. Benjamin Franklin: his autobiography : with a narrative of his public life and services. his arrival in NewEngland, because he found that his dyeing trade,being in little request, would not maintain his , I was employed in cutting wicks forthe candles, filling the molds for cast candles, attending the shop, going of errands, &c. f disliked the trade, and had a strong inclination LIFE OF FRANKLIN. 13 to go to sea, but my father declared against it; but,residing near the water, I was much in it and on learned to swim well, and to manage boats; andwhen embarked with other
. Benjamin Franklin: his autobiography : with a narrative of his public life and services. his arrival in NewEngland, because he found that his dyeing trade,being in little request, would not maintain his , I was employed in cutting wicks forthe candles, filling the molds for cast candles, attending the shop, going of errands, &c. f disliked the trade, and had a strong inclination LIFE OF FRANKLIN. 13 to go to sea, but my father declared against it; but,residing near the water, I was much in it and on learned to swim well, and to manage boats; andwhen embarked with other boys, I was commonlyallowed to govern, especially in any case of diffi-culty ; and upon other occasions I was generally theleader among the boys, and sometimes led them intoscrapes, of which I will mention one instance, as itshows an early projecting public spirit, though notthen justly conducted. There was a salt-marsh which bounded part ofthe mill-pond, on the edge of which, at high water,we used to stand to fish for minnows. By muchtrampling, we had made it a mere quagmire. My. proposal was to build a wharf there for us to standupon, and I showed my comrades a large heap ofstones, which were intended for a new house near 14 LIFE OF FRANKLIN. the marsh, and which would very well suit our pur-pose. Accordingly, in the evening, when the work-men were gone home, I assembled a number of myplay-fellows, and we worked diligently like so manyemmets, sometimes two or three to a stone, till wehad brought them all to make our little wharf. Thenext morning the workmen were surprised at miss-ing the stones which formed our wharf. Inquiry wasmade after the authors of this transfer; we werediscovered, complained of, and corrected by ourfathers; and, though I demonstrated the utility ofour work, mine convinced me that that which wasnot honest could not he tndy useful. I suppose you may like to know what kind of aman my father was. He had an excellent consti-tution, was of a middle stature,
Size: 1887px × 1324px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjec, booksubjectstatesmen
