6. About the year 1734, a young preacher arrived in Philadelphia, by the name of Hemphill. He had a good voice, and delivered very excellent sermons. Large numbers were attracted by his eloquence, of different doctrines and belief. Among the rest, Franklin became a very constant hearer. He was pleased with his sermons, because they impressed the love and the practice of virtue and goodness, without quarrelling about hard questions of doctrinal religion. 7. Some of the congregation, however, disapproved of his preaching, and united with the old ministers to attempt to put him down. Franklin took sides with him very warmly, and did all he could to raise a party in his favor. He wrote two or three pamphlets in his defence. 8. During this contest the unlucky preacher hurt his own cause by a very unpardonable meanness. One of his enemies heard him preach a very eloquent sermon, and thought he had somewhere heard or read parts of it before. On looking into the matter, he found the preacher had stolen several passages from a discourse delivered by a celebrated English divine. This discovery induced many of his friends to desert him, and he was obliged to go in search of a congregation less inquisitive. 9. After ten years' absence from Boston, Franklin determined to make a journey there to visit his relations. He was now doing very good business, and was in quite easy circumstances. He had seen a good many changes in his fortunes, since he first ran away from his native place; and his industry and good sense were to bring about still greater changes. 10. In returning to Philadelphia, he stopped at Newport, to see his brother James, who was, at that time, settled there with his printing office. Their former differences were at once forgotten, and the meeting was very cordial and affectionate. James was at that time in very ill health, and in expectation of a speedy death. He, accordingly, requested Benjamin, when that event should happen, to take home his son, then but ten years of age, and bring him up to the printing business. 11. This he accordingly performed, sending him a few years to school before he took him into the office. When James died, his widow carried on the business till her son was grown up. At that time, Benjamin assisted them with an assortment of new types, and they were, in this manner, enabled to continue the establishment. [Illustration: Reconciliation of Franklin with his Brother.] 12. The club which Franklin had founded proved to be so useful, and afforded so much satisfaction to the members, that they proposed to introduce their friends, and increase their number. They had, from the beginning, determined to keep the _Junto_ a secret, and the secret was kept better than such things usually are. Franklin was of opinion that twelve members formed a club sufficiently large, and that it would be inconvenient to increase it.