 Section 1 of Four Great Americans, Washington, Franklin, Webster, Lincoln, a book for young Americans. This is a LibriVox recording. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Four Great Americans, Washington, Franklin, Webster, Lincoln, a book for young Americans, by James Baldwin. The Story of George Washington. When George Washington was a boy, there was no United States. The land was here, just as it is now, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, but nearly all of it was wild and unknown. Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Allegheny Mountains there were thirteen colonies or great settlements. The most of the people who lived in these colonies were English people, or the children of English people, and so the King of England made their laws and appointed their governors. The newest of the colonies was Georgia, which was settled the year after George Washington was born. The oldest colony was Virginia, which had been settled one hundred and twenty-five years. It was also the richest colony, and more people were living in it than in any other. There were only two or three towns in Virginia at that time, and they were quite small. Most of the people lived on farms or on big plantations where they raised whatever they needed to eat. They also raised tobacco, which they sent to England to be sold. The farms or plantations were often far apart, with stretches of thick woods between them. Nearly every one was close to a river or some other large body of water, for there are many rivers in Virginia. There were no roads, such as we have nowadays, but only path through the woods. When people wanted to travel from place to place they had to go on foot or on horseback or in small boats. A few of the rich men who lived on the big plantations had coaches, and now and then they would drive out in grand style behind four or six horses with a fine array of servants and outriders following them. But they could not drive far where there were no roads, and we can hardly understand how they got any pleasure out of it. Nearly all the work on the plantations was done by slaves. slaves had been bringing Negroes from Africa for more than a hundred years, and now nearly half the people in Virginia were black. Very often also poor white men from England were sold as slaves for a few years in order to pay for their passage across the ocean. When their freedom was given to them they continued to work at whatever they could find to do, or they cleared small farms in the woods for themselves, or went farther to the west and became woodsmen and hunters. There was but very little money in Virginia at the time, and indeed there was not much use for it, for what could be done with money where there were no shops worth speaking of and no stores and nothing to buy. The common people raised flax and wool and wove their own cloth, and they made their own tools and furniture. The rich people did the same, but for their better or finer goods they sent to England. For you must know that in all this country there were no great mills for spinning and weaving as there are now. There were no factories of any kind. There were no foundries where iron could be melted and shaped into all kinds of useful and beautiful things. When George Washington was a boy, the world was not much like it is now. CHAPTER II George Washington's father owned a large plantation on the western shore of the Potomac River. George's great-grandfather, John Washington, had settled upon it nearly eighty years before, and there the family had dwelt ever since. This plantation was in Westmoreland County, not quite forty miles above the place where the Potomac flows into Chesapeake Bay. By looking at your map of Virginia you will see that the river is very broad there. On one side of the plantation and flowing through it there was a creek called Bridges Creek, and for this reason the place was known as the Bridges Creek Plantation. It was here, on the 22nd of February, 1732, that George Washington was born. Although his father was a rich man, the house in which he lived was neither very large nor very fine. At least it would not be thought so now. It was a square wooden building, with four rooms on the ground floor and an attic above. The eaves were low and the roof was long and sloping. At each end of the house there was a huge chimney, and inside were big fireplaces, one for the kitchen and one for the great room where visitors were received. But George did not live long in this house. When he was about three years old his father removed to another plantation which he owned near Hunting Creek, several miles farther up the river. This new plantation was at first known as the Washington Plantation, but it is now called Mount Vernon. Four years after this the house of the Washington was burned down, but Mr. Washington had still other lands on the Rappahannock River. He had also an interest in some iron mines that were being opened there, and so to this place the family was now taken. The house by the Rappahannock was very much like the one at Bridges Creek. It stood on high ground, overlooking the river and some low meadows, and on the other side of the river was the village of Fredericksburg, which at that time was a very small village indeed. George was now about seven years old. End of Section 2 Read by Cibela Denton. For more information please visit LibriVox.org. Section 3, Washington, Chapter 3 of Four Great Americans by James Baldwin. Read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. His schools and schoolmasters. There were no good schools in Virginia at that time. In fact the people did not care much about learning. There were few educated men besides the Parsons, and even some of the Parsons were very ignorant. It was the custom of some of the richest families to send their eldest sons to England to the great schools there, but it is doubtful if these young men learned much about books. They spent a winter or two in the gay society of London, and were taught the manners of gentlemen, and that was about all. George's father, when a young man had spent some time at Abelbee School in England, and George's half-brothers, Lawrence and Augustine, who were several years older than he, had been sent to the same school. The book-learning was not thought to be of much use. To know how to manage the business of a plantation, to be polite to one's equals, to be a leader in the affairs of the colony, this was thought to be the best education. And so, for most of the young men, it was enough if they could read and write a little and keep a few simple accounts. As for the girls, the Parsons might give them a few lessons now and then, and if they learned good manners and could write letters to their friends, what more could they need? His first teacher was a poor sextant, whose name was Mr. Hobby. There is a story that he