jamin's shoulder at some composition which he held in his hand.

muse to fly, but James was determined to read it, and so he g

d, having a little of its spirit in his own nature

t; "not quite equal to Virgil or Homer, but very good

omewhat encouraged by his brother's comme

are worth." Whereupon Benjamin took two or three more fro

n write something worth printing if you try; and if you will undertake it, you ma

Benjamin, "though I suspect my poe

ry great improvement. One was entitled "The Lighthouse Tragedy," and was founded on the shipwreck of Captain Worthilake and his two daug

ll them about the town, if you are willing. I have no

them would you print

et the type remain standing until we see

do it imm

answered James. "The

dy." That commemorated an event of recent occurrence, and which excited much public feeling and sympathy at the time, so that people were quite prepared to purchase. It sold even beyond his expectations, and his success inflated his vanity somewhat. It caused him to believe, almost, that he was a genuine poet, and that distinction and a fortune were before him. If he had not been

engaged in such a busin

so, f

iness. You are not a poet, and can w

said Benjamin, "and proposed tha

defective;" and here Mr. Franklin began to read it over aloud, and to criticise it. He was a man of sound sense, and competent to expose the faults of such a compositi

, "that you will never deal in such wares again, and t

hat I may yet be able to write something worthy of being

ou, and, even if it was, I should not advise you to write it; for

amin. "How does it happen, then, tha

lf, writes only doggerel, that is not worth the paper on which it is printed. Now I advise you to le

began. Many of our best prose-writers, too, were exceedingly faulty writers at first. It is a noble effort of a boy to try to put his thoughts into writing. If he does not succeed in the first instance, by patience, energy, and persev

spirations. The air-castle that his youthful imagination had built, in consequence of the rapid sale of

ed James, noticing that Benjami

rses of my own," replied Benjamin. "He has been giving m

James, "does he di

r in his way, and counted faults enough to show that there is very lit

nd may improve wonderfully in future. You can't expect to wri

ing for me, I should judge from father's

ffed up to his future injury, had not his father thus unceremoniously taken the wind out of his sails. There was little danger now, however. After such a severe handling, he was not likely to overrate h

en years of age, at a time when the government of the Province incarcerated James, so that the paper would have been crushed but for the ability of Benjamin. When he first commenced business in Philadelphia, also, it enabled him to produce articles for the "Pennsylvania Gazette," which attracted general notice, and opened the way for his becoming both proprietor and editor of the same. And a little later he was able to write a pamphlet on the "Nature and Necessity of

r several years, and acquired a facility in composition before he thought of having a liberal education. The consequence was, that his friends became earnest to have him educated, and he was sent to college, where he ranked high as a writer; and he