The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-06-10
A Self Controlled Youth.
Youths Companion. .


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 10
youth TO deny themselves a temporary
pleasure for the sake of a permanent
benefit.
When John Qaincy Adams was but
fourteen wears Of age he was selected by
Francis Dana, United States Minister to
Rassia, 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 q
course OF English history. Subsequent
ly he resided at Stockholm and at Paris.
In both these gay and dissclute ciHes he
was his own master. But instead Of
yielding 10 social temptations, this boy
of eighteen resolutely continued at bis
studies. While hard at mental work in
Paris, his father, John Adams, was ap-
pointed minister to the Court of st.
James. London's literary and social
privilege would have been open to the
son of the American minister. His fa-
ther would have been pleased to have
had him 10 his family. The temptations
to remain abroad were many and strong
But the youth turned his back upon
them all, and decided to return to the
United States and fit himself to earn bis
own living. He wrote in his diary:
"If l accompany my father TO Lon
don, my satisfaction would probably be
greater than my returning to the Uaited
States but l shall loiter away my pre-
cious time and not 60 home until 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 them.
selves. / am determined to get my own
living, and to be dependent upon no one.
With tolerable share of common sense,
| hope, in America. to be. independent
and free Rather than live otherwise, !
would wish to die before my time"
We nave qloted several lines OF this
entry, because we would call attention
to the fact that this boy Of eighteen res
olutely put aside conseuial pleasures 10
order to become self-reliant and self-sup
porting.
He was rising lawyer when. at the
age of twenty-seven, the President ap-
pointed him Ual,ed 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 position
imposed But most OF his leisure hours
we're 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 had 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
lister at the Court Of st. Petersburg. He
found himself in the midst of splendor.
Court life was full OF entertainments, and
magnificent banquets we're given bv the
foreign ministers But John Adams
continued to live. in simple style, as
BETTING his small salary and more be-
coming the representation OF the Rcpub
lie. Merchants urged him to accept
loans OF money. He refused the offers,
though the temptation to an expensive
style Of living amounted almost to com
pulsion. Il will live within nv income,
and l will not anticipate my salary" he
said, with Spartan irmness.
Mr.. Adams simple style Of living
kept him 10 good health and gave him
leisure to indulge his thirst for knowl-
edge. Yet the days seemed too short
to the student who studied astronomy.
mathematics, Plato, Demosthenes, Soc
rates, II chimes and Cicero. 81 feel
nothing like the tediousness Of time," he
wrote in his diary. II suffer nothing
like ennui. Time is too short for me,
rather than too long II the day was
forty-eight hours instead OF twenty-four,
| could employ them ALL"
Our purpose will be served, II We shall
have induced one young man to initiate
John Quiacy Adsms' self-reliant and
studious habits The country, the cbur.
ches and society need thousands Of such
self-reliant youths.