The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-23
PRICE TWO CENTS.
LETTERS S,g TO ;, BIENJAMIN FRANKLIN FROM

LETTERS TO BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FROM
HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
we extract from review of the above work in a
recent number of the Ahenuun, the following let
ters from his daughter Mrs Bache, with the ex-
planatory comments:
81 found (writes Mrs. Bache) your house and fur
nltufe upon my return to town in much better order
than had any reason to expect from the hands Of
such rapacious crew. they stole and carried off
with them some of your musical instruments, viz
esh harp, ball harp, the set of tuned bells which
were In box, yol-de gambia all the spare armonica
glasses ana one or two spare cases: your armonica
Is safe They took likewise the few books that were
lett benind the chie of which were Temples school
books, and the history of the Arts and Sciences in
rrench Wnich Is great loss to the publie some of
your eiectrlc apparatus is missing also. Captain
Andre also took with m the picture of YOU which
hung in the dining ROOM"
, There were iubatons in Philadelphia when the
paches got nome: On this the love of fine clothes
began to blossom in 'SalleY" who set up the plants
OF want. One of Franklin's most humorous and af
iectlonate letters is the well known answer TO his
tie! F
"PHHADELPHIA, January II, l779
Dear and honored Papa-I did mysplf the
pleasure OF writing long letter to YOU very lately
out am afraid 1t is taken, believe many of yours
are am unwilling to think you negectus though
mr. lngersoils coming from France without letters
from you has given me great uneasiness He lodo-
ed, too, in the same house with little Ben and not
line from him. hope soon, however, to bemade
happy with letters from you all. The present sent
me TINS month two years. received few weeks
ago; tbs prize, indeed. 1t came open without di-
rection or letter, and has come through three or
four hands. have received six pairs of gloves.
nine papers of needless a bundle of thread and five
papers ofpins. l beg if you or Temple remember
what was sent, you will let me know The last
person TO whose care they were given left them at
halr-dressers, with directions not to send them
TO me till he was gone. Their being all opened
: SrnRt how IL.
celyed makes me rich. | thought them long AGO
IN the enemies hands. The prices of everytbinp
here are so much raised that it takes fortune
70 leed family IN very plain way; a pair of
gloves dollars, one yard of common gauze "A dol
lars, and there never was so much dressing and
pleasure going on; old friends meeting again, the
Wings in high spirits, and strangers OF distinction
among us. | have taken the liberty of sendinr
small list to you by Colonel Crenis. Mr. Bache
has sent bills to Jonathan Williams for many thinps
Tor me and the family, but | have had some
other little wants since that time. The Minister
was kind enough to offer me some fine white fan
mel, and has spared me eight wards | wish tobaye
1t In my power to return as good to him. which |
beg you will enable me to do. | shall have great
prlde IN wearing anything you send, and showing
1t as my fathers taste ! have diped at the Min
ister,S, spent an evening at Mr.. Holker's, and
nave lately been several times invited abroad with
the General aud Mrs Washington He always in
cures after you in the most afiectionate manner
and speaks of you highly. We danced at Mrs
Powells your birthday, or night | should saw in
company together, and he told me it was the ami
yersary OF his marriage; it was just twenty years
mat night; my boy and girl in health; the
latter has ten teeth, can dance, sing and make
faces, tho she cannot talk except the word no and
be done, which she makes great use of. She is Ben
over AGAIN, except larger mouth. How happy |
should De to see her seated on your knee. She is
Just such plaything Will was when YOU came
nome last. must tell you a little anecdote of
him, and ask you if it is not time to teach him a
little religion. He had heard foolish girl that
lVed with me say that there was a death-watch in
the room, and one of the family would soon die
lie had not been long in bed before he came down
IN his shirt screaming. | soon sent him up and
asking him in the morning how he could behave So
and what was the matter, he told me he thought
death was coming. | was so frightened, says he
that sweat all over, and jumped out of bed and
prayed up to Hercules. | asked him what he said?
Down he went ON his knees, with upifted hands Il
thlnk never saw such picture of DEVOTION and
repeated the Lords Prayer. Now, whether it is
best to instruct him in little religion or let him
pray little longer to Hercules, | should be clad
to have your opinion. Mr.. Duifieds family de-
sired when wrote to remember them to you; the
youngest daughter have introduced this winter
to the Assembly. She is like the mother The
Ambassador told me he thought her a great ac.
QUESTION to the Assembly. They lodge with US
when IN town. have piece of American silk
which shall send to Won for the Queen 1t will
make me happy if she condescends to wear it. 1t
shall come by the first safe opportunity | showed
it to NJ. Gerard, whose opinion was that it would be
acceptable. wish much that he had brought his
lady with him. | should be tempted to learn
French ifshe among us. He is very much be-
loved here. | feel a veneratiOn for him, mixed
with so much affection, that when he was confined
by lndlsposition l went uninvited with Mr.. Ba .he
to see him. Mr.. B. wrote to you this morning.
