wished to hear how the lad got on at candlemaking, and whether he could manage the dips yet, and Zachary to see what new toy-ship he had got on the stocks—and, indeed, every one to say something to him; for he was a general favorite, not only because he was the youngest of the boys, but because he was the cleverest and best-natured of them all.

The news that Ben was "in disgrace" made all as sad as death for a time; but every one had a kind word to say for him to the father. The younger ones begged hard for him; the elder ones pleaded well for him; so that Josiah had not fortitude enough to hold out against such a friendly siege, and was obliged to promise he would let the boy off as lightly as possible; though, true to his principles, the would-be disciplinarian vowed that the next time “he'd—he'd—but they should see."

Mistress Franklin (as the sons and daughters came pouring in one after another, till the house was so full of boys and girls-children and grandchildren-that it was almost impossible, as has been well said, to shut the doors for them) had enough to do between preparing the dinner and tidying the young ones for the occasion; though it almost broke her housewife's heart to find how buttonless and stringless, and even ragged, their clothes had become during their long absence.

Scarcely had she kissed the boys before she twisted them round by the shoulders, as she eyed them from top to toe, and commenced pouring down upon their unlucky heads a heavy shower of motherly reproofs, while the lads, who were thinking only of the feast, kept worrying her as to what she was going to give them for dinner.

"Dear heart!" she would begin to one," why

YOUNG BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

don't you wash up at the roots of your hair, boy?" or else she would exclaim, as she threw up her hands and eyebrows, "Is that your best coat? Why, you've only had it a year, and it's not fit to be seen. Where you fancy the clothes come from, lad, is more than I can tell."

The boy, however, would merely reply, "What pie have you made this year, mother? I hope it's a big 'un! Let's have a peep in the ovenyou might as well."

Then to another she would cry, as she seized him by his leg like a sheep, "Why, I declare, there's a large hole in the heel of your stocking, boy, big enough for a rat to get through; and if you were a sweep's child, I'm sure your linen couldn't well be blacker."

But this one paid no more heed than the other to the dame's observations; for the only answer he made was, "Got any honey, mother, for after Don't the ducks smell jolly, Jabethat's all! I say, mother, give us a sop in the pan."

Nor did the girls undergo a less minute scrutiny. "Why didn't a big child like Esther write home and say she wanted new flannels, for those she'd on were enough to perish her. She never saw children grow so in all her life."

"Come here, girl; whatever is the matter with your mouth?" next she would shriek, as she caught hold of Martha and dragged her to the light; "you want a good dosing of nettle-tea to sweeten your blood-that you do." Whereupon, heaving a deep sigh, she would add, "Hah! you must all of you, children, have a spoonful or two of nice brimstone and treacle before you leave home again."

Then, as soon as the dame caught sight of Ruth, she began to question her about poor little Ben,

continuing her cooking operations the while. At one moment she was asking whether the lad was fretting much, and the next she was intent on basting her ducks, declaring that there was no leaving them a minute, or she'd have them burnt to a cinder.

Now she would fall to stirring the potful of "hominy," and skimming the corned beef; then pausing for an instant to tell Ruth how frightened she had been when she found that poor Ben had left the house that morning, and begging of her to get Holmes to do all he could to set the lad against the sea.

And when Ruth had told the mother that Holmes was obliged to stay and see his cargo discharged at the wharf, and that he thought it would save words if Ben came round with him in the evening; and when she had informed her, moreover, that Ben had forgotten it was Thanksgiving Day at home till he saw her and her little ones leaving for the feast, and that then he seemed to take it to heart greatly, the mother stopped short in her examination of the pie during the process of baking, and cried, as she held it half drawn out of the oven, "I'll put by a bit of every thing for him, and he shall have the largest cut of the pie, that he shall;" adding the next minute, "But he'll be round in the evening in time for the stewed fruit and corn-cakes-bless him!"

Immediately after this she began wondering again whether that girl Deborah had thought about tapping a fresh cask of cider, and "fussing," as usual, now about her boy, and then about her dinner.

*My father married young, and carried his wife with three children to New England about 1685. The conventicles being, at that time, forbidden by law, and frequently disturbed in the meetings, some considerable men of his acquaintance determined to go to that country, and he was persuaded to accompany them thither, where they expected to enjoy the exercise of their religion with freedom. * Our humble family early embraced the Reformed religion," writes Benjamin Franklin. "Our forefathers had an English Bible, and to conceal it, and place it in safety, it was fastened open with tapes under and within the cover of a jointstool. When my great-grandfather wished to read it to his family, he placed the joint-stool on his knees, and then turned over the leaves under the tapes. One of the children stood at the door to give notice if he saw the apparitor coming, who was an officer of the Spiritual Court. . . . This an

The family devotions and discourse were barended ere the "cuckoo clock" whooped twelve,

immediately a crow of delight from the nger branch of the Franklin family announced entry of the corned beef and dough-nuts. uch manifestations of the pleasures of the ite, we have before said, were highly disapved of by the simple-minded Josiah; so, as eye suddenly lighted upon the young carpens apprentice in the act of rubbing his waist, and drawing in his breath in youthful ecstathe ascetic father cried, with a shake of the 1.

Jabez, how often have I told you that this ng way to carnal joys is little better than a hen!"

ut scarcely had the parent finished chiding son than he was startled by a loud smacking he lips from another; when, glancing in the tion of the sound, he found the young mason his mouth and eyes wide open, in positive ures as he sniffed the savory odor of the n and smoking canvas-back ducks that Debwas about to place at the bottom of the

'm ashamed of you, Nehemiah," the tallowller shouted, as he frowned at the lad, "givp your heart to the vanities of this world in a manner!"

secret pull at his coat-tails, however, from e Benjamin, cut short the lecture, for the

"Franklin adds, "I had from Uncle Benjamin. The continued," he then proceeds to say, "all of the Church land till about the end of Charles II.'s reign, when of the ministers who had been outed' for their nonnity having opened a conventicle in Northamptonshire, le Benjamin and my father adhered to them, and so ed all their lives."-Franklin's Autobiography, p. 5.