From Boyhood to Manhood | Page 4

Philadelphia--Leaves Printing House for Warehouse--Returns to Philadelphia.
XXIX. UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE.
Visits Keimer's Printing Office--Calls on Deborah Read--Her Marriage to Rogers, and Divorce--Visit to Deborah Leads to Re-engagement--Now a Merchant's Clerk--Denham and Benjamin Both Sick--Denham Died and Left Legacy to Benjamin--Arrival of Captain Homes--Working for Keimer Again--The Latter Making Trouble--Benjamin Leaves Him--Interview with Meredith--Proposition to Go into Company in Printing Business--Meredith's Father Loans Capital.
XXX. THE LEATHERN APRON CLUB.
Reflecting on His Religious Belief--Rules He Wrote on the Berkshire and Introduction to Them--The Leathern Apron Club--Patterned after Cotton Mather's--The Questions Asked--Benjamin's Explanation--The Compact Signed--Bringing in Books They Owned--Establishing the First Library in the Land--Questions Discussed by the Club--No Improvement on This Club--Benjamin's View of It in Age--Organizing Other Clubs-- Studying the Languages--Benjamin's Success.
XXXI. BRIGHTER DAYS.
Proposition from Keimer--Discussion of It with Meredith--Returns to Keimer--Printing Money for New Jersey at Burlington--The Surveyor General's Life--His Talk with Benjamin--Starting New Firm, Franklin and Meredith--The First Job--Predictions of Its Failure by Nickle and Merchants' Club--Doctor Baird Differed--A Proposition from a Stationer--Interview with Webb--Plan for Starting a Paper Made Known-- Keimer's Paper--Benjamin's Articles in _Mercury_--Buys Keimer's Paper--Dissolves Partnership--Rum the Cause--The Gazette a Success.
XXXII. NO LONGER A SKEPTIC.
Time is Money--The Lounger Rebuked--Maxims--Avoiding Slander and Abuse--Revising His Religious Belief--Articles of Belief--Code of Morals Adopted--Creed for "United Party of Virtue "--Letters to Friends--Proposed Prayers in Congress and Speech--Epitaph for His Tombstone Written at Twenty-three.
XXXIII. POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC.
Publishing an Almanac--Discussion about It--When It Was Started-- Maxims Found in It--Very Popular, and Great Circulation--Franklin's Fame Spreading--The Junto Pleased--Franklin's Account of Success-- How He Conducted His Paper--The Libeller Suppressed--Success of His Stationer's Shop--Visit to Boston--Visits His Brother James-- Reconciliation--Takes His Son Home--He Buries a Child--His Defense of Rev. George Whitefield--Building a House of Worship for Him.
XXXIV. MORE HONORS AND MORE WORK.
Clerk of the Assembly--Postmaster--Night-watch Discussed in the Junto--Plan of a Fire Department--Many Fire Companies Formed--Plan to Pave the Streets--Paper on Smoky Chimneys--Franklin Invents a Stove--Gives Away the Patent--Franklin Founds the University of Philadelphia--Its Great Success--Franklin Organized Militia--Influence of Quakers against It--Eighty Companies Formed--Franklin Secured Fast Day--Peace.
XXXV. PHILOSOPHER AND STATESMAN.
Entering into Partnership with Hall--His Large Income--Time for Study and Research--Rapid Progress in Science--His Fame in Both Hemispheres-- What Mignet Said of His Labors--Kimmersley on His Lightning Rod-- Called Again to Political Life--List of Offices He Filled--Drafting Declaration of Independence--Hanging Separately--Anecdote--His First Labors at Court of England--Minister to England--Source of Troubles-- Hatred of Tories--Firm before House of Commons--Death of Mrs. Franklin-- Famous Letter to Strahan--The Eight Years' War--Franklin Author of the Union--First Name in History--Library and Letters of Franklin, Mass.-- His Death--Bequest to Washington.

BOYHOOD TO MANHOOD.
I.
FROM OLD ENGLAND TO NEW ENGLAND.
"I am tired of so much persecution under the reign of our corrupt king," said a neighbor to Josiah Franklin, one day in the year 1685, in the usually quiet village of Banbury, England, "and I believe that I shall pull up stakes and emigrate to Boston. That is the most thriving port in America."
"Well, I am not quite prepared for that yet," replied Franklin. "Our king is bad enough and tyrannical enough to make us all sick of our native land. But it is a great step to leave it forever, to live among strangers; and I could not decide to do it without a good deal of reflection."
"Nor I; but I have reflected upon it for a whole year now, and the more I reflect the more I am inclined to emigrate. When I can't worship God here as my conscience dictates, I will go where I can. Besides, I think the new country promises much more to the common people than the old in the way of a livelihood."
"Perhaps so; I have not given the subject much attention. Dissenters have a hard time here under Charles II, and we all have to work hard enough for a livelihood. I do not think you can have a harder time in Boston."
Josiah Franklin was not disposed to emigrate when his neighbor first opened the subject. He was an intelligent, enterprising, Christian man, a dyer by trade, was born in Ecton, Leicestershire, in 1655, but removed to Banbury in his boyhood, to learn the business of a dyer of his brother John. He was married in Banbury at twenty-two years of age, his wife being an excellent companion for him, whether in prosperity or adversity, at home among kith and kin, or with strangers in New England.
"You better consider this matter seriously," continued the neighbor, "for several families will go, I think, if one goes. A little colony of us will make it comparatively easy to leave home for a new country."
"Very true; that would be quite an inducement to exchange countries, several families going together," responded Franklin. "I should enjoy escaping from the oppression of the Established Church as much as you; but it is a too important step for me to take without much