class="center">TABLE TALK.

Interview with a Friend—His Ancestors—Their Hardships—Denied Liberty of Conscience—The Bible under the Stool—Leaving the Church of England—Emigration for Religious Freedom—Conversation on Useful Themes at Table—No Complaints allowed about Food—Guests introduced and sensible Remarks made—Effect on Benjamin—The Washburne Family—Benefit of Good Conversation—His Father's Remarks about Food—Benjamin Temperate in Eating and Drinking—"The Water-American"—No Temperance Societies then—Table Talk now—A Table Scene

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CHAPTER VII.

CHOOSING A TRADE.

Still Opposed to Candle-making—A Dirty, Simple Business—Wants to do something that requires Ingenuity—His Father and Mother conferring together—"A rolling stone gathers no moss"—Afraid he will go to Sea—Benjamin's Views and Maxims—Opportunity to choose a Trade—Going to see different Trades—Devotes a Day to it—Joiners', Turners', and Bricklayers' Work—Cutlery Shop, his Cousin's—Which Trade he chose—His Father's Decision—Arrangement to learn to make Cutlery—Wise to Consult Taste and Tact of Benjamin—Handel the Musician—Sir Joshua Reynolds—Father of John Smeaton—Opposing a Child's Bent of Mind

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CHAPTER VIII.

THE PRINTER-BOY.

Taken Away from Cousin Samuel—His Brother's Return from England—Setting Up the Printing Business—Proposal to Benjamin—A Long Apprenticeship—Benjamin disposed to turn Printer-boy—His Brother's Offer to Teach Him the Art of Printing—Borrowing Books to read, and sitting up at Night—Mr. Adams's Library and his Kindness—Going to it for Books—Scarcity of Books—Compared with now—Two and a half Books made in a Minute—No Libraries then—Their enormous Size now—Habit of Reading made him punctual—Example of Lord Brougham

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CHAPTER IX.

FIRST LITERARY ENTERPRISE.

A Piece of Poetry—Pronounced Good—Proposition to Print his Articles—"The Lighthouse Tragedy"—A Sailor's Song—Printing them—Selling them in the Streets—A Successful Enterprise—His Father opposes—Condemns Poetry in general and Benjamin's in particular—A severe Rebuke—Crestfallen—Conference with James—His Father's Censure a Benefit—Practice of writing Composition excellent—How it Benefited Benjamin, even Pecuniarily—The Farmer's Son and Minister

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CHAPTER X.

THE DISPUTE.

Dispute with John Collins—A Bookish Fellow—The Education of Girls—The Controversial Correspondence—His Father finds the Letters—His Criticisms—Collins versus Benjamin—Bought a Copy of the Spectator and studied it laboriously—Sorry that he did not continue to write Poetry—His Father's Counsel—His Economy of Time—A Book always by his side—His Maxims on this Subject—Violating the Sabbath to gain Time for Study—Useful Conversation and Talking Nonsense—Hundreds ruined by a similar cause—Walter Scott hiding Novels from his Father—Pope going to the Theatre—Exceptions to the General Rule

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CHAPTER XI.

PLAIN FARE.

Proposition to board Himself—Became a Vegetarian by Reading Tryon's Book—Why he did it—How much Money he saved by doing it—Spent it for Books—How much Time saved also—Cocker's Arithmetic—Other Books read at odd moments—His Plan to save Time—His Maxims on saving Time—Aim to be Useful—The English Grammar—Shaftesbury's Works—Benjamin a Doubter—Makes known his Doubts to Collins—Danger of Reading Attacks upon the Gospel

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CHAPTER XII.

THE NEWSPAPER.

Starting the Third Newspaper in America—Opposition to it—Number of Newspapers now—Forty Million Sheets from Eight Presses—Seventy-one Miles a day of Newspapers from One Office—Almost enough to reach around the Earth in a Year—Weigh these Papers—Four Million Pounds in a Year—Two Thousand Two-Horse Loads—The New England Courant started—Printer, News-carrier, and Collector—The Club—Incited to write an Article—Tucks it under Printing-office Door—Hears it favourably commented on—Writes other Articles—This an Incident that decides his Career—Canning at Eton and the "Microcosm"—Similar Paper in Seminaries now

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CHAPTER XIII.

THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG.

Eager to Own the Pieces—Discloses the Authorship to James—Interview with the Club—Surprise that Benjamin wrote them—Treated with Attention by the Club—Oppressed by James—Trouble with him—Benjamin resolves to leave him—The Printing-office furnishes many Scholars—A New England Divine—Benjamin directed in the Path to which his Native Endowments pointed—So of Lord Nelson—Anecdote of him—Buxton, Wilberforce, and Others—Example of the Author of the "Optic Library"

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CHAPTER XIV.

THE ARREST.

Action of General Court to Arrest James Franklin for Libel—The Legislative Order—James imprisoned four weeks, and Benjamin arrested, but discharged—The immediate Cause of the Arrest—Meeting of the Club—Decision to publish the Paper in Benjamin's Name—Shrewd Evasion—Youngest Conductor of a Paper who ever lived—His Thrusts at the Government—Benjamin born in troublous Times—Attacks and Massacres by the Savages—Prepared thereby to act in achieving Independence—Bears in Boston

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CHAPTER XV.

THE RUNAWAY.

A Quarrel—Asserting his Freedom—Statement of the Case—Appeal to his Father—His Father's Decision—Leaves his Brother—Fails to get Work—Charged with being an Infidel—Plans to run away—Conference with Collins—His Plan to get away—Collins's Talk with the Captain of a New York Sloop, and his Base Lie—Benjamin Boards the Sloop—Arrival in New York—His lonely Condition—Guilt of a Runaway—Quarrel between Brothers painful—Case of William Hutton—Lines of