Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-04-11

Minister at the Court OF st. Jamesj
London's literary and social privileges
would have been opened to the SON OF
the American Minister. His father
would have been pleased 20 have had
him in his family. The temptations to
remain abroad were many and stronga
But the youth turned his back upon
them all, and decided to return to the
United States and fit himself to earn his
owl, living. He wrote in his diary:
"lf / accompany my father to Lon
don, my satisfaction would possibly be
greater than by returning to the United
States; hut shall ioiter a,cdy my prec-
ious time and not go home until l am
forced to it. Ny father has been all his
lifetime occupied by the interests OF
the public. His own fortune has suf-
fered. His children must PROVIDE Tor
themselves. lam determined to get guy
hring, and to be dependent upon no one:
With tolerable share of common
sense, hope in America to be independ-
ent and free. Rather than iire other
,otse, scotld t0iSh TO die before my
time"
We have italicised several lines o.
this entry, because we would call at
tention TO the fact that this boy OF
eighteen resolutely put aside congenial
pl, assures in order to become self-reli-
ant and self-supporting.
He was rising lawyer when, at tho
age of twenty-seven, the President ap'
pointed him United States Minister as
the Hague. He filled the place. His
official duties were thoroughly attended
to, and little of his time was gwen to
those social duties which his position
imposed. But most of his leisure hours
were employed in studying diplomacy.
the English and Latin classics, and the
Dutch and Italian languages. AT night
he reviewed the day, and censured him
self if any duty bad been omitted. AT
the close of every month and year he
took an inventory of his moral and men
tai stock, to determine whether he had
gained or lost.
In 1909, Mr.. Adams became our Min
tier at the Court of st. Petersburg.
He found himself in the midst of SPLEEN
dor Court life was full of entertain
merf0H and magnificent banquets were
given by the foreign Ministers. But
Mr.. Adams continued to live in SIM
pie style, as befitting his small salary
and more becoming the representative
of the Republic. Merchants urged him
to accept loans of money. He refused
the offers, though the temptation TO an
expensive style of living amounted al
most 10 compulsion. II will live with
in p1y income, and will not anticipate
my salary" he said, with Spartan firm
| ness.
Mr. Adams simple style of living kept
him in good health and gave him leis-
ure to indulge his thirst Tor knowledge.
Yet the days seemed too short to the
student who studied astronomy. math-
ematics, Plato, Demosthenes, Socrates,
Eschines ana Cicero.
Il feel nothing like the tediousness OK
time" he wrote in his diary. 81 suffer
nothing like ennui. Time is too short
for me, rather than too long. If the day
was forty eight hours, instead of twen-
ty-four, Icould employ them all"
Our purpose will be served, if we
shall have induced one young man to
initiate John Quincy Adams self-re-
light and studious habits. The coun-
try. the churches and society need thou
sands of such self-reliant youth
Youths Companion.