there was less _fix_ about you than common. I like richness of dress
but hate ribbons & bows & knots & ruffles & rigmaroles generally
speaking I dislike ornaments of any kind. To see ladies loaded with as
many foolish kickshaws as are put on now-a-days looks more like
burlesque than reality. It appears to be almost a difficult thing for
some of them to walk & they are deprived of everything like grace and
are more like awkward caricatures than human figures....
_July 28_ A peep at Miss Hart—the sister of Capt. Hull’s wife—most
horribly fashionable in her accoutrements—there she goes [a drawing
occurs here in the original with big bonnet and parasol, Plate XXXI.]
“It is a very pretty thing, no doubt, to see a young lady dressed with
Parisian flowers & Parisian gauzes & an Indian fan & the whole &c. of
fashionable array. But I question if this be after all, the style in
which a young man of any understanding sees a young lady with most
danger to his peace.” (Peter.)
[Illustration:
PL. XXXI.—PEN DRAWING FROM JOURNAL OF GEORGE Y. CUTLER
]
_July 29_ From Sir John Suckling’s poem of the wedding—
“Her feet beneath her petticoat,
Like little mice stole in and out
As if they feared the light.” (Peter.)
_July 31_ Miss M. has looked well this evening, was not as much
beruffled as common—which made her shoulders appear infinitely more to
advantage than common.
_August 6_ A person without a temper is like a knife without an edge,
says Miss M.
* * * * *
_Aug. 10_ [With picture of Miss M., Plate XXXII.] This figure looks
very much like a Miss —— not the face merely the form. Miss M. with
her cambric hat—over her face—done from memory but the portrait is
rather flattering which could not however be well avoided taking into
consideration the state of the delineator’s imaginations—the figure is
rather too straight—the bonnet does not poke up near enough to the
angle of 45°, but it is tolerably well done at least so much so that I
kiss it ever and anon.
_Aug. 18_ Miss Tomlinson (Mary Ann, daughter of Dr. Tomlinson & Sally
Hill of Guilford) mar. Rev. —— Mitchell & is now living at Stratford
Conn—(where Dr. T. was a practising physician May 16, 1809).
* * * * *
_Aug. 18_ (Evening) Miss Talmadge here—is certainly elegant—there is
no such woman in New Haven—Litchfield is certainly an extraordinary
place for beauty—the mountain air gives them the expression of health
& that is the principal ingredient—went to see her with M.—She has
been at D; was charmed with the romantic cast of the country—true—they
have reason to boast of that—it is more like my idea of
Scottish-high-land scenery than any other I have seen—but the girls
are the pride of the place. A flattering letter from Geo. Jacobs.
* * * * *
_Aug. 19^{th}_ (Morning) Am in trouble.[53]
Capt. Vose says it rained so fast in D. the other night that “it
seemed as if the clouds had tipt up.”
* * * * *
Chief Justice Hosmer is the man who disturbed me with his noise at Dr.
Catlin’s—as he roomed under me—he who offered to marry Mary Peck &
myself & made us blush—have just met him—he appeared very
jolly—“pressed my hand” very hard—& said “be as great a man as
Daggett.” A Law Case before my Justice Cupid Black Eyes versus Blue
Eyes.
* * * * *
How unfortunate it is to forget faces! I am cruelly troubled in that
way—instance the story of Betsey Burr—ask me what that was & I will
tell you. Mr. Goodrich from Georgia—an entertaining old gentleman.
* * * * *
_Aug. 31^{st}._...
