Name: Biographical Stories: (From: "True Stories of History and Biography")
Author: Hawthorne, Nathaniel

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myself.” But the master mason did not seem to enjoy the joke. He was one of those unreasonable people who care a great deal more for their own rights and privileges than for the convenience of all the rest of the world. “Sam,” said he, more gruffly than usual, “go call a constable.” So Sam called a constable, and inquiries were set on foot to discover the perpetrators of the theft. In the course of the day warrants were issued, with the signature of a justice of the peace, to take the bodies of Benjamin Franklin and other evil-disposed persons who had stolen a heap of stones. If the owner of the stolen property had not been more merciful than the master mason, it might have gone hard with our friend Benjamin and his fellow-laborers. But, luckily for them, the gentleman had a respect for Ben’s father, and, moreover, was amused with the spirit of the whole affair. He therefore let the culprits off pretty easily. But, when the constables were dismissed, the poor boys had to go through another trial, and receive sentence, and suffer execution, too, from their own fathers. Many a rod, I grieve to say, was worn to the stump on that unlucky night. As for Ben, he was less afraid of a whipping than of his father’s disapprobation. Mr. Franklin, as I have mentioned before, was a sagacious man, and also an inflexibly upright one. He had read much for a person in his rank of life, and had pondered upon the ways of the world, until he had gained more wisdom than a whole library of books could have taught him. Ben had a greater reverence for his father than for any other person in the world, as well on account of his spotless integrity as of his practical sense and deep views of things. Consequently, after being released from the clutches of the law, Ben came into his father’s presence with no small perturbation of mind. “Benjamin, come hither,” began Mr. Franklin, in his customary solemn and weighty tone. The boy approached and stood before his father’s chair, waiting reverently to hear what judgment this good man would pass upon his late offence. He felt that now the right and wrong of the whole matter would be made to appear. “Benjamin!” said his father, “what could induce you to take property which did not belong to you?” “Why, father,” replied Ben, hanging his head at first, but then lifting eyes to Mr. Franklin’s face, “if it had been merely for my own benefit, I never should have dreamed of it. But I knew that the wharf would be a

Biographical Stories: (From: "True Stories of History and Biography")

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