good mamma, the more you will recommend yourself to me. But why should I mention me, when you have so much higher a promise in the commandments, that such conduct will recommend you to the favor of God? You know I have many enemies, all, indeed, on the public account (for I can not recollect that I have in a private capacity given just cause of offense to any one whatever), yet they are enemies, and very bitter ones; and you must expect their enmity will extend in some degree to you, so that your slightest indiscretions will be magnified into crimes, in order the more sensibly to wound and afflict me. It is, therefore, the more necessary for you to be extremely circumspect in all your behavior, that no advantage may be given to their malevolence.

"Go constantly to church, whoever preaches. The act of devotion in the Common Prayer Book is your principal business there, and, if properly attended to, will do more toward amending your heart than sermons generally can do; for they were composed by men of much greater piety and wisdom than our common composers of sermons can pretend to be; and, therefore, I wish you would never miss the prayer days; yet I do not mean you should despise sermons, even of the preachers you dislike, for the discourse is often much better than the man, as sweet and clear waters come through very dirty earth. I am the more particular on this head, as you seemed to express, a little before I came away, some inclination to leave our Church, which I would not have you do.

"For the rest, I would only recommend to you, in my absence, to acquire those useful accomplishments, arithmetic and book-keeping. This you might do with ease if you would resolve not to see company on the hours you set apart for those studies.

"We expect to be at sea to-morrow, if this wind holds, after which I shall have no opportunity of writing to you till I arrive (if it please God I do arrive) in England. I pray that his blessing may attend you, which is worth more than a thousand of mine, though they are never wanting. Give my love to your brother and sister, as I can not write to them, and remember me affectionately to the young ladies your friends, and to our good neighbors. I am, my dear child, your affectionate father,

"B. FRANKLIN."

"Our church," referred to in the foregoing letter, probably referred to Christ Church, of the vestry of which Franklin was for some time a member. In connection with this fact, an anecdote is related, which is in perfect keeping with the character of the doctor for sagacity. The project of the erection of another church edifice in the city was in agitation, and there were some members of the vestry who conscientiously opposed it, in the fear that the division of the congregation would too much weaken the old church. But Franklin defended the new enterprise; and, to show that no permanent diminution, but rather a solid increase, was to be expected from the measure, quoted the habit of the bees, of swarm

ing, by which, he said, the comfort and prosperity of the old hive was increased, and a new and flour

ishing colony established, to keep the parent stock in countenance.

Franklin reached Portsmouth on the 9th of December, 1764, the passage being made in thirty days from land to land. He wrote to his wife, advising her of his safe arrival, before leaving the vessel; and on the next evening was at his old quarters in the Strand, where his appearance in her parlor was no small astonishment to his old friend, Mrs. Stevenson. The news of his safe arrival, when received in Philadelphia, was made the occasion of an impromptu rejoicing. The bells were rung, and his personal and political friends met to exchange congratulations, and celebrate, in festivity, an event which would certainly not have received so much honor had it

not been for the efforts which Franklin's enemies had made to destroy him.

The business of his mission, the presentation and defense of the petition for a change of government, received Franklin's early attention. He labored in the premises with such success, that there seemed little doubt of the final accomplishment of a change which was quite as agreeable to the crown and ministry as to the people of Pennsylvania, inasmuch as it promised to remove a source of continual trouble and perplexity in the administration of the affairs of the colony, and to enlarge the authority of the crown, while it simplified the operations of government. But the increasing difficulties in the American colonies, arising from the passage of the Stamp Act, and other measures of a kindred tendency, which were discussed or attempted, withdrew attention from the affairs of Pennsylvania and its proprietaries. The province which Franklin represented came to be considered as one only of a league of rebellious colonies. The business in which he acted had more than the local interest of a single province, and he was, in fact, the representative and agent of the whole, long before he became so in form.

Among the subjects in which Pennsylvania had a common interest with the other colonies, was the legislation of the British Parliament upon the subject of emissions of paper money in the colonies. The British merchants, finding a difficulty in the collection of their debts in the provinces, ascribed as the cause, or as one cause, the depreciation of the

local currencies, and procured the passage of an act restraining the issue of paper in the colonies, coupled with a clause making it a legal tender. Dr. Franklin was charged with a petition from the Assembly praying a repeal of this act. All was in a fair way of success, when he found it necessary and prudent to hesitate. In the discussion of the subject, the mode of issuing paper in Pennsylvania had come before the ministry, and upon the hints afforded by Pennsylvania financiering, a scheme was concocted much more obnoxious than the "Restraining Act." The new plan involved the principles of the Stamp Act, and, in effect, asserted the right of Parliament to tax the unrepresented colonies. In Pennsylvania, the custom of issuing money had been as follows: It was made redeemable in a stated number of years, usually ten. When issued, it was loaned, bearing interest, to individuals, upon sufficient security, and repaid to the government in instalments, so that at the end of the term the whole sum was paid up. The community had thus the benefit of the circulation; the money was kept at par, or nearly so; and the colony derived an income from the

interest on the issues.

The plan of the ministry in England was to issue paper money for the colonies on the credit of the British government, and send it to America to be loaned in the same manner that the government of Pennsylvania had done, thus drawing from the colonies a tax in the shape of the interest, which would, of course, be paid into the British treasury. In