Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-04-03
DIR. FRANKLIN's WIFE.
BY JAMES PARTON.

and blooming lass Of eighteen, stood
at the door Of her fathers house in
Market street, Philadelphia.
The city was forty-three years of
age and it contained q population of
seven thousand. Many trees of the
original forest still stood upon its site;
the houses were built at some distance
apart, with gardens between them, as
vet the streets were unpaved. 1t is
a large TRANQUIL Quaker village, sur
rounded by the primeval wilderness,
with groups Of Indians frequently TO
be seen in the streets, and such game
as wolves, bears, wild turkey and deer
to be shot within four miles of the
town.
As the young lady stood at the door
of her hOme-it was about church
time in the morning. she saw in q
crowd of ofchurch going people a strange
figure that both amused and surprised
her. 1t was a stout lad of seventeen,
not ill-loOking but dressed in the very
extreme of shabbiness. He wore the
working clothes of an ordinary ap-
prentice, and these by exposure to
rain and the wear and tear OF travel,
had become dirty and delapidated.-
The pockets or his coat were stuffed
out with shirts and stockings, and
under each arm he bad large roll
while eating a third. She gazed at
him as long as she could see him,
wondering and laughing at his ridi-
culous appearance. II she had any
thoughts upon the subject, she proba-
bly, set him down as a runaway ap.
prentice, for such indeed he was, one
BENJAMIN franklin, who had made
his way from Boston by sloop, by
barge, and on foot, to escape the ty-
ranny of his brother, to whom he had
been apprenticed.
A few days passed. Miss Read
learned from ner father that a young
man was coming home to board with
them. a printer, who worked in one
of the printing houses of the town.
What was her surprise when the
young man arrived, nicely dressed,
with clean linen, and very neat in
his person, to recognize the fOrlorn
and shabby youth who had caught
her eve on that Sunday morning
His chest had arrived by sea, and thus
he was able 70 present himself at his
new s5ode in becoming costume
The young man proved highly y agreea-
BILE TO the family. de was full OF in
telligenee, amiability and good honor
-One of those young fellows who
make friends wherever they go, be-
cause they are themselves obliging
and friendly.
A year glided rapidly by, during
which the father of the young lady
died, and was buried in Christ Church
burying ground, Philadelphia, where
his grave stone may be still seen and
read His wife, a vigorous and pru
dent woman, carried on the house az
usual, SO that it still furnished home
to the young printer. His fortunes
had frightened during the year. The
governor of the province, who had
accidently become acquainted with
his talents, proposed to set him up in
business as q printer, and was going
to send him to London to buy types, a
printing press and whatever is neces-
ssry for the business of a printer
With this prospect before him, the
young man was emboldened to speak
10 Mrs. Read on a momentous sub
ject. He had fallen in love with her
beautiful daughter. He told her this
mighty secret, and of his intended
voyage to London, and Of the gov
ernor's project of establishing him in
business. Finally, he asked her
daughters hand in marriage.
Mrs. Read was far from disapprov-
ing the match, but, like a prudent
mother as she was, she called the |
young mans attention to the fact thai
neither he nor her daughter were yet
nineteen, and that it would be most
unwise for them to marry just as he |
was going upon q long voyage, and |
about to engage in a new business |
which might not prove profitable
How much better to wait until he was |
safe home again, and the business was !
well established. There was no de- |
nying this. and he was obliged to !
submit. Having thus arranged the /
matter with the mother, he spoke to |
the daughter, who confessed with her |
tongue what her eyes had often avow
ed, that she loved him; and she |
promised to marry him on his return. |
He set sail, and reached London in /
due time. There he discovered that /
the governor had deceived and wrong |
ed him most cruelty. Instead OF |
letters of credit he had giveu him
mere letters of introduction which |
were absolutely worthless. The con-
sequence was that this young printer
of nineteen found himself in London
with ten pounds in his pocket and not
q friend in Europe who could be of the l
slightest help TO him. To complete
bis misfortunes one of his Phiiadel-
phia friends, who had crossed the
Atlantic with him, and had come to
London expecting to live by litera-
ture, could obtain no employment,
and had no resources but Franklin's
purse. The printer was not long in
getting work at his trade; but as there
were two to be supported, the ten
pounds rapidly melted away, and
franklin saw no prospect even of his
being able to get back 10 Philadelphia
at all, stillsless appearing there as
master printer.
In these circumstances he should
have written to Miss Read a plain
statement of the case, and asked her
to wait for him, or release her from
the engagement. Either he had not
the courage to do this or else, absor-
bed by the wonders and pleasures of
the town, he had become Indifferent
to her. He merely wrote her a short
note, announcing his safe arrival in
London, and telling her he was not
likely to return soon. This was one
Of the great errors of his life, which
he said, he could wish to correct if he
were to live it over again.
Month after month passed, and
Deborah Read, anxious aud forlorn,
heard no more from her,faithless lover.
A new suitor presented himself, Rog-
ers by name, who carried on the trade
Of potter. He was an excellent hand
at the business, and for this reason
Mrs. Read favored his suit. Other re-
lations urged her to marry him, and ;
at last she gave her consent, and the
was celebrated. Soon the
dreadful rumor was noised abroad in
Philadelphia that Rogers, the potter,
had another wife! Such strong rea-
sons appeared for crediting this report |,
that Deborah Read, who had lived
with him, returned to her
mother and resumed her maiden ,
name "a sorrowful and hopeless woman
Her most sanguine friends could not
have forseen for her a happy and
honorable future. Soon after, Rogers,
who owed money in all directions,
led from his creditors to the West :
Indies, whence came soon a report of !
lis death
Franklin remained in London for +
about two years, at the end of which
be returned as a clerk to q Philadel- 8