Soon as Ben reached Philadelphia, as aforesaid, he waited on the
governor, who received him with joy, eagerly calling out, "_Well my
dear boy, what success? What success?_" Ben, with a smile, drew his
father's letter from his pocket. The governor snatched it, as if all
impatient to see its contents, which he ran through with a devouring
haste. When he was done, he shook his head and said, "it was to be
sure a sensible letter, a vastly sensible letter; _but_--_but_,--it
won't do," continued he to Ben, "no, it won't do; your father is too
cautious, entirely too cautious, sir." Hereupon he fell into a brown
study, with his eyes nailed to the ground, as in a profound reverie.
After a moment's pause, he suddenly looked up, and with a countenance
bright as with some happy thought, he cried out, "I've got it, my dear
young friend, I've got it exactly. Zounds! what signifies making two
bites at a cherry? _In for a penny, in for a pound_, is my way. Since
your father will do nothing for you, I'll do it all myself. A printer
I want, and a printer I'll have, that's a clear case: and I am sure
you are the lad that will suit me to a fraction. So give me a list of
the articles you want from England, and I will send for them by the
very next ship, and set you up at once: and all I shall expect of you,
is that you'll pay me when you are able!!" Seeing the tear swelling in
Ben's eye, the governor took him by the hand, and in a softened tone
said, "come, nothing of that my dear boy, nothing of that. A lad of
your talents and merit, must not languish in the back ground for lack
of a little money to bring you forward. So make me out, as I said, a
list of such articles as you may want, and I'll send for them at once
to London.--But stop! would it not be better for you to go to London,
and choose these things yourself? you could then, you know, be sure to
have them all of the best quality. And besides, you could form an
acquaintance with _some clever fellows_ in the book selling and
stationary line, whose friendship might be worth a Jew's eye to you,
in your business here."
Ben, hardly able now to speak, thanked the governor as well as he
could for so generous an offer.--"Well then," continued the governor,
"get yourself in readiness to go with the Annis." The reader will
please to be informed, that the Annis was, at that time, (1722) the
only regular trader between London and Philadelphia; and she made but
one voyage in the year! Finding that the Annis was not to sail for
several months yet, Ben prudently continued to do journey work for old
Keimer; but often haunted with the ghost of Vernon's money which he
had lent to Collins, and for fear of what would become of him if
Vernon should be strict _to mark his iniquities_ in that mad affair.
But happily for him, Vernon made no demand. It appeared afterwards
that this worthy man had not forgotten his money. But learning from a
variety of quarters, that Ben was a perfect non-descript of industry
and frugality, he concluded that as the money was not paid, Ben was
probably under the hatches. He therefore, generously, let the matter
lie over till a distant day, when Ben, as we shall by and by see, paid
him up fully, both principal and interest, and thus recovered the high
ground he formerly held in his friendship. Thanks be to God, who has
given to inflexible honesty and industry, such power over the "_heart
strings_," as well as "_purse strings_," of mankind.