had been too poor to pay his passage from England, and that he had, therefore, been sold to Mr. Washington as a slave for a short time. But how true this is, I cannot say. For Mr. Hobby, George learned to spell easy words, and perhaps to write a little, but although he afterward became a very careful and good penman, he was a poor speller as long as he lived. When George was about eleven years old, his father died. We do not know what his father's intentions had been regarding him, but possibly if he had lived he would have given George the best education that his means would afford. But now everything was changed. The plantation at Hunting Creek, and indeed almost all the rest of Mr. Washington's great estate, became the property of the eldest son, Lawrence. George was sent to Bridges Creek to live for a while with his brother, Augustine, who now owned the old plantation there. The mother and the younger children remained on the Rappahannock farm. While at Bridges Creek, George was sent to school to a Mr. Williams, who had lately come from England. There are still to be seen some exercises which the lad wrote at that time. There is also a little book called The Young Man's Companion, from which he copied, with great care, a set of rules for good behaviour and right living. Not many boys twelve years old would care for such a book nowadays, but you must know that in those days there were no books for children, and indeed very few for older people. The maxims and wise sayings which George copied were, no doubt, very interesting to him, so interesting that many of them were never forgotten. There are many other things also in this Young Man's Companion, and we have reason to believe that George studied them all. There are short chapters on arithmetic and surveying, rules for the measuring of land and lumber, and a set of forms, for notes, deeds, and other legal documents. A knowledge of these things was, doubtless, of greater importance to him than the reading of many books would have been. Just what else George may have studied in Mr. Williams's school I cannot say. But all this time he was growing to be a stout, manly boy, tall and strong and well-behaved, and both his brothers and himself were beginning to think of what he should do when he should become a man. End of Section 3 Red by Cibella Denton. For more information please visit LibriVox.org. Section 4 Washington, Chapter 4 of Great Americans by James Baldwin Read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. Going to Sea Once every summer a ship came up the river to the plantation and was moored near the shore. It had come across a sea from far away England, and it brought many things for those who were rich enough to pay for them. It brought bonnets and pretty dresses for George's mother and sisters. It brought perhaps a hat and a tailor-made suit for himself. It brought tools and furniture, and once a yellow coach that had been made in London for his brother. When all these things had been taken ashore, the ship would hoist her sails and go on farther up the river to leave goods at other plantations. In a few weeks it would come back and be moored again at the same place. Then there was a busy time on shore. The tobacco that had been raised during the last year must be carried on ship-board to be taken to the great tobacco markets in England. The slaves on the plantation were running back and forth, rolling barrels and carrying bales of tobacco down to the landing. Letters were written to friends in England, and orders were made out for the goods that were to be brought back next year. But in a day or two all this stir was over. The sails were again spread, and the ship glided away on its long voyage across the sea. George had seen this ship coming and going every year since he could remember. He must have thought how pleasant it would be to sail away to foreign lands and see the many wonderful things that are there. And then, like many another active boy, he began to grow tired of the quiet life on the farm and wished that he might be a sailor. He was now about fourteen years old. Since the death of his father, his mother had found it hard work, with her five children to manage her farm on the Rappahannock, and make everything come out even at the end of each year. Was it not time that George should be earning something for himself? But what should he do? He wanted to go to sea. His brother Lawrence, and even his mother, thought that this might be the best thing. A bright boy like George would not long be a common sailor. He would soon make his way to a high place in the king's navy. So at least his friends believed. And so the matter was at last settled. A sea captain, who was known to the family, agreed to take George with him. He was to sail in a short time. The day came, his mother, his brothers, his sisters, were all there to bid him good-bye. But in the meanwhile a letter had come to his mother from his uncle who lived in England. �If you care for the boy's future,� said the letter, �do not let him go to sea. Places in the king's navy are not easy to obtain. If he begins as a sailor he will never be ought else.� The letter convinced George's mother, it half convinced his brothers, that this going to sea would be a sad mistake. But George, like other boys of his age, was headstrong. He would not listen to reason, a sailor he would be. The ship was in the river waiting for him. A boat had come to the landing to take him on board. The little chest which held his clothing had been carried down to the bank. George was in high glee at the thought of going. �Good-bye, mother� he said. He stood on the doorstep and looked back into the house. He saw the kind faces of those whom he loved. He began to feel very sad at the thought of leaving them. �Good-bye, George.� He saw the tears welling up in his mother's eyes. He saw them rolling down her cheeks. He knew now that she did not want him to go. He could not bear to see her grief. �Mother, I have changed my mind� he said. �I will not be a sailor. I will not leave you.� Then he turned to the black boy who was waiting by the door and said, �Run down to the landing and tell them not to put the chest on board. Tell them that I have thought differently of the matter and that I am going to stay at home.