I carry my gallantry so far as to say that though a woman ought never
to engage herself to a man for any great length of time before
consummation of the nuptials, if she can retain her lover without so
doing,—yet, if this is necessary, of which she is to be the Judge, &
she does so bind herself by her promise to marry, still I go to the
length of allowing her to take a better husband, or one more agreeable
to her, if she has the opportunity—I give her the liberty of violating
her engagement in lieu of her power of choice. Shall women be
compelled to take the first creature that offers himself lest they
should not find another? Shall they be compelled to love him (on the
hand) by denying, when they do not know that they shall ever see
another man in their lives, who comes near them, nor have the power of
making a selection—this I think is but a fair balance for the great
advantage which our sex possess in their opportunities to suit
themselves in this important concern—& more, if there is to be an
advantage on either side, it certainly ought not to be on
ours,—because the contract is so much more important in its
consequences to females than to males—for besides leaving everything
else to unite themselves to one man they subject themselves to his
authority—they depend more upon their husband than he does upon the
wife for society & for the happiness & enjoyment of their lives,—he is
their all—their only relative—their only hope—but as for him—business
leads him out of doors, far from the company of his wife, & it engages
his mind & occupies his thoughts so as frequently to engross them
almost entirely & then it is upon his employment that he depends
almost entirely for the happiness of his life—certainly then,
unfortunate, helpless, interesting woman ought to have all the
advantage in the matrimonial contract & instead of her present
oppression ought to be allowed to make the most of every advantage &
opportunity which fortune throws in her way—I will go further & apply
the case. I would justify any woman in treating me in that
way—provided she did it in a delicate manner—than which nothing is
more easy—& which no woman of sense & judgment would fail to do.
[Illustration:
PL. XXXII.—FROM JOURNAL OF GEORGE Y. CUTLER
]
_Sept. 1_ This day opens the autumn I love the tranquillity which
attends the falling of the leaf—I expect to pass it alone at W—[54] a
great part of it in the old lot which lies on both sides of the brook—
* * * * *
_Sept. 2._ Finished with Mr. Daggett[55]—so life is running away.
So in spite of all your severity towards me—unhappy girl—well I will
go & see you when I go to L—— & if your spirits are low, I will say
kind things to you—if not, I shall be glad to see it, & will praise
your truly almost inimitable beauty—such color has been seldom worn in
the dull looking world, & such a complexion has been seldom seen since
the days of Cleopatra.
I should suppose this P. girl might also tremble, lest she should meet
with a second misfortune of the same kind, as she is engaged to a
brother of M. A.’s sweetheart—he is going away to France—the same
reasons too will naturally operate in this case as in the other—which
can be nothing more than want of fortune & her want of family places
her a step farther than M. A. from a connection with a L. Engagements
are dangerous affairs—“reason” & love keep little company together
now-a-days—Love easily takes possession of a man, but an engagement
connected with delay is apt to cool it & when the passion is
moderated, it is easily ousted by reason—& often too by something
which ought to have less effect than reason—It is probably the
interference of friends who have caused the mishap in this case—it can
be nothing else but avarice & that is a very dishonorable reason
considering his already monstrous estate—if I was an Emperor I would
hang such a man. But perhaps there is a better side to his story, I
hope so. I remember when he first went to L [Litchfield] I was in his
room[56] opposite M. A.’s door—we were looking out & saw them, she &
the amiable Hannah—L—— remarked “I suppose these young ladies i.e.:
the ladies of this village—depend upon law students for their
husbands—I will be very careful they do not ensnare me”—within three
weeks he was engaged to M. A. & talked to me of Father W. I will write
to Fred Whittlesey & inform him of this cruel affair—I know he will
feel for the charming girl. It has been reported that L. says “he will
go to Europe with a light heart.”
_Sept. 3._ (Sunday the 17^{th} anniversary of my mother’s death.) She
was buried on Sunday.[57] After so long & so cruel a separation how
sweet t’will be to meet the spirits of our dear friends in another
world! Death is the greatest of blessings!
* * * * *
_Sept. 5^{th}_ A delightful ride to D. with my dear M. She looked
sweet, modest, interesting & good—They all appeared pleased with her
which gratified me of course. M. enjoyed the visit also. Henry & Lucy
Sheldon came there & said that H. L. had disappointed 6 ladies before
M. A. W. if so—the wretch ought to be prosecuted says Judge Reeve—Mrs.
Pyncheon told me yesterday also that Mr. L. had himself been twice
disappointed—M. A.’s feelings may be nice upon the point but her
delicacy ought not to prevent his punishment especially since her
family is not rich.
