Christmas at Monticello with Thomas Jefferson

Christmas at Monticello with Thomas Jefferson

Sixty-six last April, and, though his sandy red hair had merely faded instead of turning gray, there were twinges in his knees that reminded him of too many miles in the saddle, in cold rain and sleet, too many hours standing at his writing table, too much tension, not enough rest. But now he could rest. In the half-furnished rooms of the White House below, the crowd still danced at the Inaugural Ball, with the wife of the new president, sparkling, vivacious Dolly Madison, a gay and charming hostess in a sweeping white cambric dress and the inevitable enormous turban on her head. He was grateful, Thomas Jefferson was thinking as he toiled up the stairs, that he had been able to see his good friend, Jemmy Madison, inaugurated president of these new and struggling United States. But he was even more grateful that his own years of service were at an end. If only he could have left a government in peace, but, for this new nation that he had worked a lifetime to build, it appeared sadly that there could be no peace. Off the coasts of his country British and French ships prowled and battled, seizing American shipping, taking off sailors at gunpoint, confiscating cargoes. Would James Madison be able to keep the nation out of another war? he worried, as he entered the disordered bedroom where his half-packed possessions were strewn about, books stacked on the floor, papers spread over the bed. Down below in some of the empty rooms of the mansion were piled other boxes of papers already sorted and made ready to travel by barge and wagon back to his Little Mountain in Albemarle County, his beloved Monticello. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 65806
Author: Miller, Helen Topping
Release Date: Jul 9, 2021
Format: eBook
Language: English