Year: 1874

DIR. Benjamin Franklin, after the


decease of his father, returned to


Boston, in order to pay his respects


to his mother, who had resided in


that city. He had been absent some


years, and at that period of life when


the greatest and most rapid altera-
tion is made in the human appear


ance-at the time when the queru-


lous voice of the stripping assumes
the commanding tone of the adult,


and the smiling features of the youth


are succeeded by the strong lines of


manhood. The doctor was sensible


such was the alteration of his person,


that his mother could not Know him,


except by that instinct which it is


believed can cause mothers heart
to beat violently in the presence of a
child, and point the maternal eye


with quick and sudden glance to a


beloved son.


TO discover the existence of this
instinct by actual experience, Frank
lin resolved to introduce himself as 4
stranger to his mother, and to watch


narrowly for the moment in which
she should discover her son. and then
to determine with the true precision
Of The philosopher, whether that dis
cOvery was the effect Of that instinct
of tfection-intnitIve love-that in


nate attachment, which is conjectur-
ed to cement relatives of the same
blood, and which, by according the
passions of parent and child. like
well-tuned viOl, would at the first
touch cause them TO vibrate in uni
son, and at once evince that they
were but different chords of the same
instrument.


On a sullen, chilly day, in the
month of January, in the afternoon,
the doctor raped at his mothers
door, and asked to speak with Mrs.
Franklin. He found the old lady
knitting before the parlor tire-in-
Producing himself, by observing that
he had been informed she entertain
ed travellers, and requested a nights
lodging. She eyed him with that
cold look of disapprobation which
most people assume when they i'm
agine themselves insulted, by being
supposed to exercise an employment
but one degree below their real occu-
patton in life-assured him that he
had been misinformed--tha she did
not keep tavern; but it was true, to
oblige some members of the Legis-
lature, she took a number of them
into her family during the session.
that she then had four members of
the council, and six of the House of
Representatives, who boarded with
her-that all the beds were full
and then betook TO her knitting, with
the intense application which ex-
pressed as forcibly as action could, if
you have concluded your business,
the sooner you leave the house the
better. But upon the doctors wrap
ping his cloak around him, affecting
to shiver with the cold, and observ-
ing it was very chilly weather, she
pointed to n chair and gave him
leave to warm himself


The entrance of her boarders pre-
cluded all further conversation. Cof-
fee was soon served, and the doctor
partook with the family. To the cof-
fee, according to the good old Gus
tom of the times, succeeded a plate
of pippins, pipes, and a paper of Me
Entries best, when the whole fami-
ly formed cheerful smoking semi
circle before the fire. Perhaps no
man ever possesses the colloquial
powers to more fascinating degree
than DIR. Franklin; and never was
there an occasion when he displayed
those powers to greater advantage
than at this time. He drew the at
tention of the company by the solidi-
ty of modest remarks-instrncted |
them by the varied, new, and strik-
ing lights in which he placed the
subject, and delighted them with apt |
and amusing anecdotes. Thus en-
ployed, the hours passed merrily |
along until eight o'clock, when pune
tual to moment. Mrs. Franklin an
nouneed supper. Bnsied with her
household affairs. she fancied the in
truding stranger had Quilted the
house immediately after coffee; and |
it was with difficulty she could re-