public convenience. If the owner of the stones should build a house with them, nobody will enjoy any advantage except himself. Now, I made use of them in a way that was for the advantage of many persons. I thought it right to aim at doing good to the greatest number.&rdquo; </p> <p> &ldquo;My son,&rdquo; said Mr. Franklin, solemnly, &ldquo;so far as it was in your power, you have done a greater harm to the public than to the owner of the stones.&rdquo; </p> <p> &ldquo;How can that he, father?&rdquo; asked Ben. </p> <p> &ldquo;Because,&rdquo; answered his father, &ldquo;in building your wharf with stolen materials, you have committed a moral wrong. There is no more terrible mistake than to violate what is eternally right for the sake of a seeming expediency. Those who act upon such a principle do the utmost in their power to destroy all that is good in the world.&rdquo; </p> <p> &ldquo;Heaven forbid!&rdquo; said Benjamin. </p> <p> &ldquo;No act,&rdquo; continued Mr. Franklin, &ldquo;can possibly be for the benefit of the public generally which involves injustice to any individual. It would be easy to prove this by examples. But, indeed, can we suppose that our all-wise and just Creator would have so ordered the affairs of the world that a wrong act should be the true method of attaining a right end? It is impious to think so. And I do verily believe, Benjamin, that almost all the public and private misery of mankind arises from a neglect of this great truth,&mdash;that evil can produce only evil,&mdash;that good ends must be wrought out by good means.&rdquo; </p> <p> &ldquo;I will never forget it again,&rdquo; said Benjamin, bowing his head. </p> <p> &ldquo;Remember,&rdquo; concluded his father, &ldquo;that, whenever we vary from the highest rule of right, just so far we do an injury to the world. It may seem otherwise for the moment; but, both in time and in eternity, it will be found so.&rdquo; </p> <p> To the close of his life Ben Franklin never forgot this conversation with his father; and we have reason to suppose that, in most of his public and private career, he endeavored to act upon the principles which that good and wise man had then taught him. </p> <p> After the great event of building the wharf, Ben continued to cut wick-yarn and fill candle-moulds for about two years. But, as he had no love for that occupation, his father often took him to see various artisans at their work, in order to discover what trade he would prefer. Thus Ben learned the use of a great many tools, the knowledge of which afterwards proved very useful to him. But he seemed much inclined to go to sea.