Year: 1872




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For the REoIsTkR.
"reminiscences of Franklin and Wife.


PHILADELPHIA, March I'd. 1872.


Mr.. Editor 1T is related that on n
fine Sunday morning in October, 1928,
Deborah Read, beautiful and blooming
lass of eighteen, stood ut the door of her
fathers house on Market street, Phila
delphia. The city was at that time for
ty-three years of age, and contained a
population of seven thousand. Many
trees of the original forest still stood on
its site the houses were built at some
distance apart, with gardens between
them, and the streets were yet unpaved.
1t was large, tranquil, Quaker village,
surrounded by primeval wilderness, with
groups of Indians frequently seen in the
streets, and such game as wolves, bears,
wild turkeys and deer could be shot with.
in four miles of the town. The Market
street of to-day presents quite dissimilar
appearance from what it appears to have
done at that period for a distance of
nearly four miles there is continuous
line of business places on either side of
the street, both wholesale and retail and
is the most thronged business thorough
fare in the city.


As the young lady referred to stood at
the door Of her house-it was about
church time in the morning-shc saw
among the crowd of church going people,
a strange figure, that both amused and
surprised her. 1t was stout lad of SOW
enteen, not ill-looking, but dressed in the
very extreme of shabbiness. He wore
the clothes of an ordinary apprentice, and
these, by exposure 10 rain and the wear
and tear of travel, had become dirty and
dilapidated. The pockets Of his coat were
stuffed out with shirts and stockings, and
under each arm he had roll, while he
was eating third. She gazed at him as
long as she could see him, wondering and
laughing at his ridiculous appearance. II
she had any thought upon the subject, she
probably regarded him as a runaway ap.
prentice, for such indeed he was-our
Benjamin Franklin, who had made his
way from Boston by sloop, by barge, and
on foot, to escape the tyranny of his
brother, to whom he had been apprentice
ed.


A few days passed. Miss Read learn.
ed from her father that young man was
coming to board with them, a printer,
that worked in one Of the two printing
houses in the town. What was her sur.
prise when the young man arrived neatly
dressed, with clean linen, and very neat
in his appearance, to recognize the for
lorn and shabby youth who had caught
her eye on that sabbath morning. His
chest had arrived by sea, and thus he was
able to present himself at his new abode,
in becoming costume The young man
proved highly agreeable to the famiy y
he was full Of intelligence amiability and
good humor,-one ofthose young fellows
who make friends wherever they 60, be-
cause they are themselves obliging and
friendly.


A year glided away, when he conclud-
ed to 60 to London, but before going, he
avowed to Mrs. Read that he entertained
strong partiality toward her daughter,
and repeated it to the girl that stood in
the door on that bright Sabbath morning
and she confessed with her tongue what
her eye had often avowed, that she recip-
rocated that partiality, and they entered
into an engagement Of marriage on his
return from Europe. Franklin remain
ed in London about two years, at the
end of which he returned as clerk to q
Philadelphia merchant, whom he had
met by chance in London. Upon his re.
turn he renewed the intimacy being un,
successful while abroad, they postponed
marriage until he could get "start in
the world In 1870, seven years after
Miss Read saw Franklin walking up
Market street, eating his roll, they were
married. Their first son was one of the
early Governors of New Jersey. Frank.
lin narrates that for long time after his
marriage, he had nothing for breakfast
but bread and milk, and he used to eat
it out of a two penny earthern bowl with
pewter spoon.


but" he continued, "mark how lux.
uries will enter families and make pro.
gress in spite of principle. Being called
one morning to breakfast, | found it IN q
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
ahillings, for which she had no other ex.
cuse to make but that she thought hei
husband deserved silver spoon and chi
ma bowl as we'll as any of his neighbors. "
Franklin, it is said, advertised every
thing. One of them reads as follows
Taken out Of pew in the church, some
months since, common prayer book
bound in red gilt, and letters ID. f
Deborah Franklin) on each corner. The
person who took it is desired to open il
and read the eighth commandment, and
afterwards return it into the same pew
again, upon which no further notice will
be taken"


During the first fifteen years of thei
married life, Franklin spent most of hi
time in England as agent for the colonies
Such was Mrs. Frankins dread of the
ocean that she never could be persuaded
to accompany him or visit him. DurinI
the stamp act troubles of 1865, when tn,
false reports reached Philadelphia tina
her husband had favored the odious meas
nre. the mob threatened to sack his house
On this occasion she proved herself wor
thy to be the wifa of Peunsyl yania's rep
resentative. Gov. Franklin entreated he
to take refuge in his house at Burlington
New Jersey, and oil her friends urge