Benjamin Franklin : $b Representative selections, with introduction, bibliograpy, and notesFranklin, Benjamin
General
Benjamin Franklin : $b Representative selections, with introduction, bibliograpy, and notes
Franklin, Benjamin
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790
"You having set yourself up for a _Censuror Morum_, (as I
think you call it), which is said to mean a Reformer of
_Manners_, I know no Person more proper to be apply'd to for
Redress in all the Grievances we suffer from Want of
_Manners_, in some People. You must know I am a single Woman,
and keep a Shop in this Town for a Livelyhood. There is a
certain Neighbour of mine, who is really agreeable Company
enough, and with whom I have had an Intimacy of some Time
standing; but of late she makes her visits so excessively
often, and stays so very long every Visit, that I am tir'd
out of all Patience. I have no Manner of Time at all to
myself; and you, who seem to be a wise Man, must needs be
sensible that every Person has little Secrets and Privacies,
that are not proper to be expos'd even to the nearest Friend.
Now I cannot do the least Thing in the World, but she must
know all about it; and it is a Wonder I have found an
Opportunity to write you this Letter. My Misfortune is, that
I respect her very well, and know not how to disoblige her so
much as to tell her I should be glad to have less other
Company; for if I should once hint such a Thing, I am afraid
she would resent it so as never to darken my Door again.
"But alas, Sir, I have not yet told you half my Affliction.
She has two Children, that are just big enough to run about
and do pretty Mischief; these are continually along with
Mamma, either in my Room or Shop, if I have ever so many
Customers or People with me about Business. Sometimes they
pull the Goods off my low Shelves down to the Ground, and
perhaps where one of them has just been making Water. My
Friend takes up the Stuff, and cries, 'Eh! thou little wicked
mischievous Rogue! But, however, it has done no great
Damage; 'tis only wet a little;' and so puts it up upon the
Shelf again. Sometimes they get to my Cask of Nails behind
the Counter, and divert themselves, to my great Vexation,
with mixing my Ten-penny, and Eight-penny, and Four-penny,
together. I endeavour to conceal my Uneasiness as much as
possible, and with a grave Look go to Sorting them out. She
cries, 'Don't thee trouble thyself, Neighbour: Let them play
a little; I'll put all to rights myself before I go.' But
Things are never so put to rights, but that I find a great
deal of Work to do after they are gone. Thus, Sir, I have all
the Trouble and Pesterment of Children, without the Pleasure
of--calling them my own; and they are now so us'd to being
here, that they will be content nowhere else. If she would
have been so kind as to have moderated her Visits to ten
times a Day, and stay'd but half an hour at a Time, I should
have been contented, and I believe never have given you this
Trouble. But this very Morning they have so tormented me,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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