Mrs. Franklin spoke with great plainness. She had never justified James at all in his treatment of Benjamin; and now that the former was adding injury to injury by falsely accusing the latter, she could not suppress her feelings. She magnified the severity of her words, by quoting: "Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." "My advice to you, James, is to let the dead past bury the dead. It will do no good to revive old memories. Make the future as bright as you can--that is the only wise course. I am quite sure that Benjamin will meet you more than half way, in erasing old scores." Mr. Franklin spoke this with much feeling as he turned away to his work. James continued to be resentful, and failed to reduce his father's counsel to practice. Benjamin soon found his old friend, John Collins; and there was mutual satisfaction in their meeting. As soon, however, as the first pleasure of meeting was over, Benjamin discovered that his friend had become intemperate, and he was both surprised and grieved. However, he gratified John with a detailed account of his experience, from the time they separated, not omitting a glowing description of his prospects in Philadelphia. "How soon will you return?" John inquired. "I want to leave here within two weeks if I can. I ought not to stay but a week." "How will it do for me to return with you?" "I think it will do well if you stick closely to business. That is the only way we can succeed in any thing." "I can do that. Work never hurt me, or any thing else." John did not take the hint in Benjamin's last remark. "But strong drink has hurt a great many. I should never expect to succeed in any thing if I used it as many do." "Nor I," answered John, who was blind to his own danger, as all intemperate men are. "We have no need of any such beverage at all," continued Benjamin. "I discard it entirely now, as you know that I did when I lived here in Boston. Water is the best beverage for us both." "You may be right, Ben; you are, generally. But are you not a little odd in discarding what nearly every one uses?" John was trying to find an excuse for himself. "Better be odd than to be disqualified for business. You know, as well as I do, that rum disqualifies more men for business than all other evils put together. Once you were of my opinion, John; but your habits have been changing your opinion." "Well, that is neither here nor there," replied John, who found that Benjamin was becoming rather personal. "What do you think of my going to Philadelphia with you?" "If your habits now are what your personal appearance indicates, you will not succeed in Philadelphia any better than you can in Boston. An intemperate man is a failure anywhere." "Then you don't think I am good enough to go back with you?" said John, with a degree of warmth.