_Sept. 6_ In fine spirits. Evening saw Miss Ogden in church—an
enthusiast—....
* * * * *
A Mrs. Dickenson—a Painter’s wife from N. Y.[58] was at Butler’s this
morning (note; she was in Litchfield 8 years ago & was visited by the
students a great deal....)
_Sept. 8._ Henry & Lucy [Sheldon] also Hopkins M^cCracken. 3 P. M. Am
full of Duck & feel gloriously, thank heaven. (note: [in another hand]
an elevated cause of gratitude!)
Miss Amelia Ogden at Mr. Bristol’s.
* * * * *
“Adonization”—a word used by Peter—manufactured by him, I
suppose—from Adonis & used to express the act of “making the toilet”
or dandies say, or in other words “bucking out,” “brushing
up”—“furbishing”—“making fix” “prigging.”
Old Mr. Williams from the South—a very pleasant man too—have gratified
him by telling what an excellent lawyer his son was, who was awhile at
L. with me. Mr. Thorn from one of the West Indian Islands says
“Wilberforce had an Estate there but disposed of it before he procured
the abolition of the Slave trade.—Dam him, he ought to have been hung
25 years since.
“And Wilberforce the minister of grace,
The new Las Casas of a ruin’d race,
With Angel might opposed the rage of hell
And fought like Michael till the dragon fell.”
* * * * *
_Sept. 10._ The reason why a man puts his left leg in first when he
draws on his pantaloons, is, because the operation is such a
commonplace one that the man does not stop to call in reason to his
aid—now then acting without any principle, he is governed entirely by
his most natural feelings—& being a creature naturally averse to
exertion he does that which costs him the least trouble—now it is much
easier to lift the left leg than the right one—because the left leg
being less accustomed (for want of arduous use, which the right leg
more frequently undergoes) to being depended on,—it is borne upon with
less weight than the right. Also & moreover—the right leg by the above
mentioned use & exercise acquires a stouter character, becomes heavier
& more difficult to raise—.... [page gone here.—Ed.]
This then is the state of the case—that that faculty or quality or
ingredient or component part of the human mind which is called
reason—is not brought into operation by the act of _adonisationizing_
the legs with pantaloons, but on the contrary nature & natural feeling
are the sole agents in the deed—& the discrepancy which exists between
the government of the rules of experience & that of instinct is
apparent to every man when he puts on his pantaloons. Gen. Van
Rensalaer at table—called the Patroon of Albany, owns an estate which
extends 20 miles[59] on Hudson river including the city of Albany—a
rich, stern & reputed charitable man—very plain in dress & sober in
diet. I should call him a country Justice & perhaps a militia officer.
* * * * *
_Sept. 14._ [At New Haven] returned from an excellent ball—went with
the Lymans of course—liked Miss Woolsey as well as ever & Miss
Munson—George Jacobs—excellent fellow was with us. & a Mr. Jackson
from Middletown—a man that Miss Talmadge liked—had great fun of
course—Mr. Johnston, brother of Betsy’s—But the pleasure of Miss
Shipman’s sociability & politeness & dancing & looking at & praising
her niece Miss Jones—the sweetest girl in the room, were the substance
of my enjoyment.
_Sept. 15_ Mr. Benedict of Woodbury & his lady here—she being the
sister of Jane Tomlinson, the wit of New Haven. loaded Mr. B. off with
nectarines.
_Sept. 16._ [picture of Hector & Andromache, Plate XXXIII.] Not the
parting of Hector & Andromache but of M. & myself on Thursday morning.
The sword is not quite as crooked as it should be, & the handkerchief
at M’s face is not sufficiently particularized—But it’s a glorious
drawing—you have done nobly with your own face particularly the nose.
But why does she turn away from you?—to conceal her grief—as maiden
diffidence dictated.
