48 FuRNESs: Franklin 



was built, the earliest in America, and it still stands 

 at Ninth and Pine streets, with its hourly increasing 

 record of beneficence. 



All duties are a weariness, but is there any of the 

 minor duties of life more enervating than that of ask- 

 ing for subscriptions to a charity? How eagerly we 

 seek to ameliorate it by converting the appeal into 

 tickets for a Lecture, a Concert, or a Reading, — but the 

 pill is merely disguised, — it has to be swallowed. No 

 one is exempt from the distasteful task. Listen, then, 

 my poor brothers and sisters, to the worldly-wise words 

 of Dr. Franklin. Rules for your guidance may alleviate 

 your woe. *' In the first place," says that guide, " I 

 advise you to apply to all those who, you know, will 

 give something; next to those about whom you are un- 

 certain whether they will give anything or not, and 

 show them the list of those who have given ; and, lastly, 

 do not neglect those, who, you are sure, will give 

 nothing, for in some of them you may be mistaken." 



We are the heirs to another bequest from Franklin. 

 In 1756 the city streets were neither paved nor lighted 

 at night. Franklin caused a portion of the street about 

 the market to be paved, and so pleased were the citi- 

 zens with its manifest comfort and cleanliness that they 

 consented to be taxed for the paving of the whole city. 

 And then followed scavengers, unknown before. And 

 for the lighting of the streets at night Franklin pro- 



