True to His Home: A Tale of the Boyhood of FranklinButterworth, Hezekiah
General
True to His Home: A Tale of the Boyhood of Franklin
Butterworth, Hezekiah
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 -- Fiction
"I began again to walk along the streets by the riverside, and, looking
attentively in the face of every one I met with, I at length perceived a
young Quaker whose countenance pleased me. I accosted him, and begged
him to inform me where a stranger might find a lodging. We were then
near the sign of the Three Mariners. 'They receive travelers here,'
said he, 'but it is not a house that bears a good character. If you will
go with me I will show you a better one.' He conducted me to the Crooked
Billet, in Water Street. There I ordered something for dinner, and
during my meal a number of curious questions were put to me, my youth
and appearance exciting the suspicion of my being a young runaway. After
dinner my drowsiness returned, and I threw myself upon a bed without
taking off my clothes, and slept till six o'clock in the evening, when I
was called to supper. I afterward went to bed at a very early hour, and
did not awake till the next morning.
"As soon as I got up I put myself in as decent a trim as I could, and
went to the house of Andrew Bradford, the printer. I found his father in
the shop, whom I had seen at New York. Having traveled on horseback, he
had arrived at Philadelphia before me. He introduced me to his son, who
received me with civility and gave me some breakfast, but told me he had
no occasion at present for a journeyman, having lately procured one. He
added that there was another printer newly settled in the town, of the
name of Keimer, who might perhaps employ me, and that in case of refusal
I should be welcome to lodge at his house. He would give me a little
work now and then till something better should be found.
"The old man offered to introduce me to the new printer. When we were at
his house, 'Neighbor,' said he, 'I bring you a young man in the printing
business; perhaps you may have need of his services.'
"Keimer asked me some questions, put a composing stick in my hand to
see how I could work, and then said that at present he had nothing for
me to do, but that he should soon be able to employ me. At the same time
taking old Bradford for an inhabitant of the town well disposed toward
him, he communicated his project to him and the prospect he had of
success. Bradford was careful not to discover that he was the father of
the other printer; and from what Keimer had said, that he hoped shortly
to be in possession of the greater part of the business of the town, led
him, by artful questions and by starting some difficulties, to disclose
all his views, what his hopes were founded upon, and how he intended to
proceed. I was present and heard it all. I instantly saw that one of the
two was a cunning old fox and the other a perfect novice. Bradford left
me with Keimer, who was strangely surprised when I informed him who the
old man was.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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