36 FuRNESs: Franklin 



from justice, but the inn-keeper was, strangely enough 

 for those days, a man of some education, a doctor, who 

 had been, probably, an itinerant physician, and had 

 travelled somewhat; he took the uninviting tramp in, and 

 while the latter was eating supper entered into conversa- 

 tion with him. They must have had an entertaining, a 

 delightful talk; evidently the rough diamond sparkled 

 and shone, and so dazzled the eyes, and so won the heart 

 of the good doctor that when they parted the next morn- 

 ing the unknown bedraggled boy carried with him the 

 friendship of his host which survived through life. 

 Here is another incident of Franklin's youth, which 

 happened only a few months after he was settled here 

 in this city. The Governor of the Province, Sir William 

 Keith, had been shown a letter of the young Franklin, 

 written, we may well suppose, in his direct and for- 

 cible style; he thereupon conceived a high opinion of 

 the writer. One day, therefore. Sir William, " finely 

 dressed," as we are told, called at the printing office 

 where the youth was at work, talked with him awhile 

 and, evidently captivated by the unusual cleverness of 

 his conversation, insisted upon carrying him off to the 

 tavern, just as he was, in his workingman's clothes, " to 

 taste, as he said, some excellent Madeira." This in- 

 terview led to others, and several times in the next few 

 weeks the Governor invited the young printer to dine 

 with him, " conversing with me," says Franklin, " in 



