Part 28 (1/2)

If it had not been for Ben, nothing more would have been done or said about the matter. But it was not in his nature to be sensible of an inconvenience, without using his best efforts to find a remedy. So, as he and his comrades were returning from the water-side, Ben suddenly threw down his string of fish with a very determined air:

”Boys,” cried he, ”I have thought of a scheme, which will be greatly for our benefit, and for the public benefit!”

It was queer enough, to be sure, to hear this little chap-this rosy-cheeked, ten-year-old boy-talking about schemes for the public benefit! Nevertheless, his companions were ready to listen, being a.s.sured that Ben's scheme, whatever it was, would be well worth their attention.

They remembered how sagaciously he had conducted all their enterprises, ever since he had been old enough to wear small-clothes.

They remembered, too, his wonderful contrivance of sailing across the mill-pond by lying flat on his back, in the water, and allowing himself to be drawn along by a paper-kite. If Ben could do that, he might certainly do any thing.

”What is your scheme, Ben?-what is it?” cried they all.

It so happened that they had now come to a spot of ground where a new house was to be built. Scattered round about lay a great many large stones, which were to be used for the cellar and foundation. Ben mounted upon the highest of these stones, so that he might speak with the more authority.

”You know, lads,” said he, ”what a plague it is, to be forced to stand in the quagmire yonder-over shoes and stockings (if we wear any) in mud and water. See! I am bedaubed to the knees of my small-clothes, and you are all in the same pickle. Unless we can find some remedy for this evil, our fis.h.i.+ng-business must be entirely given up. And, surely, this would be a terrible misfortune!”

”That it would!-that it would!” said his comrades, sorrowfully.

”Now I propose,” continued Master Benjamin, ”that we build a wharf, for the purpose of carrying on our fisheries. You see these stones. The workmen mean to use them for the underpinning of a house; but that would be for only one man's advantage. My plan is to take these same stones, and carry them to the edge of the water and build a wharf with them. This will not only enable us to carry on the fis.h.i.+ng business with comfort, and to better advantage, but it will likewise be a great convenience to boats pa.s.sing up and down the stream. Thus, instead of one man, fifty, or a hundred, or a thousand, besides ourselves, may be benefited by these stones. What say you, lads?-shall we build the wharf?”

Ben's proposal was received with one of those uproarious shouts, wherewith boys usually express their delight at whatever completely suits their views. n.o.body thought of questioning the right and justice of building a wharf, with stones that belonged to another person.

”Hurrah, hurrah!” shouted they. ”Let's set about it!”

It was agreed that they should all be on the spot, that evening, and commence their grand public enterprise by moonlight. Accordingly, at the appointed time, the whole gang of youthful laborers a.s.sembled, and eagerly began to remove the stones. They had not calculated how much toil would be requisite, in this important part of their undertaking. The very first stone which they laid hold of, proved so heavy, that it almost seemed to be fastened to the ground. Nothing but Ben Franklin's cheerful and resolute spirit could have induced them to persevere.

Ben, as might be expected, was the soul of the enterprise. By his mechanical genius, he contrived methods to lighten the labor of transporting the stones; so that one boy, under his directions, would perform as much as half a dozen, if left to themselves. Whenever their spirits flagged, he had some joke ready, which seemed to renew their strength by setting them all into a roar of laughter. And when, after an hour or two of hard work, the stones were transported to the water-side, Ben Franklin was the engineer, to superintend the construction of the wharf.

The boys, like a colony of ants, performed a great deal of labor by their mult.i.tude, though the individual strength of each could have accomplished but little. Finally, just as the moon sank below the horizon, the great work was finished.

”Now, boys,” cried Ben, ”let's give three cheers, and go home to bed.

To-morrow, we may catch fish at our ease!” ”Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!”

shouted his comrades.

Then they all went home, in such an ecstasy of delight that they could hardly get a wink of sleep.

The story was not yet finished; but George's impatience caused him to interrupt it.

”How I wish that I could have helped to build that wharf!” exclaimed he.

”It must have been glorious fun. Ben Franklin for ever, say I!”

”It was a very pretty piece of work,” said Mr. Temple. ”But wait till you hear the end of the story.”

”Father,” inquired Edward, ”whereabouts in Boston was the mill-pond, on which Ben built his wharf?”

”I do not exactly know,” answered Mr. Temple; ”but I suppose it to have been on the northern verge of the town, in the vicinity of what are now called Merrimack and Charlestown streets. That thronged portion of the city was once a marsh. Some of it, in fact, was covered with water.”