From Boyhood to Manhood | Page 3

Still Defiant--Inoculation a Remedy for
Small Pox--The Mercury Denouncing James' Imprisonment--James
Still for Freedom of the Press--Secured It for All Time.
XVI. THE BOY EDITOR.
Attacking the Government--The Council Exasperated--Action of the
Courant Club--Plan to Evade Order of the Council--Benjamin, the
Boy-editor--His Address in _Courant_--Quotations from Courant of
January 14, 1723--Not Libelous--Extract from Parton's Life--When
Newspapers Ceased 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