In respect to industry, he laboured incessantly. Even some of his hours that ought to have been devoted to sleep were spent in his office at hard work.
Mention being made of the new printing-house at the "Merchants"
Every-night Club," "It will prove a failure," said one.
"Of course it will," added another. "Two such young fellows cannot get business enough to support them, with two established printers here."
This was the general opinion. But Dr. Baird, who was present, said: "It will prove a success, for the industry of that Franklin is superior to anything I ever saw of the kind. I see him still at work when I go home from club, and he is at work again before his neighbours are out of bed."
This remark was appreciated by the members, and soon after one of them offered to supply the young printers with stationery, if they desired to open a shop.
It was his experience, doubtless, that caused him, years afterwards, to give the following advice to a "young tradesman:"--
"The most trifling actions that affect a man"s credit are to be regarded. The sound of your hammer at five in the morning, or nine at night, heard by a creditor, makes him easy six months longer; but if he sees you at a billiard-table, or hears your voice at a tavern, when you should be at work, he sends for his money the next day; demands it, before he can receive it, in a lump."
He also wrote: "He that idly loses five shillings" worth of time loses five shillings, and might as prudently throw five shillings into the sea."
One fine morning, after Meredith and Franklin opened a stationer"s shop and bookstore, a lounger stepped in, and, after looking over the articles, inquired of the boy in attendance the price of a certain book.
"One dollar," was the answer.
"One dollar," said the lounger, "can"t you take less than that?"
"No indeed; one dollar is the price."
After waiting some time he asked: "Is Mr. Franklin at home?"
"Yes, he is in the printing-office."
"I want to see him," said the lounger.
The shop-boy soon informed Franklin (as we will henceforth call him) that a gentleman was waiting to see him in the shop.
"Mr. Franklin, what is the lowest you can take for this book?" he asked, as Franklin came in. At the same time he held up the book at which he had been looking.
"One dollar and a quarter," was the reply.
"One dollar and a quarter! Why, your young man asked but a dollar."
"True," said Franklin, "and I could have better afforded to take a dollar then, than to have been taken out of the office."
The lounger looked surprised, and rather concluded that Franklin was jesting, he said, "Come, now, tell me the lowest you can take for it."
"One dollar and a half."
"A dollar and a half? Why, you offered it yourself for one dollar and a quarter?"
"Yes," answered Franklin, "and I had better have taken that price then, than a dollar and a half now."
The lounger paid the price, and went out of the shop, feeling the severity of the rebuke. Such was the value he attached to his time.
Franklin always ascribed his industrious habits to the frequent counsels of his father on the subject, which were generally closed by repeating the text of Scripture, "Seest thou a man diligent in his calling, he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men,"--a prophecy that was singularly fulfilled in his own case, as we shall see hereafter, for he had the honour of standing before _five_ kings, and even dined with the King of Denmark.
His economy was equal to his industry. He arrayed himself in the plainest manner, although he aimed to look neat and tidy. His board was simple and cheap, and everything about his business was graduated on the most economical principles. In order to save expense, and at the same time show the public that he was not proud, and above his business, he wheeled home the paper which he bought. This single act had its influence in gaining the public confidence. For when a young man gets above his business, he is quite sure to have a fall. Since Franklin"s day, in the city of Richmond, a young man went to the market to purchase a turkey. He looked around for some one to carry it home for him, being too proud to do it himself, and finding no one, he began to fret and swear, much to the annoyance of bystanders. A gentleman stepped up to him and said, "That is in my way, and I will take your turkey home for you." When they came to the house, the young fop asked, "What shall I pay you?" "O, nothing at all," replied the gentleman, "it was all in the way, and it was no trouble to me."
As he pa.s.sed on, the young man turned to a person near by, and inquired, "Who is that polite old gentleman who brought home my turkey for me?" "O," replied he, "that was Judge Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States." "Why did _he_ bring home my turkey?" "He did it to give you a rebuke, and teach you to attend to your own business," was the answer.
