From Boyhood to Manhood | Page 3

to be Carried Free--How Long Ben Was in Printing Office--Remarks by Mr. Sparks--What He Says of General Court--How the Experience Developed Benjamin--Right Boy in Right Place--Extract from Courant about Bears.
XVII. THE YOUNG SKEPTIC.
Reading Shaftesbury's Work--Discussion with Collins--Ben's Orthodoxy in Peril--Benjamin a Thinker--Saying Grace over the Pork Barrel--Reading from Collins--Several Paragraphs Repugnant to Orthodoxy--Shaftesbury Attacking Miracles--Ben's Influence over John--Charged with Being Atheist--His Confession--Letter to His Father--Letter to Sister--Seeing His Folly--His Prayer--Sad Experience with Infidel Books--Similar to Lincoln's and Garfield's--Lincoln's Farewell.
XVIII. HOW HE QUIT BOSTON.
Decision to Leave James--Cruelty of the Latter--The Indenture-- Discussion over It with Collins--Advised to Get Place in Another Printing Office in Boston--James Had Warned Them against Hiring Him--Discloses His Decision to James--Unfair Use of Indenture--What Benjamin Said of It Afterwards--Resolved to Run Away--Planned The Method With Collins--Why Go by Water--How He Obtained Money--Collins Engages His Passage--Collins' Deliberate Lie--On the Road to Ruin--Collins' Report to Benjamin--Final Arrangements--Boarding the Sloop--Scene off Block Island--Ben Converted to Flesh--Benjamin Franklin's Experience Like William Hutton's.
XIX. TRIALS OF A RUNAWAY.
Applies for Work in New York--Bradford's Advice and Kindness--Starts for Philadelphia--The Drunken Dutch man--Driven on Shore by a Squall-- A Fearful Night--At Amboy--Benjamin Sick--A Young Man Travelling in Maine--Advantage of Reading--Sir Walter Scott's Advice--Going in Rain to Burlington--Landlord Suspected He Was a Runaway--At Doctor Brown's--A Fine Time with the Doctor--Buying Gingerbread of Old Woman--His Disappointment--Way out of It--Unexpected Deliverance--His Skill at Rowing Again Useful--Finally Reaches Philadelphia.
XX. THE WALKING COMEDY.
Meeting a Boy Eating--Buys Three Loaves--His Surprise--A Walking Comedy--Sees His Future Wife--His Generosity to Mother and Child--A Trait of His Life--Back to the Boat--On the Street Again and in Quaker Church--Sleeping in Church--The Kind Quaker--The Crooked Billet-- Suspected of being a Runaway--Meeting the New York Bradford--Interview with Young Bradford--Interview with Keimer--Showing His Skill at Type-setting--Senior Bradford's Ruse--Giving Account of His Boston Life--Doing Things Well--Case of Budgett--What Parton Said to Maydoll.
XXI. GETTING ON.
Repairing the Old Printing Press--Caution to Keep Secrets--Repairing for Bradford--Conversation with Bradford about Work in Boston-- Unbelief--Changing Boarding-place--Talk with Boarding-master Read-- Study and Companions There--High Rank of Printing Then--Letter from Collins--Found by His Brother-in-law, Captain Homes--Letter from the Captain--Benjamin's Reply--His Letter Read by Governor Keith--His History Told Keith--The Latter's Promise--Colonel French--Two Traits of Ben's Character, Observation and Humility.
XXII. GOING UP HIGHER.
Governor Keith and Colonel French Call on Benjamin--Keimer's Surprise--Benjamin's Interview with Them--Proposition to Establish Printing House--Keith Proposed He Should See His Father--Keimer Very Inquisitive about the Interview--Waiting for Vessel to Boston--Letter to Collins--How Long Take to Start Printing House--Tells Keimer He is Going to Boston--Sails for Boston--A Great Storm--Experience in Reaching Boston.
XXIII. THE SURPRISE, AND ITS RESULTS.
Hastens to See His Parents--Joyful Meeting--Account of Correspondence with Homes--Going to See James--Delight of Journeymen--Many Inquiries-- Proposition to Treat Them--Report of James' Treatment to Parents--His Mother's Counsel--Meets Collins--The Latter Intemperate--Counsels Him to Let Strong Drink Alone--His Father's Opinion of Keith's Letter-- Arrival of Captain Homes--Approves Plans of Benjamin--Calling on Friends--Seeing Doctor Mather--An Incident and Its Lesson--Collins Decides to Go to Philadelphia--Benjamin's Father Declines to Help Him--About _Courant_--Bidding Parents Farewell and Returning.
XXIV. HIS RETURN, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
Leaves Boston for New York--Collins to Meet Him There--Calls at Newport to See His Brother John--Takes a Debt to Collect--Finds Collins Drunk in New York--Talk with Landlord--Governor Burnett Sends for Him-- Benjamin's Words about It--Rebukes John Drunk--Arrival in Philadelphia-- Called on Governor Keith--The Governor Proposes to Set Him up--Amusing Talk with Keimer--Collins Can Not Get Work--Trouble with Collins on the Delaware--End of Collins--Governor Keith Sends for Him--Going to England to Buy Outfit.
XXV. WORKING, READING, AND COURTING.
Keimer's Religious Creed--Argument with Benjamin--Establishing a New Sect and Foregoing a Good Dinner--Benjamin's Three Literary Associates--Literary Club Formed--Discussion on Ralph as a Poet--Benjamin's Views--Each One Writing Poetry--Paraphrase of 18th Psalm--Benjamin Reading Ralph's--Plan to Outwit Osborne--Its Success--Osborne's Mortification--The Club a Good One--Benjamin and Deborah Read--The Result.
XXVI. A BOGUS SCHEME.
Ralph Going to England with Benjamin--Time to Sail--Governor Keith Promises Letters--No Suspicion of Keith--Letters Not Ready as Promised--Second Application for Letters--Final Promise--Bag of Letters Come on Board--Looked over Letters in English Channel--The Revelation of Rascality--Benjamin's Situation Alone in London--Ralph Discloses that He Has Abandoned His Wife--Rebuked by Benjamin--Advice of Denham--Governor Keith a Fraud--Finds Work at Palmer's Printing House--Had Ralph to Support--Ralph a Schoolmaster--Accepting Trouble Philosophically.
XXVII. "OUR WATER DRINKER."
Letter from Ralph to Benjamin--Ralph's Epic Poem--Assisted Ralph's Wife--How He and Ralph Separated--Kindness of Wilcox, the Bookseller-- Loaning Books--Benjamin Reviews "Religion of Nature"--Talk with Watts, and His Opinion of It--Interview with Doctor Lyons--Doctor Pemberton-- Lived to See His Folly--Interview with Sir Hans Sloane--Benjamin's Attack on Beer Drinking--His Sound Argument--Jake, the Ale Boy--Called "A Water Drinker"--Discussion with Watts--Refused to Treat the Company-- Visits His Old Press Forty Years After.
XXVIII. AT HOME AGAIN.
What Became of Ralph--Benjamin Teaching Two Companions to Swim--Who Was Wygate?--The Excursion to Chelsea--Benjamin Swims Four Miles--Antics in the Water--Sir W. Wyndham Proposes He Should Open a Swimming School-- Wygate's Proposition to Travel--Denham's Advice--Cheaper Board--Incident Showing Denham's Character--Denham Offers to Employ Him as Clerk in