give only a natural expression to
the feelings which all his grand-children had for him, when she prettily
calls him their good genius with magic wand, brightening their young
lives by his kindness and his gifts.

Indeed, the account which these volumes give of Monticello life is very
interesting. The house was a long brick building, in the Grecian style,
common at that time. It was surmounted by a dome; in front was a
portico; and there were piazzas at the end of each wing. It was situated
upon the summit of a hill six hundred feet high, one of a range of such.
To the east lay an undulating plain, unbroken save by a solitary peak;
and upon the western side a deep valley swept up to the base of the Blue
Ridge, which was twenty miles distant. The grounds were tastefully
decorated, and, by a peculiar arrangement which the site permitted, all
the domestic offices and barns were sunk from view. The interior of the
mansion was spacious, and even elegant; it was decorated with natural
curiosities,--Indian and Mexican antiquities, articles of _virtu_, and a
large number of portraits and busts of historical characters. The
library--which was sold to the government in 1815--contained between
nine and ten thousand volumes. He had another house upon an estate
called Poplar Forest, ninety miles from Monticello.

Mr. Jefferson was too old to attempt any new scientific or literary
enterprise, but as soon as he reached home he began to renew his former
acquaintances. His meteorological observations were continued, he
studied botany, and was an industrious reader of three or four
languages. When nearly eighty, we find him writing elaborate
disquisitions on grammar, astronomy, the Epicurean philosophy, and
discussing style with Edward Everett. The coldness between him and John
Adams passed away, and they used to write one another long letters, in
which they criticized Plato and the Greek dramatists, speculated upon
the end for which the sensations of grief were intended, and asked each
other whether they would consent to live their lives over again.
Jefferson, with his usual cheerfulness, promptly answered, Yes.

He dispensed a liberal hospitality, and in a style which showed the
influence of his foreign residence. Though temperate, he understood the
mysteries of the French _cuisine_, and liked the wines of Medoc. These
tastes gave occasion to Patrick Henry's sarcasm upon gentlemen "_who
abjured their native victuals_." Mr. Randall te