And old Grandma Lightning, flitting to and fro,
Said, "What were you made for, I should like to know,
That you spend your precious time sailing all around,
When you know you ought to be buried in the ground?"

Then lilies dear and pansies all began to bloom,

And the cherries grew and grew till they took up all the room.

Then by and by the little cloud, with all its duty done, Was caught up by a rainbow and allowed a little fun.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

Benjamin Franklin, was born in Boston, January 17,

1706.

His father was a poor soap boiler and tallow candle maker, but a respectable, conscientious, well meaning man, and a good loyal English Puritan.

Benjamin had a number of older brothers who evidently taught him to read, for he could read long before he was sent to school. He began going to school when eight years old, and worked diligently on all his lessons. His favorite uncle lived with the family. He was delighted with Benjamin's liking for books, and believing that the boy should study for the ministry, forthwith gave him a large book of sermons. These Benjamin read but did not understand. As he was so fond of reading his father also thought he should study for the ministry. Benjamin did not wish to be a minister and his father soon learned this fact.

When he was ten years old he had to leave school and go to work. There were no great factories in those days. and very little machinery. Everything was made by hand. Benjamin helped his father boil soap and make candles. During this time he borrowed books from the book-stores and often after working all day he would sit up half the night to read and study.

His father knew the boy would never be happy as a soap boiler and candle maker, and feared that he might

run away to sea; so reasoning that his liking for books would help him as a printer the father concluded to make a printer of him. This was just what young Benjamin wanted.

His older brother James was a printer, so Benjamin was bound as an apprentice to this brother until he was twenty-one years old. There he worked and studied. Every spare moment during the day and evening he spent in study. His brother was not kind to him or even just. This the father knew but could do little to prevent the injustice.

When Benjamin was seventeen years old he secured his release from the brother and went to New York to seek work. He found only one printer in New York and not a newspaper. He then went on to Philadelphia, where he found work and made many friends, who both loved and trusted him.

By careful saving, diligent work and study he established a print shop of his own. His first job brought him a very small profit, but the work was so well done that it led to a great increase in business.

The idea soon occurred to him to print a newspaper, there being but one in the Colony and that miserably dull. Franklin called his paper "The Pennsylvania Gazette." It proved a great success, and was remarkable for its brilliant and original articles which brought the editor, then but twenty-three years old, into immediate notice. His paper was later called, "The Saturday Even

ing Post," which yet bears the name and is the oldest newspaper in America.

Franklin's newspaper gave him great influence both social and political and was admitted to be the best paper in the country. The essays or articles that he wrote for his paper were always useful, to the point and contained much wit. This made them famous, and paved the way for his almanac known as "Poor Richard's Almanac,' which he published for twenty-five years. It had a large sale and combined more wisdom and good sense in a brief way than any other book published in America during the eighteenth century. It was a great power for good, hundreds of thousands of people were made better and stronger by it. The parents read it and taught its wise sayings to their children, and many of the maxims are still excellent guides.

When the war broke out between the Colonies and England, he was sent to England to try to gain some justice from the King and to convince the English of their injustice to the Colonists. This he did to the best of his ability but not to his satisfaction, as he could not gain what the Colonists desired, so he returned home determined to strengthen their forces for war. He gave liberally of his own money to help the cause and later went to France for aid and there he secured much help and influence toward gaining American Independence.

His learning, wisdom, wit and sound reasoning power

astonished the people of Europe and gained respect for the struggling Colonists.

In 1776, he assisted in writing the Declaration of Independence and when the war was over he helped to frame the Constitution of the United States. His value to the American Republic is second only to that of Washington.

He founded more good institutions and benevolent enterprises than any other man of his time. His valuable scientific discoveries and inventions made him famous in Europe as well as America.

His whole life is a lesson in thoughtful industry and shows that a very poor boy may become a very wise, honored man. Wherever he went, at home or in Europe, he was always seeking to find ways to benefit his fellowmen, and show them how to help themselves. Nothing seemed too hard for him to do.

He was benevolent, sincere and just in his dealings, hating deceit, flattery, falsehood, injustice and all dishonesty. His last public act was to sign a petition to Congress, asking the abolition of slavery.

He died in Philadelphia, April, 17, 1790, and is buried in the graveyard of the Christ Church.

His death was a public loss and he was mourned by the people of two continents.

Discouragements? Plenty of them at every turn of the road. The only way to ride buoyantly on the wave of success is to buffet the incoming surf and go through it, no matter how hard the task may seem.