Last Words to Her Fourteen-Year-Old Son
by Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson
Mother of Andrew Jackson
Andrew, if I should not see you again, I wish
you to remember and treasure up some
things I have already said to you.
In this world you will have to make your
own way.
To do that you must have friends.
You can make friends by being honest and
you can keep them by being steadfast.
You must keep in mind that friends worth
having will in the long run expect as much
from you as they give to you.
To forget an obligation or be ungrateful
for a kindness is a base crime, not merely a
fault or a sin, but an actual crime. Men guilty
of it sooner or later must suffer the penalty.
In personal conduct be always polite but
never obsequious.
None will respect you more than you respect yourself.
Avoid quarrels as long as you can without
yielding to imposition. But sustain your manhood always.
Never bring a suit in law for assault and
battery or for defamation. The law affords no
remedy for such outrages that can satisfy the
feelings of a true man.
Never wound the feelings of others. Never
brook wanton outrage upon your own feelings.
If you ever have to vindicate your feelings
or defend your honor, do it calmly. If angry
at first, wait till your wrath cools before you
proceed.
American Heritage Library Table of Contents
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