warn one of the advance of years,
none is more sensibly felt than the gradual passing away by one
cause & another of those who shared our every day thoughts and
feelings—whom we could freely commune with. It w.d have been
most agreeable to me to have restored the broken links of the
chain of my life, in some sort, by having you here among my colleagues.
I regret that the faint hope I had that this might come
to pas, is destined to be disappointed. I am disposed to think
that your reasons are satisfactory for declining to change your
residence & pursuits. There are some advantages here; but they
do not include the provision for one's family, and only in a
certain sense the education of one's children. It takes nearly,
if not quite, every copper I receive to pay my expenses. I have
labored very hard, have borne many griefs, and am growing old in
drudgery, and have yet scarcely done any thing towards laying up
a supply for a rainy day. The education of my boys is exceedingly
difficult to accomplish-chiefly because I cannot command a moment
scarcely to attend to them, being always day by day, & night by
night, prossed to the utmost of my strength by the demands of
public business. I have found the Chairmanship forced upon me
year after year—and this with my large classes makes me the
veriest slave of the public, while my children are neglected. If
I had not the conviction that my situation was ordered by providence,
I w.d hardly be able to endure it. I hope at the end of
this session to lay down, the dignity and thankless cares of this
chairman's office, although the same difficulties stand in the
way of my so doing. The Board of Visitors have been singularly
content with my administration of affairs of discipline, and
dont care, I believe, to make a change. And what makes the matter
worse, we have no one probably ( to speak to you in confidence)
that is at the same time willing to undertake the duties of
Chairman and capable of successfully discharging them. I have,
however, the written pledge of the Board that I shall be relieved
at the end of this year. Pardon this talk about myself, into wh.
I have fallen insensibly.
Maria, you know, married the Rev Mr. Broadus, who has
charge of the Baptist Church in Charlottesville. She is a member
of the Methodist Church. But the difference of Church relations
does not seem to impair the happiness of the union. They have two
children.
Mary was married last summer to Mr. Smith, who succeeded
Mr. Rogers in the chair of N. Philosophy. He is acquitting himself
so well as to meet fully the expectations of his friends.
George Tucker, our oldest son, expects, with good reason,
I hope, to take his master's degree this session. He has very
fair ability and attainments for his age. What profession he will
assume is yet to be decided. He thinks of the law. But I have no
means to set him up.
Edward Tiffin, our second son, is far more backward in his
education, and I doubt if he is going to make a scholar. I doubt
see clearly what destination I am to give him. Should I have more
time to devote to him, I may be able to solve the question-but
now I dont see the solution.
Peachey and Charley, the two next, are frequenting such
schools as I can here obtain. They have both good natural endowments,
and know some little—but nothing compared to what they
ought to know. The few hours they have of daily instruction during
the session allowing them, unlooked after by me as they must
be, to spend their time too much in idleness.
Henry William, the next boy, has learned almost nothing-although
9 years old—having had no teaching, except the little
wh. his sister Mary has forced upon him.
Bleanor Rosalie, our third daughter, is rather delicate,
and only now begins to be taught a little at home by her sister
& mother. She seems disposed to learn—but where to get a school
for her I know not. I cannot send her from home, and w.d not, if
I could.
Our youngest, Robert Lewis, is a fine boy, and is
5 years old. I would like to have the opportunity to have him
properly educated. This depends chiefly, as I see it now, upon
being freed from a part of my present duties, as does the education
of my other older boys.
I have given you a rather unpromising picture of my upper
group of boys, but I try to look forward to doing something better
for them. I have set forth some of the difficulties they have had
to contend with. I have, I believe, done as well for them as, in
my painful circumstances, I could. I am afraid it is rather unfair
to return you so gloomy a sketch for the extremely pleasant and
cheerful one you have been kind enough to give me of yrs young
circle. I except from the above remark my two oldest children. They
are most happily circumstanced, being married to men of work and
promise, and being so near to us that we see them almost every day.
They themselves have such education and lustre as fit them for
their station, and both are members of the Meth. Church. Mr. Smith
is himself a member of the Meth. Church.
My letter has become a long one, and yet I am loth to stop
here. If, however, you can read what I have written, it is well.
My wife sends her love to your wife, yourself, & family,
in wh. I heartily unite.
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