How contemptible does such a character appear in contrast with Franklin! It is not strange that the public withhold their confidence from the fop, and bestow it upon the industrious. Judge Marshall was a great man, and great men never get above their business. Franklin became a great man, and one reason of it was, that he never became too proud to wait upon himself.
After he married Miss Read, and commenced housekeeping, he still adhered to the same principle of economy. Instead of doing as many young men do at this era of life, living beyond their income, he continued frugal. He said of himself and wife, "We kept no idle servants, our table was plain and simple, our furniture of the cheapest. For instance, my breakfast was for a long time bread and milk (no tea), and I ate it out of a twopenny earthen porringer, with a pewter spoon." Thus he reduced to practice the couplet which he wrote:--
"Vessels large may venture more, But little boats should keep near sh.o.r.e."
And qualified himself to pen such maxims as the following:--
"It is easier to suppress the first desire, than to satisfy all that follow it."
"It is as truly folly for the poor to ape the rich, as for the frog to swell in order to equal the ox."
"Pride breakfasts with plenty, dines with poverty, and sups with infamy."
His integrity in transacting business was no less marked. Strict honesty characterized all his dealings with men. An exalted idea of justice pervaded his soul. His word of honour was as good as his note of hand. Even his disposition to castigate and censure in his writings, so manifest in Boston at seventeen years of age, and which his father rebuked, was overcome. After he set up a paper in Philadelphia, a gentleman handed him an article for its columns.
"I am very busy now," said Franklin, "and you will confer a favour by leaving it for my perusal at my leisure."
"That I will do," replied the writer "and call again to-morrow."
The next day the author called. "What is your opinion of my article?"
he asked.
"Why, sir, I am sorry to say that I cannot publish it," answered Franklin.
"Why not? What is the matter with it?"
"It is highly scurrilous and defamatory," replied Franklin. "But being at a loss on account of my poverty, whether to reject it or not, I thought I would put it to this issue. At night, when my work was done, I bought a twopenny loaf, on which I supped heartily, and then, wrapping myself in my great coat, slept very soundly on the floor until morning, when another loaf and mug of water afforded a pleasant breakfast. Now, sir, since I can live very comfortably in this manner, why should I prost.i.tute my press to personal hatred or party pa.s.sion for a more luxurious living?"
Some writer has said that this incident of Franklin"s early life is akin to Socrates"s reply to King Archelaus, who pressed him to give up preaching in the dirty streets of Athens, and come and live with him in his costly palace: "_Meal, please your Majesty, is a halfpenny a peck at Athens, and water I get for nothing._"
Their business prospered well; but Meredith"s intemperate habits were so strong, that he was frequently seen intoxicated in the streets, which occasioned much gossip about town concerning the prospects of their success. To add to their embarra.s.sment, Meredith"s father was unable to meet the last payment of a hundred pounds upon the printing-house, and they were sued. But William Coleman and Robert Grace, two of Franklin"s companions, came to his a.s.sistance.
"We will lend you the means to take the business into your own hands,"
said Coleman. "It is much to your discredit to be connected with Meredith, who is seen reeling through the streets so often."
"But I cannot honourably propose a dissolution of partnership,"
replied Franklin, "while there is any prospect that the Merediths will fulfil their part of the contract, because I feel myself under great obligations for what they have done."
"They will not be able to fulfil the contract," said Grace; "that is out of the question."
"That is my opinion," responded Franklin; "still, I must wait and see what they do. If they fail to meet their obligations, then I shall feel at liberty to act otherwise."
The matter was left here for some weeks, when Franklin said to Meredith, meaning to sound him on the matter of dissolving the partnership: "Perhaps your father is dissatisfied with the part you have undertaken in this affair of ours, and is unwilling to advance for you and I what he would for you alone. If that is the case, tell me, and I will resign the whole to you, and go about my business."