The Hazlehurst signal., 1884-04-10
NUMBER 10.
temporary plea.ur. for the sake Of .

temporary pleasure for the sake Of .
permanent benefit.
When John Quincy Adams was but
fourteen years of age. he was selected
by Francis Dana. United States Minis
tor ~ Russia. - his private secretary.
Boy though he was, young Adams ~.
sisted 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 10 course Of English historJ.
Subsequently. he resided at Stock.
holm and Mt Paris. In both OF these
gay and dissolutc cities he was his own
master. But, instead of yielding TO
social temptations, this boy Of eighteen
rcsolutely continued at bis studies
While hard at mental work In Paris.
his father John Adams. was appointed
Minister at tho Court OF ~. James.
London's literary and social privileges,
would have been opened 10 the son of
the American Minister. His father
would have been pleased 10 have had
him In his family. The temptations 20
remain abroad were many and strong.
But the youth turued>n >nis~ ~bsck upow'
them all, and decided to return TO the
United States and ilt himself to earn hi'
own living. lie 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 drdy my prec-
ious time and not 90 home until ] am
forced to II. Nv father has been all his
lifetime occupied by tho interests of
the public. His own fortune has sui.
fercd. His children must provide for
themselves. lam determined TO get mT
Hiring. and TO be dependent upon no one.
With Q tolerablc share Of common.
sense. I hope In America to be indepcu''.
cnt and fire.. Rather than lire Oihe,-
rise, could irish 10 die before my
tims."
We have italiciscd several lines OF
this entry. because we would call at.
tcntion 10 the fact that this boy OF
eighteen resolutcly put inside congenial
pl as,ires In Orler tn become self'reli-
ant aud self-supporting.
He was n rising lawyer when. at tho
age Of twcnty.scven. the President ap-
pointed him United States Minister ut
the Hague. He filled the place. Ills
official duties wcrc 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. Al night
he reviewed the day. and ccnsurcd him.
self II any duty bad been omitted. Al
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 1879. Mr.. Adams became our Min
tier at the Court Of st. Petersburg.
lie fouh.l himself In the midst Of spl.n.
dor. Court life was full Of entertain
mcnts, and magnificent banIuets wcrs
given by the foreign Ministers. But
Mr.. Adams continued TO live In sim.
pie style. as bcftting his small salary
and more becoming the Representative"
Of the Republic. Merchants urged him
to accept loans Of money. lie refused
the offers, though the temptation to an
| CNIDcusiNc s'y 10 w h'sbf
most 10 compulsion. 81 will live with.
| In my income. and | will not anticipate
my salary" he said. with spartan firm
ness.
Mr.. Adams simple style Ofliying kept
him In good health and gave him leis-
urc 10 indulge his thirst Tor knowledge.
Yet the days seemed too short 10 tho
student who studied astronomy. mnth-
omatics, Plato. Demosthcncs, Socrates,
Eschines AMI Cicero.
III feel nothing like the tediousness OF
time" he wrote in his diary. I'll suffer
nothing like ennni. Tine j. too short.
for me. rather than too long. IL the day
was fOrty-cight hours, instead of twcn-
| ty.fOur. 1could employ them ALL
Our purpose will be served. II we
shall have induced one young man to
initiate John Quincy Adams sclf.rc.
lignt and studioiB habits. The co'in-
try. the churches and society need thou
sands of such self.reliant youth. -
| Youths Companion.