Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-05-05
EVENING STAR.
CoURTsHIP OF JOHN ADAMS

mon from the venerable pastor, Rev. Jacob
Norton. About the same time L made Mr.
Norton a visit, and became much interested
in the old gentleman.
mentioned my agreeable visit to an old
| lady OF the parish whose Acquaintance made
She informed me that Mr.. Norton was or
dained their pastor when he was about twen-
ty-one years Of age, and that he had been
with them nearly forty years. She observed
that most Of bis Pensioners could remember
no other pastor, but that she could well re-
| member his predecessor, the Rev. Mr.. Smith,
and that he and Mr. Norton had oficiated for
the last eighty years
Mr. Smith, she said, was an excellent man,
| and very fine preacher, but he had high
| notions of himself and family-in other words
| he was something of an aristOcrat. One day
she told me the following anecdote of old Par
| son Smith and several other persons Of dis
| tincton.
"Mr. Smith had two charming daughters
| Nary was the name ef the eldest (; the other s
| name / have forgotten. They were admired
by the beaux and envied by the bellies of the
| country round. But while the careful guar
| dians of the parsons family were holding
| consultation on the subject, ii was rumored
that two young lawyers, Mr.. Branch ard
Mr. Adams, think, both of the neighbOring
Rs of M, 8ui9Ty gmS SSF' ayng their addresses
or child of the country parish of New Eng
| land is acquainted with whatever occurs in
the parsons family, all the circumstances of
| the courtship soon transpired.
| Mr.. Branch was Of a respectable family Of
| some note, was considered a young man of
promise, and altogether worth the alliance he
| sought. He was very acceptable to Mr.. Smith,
and was greeted by himself and family with
great respect and cordiality. He was re-
oeiVed by the eldest as lover and was in
fact, young man Of great respectabilIty
He afterwards rose TO the dignity of Judge of
the Court of Common Pleas Of Massachusetts,
The suitOr Of the ether 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
afterwards arrived His pretensions were
scorned by all the family, excepting the young
lady to whom his addresses were especially
directed. Mr. Smith showed him none Of the
ordinary civilities of the house; he was not
asked TO the hOspitalities Of the ia ble, and it
is reported that his horse was doomed to share
with his master the neglect and modification
to which he was subject, for he was frequently
seen shivering in the cold, and gnawing the
post at the parscn door, on long winter even
iDgs in short, it was reported that the par
son had intimated to him that his visits were
unacceptable, and that he would confer ia
vor by disseminating them.
He told his daughter that John Adams was
unworthy of her, that his father was an honest
man, tradesman, who had tried to initiate
John into the arts Of husbanlry and shoe
making, but without success, and that he had
sent him 10 college as last resort. He begged
his daughter not to think Of making an al
lance with one so much beneath her. Miss
Smith was among the most dutiful of daugh-
ters, but she saw Mr.. Adams through me-
dunn very different from that in which her
thar VI him Sha g. Al.
world offend or disobey her father, but still
there was something in her eye and manner
which seemed to say "perseVere, and on
that hint he acted.
Mr.. Smith, like a good parson and an affec-
tionate father, had told his daughters that if
they married with his appreciation, he would
preach each Of them a sermon on the Sabbath
after the joyful occasion, and they should each
of them have the privilege of choosing the
text The espousal Of the eldest daughter
Mary arrived, and she was united to Mr.
Branch in holy bonds with the approval, the
blessings. and benedictions Of her frienris
Mr. Smith then said My dutiful child,
am now ready to prepare your sermon for
next Sunday. What do you select for the
text?'
"Dear father" said Mary, "Ihave selected
the latter part Of Luke: Mary hath chosen
that good part, which shall not be taken away
from her.
Very good, my daughter" said he; and
the sermon was preached.
Mr.. Adams persevered in his suit in de-
fance Of all opposition. 1t was many years
after, and on very different occasion, and
in resistance to very different opposition, that
he uttered these words Sink or swim. live
or die, survive or perish, give my heart and
hand to this measure" But though the mea-
sures were different the spirit was the same.
Besides, he had already carried the main
point of the attack-the heart Of the young
lady-and he knew the surrender of the cita-
del must soon follow After tho usual hesi-
lstion and delay that attends such unpleasant
affairs, Mr.. Smith, seeing that resistance was
fruitless, yielded the contested pointwith as
much grace as possible, as many a prudent
father has done before and since that time |
Mr.. Adams was united to the lovely Miss |
Smith. After tho marriage was over, and |
all things settled in quiet, Mrs. Adams re- |
marked to her father: ''You preached sister !
Mary a sermon on the occasion Of her nara
tive. Won't you preach me one!'
eyes, my dear girl,'' said Mr.. Smith |
''choose your text, and you shall have your
sermon"
"WelI, said the daughter, "I have chosen
the thirty third verse of the seventh chapter
of Luke: "For John came, neither eating
bread nor drinking wine, and ye say he hath
a devil.'
lue 1duy, iOOhtU m6 very
archly in the face when she repeated this pas
sage, and observed, "If Mary was the most
dutiful daughter, guess the other had the
most wit"
l could not ascertain whether the last SER
mon was ever preached. 1t may not be in
appropriate to remark how we'll these ladies
justified the preferences of the distinguished
individuals who had sought them in mar
riage. OF them it will be hardly extravagant
to say they were respectively an honor TO
their husbands, the boast of their sex, and
the pride of New England. Mrs. Adams in
particular-who, from the elevated position
in which her husband was placed before the
world, was brought before the public eye
was SUPPOSED to hold the same elevated rank |
with the gentle sex that Mr.. Adams did among |
the men, and she is reported to have rendered |
her husband much assistance In his multiplied |
labors Of the pen.
F gentleman related, in order to show |
how common was the calamity OF the coup ds
sol,sI, or stroke of the sun, In the Island of |
Java. that, sitting once in the house Of an op |