_Sept. 17_ (It being Sunday wore pumps & white stockings to meeting.)
_Sept. 18_ tore my Angola pantaloons! They will be obliged to be
mended with drab—which will not quite suit their complexion. Children
of the brain are as dear as living offspring let them be never so
homely—& moreover I am acquiring quite a friendship for my law books
since they are my only associates except this my favorite crony &
patient confident.
Somebody said there was a letter in the Post Office directed to some
person in the Estate of Conn.
_Sept. 21_ to begin this great day was powdered. huzza! here we go,
the defenders of our country—but lo my horse has fallen under me & I
am with my sword in the dirt & he (careful creature) is bounding in
his turn over me without harming a hair of my head—now I am appearing
to great advantage—now the girls are falling in love with me—now at
dinner Mr. Such a thing whom Lyman & myself saw at the ball & Mr.
Law—both from Georgia there—now it is afternoon & I am bounding
about—now running our people—now my horse is fatigued—now it is
night—now I am dancing at the ball—Mr. Tomlinson there that I look so
much like & also Daniel Bacon’s daughters—Julia is handsome—now I am
at home & there is a sweet little letter from her that is dearer than
the apple of my eye or the core of my heart or the spirit of my breath
& I have read it with delight & am in bed.
* * * * *
So George M^cClellan is growing largely in Philadelphia & married to
John Brinton’s sister—it beats the Dutch.
Geo. Jacobs M. calls him my brother “in mischief & wickedness.”
[Illustration:
PL. XXXIII.—FROM JOURNAL OF GEORGE Y. CUTLER
]
(Noon) to dine with Lucy—a Miss Davenport from Stamford. At tea at
Judge Holmes. Evening a pleasant call on Miss Rogers & afterwards a
charming visit at Mary Ann W’s—how interesting! how beautiful! how
much improved in her personal appearance. I could not help telling her
my opinion—In return she reciprocated my compliments—which I always
like—she is one of the finest looking females I ever saw—she told me
of my interview with Parson Beecher at New Haven—am very sorry to have
my conduct in that affair misrepresented or misunderstood—as it is—I
never thought of treating his reverence with disrespect.
Thereby hangs a tale [this at Litchfield—E. N. V.]
A pleasant frolic at Dr. Catlin’s [North St.—E. N. V.]
Tea at Miss Collins
Evening Litchfield
Was examined for admittance to the Barr of the Court of Common Pleas &
admitted—5 other young men with me—Walter S. Franklin from Lancaster
Penn^a William T. Gould of this place & formerly a class mate of mine
at Yale—Thomas Whittlesey of Danbury, Conn—one Humphrey & one
Towny—all passed.
_Sept. 29_ took the oath of an attorney at nine o’clock in the
morning.
_Oct. 2_ in conversation with Amelia Flint.
_Oct. 10_ John Myers dead—is it he that Sarah Noyes used to talk so
much of? What an eternal talker she was! and yet always
entertaining—fine girl—I am sorry that she is so unwell as they tell
of.
_Oct. 19_ gathered my winter apples.
_Oct. 18_ letter from T. Whittlesey characteristically filled with a
burlesque translation of one of Horace’s Odes—introducing Bantam’s
river which flows gently along making eddies as it goes & says that
Taylor has been refused by Miss Swift of Windham, Taylor of
Canandaigua (afterward Chancellor Whittlesey living in Rochester N. Y.
E. P. Childs)
* * * * *
_Oct. 21_ A painful day this. Small infirmities vex me severely at
times—I don’t sit down with saint like patience—but an ague in my face
causes more grumbling & groaning than an age of real misery would—Yet
I study quite as much as when well....
_Oct. 22_ (Draft of a letter to a lady.) Take care of your health—take
exercise—attend to the affairs of the house—rise early & cultivate
your appetite—I hope to see your waist larger when I next have a view
of your otherwise charming-person—My complaint today is an ague in the
face, it is a cruel one too. I once all but died with it at
Litchfield; to cure it I go without food & take my usual remedy.
