The sun., 1903-12-13

OF 10 CnauRe tne map OIL tue NOIlQ.
Before leaving London he accepted from 8
reputable merchant who was returning tc
Philadelphia an offer of Il olerkship, and In q
few months. he lear ned much Of the business
but WAS thrown out of II by the death Of his
employer and by IA terrible illness, from
which he barely recovered Referring to
this Illness he wrote his own epit aph. which
fortunately for the world, there Nas no occa.
sion TO Use:
The Body
Of
BENJAMIN FBARkLiN
u-IHe the cover OF an old book.
Its contents torn out
and stripped of Its lettering and binding.
Lies here. food for worms.
Yet the work itself snail not be LOST
For II Will as he believed, appear onoe more
In o new
And more boautfui edition,
Corrected and Amended
The Author.
soon after this illness he turned over a
new leaf. with Arm resolve TO train himself
for successful and honorable life by the
practice Of every virtue. He returned 10
his old business Of printing. which for twenty
years he followed with the utmost diligence
and became very prosperous.
fIooRous sELt-THAlSlN",
About this time he conceived the bold
and arduous project of arriving at moral
perfection. and rigidly schooled himself
10 the virtues Of temperance. order, resoiu-
ton, Gr,I2ality. induAtry. sincerity, niOders- l.
lion and cleanliness. By constant reading,
study and observation he made the very
best Of the great mental capacity with which
lie had been endowed by nature. lie sci
10 work deliberately and with conscientious
hdeiity 20 improve to the best advantage
lie "A
happiness only but for the benefit OF tho
,on,rIunltY 10 which be belonged. From
Az ood volume Of the Spectator which feii
I'M, rs hands he modelled his style, training
himself more vigorously than any schooi
could have trsiaed luIa. aud thus acquired
very eariy in life tnat nower or clear ana
lucid expression wi,i"a made all his subse-
arent writings SC effective.
4 A brilliant modern writer. Hugh BLACK.
has said that 'culore is the conscious train +
iug III nch n,Sn olakes use OF every sduoa :
tional means within his reach. feedng nis
inner life by every vital force in history and
experience, ana so adjusting himself TO his
environment that he shall absorb the best
products of the life OF his time. thus MAXIM
his personality rich and deep"
1t was this seff-c,ilturc that Fran Kiln sought
TO attain and he never lost sight OF his object.
Self-control. once achieved. enabled him in
large measure 10 control others NO wonder,
then. that il, Philadelphia at that time airesdv
a large city. he nc. only rapidly achieved
SUCCESS u ais business. but became before
ong 9 marked figure In Pennsyivsnis and
tlrou zhcut tho thirteen Colonies. He never
wasted time and 80 time never waited hin.
and at the so OF A. he was able 70 withdraw
from the active mana cement OF his busines
aud 70 devote himself 70 public affairs ard
TO sctentifc studies In which his eoill ue-
lighted.
POOH RICHARDS ALxASAok' APPkAns.
In the mean tine Ycd always in the way
OF business lie uad engaged in two literary
ventures which Ell she saI.s time exercised
his active brains and extended his reputa-
ton very widely. lie purchased the Penn
sylrunia Gos9tc when il was on the verge
Of ruin and collapse. snd y became. under
his edito,ship, the best ne wspsper in America
and by means of IL he exercised vast power
and influence throu ghout the Colonies. And
Poor Richards .iin.oHack. which ne started
When heif as 26 years old and continued to
publish ~ twenty-five years. proved to be
4 splendid vehicle Tor the exercise or Ms
wonderful common sense. lively Wit and
keen interest in all sorts of affairs. He was
vory human. and nothing human escaped
his searching interest. II was an alinan1s
de 81 gned for the general diffusion OF knoWl-
few or no books. Il found its way. with the
Bible. into every household in the land. Every
number va. fun Of worldly wisdom. proven
bial philosophy. intoxicating the practice ol
all the horneiv virtues, such as honesty. fr1i-
xality, industry. temperance and thrift "a
the sure guides 20 success and happiness
aud with all this generous sprinkung OF the
liyeliesu Hit and fun. It's circulation rapidly
multiplied and Poor Richard. as pseudonyn
ILL, NaIa i'm mr. mar
.opal traits, ~hich It 40 ntly displsyed ia
niliar in every household, and the influence
which he welded by il was simply unbounded
In later years he published Father Abra.
hams Speech which was comprehensive
sumunR up OF all Poor Richard 8 good things
! ran sa cking all literature for proverbs OF vii
and wisdom. and invsnting mapDof his own.
touching the conduct Of life at'ali points. SO
far as utility and worldly advantage are con-
cerned. The world greedily seized it and
! still cherishes it. for IL may now be read. not
in English only, but in French, German
spanish, ItaliaIi. R,lssiau Dutch. Bohemian
Modern Greek, Gaelic and Portuguese. Under
| The title Science du Bonhomme Richard II
has been thirty times printed In French and
twice in italian and as The Way to Wealth.
| twenty-seven times in English in pamphlet
| form. and innumerabe times as broadsde
| II in by far the most famous piece the Colonies
| would follow its precepts rs faithfully as
| Franklin did himself. he was sure to become
healthy, wealthy and wise. A cheerful TEN.
perament that was worth millions and ir-
resistible good humor pervaded all be wrote
| Sydney Smith. another example OF the same
| traits. by way Of playful menace. said to his
| daughter. II will disinherit you if you do not
J admire everything written by Franklin.
LEADERSHIP IN THE COLONIES.
From the time that his circumstances per.
nitted him to do anything but work solely
| for his daily bread. Franklin manifested and
| ted q constant interest in public affairs
| and his unerring instinct for public servics
was as keen ~ il he had been specially trained
| to that end at Oxford or at Cambridge Hi
! fellow citizens recognizing his capacity and
| efficiency, eagerly availed themselves of his
| leadership in every public movement. Thus
| he became the founder or promoter OF the
hrst debating society for mutual culture and
! Improvement In Philadelphia: the first sub
| scriptior library. the frat fire club, OF the
| American Philosophical Society, and OF wha
| finally became the University OF Pennsylvania
| which still holds dcservedly high rank among
! institutions of learning, Under his inspiring
| lead Philadelphia became better lighted
better paved. better poiiced and better read