The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-04-02

denying this, and be was obliged
submit Having thus arranged th
matter with the mother, he spoke t
the daughter who confessed with he
tongue what her eyes bad often avov
cd, that she loved him; and she prom
ised to marry him on his return.
He set sail and reached London il
due time. There he discovered tha
the Governor had deceived an,
wronged him most cruelty. Instea,
lof letters of credit he had given hin
mere letters of fIintroduction, whicI
we're absolutely worthless. The con
sequence was that this young printe
of nineteen found himself in Londol
with ten pounds in his pocket and no
a friend in Europe who could be o
the slightest help to him To com
plete his misfortunes one of his Phila
delphia friends, who had crossed III,
Atlantic with him, and had come tc
London expecting to live by literature
could obtain no noemployment, and had
no resource 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 to Philadelphia, at
all still less OF appearing there as a
master printer
In these Circumstances he should have
written to Miss, Read plain state
ment of the case, and asked her to wait
for him, OF release him from the en-
gagement. Either he had not the
courage 10 do this, or else, absorbed
by the wonders and pleasures of the
town, he had become Indifferent TO
her He merely wrote her short
note, announcing his safe arrival in
London, and telling her be 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 and forlorn,
heard no mere from her faithless low
er. A new suitor presented himself,
Rogers by name, who carried on the
trade of a potter. He was an excel
lent hand at the business. and for this
reason Mrs. Read favored his suit.
Other relations urged her to marry
him, and at last she gave her consent,
and the marriage was celebrated.
Soon the dreadful rumor was noised
about Philadelphia that Rogers the
potter, had another wife. Such
strong reasons appeared for crediting
the report, that Deborah Read, who
had Lived unhappy with him, returned
to her mother aud resumed her maid
en- hame, sorrowful and hope
less woman. Her most sanguine
friends could not have foreseen for her
a happy and honorable future. Soon
after Rogers, who owed money in
all directions fled from his creditors
to the West Indies, whence came
soon after a report of his death.
Franklin remained in London for
about two years, at the end of which
time he returned as q clerk to Phil
adelphia merchant, whom be had met
by chance in London. Upon his ar
rival be renewed his intimacy with
Mrs. Read and her daughter, and
doubtless explained his inconsistency
as well as he could. He lamented
Deborah Reads unhappy condition /;
and, however he may have excused
his behavior, he felt that she owed
the ruin of her life to his own "giddi-
ness and Inconsistency" The moth
er however, insisted that it was she
who was most in fault, because she
had urged on the unhappy marriage,
even against her daughters inclina-
ton. She still consulted Franklin
about her affaTs, and they We're all
excellent friends
And so passed three or four years,
during which Franklin through his
own industry and good conduct, be-
came a master printer and proprietor
of newspaper, with the prospect of
founding an extensive business.
Needing capital, he tried to increase
his store by marriage, and when the
scheme failed, he turned his thoughts
on 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 law of the
period.
Franklin, plying her forlorn condi-
ion, always reproaching himself as
he cause of her woe, and not less
'ond of her than before, at last pro-
posed that they should risk mar
'iage. Nor was the match SO une-
iual as it seemed, for, bachelor as he
was, he had q san a few months old
)n bis hands, which was set off
against the chances of Rogers return
ng. In 1880, seven years after Miss
Read had saw Franklin walking up
Market street eating his roll they
we're married. Rogers as it turned
'ut, was really dead; nor did any of
lis creditors apply to Franklin for
payment. The child was taken home
md reared as thought had been born
o them in wedlock He was well edu-
'ated and afterwards bcame govener
If New Jersey. The marrige was
successful in every respect.
)ne of Franklin,s maxims in Poor
Almanac was this: "a man
must ask his wife to thrive" Nothing
more true. In vain shall young
nan, without much capital, toll and
lenY him self, If he has wife who
qnanders his gains, and takes no in
crest in his career. Mrs. Fraklin was
me of the most Industrious, careful
nd friendly of women. Besides at
ending her husbands little shop, she
fought rags, pamphlets, folded news
'apers, tenderly nurtured his child,
nd kept her husband from being ex-
ravagant. He was by no means Of
n economical disposition. He was
encrous to q fault. and I am sure
vas much indebted to his wife for the
apidlty with which he mace his for.
nne. In the early years of their