Some Eminent Men 33 



But "curious" things analyzed lead to important 

 truths. When there are many in a family, the 

 "youngest" is the offspring of old parents. It 

 was this way in the case of Franklin. Ben was 

 born when his father was 51, the father was born 

 when the grandfather was 57, and the grand- 

 father was born when the great-grandfather was 

 in the neighborhood of 70. The rest of the male 

 line is not known, but Ben's mother was born 

 when her father was 50. Here is an average of 

 57 instead of the normal average of 32. 



Ben's father was a soap boiler, but he was a 

 learned man. He was a studious, self-taught 

 man, who got his education first and his son after- 

 wards. The father of Ben's mother was a 

 "learned Englishman," who got his education 

 first and his daughter afterwards. Both of these 

 men were studious men in the strict meaning of 

 that term. But even a person who is not studious 

 gets an education by mere contact with his fellow 

 man. The person who is old when his child is 

 born is one who has got his education first and 

 his offspring afterwards. 



George Washington was somewhat above the 

 ordinary run of men. He is even considered to 



