Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/33

 1801, he had then done quite e-nough to make one life great.

Death took the good wife of John Ad-ams in 1818, and it was a sad loss, for she had been a great help to him for long years. But there were eight more years for him on earth, and he staid at his Quin-cy home and read and wrote much of the time. One book was most dear to him, for it held the "Ser-mon on the Mount," which he said was the best code a man could have.

When his son, John Quin-cy Ad-ams, was made Pres-i-dent, in 1825, the heart of the a-ged fa-ther was glad. Notes of praise came to him then from far off lands. One was from La-fay-ette, and more were from men who, in times past, had not been the friends they should have been.

At last the end drew near. Five days ere he died, a man who was to speak on the Fourth of Ju-ly, went to John Ad-ams' house to ask that he might have a toast to give as from the old man's lips.

"I will give you," said Ad-ams, "In-de-pen-dence for-ev-er!"

When the Fourth came it was known that but few hours were left on earth for the man who had done so much for this land. Ere the sun had sunk in the west, John Ad-ams, at the good old age of 91, had gone to his long home.

All the land rose up to praise him then.