Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-06-14
A se1fControlled Youth.

Young men do not realize as they should
| the importance of early forming habits of
self-control and self-denial Not few men
of genius have been wrecked because they
| did not learn in youth to deny themselves
a temporary pleasure for the sake of per-
manent benefit.
When John Quincy Adams was but IA
years of age, he was selected by Francis
Dana, United States Minister to Russia. as
his private secretary. Boy though he was
Young Adams resisted the social pleasures
of court life at St Petersburg that he might
give himself to his official duties and to the
study of Latin, German and French and to
| a course of English history. Subsequently
he resided at Stockholm and at Paris. In
both of these gay and dissolute cities he
was his own master. But instead of yield
ing to social temptations, this boy of IS
resolutely continued at his studies While
hard at mental work in Paris, his father,
John Adams, was appointed Minister at
the Court of st. James London literary
and social privileges would have been
opened to the son of the American Minis
ter. His father would have been pleased TO
have had him in his family. The tempta-
tons 10 remain abroad were many and
strong. But the youth turned his back
upon them all, and decidedsto return to the
own living. He wrote in his diary:
If | accompany my father to London
my satisfaction would possibly be greater
than by returning to the United States but
| shall loiter away my precious time and
not go home till | am forced to it. NV
father has been all his lifetime occupied by
the interests of the public. His own fortune
has suffered His children must provide
for themselves. | am determined to get
my own living and to be dependent upon
no one. With a tolerable share of common
sense, hope, in America, to be independ-
ent and free. Rather than live otherwise
| would wish to die before my time"
We have quoted several lines of this en-
try, because we would call attention to the
fact that this boy of Is resolutely put aside
congenial pleasures in order to become self
reliant and self-supporting
He was rising lawyer when, at the age
of q, the President appointed him United
States Minister at the Hague. He filled the
place His official duties were thoroughly
attended to, and little of his time was
given to those social duties which his posi-
ton imposed. But most of his leisure
hours were employed in studying diplo-
macy the English and Latin classics, and
the Dutch and Italian languages. Alright
he reviewed the day, and censured himself
if any duty had been omitted At the
close of every month and year he took an
inventory of his moral and mental stock
to determine whether he had gained or lost
In 1909 Mr.. Adams became our Minister
at the Court of st. Petersburg He found
himself in the midst Of splendor Court
life was full of entertainments. and mag
niticent banquets We're given by the foreign
ministers. But Mr.. Adams continued TO
live in a simple style as betitting his small
salary and more becoming the representa-
tive of the republic. Merchants Urgel him
TO accept loans of money. He refused the
offers, though the temptation TO an expen-
sive style of living amounted almost TO
cOmpulsion. " | will live within my in
come, and | will not anticipate my salary"
he said with Spartan firmness.
Mr.. Adams simple style of living kept
him in good health and gave him leisure
to indulge his thirst for knowledge. Yet
the days seemed too short to the student
who studied astronomy mathematics.
Plato, DemostheneS, Socrates, 1Eschines
and Cicero. - | feel nothing like the tedi-
business Of time" he wrote in his diary
| suffer nothing like ennui. Time is too
short for me. rather than too long. If the
day was forty-eight hours instead of
twenty-four, | could employ them all
Our purpose will be served if We shall
have induced one young man to initiate
John Quincy Adams self-reliant and studi-
Gus habits. The country, the churches
and society need thousands of such self-re-
liant youth Youths Companion.