The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-01-25
III nlisrrIIanD. y .


| Courtship of tho Elder Adams.
Some ten years since. I speut a collcg,
vacation in the town of Weymouth. Nor
folk County. Mass. While there, | a t
tended church one Sunday morning, a
what was called the Old Weymouth
Meeting House, and heard a sermon
from the venerable pastor, Rev. jacob
Norton. About the same time made
Mr.. Norton visit. and became much
interested in the old gentleman | men
toned my agreeable visits to the old la
dy of the parish, whose acquaintance !
had made. She Informed me that Mr.
Norton was ordained their pastor when
he was about twcnty.one years of age
and that he had been with them nearly
forty years She observed that most Of
his present parishioncrs could remember
no other pastor but that she could
we'll remember his predecessor, the Rev
Mr.. Smith. and that he and Mr.. Norton
had filed the same pulpit for the better
part of the last eighty years.
Mr.. Smith" said she. "was an excel
lent man. and very fine preacher, but
he had high notions Of himself and fam
ily-in other words, he was something
of an aristocrat."
One day. she told me the following
anccdote of old Parson Smith and sew.
cral other persons of distinction.
Mr. Smith had two charming daugh
tcrs. Mary was the name of the eldest.
the others namc have forgotten. They
were admired by the bcaux, and cnvicd
by the bellies of the country round
But while the careful guardians Of the
parsons family were holding consulta-
tion on the sui jcct, it was rumored that
two young lawyers think both Of the
neighboring town of Quincy-a Mr.
Cranch and Mr.. Adams-werc paving
their addresses to the Misses Smith. As
every man, woman, and child. of coun.
try parish in New England, is acquaint.
ed with whatever occurs in the parsons
family. all the circumstances of the
courtship soon transprcd.
Mr. Cranch was of a respectable fam,
lily of some note. was considered young
man of promise, aud altogether worthy
of the alliance he sought. lie was very
acceptable to Mr.. Smith, and was greet
ed by himself and his family with great
respect and cordially lie was rccciv-
ed by the eldest daughter as a lover. and
was in fact. young man of great respec
liability. He afterwards arose to the
dignity Of judge of the Court Of Com
mon Pleas of Massachusetts. and was
the father Of the present Judge Cranch,
Of the District of Columbia.
The suitor Of the other daughter was
John Adams, who afterwards became
President of the United States. But
at that time, in the opinion of Mr..
Smith and family he gave but slender
promise of the distinction to which he
afterwards arrived. His prctensions
were scorned by all the family, except
ing the young lady TO whom his addre.
ses were especially directed. Mr. Smith
showed him none of the ordinary civil
ties of the house he was not asked to
partake of the hospitalitcs of the table
and it is reported that his horse was
doomed to share with his master tho
neglect and modification to which he
was subject, for he WAS frequently seen
shivcring in the cold. ana gnawing the
post at the parsons door, of long winter
evenings. In short, it was reported that
the parson had intimated to him that
his visits were unacceptable. and that he
would confer favor by discontuuibg
them. He told his daughter that John
Adams was unworthy of her-that his
father was an honest man and trades
man. who had tried to initiate John in
the arts of husbanIry and shocmaking
but without success and that he hat
sent him to college, as last resort
He begged his daughter not to think OF
making an alliance with one so mucl
beneath her
Miss Smith was among the most du
tiful of daughters, bu. she saw Mr. Ad
ans through n medium very differen,
from that in which her father vieweC
him. She would not for the world of
fend or dsobey her father but still
John saw something in her eye aud man
ncr, which seemed to say, "Pcyse,e,e ?
and on that hint he acted.
Mr.. Smith, like good parson and af
fectionate father, had told his daughters
that, if they married with his approba
tion, he would preach each Of them q
sermon on the Sabbath after the joyfu
occasion; and that they should have th
privilege of choosing the text
The espousal Of the oldest daughter
Mary, arrived, and she was united /,
Mr.. Cranch in the holy bonds, with tn
approval, the blessings, and the benedic
tions Of her parents and her friends
Mr.. Smith then said, ''My dutiful child
| am now ready to prepare your serm D
for next Sunday. What do you seloc
for your text ?"
"My dear father" said Mary, Il hav
selected the latter part of the forty
ond verse of Luke--"Mary hath chose
the good part, which shall never be tr
ken from her."