Next year when he went home to see his parents, with his pocket full of money, a new suit of clothes and a watch, one of his oldest Boston friends was so much pleased with Franklin’s account of Philadelphia that he determined to go back with him.  On the journey Franklin discovered that his friend had become a slave to drink.  He was sorely plagued and disgraced by him, and at last the young drunkard had spent all his money and had no way of getting on except by Franklin’s aid.  This hard, calculating, mercenary youth, did he seize the chance of shaking off a most troublesome and injurious traveling companion?  Strange to relate, he stuck to his old friend, shared his purse with him till it was empty, and then began on some money which he had been intrusted with for another, and so got him to Philadelphia, where he still assisted him.  It was seven years before Franklin was able to pay all the debt incurred by him to aid this old friend, for abandoning whom few would have blamed him.

A year after he was in still worse difficulty from a similar cause.  He went to London to buy types and a press with which to establish himself in business at Philadelphia, the governor of Pennsylvania having promised to furnish the money.  One of the passengers on the ship was a young friend of Franklin’s named James Ralph, with whom he had often studied, and of whom he was exceedingly fond.  Ralph gave out that he, too, was going to London to make arrangements for going into business for himself at Philadelphia.  The young friends arrived.  Franklin nineteen and Ralph a married man with two children.  On reaching London Franklin learned, to his amazement and dismay, that the governor had deceived him, that no money was to be expected from him, and that he must go to work and earn his living at his trade.  No sooner had he learned this than James Ralph gave him another piece of stunning intelligence; namely, that he had run away from his family and meant to settle in London as a poet and author.

Franklin had ten pounds in his pocket, and knew a trade.  Ralph had no money, and knew no trade.  They were both strangers in a strange city.  Now, in such circumstances, what would a mean, calculating young man have done?  Reader, you know very well, without my telling you.  What Franklin did was this:  he shared his purse with his friend till his ten pounds were all gone; and having at once got to work at his trade, he kept on dividing his wages with Ralph until he had advanced him thirty-six pounds—­half a year’s income—­not a penny of which was ever repaid.  And this he did—­the cold-blooded wretch!—­because he could not help loving his brilliant, unprincipled comrade, though disapproving his conduct and sadly needing his money.

Having returned to Philadelphia, he set up in business as a printer and editor, and, after a very severe effort, he got his business well established, and at last had the most profitable establishment of the kind in all America.  During the most active part of his business life he always found some time for the promotion of public objects.  He founded a most useful and public-spirited club; a public library, which still exists, and assisted in every worthy scheme.  He was most generous to his poor relations, hospitable to his fellow-citizens, and particularly interested in his journeymen, many of whom he set up in business.