Laudanum—it is a rheumatic disease. I wish you were here to kiss my
cheek & make me well I know you would do it—would you not?
I am very sorry to hear you say a word about depression of spirits! Be
careful not to indulge yourself in repeating such things as will
excite no interest in those you may be addressing, but who will
perhaps ridicule your troubles; do not talk about the wearisomeness of
life & say you wish yourself out of the world. if such things must be
expressed put them in your book—there they will incommode no one & you
can scar them out at your leisure. I have never met with four persons
who were willing to listen to such details. When such sensations
oppress you fly from yourself, seek society, go abroad, walk or ride,
take up some hard work or read the first book that comes in your
way—or do them all—in short put your mind into a different train of
ideas.—... run to this letter if you please—when you are in your next
fit—read over this part of it, & then fly about the house until you
are much fatigued & see if your tone is not altered.
_Oct. 24_ A mineralogical compliment from Dr. A. S. M. in return for a
box of stones sent him—which I collected from the neighboring stone
walls, etc. “horizontalizing them” to use his expression, much to the
disadvantage of the agricultural interests in this part of the
country.
(Evening) was pleased to see in the Journal the marriage of Nancy
Hotchkiss [notes the death of] Elias L. Townsend, a school mate of
mine at Wolcott & a classmate for a while at College—a fine mind he
had. he wrote good poetry.
_Oct. 26_ Made my debut at pleading before Squire C—opposed by Phelps
of Woodbury in 2 cases—lost one of them—liked it on the whole.
_Oct. 27_ The name Seymour—very common among us—should be spelt
Seamer—meaning one who uses a needle.
Sec. 3 Atkins reports page 44....
_Nov. 7_ Mr. L. & myself to Woodbury. Nate (horse that is) broke loose
ran away with the gig—for a mile. Sally Porter (that was) gave us a
most excellent dinner—Fortunate man I am that the gig was not ruined.
“Like Sir John Cutler’s stockings our present Constitution is to be
darned & mended till not a speck of the original texture is left.” Ev.
Post.
It was actually so of the first ship that went round the world.
_Nov. 8_ went to chace the fox with Jo & Land in a drizzling storm of
wind.
Miss Skinner, the Gov. of Vermont’s daughter, at B. De Forest’s says
Oliver & Conard are to be married this evening at Miss Pierce’s.
* * * * *
_Nov. 12_ a terrible storm of snow, 10 inches deep & not a trifle
remarkable for the earliness of the season.
_Nov. 13_ “The Paddy sat down by a river, saying, I can cross over
soon—for it runs so fast that it cannot run long.”
_Nov. 16_ For the toothache
1 Tablespoonful of spirits
1 do vinegar
1 tea do common salt. Ev. Post.
_Nov. 18_ Mr. Daggett read me a curious letter of Old Reeve’s. Hunt
Stone surmises that L. cheated M. A. W. to revenge an insult of that
kind once offered to one of his Uncles by one of her Aunts.
_Nov. 19_ Charlotte tells me a story of Aunt Hopkins & my mother how
they used to “keep house” for Uncle Leman at L——, how they used chairs
in those days which were “worked” on the seat by their own hands. &
how a great deal of labor was bestowed upon them, & how valuable and
fashionable they were—Aunt M. was one day employed in this way & was
sitting in the Hall so that she could be seen from the street—Old
Parson Bellamy was riding that way & saw the girl thus pleasantly
situated & agreeably employed, for she was educated in industry. The
good old Priest turned his horse to the door & said, “My child, do you
know to whom it is that you are indebted for your present situation?
You have the good things of this life about yourselves & it is the
prayers of your good mother which has done this for you. I saw you all
stand like lambs about her death-bed & I thought the wolves would have
you.”
_Nov. 20_ Mr. John Stirling has been here on his way to see a
sweetheart, he looks well & is large & finely formed. Mary Ann Beers
is the name of his inamorata—he says J. K. Livingston & Charlotte
Landon are to be married this evening.
