Franklin soon obtained work in a printing house owned by a man named
Keimer.
He found a boarding place in the house of Mr. Read, the father of the
girl who had laughed at him with his three rolls.
He was only seventeen years old, and he soon became acquainted with
several young people in the town who loved books.
In a little while he began to lay up money, and he tried to forget his
old home in Boston as much as he could.
One day a letter came to Philadelphia for Benjamin Franklin.
It was from Captain Robert Holmes, a brother-in-law of Franklin's.
Captain Holmes was the master of a trading sloop that sailed between
Boston and Delaware Bay. While he was loading his vessel at Newcastle,
forty miles below Philadelphia, he had happened to hear about the young
man Franklin who had lately come from Boston.
He sat down at once and wrote a letter to the young man. He told him how
his parents and friends were grieving for him in Boston. He begged him
to go back home, and said that everything would be made right if he
would do so.
When Franklin read this letter he felt very sad to think of the pain and
distress which he had caused.
But he did not want to return to Boston. He felt that he had been badly
treated by his brother, and, therefore, that he was not the only one to
be blamed. He believed that he could do much better in Philadelphia than
anywhere else.
So he sat down and wrote an answer to Captain Holmes. He wrote it with
great care, and sent it off to Newcastle by the first boat that was
going that way.
Now it so happened that Sir William Keith, the governor of the province,
was at Newcastle at that very time. He was with Captain Holmes when the
letter came to hand.
When Captain Holmes had read the letter he was so pleased with it that
he showed it to the governor.
Governor Keith read it and was surprised when he learned that its writer
was a lad only seventeen years old.
"He is a young man of great promise," he said; "and he must be
encouraged. The printers in Philadelphia know nothing about their
business. If young Franklin will stay there and set up a press, I will
do a great deal for him."
One day not long after that, when Franklin was at work in Keimer's
printing-office, the governor came to see him. Franklin was very much
surprised.
The governor offered to set him up in a business of his own. He promised
that he should have all the public printing in the province.
"But you will have to go to England to buy your types and whatever else
you may need."
Franklin agreed to do this. But he must first return to Boston and get
his father's consent and assistance.
The governor gave him a letter to carry to his father. In a few weeks he
was on his way home.
You may believe that Benjamin's father and mother were glad to see him.
He had been gone seven months, and in all that time they had not heard a
word from him.
His brothers and sisters were glad to see him, too--all but the printer,
James, who treated him very unkindly.
His father read the governor's letter, and then shook his head.
"What kind of a man is this Governor Keith?" he asked. "He must have
but little judgment to think of setting up a mere boy in business of
this kind."
After that he wrote a letter of thanks to the governor. He said that he
was grateful for the kindness he had shown to his son, and for his offer
to help him. But he thought that Benjamin was still too young to be
trusted with so great a business, and therefore he would not consent to
his undertaking it. As for helping him, that he could not do; for he had
but little more money than was needed to carry on his own affairs.
* * * * *