The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-06-06
had come 70 London expecting TO live by

and had no resource but Franklin
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 to Philadelphia at all, still less
of his appearing there as master
printer
In these circumstances he should have
written to Miss Read plain statement
of the fact, and asked her to wait for
| him, or released her from the engage
ment. Either he had not the courage
to do this, or else, absorbed by the won
| ders and pleasures of the town, he had
| become Indifferent to her. He merely
wrote short note, announcing his safe
arrival in London, and telling her he
was not likely to return soon. This was
one of the great errorsof his life, which,
| he said, he would wish to correct II he
were to live it over again.
Month after month passed, and
Deborah Read, anxious and forlorn,
heard no more from her faithless lover.
A new sutton presented himself, Rogers
by name, who carried on the trade of
potter. He was an excellent hand at the
business, and for this reason Mrs. Readfa-
vored his suit. Other relations urged
her to marry him, and at last she gave
her consent, and the marriage was cele-
brated. Soon the dreadful news was
noised abroad in Philadelphia that
Rogers, the. potter, had another wife.
Such strong reason appeared for credit
ing the report, that Deborah Read, who
had lived unhappily with him, returned
to her mother, and resumed her maiden
name, sorrowful and hopeless woman.
Her moist sanguine friends could not
have foreseen for her happy and honor
able future. Soon after, Rogers, who
owed money in all directions, fled from
his creditors to the West Indies, whence
came soon after report of his death.
Franklin remained in London about
two years, at the end of which he return
ed to Philadelphia as clerk to a mer-
chant, whom he had met by chance in
London. Upon his arrival he renewed
the intimacy with Mrs. Read and her
daughter, and doubtless explained his
Inconsistency as best he could. He Ia
mented Deborah Reads unhappy con-
dition; and, however he may have ex-
cused his behavior, he felt that she owed
the ruin of her life to his own 'giddi-
ness and INCONSISTENCY The mother,
however, insisted that it was she who
was most in fault, because she had urged
on the unhappy marriage, even against
her daughters inclination. She still
consulted Franklin about her affairs,
and they were all excellent friends.
And so passed three or four years,
during which Franklin, through his own
industry and good conduct, became a
master printer and proprietor of a news
paper, with a prospect of founding an
extensive business. Needing capital, he
tried to increase his store by marriage,
and, when that scheme failed he turned
his thoughts to his first love, poor
Deborah Read. Her runaway potter
was probably dead, but he might not be;
and she seemed forever cut off from
marriage by the fact that her second
husband would be responsible for the
debts of her first. Such was the lawof the
period.
Franklin, plying her forlorn condi-
ton, always reproached himself as the
cause of her woe, and no less fond of
her than before, at last proposed that
they should risk a marriage. Nor was
the match so unequal as it seemed, for,
bachelor as he was, he had a son few
months old upon his hands, which was
IL set-off against the chances of Rogers
reappearing In ITO, seven years after
Miss Read had seen Franklin walking
up Market street eating his roll, they
were married. Rogers, as it turned
out, was really dead ; nor did any of his
creditors apply to Franklin for payment.
The child was taken home and reared as
though it had been born TO them in
wedlock. He was well educated, and
afterwards became Governor of New
Jersey.
The marriage was eminently success
full i'll every respect. One of Franklin S
maxims in Poor Richards Almanac was
this GA man must ask his wife to
thrive. Nothing more true. In vain
shall young man, without much CAPT
tai toll and deny himself, if he has a
wife who squanders his gains and takes
no interest in his career. Mrs Frank
lin was one of the most industrious,
careful and friendly of women. Besides
attending to her husbands little shop,
she bought rags, stitched pamphlets,
folded newspapers, tenderly nursed her
child, and kept her husband from being
extravagant. He was by no means OF
an economical disposition. He was gen.
erous to fault, and was much indebted
to his wife for the rapidity with which
he made his fortune. In the early years
of their married life he could sometimes
boast-and he did boast of it-that he
was clothed from head to foot in gar
ments which his wife had first woven
and then made.
1t seems, however, that she was not
adverse to a reasonable degree of com
fort and display. Franklin narrates
that for long time after marriage he
had nothing for breakfast but bread and
milk, and he used to eat it out of a two
penny earthen bowl with a pewter
spoon.
"But," he continued, "mark how
luxury will enter a family and make
progress, in spite of principle. Being
called one morning to breakfast, I found
it in china bowl, with spoon of silver.
They had been bought for me without
my knowledge by my wife, and had cost
her the enormous sum of three and
twenty shillings for which he had nc
other excuse to make but that she
thought her husband deserved silver
| sDoon and china bowl as well as any OF