Year: 1872




visits the grave of Franklin in Christ
Church burying ground in Philadelphia,
he will observe near it little stone, not
two feet high, which Franklin placed
over the grave of this boy. He added
to the usual inscription these words
The delight Of all who knew him.
Their only other child, Sarah, grew to
womanhood, inheriting and transmit
ting her mothers beauty.


During the first fifteen years of their
married life, Franklin spent most of his
time in England, as agent for the col
onies. Such was her dread of the ocean,
that she never could be persuaded to ac-
company him or visit him. During his
absence she took care of all his affairs
better, in some respects, than he could
have done it himself. By almost every
ship, she sent him American nuts, ap-
Piles, and other products, and he sent
her in return all sorts of rare and beau
tiful things in fabric and household
furniture, such as sets of china, articles
of silver ware, table cloths, tea trays,
blankets, silk for dresses, and any Gu
rious household implements which he
thought might be useful. On one oe-
casion he sent her alarge, handsome
beer jug.


1 fell in love with it, he told her, 'at
first sight, for 1 thought that it looked
like fat, jolly dame, clean and tidy,
with neat blue calico gown on,
good natured and lovely, and put me
in mind somebody


To make the jug the more welcome,
he filled it with pretty little coffee cups,
packed in salt.


During the Stamp Act troubles of
1765, when the false report reached
Philadelphia that her husband had IA
vored the odious measure, the mob
threatened to sack his house. On this
occasion she proved herself worthy to
be the wife of Pennsylvania's represen-
tative. Governor Franklin entreated
her to take refuge in his own house at
Burlington, and all her friends urged
her to go.


For nine days, she says, people kept
persuading her to leave her house. At
length, she let her daughter go to Bur-
lington; but for herself, she would
not bulge.


Il am very sure said she, that my
husband has done nothing to hurt any
body, nor have 1 given offence to any
person at all, nor will l be made uneasy
by anybody. l will not stir, nor show
the least uneasiness. But if anybody
comes to disturb me, L will show a
proper resentment


And, indeed, she armed and fortified
her house, stationing her brother and
cousin below with guns and ammuni-
ton, and mounting guard upstairs her
self, prepared to defend her abode. The
storm blew over, and very soon the
truth respecting her husbands con-
duct was known.


For forty-four years Benjamin Frank
lin and Deborah Read were united in
marriage.


She lived to see her husband the most
honored of Americans on both coDti-
nents, and she lived also to see her
daughter suitably married to a mer-
chant of Philadelphia, Richard Bache.
Her last years were greatly cheered by
her beautiful grandchildren.


She had the happiness of escaping the
anxieties and terrors of the Revolution
ary War. She died in December, IVA,
with only one regret, that she could not
live to see her husband once again. In
deed, she had been for ten years longing
and pining for his return; but the pres
sing business of the colonies still de-
tained him, and the died at last when
he was making his preparations for his
homeward voyage. Her body was
borne to the grave by some of Frank
Inns oldest friends, men who had known
them when, forty-four years before,
they had begun housekeeping, and ate
their breakfast of bread and milk from
earthen bowls.


There were scarcely any woman at
that period who were what we now call
educated, and the letters of Mrs. Frank
lin show that she was not gifted in the
use of the pen.


But she was faithful and affection
ate wife, a friend and help-meet to her
husband, who was enabled to devote
himself to the public service because
he had at home a wife competent and
willing to take charge of his affairs in
his absence.