of Benjamin's associates to him. He had heard that an older son of Mr. Franklin, who worked at the business

"I shall work at it no long

it all your life. It will be, as your fath

n his shop against my wishes-only till I can find some other

ot willing that you

ll it is of no use. They seem to think that I should be shipwrec

a, and you won't be a tallow

asy business. If people had no more light than the candles I should

is companion. "It is quite easy work, certainly,-much more to m

at I do. Almost any simpleton could cut wicks and fill candle-moulds. A fellow who can't do it couldn'

ll your ingenuity to work yourself out of the tallow-ch

young visitor left. Benjamin was not acquainted with all his father's plans, and he had actually proceeded further than he was awa

aid he; "as John is to be married so soon, he will be able to render me

in, "that Benjamin cannot be prevailed up

n is soon turned to some other pursuit. Then, if he has a taste for any other honourable pursuit, I am wi

in view for him t

ar business. If he has, he will accomplish more in that. I don't believe in compelling a b

F.; "they are more likely to succeed than those who are changing often fro

ance of this more than I do, and I have pretty thoroughly imbued the mind of Benjamin with the same views. I thin

o much counsel upon this point, that he had no desire to run from one thing to another. And he continued to cheri

h a trade ha

calling hath an

was young. A trade is the assurance of a livelihood, however hard the times may be. As a genera

te left the shop, "I have decided on finding some other business for you immediate

n, scarcely expecting to have his wishes gratified

the matter first; and I propose to go to-

ith you, di

s to which I shall call your attention, and

Benjamin, deeply interested in

fferent trades, and we shall not be under the necessity of extending

ext went to a turner's place of business, where he saw different articles turned to order, in so rapid a manner as to surprise him. He was more interested in the turning-lathe, and its rapid movement, than he was in the use of joiner's tools. Passing through a prominent street, after leaving the turner's, they came to an unfinished structure, on which bricklayers were employed. Here another trade was on exhibition, and Benjamin's attention was called to it, and the various kind of labour which this class of toilers were obliged to perform were explained to him. In this way they visited other work-shops, until they had seen the practical operations of the different trades, and Benjamin understood what kind of toil each required. One of the last shops they visited was that

inquired his mother, as they sat at the tea-table

aking candles," he replied, "although

y. "I saw that you fell in love with his work, and I think

take that trade, will

the trades I have se

who sat at the table, speaking in a vein of pl

Mr. Franklin, addressing his remark to Benjamin, in order to help him out of the predicam

the cutler's trade. If I can have my choice I shall cho

" replied his father. "I want you should weigh the ma

rentice," said Mrs. Franklin. "Perhaps he may not want one. H

enjamin. "He can see cousin Samuel to-

his father, "and arrange for you

bject, yet he received it favourably, and finally decided that Benjamin might come immediately, and try his hand at this new business. He thought

ferent from the work of candle-making, and required so much more thought and ingenuity, that he was prepa

ct, but was determined to rear him to the profession of law. He ordered all musical instruments to be carried out of the house, and made it as difficult as possible for his son to gratify his taste for sweet sounds. But through the assistance of a servant, the boy obtained an instrument, which he kept in the garret; and there, when opportunity offered, with the strings of his "clavichord" so covered with pieces of cloth as to deaden the sound, he practised music until he became a proficient in harmony. It was not, however, until his father took him on a visit to see an elder brother, who was in the family of the Prince of Saxe-Weisenfels, that he became acquainted with the progress he had

vered that Joshua had disfigured his exercise-book with a number of well-executed drawings; but, instead of encouraging his talents in this line, he sharply rebuked him, and wrote underneath the sketches, "Done by Joshua out of pure idleness." His f

barn, much to the consternation of his father and mother, fixing up a windmill of his own construction. Soon afterwards having seen some men repairing a pump, he procured from them a piece of bored pipe, he made one of his own, with which he could raise water. At fourteen years of age he made an engine to turn rose-work, and many were his presents of boxes of wood and ivory turned by himself. He made all his tools for working wood, ivory, and metals. He

n the first place, and resolved to educate him in t