_Nov. 24_ Walter S. Franklin Esq.[60] says there was kissing done at
Charlotte Landon’s wedding—singular for so stiff & prudish a place as
L——
* * * * *
[The following extracts are from his mother’s journal transcribed in
his own.—Ed.]
“_Jan. 20, 1782._ Last Monday we had visitors from Town in Slay. we
drinkd tea then Leman sent for a fiddler. we spent the evening pretty
enough.”
She mentions John Talmadge having gone with them to a ball—the same
who now lives in Warren (1820) I suppose—he has a daughter Francis.
At another ball “Leman waited on Elizabeth Garnsey.” “Sweet Ireland”
At DERBY Jan. 20 1782.
“Just at night Leman came to us Drest & went with us slay & horses
across the river & through the snow. at length through a great Deal of
tribulation we arrived at Mr. David Deforists, where we had good
fires, good Brandy wine & wincom too—our company was not large but we
had good Musick which kept those few the busier.”
* * * * *
“_Sept. 26._ Returned from D. Sheldon’s Sister Rachel came there from
Hartford the night after I got there with Noah Webster.”
* * * * *
“It fell to Sam Sheldon to carve. he took up a rib which was taken out
of the Pork, & very impolitely tho very innocently said—that was such
a thing as woman was made of. Yea, says Polly Hopkins & (in both
cases) it was taken out of much such a creature.”
* * * * *
My mother appears to have been extremely fond of scribbling in this
way. I may have inherited some of her fondness for the quill. Would to
heaven I could have inherited her whole disposition—for I believe it
to have been one of the sweetest ever bestowed upon a mortal.
ANTICIPATION.
Why grieve at cruel, wayward fate
She yet may have in store
Some princely, pow’rful proud estate
For thee to lord it o’er.
Perhaps e’en now there lies conceal’d
Beneath tomorrow’s mystery;
Events, which when they are reveal’d,
Will place thy name in history.
* * * * *
_Nov. 28_ Went to Waterbury & tomorrow morning before daylight, shall
be obliged to be off in the cold—thro’ the snow on horseback to
Litchfield—all for this vexatious law—cursed be the day when I first
turned my face towards the fields of litigation.
_Nov. 29._ It was no killing thing either. Much worse would it be to
hang. for the moon was bright, The snow full of reflection, I full of
breakfast, & Nate full of fire. While the cocks of the country crowed
about us for musick & the stars shot this way & that about the
heavens, as if making a display of fireworks for our amusement. All
was silent. As we rose the hills & looked back upon the far distance
which ran down the valley to the south east, the two extremes of the
splendor of the united powers of snow & moonbeams & and the contrasted
darkness of the deep ravines into which light would not penetrate,
filled the whole view. I often stopped to admire the cold but
burnished beauties of the prospect & felt the magnificence of the
scene.
I found Geo. up, tho I little expected it when I turned a corner to
take a look at his window. I had little thought of seeing a light
there at that time of the night—I ran upstairs opened the door an inch
and inquired if Mr. Gibbs lived there. Then we laughed ourselves to
death & disturbed the neighbors. Mr. Chambers in the backroom inquired
who the Devil had come & being told, said, he “thought t’was him.”
breakfasted there & told stories till I thought I had told too many.
“William is indeed engaged to Miss Rodgers. Little Taylor,[61] you
remember him—he is mentioned in orator Ogilvies book as a rare
specimen has killed himself for the love of Miss Swift.”
“Your affair with Parson B. is much misrepresented here & the old
women shake their heads whenever your name is mentioned.
I do not blame myself neither does he blame me.
Aaron Burr told a student of his, to rise in the morning with this
determination—“_As I shall never see this day again I will today do
all that can be done in one day._”
“Daggett’s letter pleased Reeve & his family very much.” When I turned
my face homeward I felt the inconvenience of 3 pairs of pantaloons, 2
of stockings, 2 shirts and 2 great coats.