My brother was well at New York about a week
ago. If Col. Crenis does not go away early will
write to Temple. This is all the paper have, and
1t Is Sunday. Remember me to dear Ben. | long
for another little French letter.
GauZe, teathers,-a PRAYER to Hercules. from
child whom it was high time to teach religion
American silk for Marie Antonette,-what list is
here! This the January petition, which drew
down that capital reply, in which Franklin com
plains OF hearing so seldom the fault of the tmesl
and goes on
81 was charmed with the account YOU give me of
your industry. the tabe-cloths of YOUR spinninr
&C., &c, but the latter part of the paragraph be-
cause weaving and flax were grown dear, alas that
dissolved the charm, and your sending for long
black pins and lace, and feathers! disgusted me as
much as II you had put salt into my Strawberries
The spinning, see, is laid aside and You are to be
dressed for the ball! As YOU say YOU should
hare great pride in nearing anything / send and
sho1ing 1t as your atber9 taste must avoid giving
you an opportunity of doing that with either lace
or feathers. If you wear your cambric ruifles as
do, and take care not to mend the holes, they will
come in time to be lace; and feathers, my dear girl,
may be had in America from every cocks tall
Salley duly repented in a September Peccavi;
but her answer, with all its disclaimers and expla-
nations, that she didn't want lace, and wouldn't
wear feathers, and preferred, on the whole to stav
at home, Is too long to be given here; however, it
shows that Frankn's children did and did not fear
him.
There is third woman, whose letters have
color of their own-Mrs. Jane Mecom Frsnklin's
tavorite sister, of whom he never lost sight This
was thrifty creature who seems to have brought
up her family in narrow circumstances. Here is a
fragment from a letter, dated l7G6, addressed by
her to her brother in London:
'Iou oncetod me, my dear brother, that as our
number of brethren and sisters lessened the affec
tOns OF those of US that remain should increase to
each other. You and | ouly are now left: my
affection Tor you has always been so great see no
room for increase, and you have manifested yours
to me IN such large measure that have reason
to suspect its strength and, therefore, know it will
be agreeable to you to hear that myself and the
children have the care of are in no worse situa-
ton than when last wrote you, and should rejoice
to hear the same of you, since | understand by
sister you were in i'll state of health, and
thought proper to travel for the recovery of it.
hope in God you have recovered it, and will live
long to make your enemies ashamed. Your an
swers to the Parliament are thought by the best
judges to exceed all that has been wrote on the
subject, and, being given in the manner they were
are proof that they proceeded from principle,
and sufficient to stop the mouths of all gainsayers
The vile pre- ended letter, which doubt you have
seen, gave me some uneasiness when | heard of it
before l could get sight of it, as considering
where great deal of dirt is flung some is apt to
stick; but when read it | saw it was filled with
such bareiaced talsehoods confuted themselves.
Their treatment of you among other things, makes
the world appear miserable world to me- notwith-
standing your good opinion of it; for, would you
think it, our General Court has sat almost a fort
night, chiefly on the subject of indemnifying the
sufferers by the late mobs, and can't get vote for
it, though they sit late in the evening, and the
friends of it strive hard to get it accomplished |
have six good, honest old souls who come grOaninr
home day by day at the stupidity of their brethren
can't help interesting myself in the case and feel
in panics till they have brought the matter to
a conclusion. write this in hopes you will be in
England when this gets there, and that you will
find time to write me n few lines by the bearer,
captain Freeman, when he returns. And have a
small request to ask, though it is too triling a
thing for you to take care Of; Mrs. Stephenson |
don't doubt will be good to do it if you will
give her the materials. 1t is to procure me some
fine old linen or cambria (as very old shirt or
cambria handSerchief), dyed into bright colors,
such as red and green little blue, but chiefly red,
for, with all my own art, and good old uncle Ben
jamin's memOrandums, | can't make them good col
ors, and my daughter Jenny, with little of my
assistance has taken to making flowers for the la
dies heads and bosoms with pretty good acceptance
and if can procure these colors, am in hopes we
shall get something by it worth pains if we live
till spring. 1t is no matter how old the linen isl
am afraid you never have any bad enough"
GAS LIGHT IN ENGLAND.-Frauds IN the Sale of
Gas The value of gas sold in this kingdom is es-
timated to amount to f5,000,000 per annum, and
yet its measurement is left without any legal pro-
vision with respect either to accuracy or fraud
For the want of a legal criterion and inspection,