The Life of Benjamin Franklin: With Many Choice Anecdotes and admirable sayings of this great man never before published by any of his biographersWeems, M. L. (Mason Locke)
Philosophy
The Life of Benjamin Franklin: With Many Choice Anecdotes and admirable sayings of this great man never before published by any of his biographers
Weems, M. L. (Mason Locke)
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790; Statesmen -- United States -- Biography
"'O, much after the old sort, Sarah,' said I; 'but that's neither here
nor there; I am come to see doctor Franklin.'
"'Well then,' said she, 'thou art too late, for he is _just dead_!'
"'Alack a day,' said I, 'then a great man is gone.'
"'Yes, indeed,' said she, 'and a _good_ one too; for it seemed as
though he never thought the day went away as it ought, if he had not
done somebody a service. However, David,' said she, 'he is not the
worse off for all that now, where he is gone to: but come, as thee
came to see Benjamin Franklin, thee shall see him yet.' And so she
took me into his room. As we entered, she pointed to him, where he lay
on his bed, and said, '_there_, did thee ever see any thing look so
natural?'
"And he did look natural indeed. His eyes were close--but that you saw
he did not breathe, you would have thought he was in a sweet sleep, he
looked so calm and happy. Observing that his face was fixed right
towards the chimney, I cast my eyes that way, and behold! just above
the mantle-piece was a noble picture! O it was a _noble picture_, sure
enough! It was the picture of our Saviour on the cross.
"I could not help calling out, 'Bless us all, Sarah!' said I, 'what's
all this?'
"'What dost mean, David,' said she, quite crusty.
"'Why, how came this picture here, Sarah?' said I, 'you know that many
people think he was not after this sort.'
"'Yes,' said she, 'I know that too. But thee knows that many who makes
a great fuss about religion have very little, while some who say but
little about it have a good deal.'
"'That's sometimes the case, I fear, Sarah,' said I.
"'Well, and that was the case,' said she, 'with Benjamin Franklin. But
be that as it may, David, since thee asks me about this great picture,
I'll tell thee how it came here. Many weeks ago, as he lay, he
beckoned me to him, and told me of this picture up stairs, and begged
I would bring it to him. I brought it to him. His face brightened up
as he looked at it; and he said, '_Aye, Sarah_,' said he, '_there's a
picture worth looking at! that's the picture of him who came into the
world to teach men to love one another!_' Then after looking wistfully
at it for some time, he said, '_Sarah_,' said he, '_set this picture
up over the mantlepiece, right before me as I lie; for I like to look
at it_,' and when I had fixed it up, he looked at it, and looked at it
very much; and indeed, as thee sees, he died with his eyes fixed on
it.'"
Happy Franklin! Thus doubly blest! Blest in life, by a diligent
co-working with "THE GREAT SHEPHERD," in his precepts of perfect
love.--Blest in death, with his closing eyes piously fixed upon him,
and meekly bowing to the last summons in joyful hope that through the
force of his divine precepts, the "wintry storms" of hate will one day
pass away, and one "eternal spring of love and peace encircle all."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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