Part 50 (1/2)

Benjamin, no doubt, was more interested to return to America on account of his relation to Miss Deborah Read. He had written to her but once, and that was directly after he began work at Palmer's printing house. He told her of Keith's fraud practised upon him, leaving him in London a stranger and nearly penniless, so that he could not return until he had earned money enough to pay his pa.s.sage.

He did not write to her again, and his conscience had condemned him, so that, at times, he dwelt sadly upon his unfaithfulness. He neglected to write for so long a time, that he became ashamed to write at all; and so the correspondence dropped. Yet, he did not forget Miss Read, nor cast her off; and he blamed himself every time his thoughts dwelt upon his sin of omission.

Benjamin's employer was very sorry to part with him.

”I am glad to have you as long as I have,” he said, ”but I wish you would stay. I feel safe to commit work or business to your care. If ever I can do you a favor, let me know, and I will only be too glad to do it.”

”I thank you for your confidence. I have done the best for you I could, as I always mean to do for every employer. I regret to leave you, and my companions with whom I have spent so many hours. But I have a strong desire to return home.” Benjamin spoke with considerable feeling.

”That is an honorable desire,” answered Mr. Watts, ”and I have no doubt that you will be prospered in gratifying it. At any rate, I hope you will.”

So Benjamin separated from his old friends on the best of terms, and commenced work for Mr. Denham. Nor was it light work. He accompanied his employer from warehouse to warehouse, packing goods that he bought, and forwarding them to the s.h.i.+p _Berks.h.i.+re_, which would sail on July 21st. It was new business for him, but he liked it all the more for its novelty; and he performed the labors with his accustomed tact and industry.

Benjamin had been nineteen months in London when he sailed on the 21st of July, 1726. A few months before, he made the acquaintance of Peter Collinson, a young man of n.o.ble English birth, whose talents gave him nearly as much standing as his ancestry. Collinson heard of Benjamin and sought him out, forming a life-long friends.h.i.+p. Collinson accompanied Benjamin to the s.h.i.+p. Just before the vessel weighed anchor, he handed his walking-stick to Benjamin, saying, ”Let us exchange.”

Benjamin exchanged, replying, ”And let it be a pledge of friends.h.i.+p forever.”

”And a pledge, also, of faithful correspondence with each other,”

added Collinson, as they shook hands and parted.

The _Berks.h.i.+re_, Henry Clark, master, was eighty-two days on its voyage to Philadelphia. Benjamin landed there on the 11th day of October, 1726: and he was at home again.

[3] ”Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin,” vol. i. p. 136.

XXIX.

UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE.

One of the first places that Benjamin visited was the printing house of Keimer, where he worked before leaving the country. Keimer had made up his mind that Benjamin would never return to America, so that when he entered the printing office he was startled.

”Why, Ben! can it be you?” he exclaimed in wonder. ”I began to think that you would never be seen in Philadelphia again.”

”Why did you think so?”

”Because you planned to be back here a long time ago; I concluded that you had forsaken us.”

”Not yet; I have seen no place abroad quite equal to Philadelphia. I did not return as soon as I expected.” And Benjamin rehea.r.s.ed to Keimer substantially his experience with Governor Keith, that he might understand why his return was delayed.

”That is what you got for concealing your purpose,” said Keimer. ”I could have told you that Keith was wholly unreliable, and so could a good many other people. He has been turned out of office because of his rascality.”

”I am glad to hear that. I am a little curious to see how he will act, and hear what he will say, when I meet him.”

”He won't meet you if he can help it. I see him occasionally on the street, and he looks crestfallen.”

”He will look more so, I imagine, when he meets me. I propose to talk matters over very plainly with him.”

”That can do no good. The less breath you waste in that way, the better for you,” replied Keimer. ”But I suppose you want to go to work at your old trade? Plenty of work here, and you are just the man to do it.”

Keimer's business had increased largely, and he had added many facilities for doing work, so that the establishment presented a more attractive appearance.