ve obtained a troop of horse, or a
company of infantry, he would undoubtedly have entered the army. Nothing
but want of patronage prevented his becoming a soldier.

After a two years' course of study, he returned to his native town,
Braintree, and in 1758 commenced practice in Suffolk county, of which
Boston was the shire town. By hard study and hard work he gradually
introduced himself into practice, and in 1764 married a young lady far
above his station in life. In our perusal and study of eminent men who
have risen by their own exertions to a higher sphere in life, we are not
at all surprised to find that they have invariably married noble
women--ladies, who have always maintained a restraining influence when
the desire for honor and public attention would appeal to their baser
self, and whose guiding influence tended to strengthen their efforts
when their energies seemed to slacken. So it was with John Adams; his
wife was a lady of rare abilities and good sense, admirably adapted to
make him happy. Boys, be careful whom you marry!

Shortly after his entrance into the practice of the law, the attempt at
parliamentary taxation diverted his attention from his profession to
politics. He was a most active oppositionist. He promoted the call of
the town of Braintree to instruct the representatives of the town on the
subject of the Stamp Act. The resolutions which he presented at this
meeting were not only voted by the town, but attracted great attention
throughout the province, and were adopted verbatim by more than forty
different towns. Thus it is seen that Adams had not studied hard all
these years for nothing; the price of success is honest, faithful WORK.

Of course his towns-people would reward him. Men who have ability,
unless some bolt is loose, will invariably gain success. Soon after this
Mr. Adams was appointed on the part of the town of Boston to be one of
their counsel, along with the King's attorney, and head of the bar, and
James Otis, the celebrated orator, to support a memorial addressed to
the Governor and Council, that the courts might proceed with business
though no stamps were to be had. Although junior counsel, it fell to
Adams to open the case for the petitioners, as his seniors could not
join; the one owing to his position as King's attorney, the other could
not as he had recently published a book entitled the 'Rights of the
Colonies.' This was a grand opportunity for Adams and he made the most
o