� If George had not changed his mind, but had really gone to see, how very different the history of this country would have been. He now went to his studies with a better will than before, and although he read but few books he learned much that was useful to him in life. He studied surveying with a special care and made himself as thorough in that branch of knowledge as it was possible to do with so few advantages. I have already said he had been to England and had spent some time at Appleby School. He had served in the King's Army for a little while and had been with Admiral Vernon's squadron in the West Indies. He had formed so great a liking for the Admiral that when he came home he changed the name of his plantation at Hunting Creek and called it Mount Vernon, a name by which it is still known. Not far from Mount Vernon there was another fine plantation called Belvoir that was owned by William Fairfax, an English gentleman of much wealth and influence. Now this Mr. Fairfax had a young daughter, as wise as she was beautiful, and so what should Lawrence Washington do but ask her to be his wife? He built a large house at Mount Vernon with a great porch fronting on the Potomac, and when Miss Fairfax became Mrs. Washington and went into this home as its mistress, people said that there was not a handsomer or happier young couple in all Virginia. After young George had changed his mind about going to sea, he went up to Mount Vernon to live with his elder brother. For Lawrence had a great love for the boy and treated him as his father would have done. At Mount Vernon George kept on with his studies and surveying. He had a compass and surveyor's chain and hardly a day past that he was not out on the plantation, running lines and measuring his brother's fields. Sometimes when he was busy at this kind of work, a tall white-haired gentleman would come over from Belvoir to see what he was doing and to talk with him. This gentleman was Sir Thomas Fairfax, a cousin of the owner of Belvoir. He was sixty years old and had lately come from England to look after his lands in Virginia, for he was the owner of many thousands of acres among the mountains and in the wild woods. Sir Thomas was a courtly old gentleman, and he had seen much of the world. He was a fine scholar, he had been a soldier, and then a man of letters, and he belonged to a rich and noble family. It was not long until he and George were the best of friends. Often they would spend the morning together, talking or surveying, and in the afternoon they would ride out with servants and hounds, hunting foxes, and making fine sport of it among the woods and hills. And when Sir Thomas Fairfax saw how manly and brave his young friend was, and how very exact and careful in all that he did, he said, Here is a boy who gives promise of great things. I can trust him. Before the winter was over he had made a bargain with George to survey his lands that lay beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains. I have already told you that at this time nearly all the country west of the mountains was a wild and unknown region. In fact all the western part of Virginia was an unbroken wilderness, with only here and there a hunter's camp, or the solitary hut of some daring woodsmen. But Sir Thomas hoped that by having the land surveyed, and some part of it laid out into farms, people might be persuaded to go there and settle, and who, in all the colony, could do this work better than his young friend George Washington. It was a bright day in March, 1748, when George started out on his first trip across the mountains. His only company was a young son of William Fairfax of Belvoir. The two friends were mounted on good horses, and both had guns, for there was fine hunting in the woods. It was nearly a hundred miles to the mountain gap through which they passed into the country beyond. As there were no roads but only passed through the forests, they could not travel very fast. After several days they reached the beautiful valley of the Shenandoah. They now began their surveying. They went up the river for some distance, then they crossed and went down on the other side. At last they reached the Potomac River near where Harper's Ferry now stands. At night they slept sometimes by a campfire in the woods, and sometimes in the rude hut of a settler or a hunter. They were often wet and cold. They cooked their meat by broiling it on sticks above the coals. They ate without dishes and drank water from the running streams. One day they met a party of Indians, the first red men they had seen. There were thirty of them, with their bodies painted in true savage style, for they were just going home from a war with some other tribe. The Indians were very friendly to the young surveyors. It was evening, and they built a huge fire under the trees. Then they danced their war dance around it, and sang and yelled and made hideous sport until far into the night. To George and his friend it was a strange sight, but they were brave young men, and not likely to be afraid even though the danger had been greater. They had many other adventures in the woods, of which I cannot tell you in this little book, shooting wild game, swimming rivers, climbing mountains, but about the middle of April they returned in safety to Mount Vernon. It would seem that the object of this first trip was to get a general knowledge of the extent of Sir Thomas Fairfax's great woodland estate, to learn where the richest bottomlands lie, and where were the best hunting grounds. The young men had not done much if any real surveying they had been exploring. George Washington had written an account of everything in a little notebook which he carried with him. Sir Thomas was so highly pleased with the report which the young men brought back that he made up his mind to move across the Blue Ridge and spend the rest of his life on his own lands. And so that very summer he built in the midst of the Great Woods a hunting lodge which he called Greenway Court. It was a large, square house with broad gables and a long roof sloping almost to the ground. When he moved into this lodge he expected soon to build a splendid mansion and make a grand home there, like the homes he had known in England. But time passed and as the lodge was rooming uncomfortable he still lived in it and put off beginning another house. Washington was now seventeen years old. Through the influence of Sir Thomas Fairfax he was appointed public surveyor and nothing would do but that he must spend most of his time at Greenway Court and keep on with the work that he had begun. For the greater part of three years he worked in the woods and among the mountains surveying Sir Thomas' lands. And Sir Thomas paid him well, a doubloon, eight dollars and twenty-four cents for each day, and more than that if the work was very hard. But there were times when the young surveyor did not go out to work but stayed at Greenway Court with his good friend, Sir Thomas. The old gentleman had something of a library and on days when they could neither work nor hunt George spent the time in reading. He read the spectator and a history of England and possibly some other works. And so it came about that the three years which young Washington spent in surveying were of much profit to him. The work in the open air gave him health and strength. He gained courage and self-reliance. He became acquainted with the ways of the back woodsmen and of the savage Indians. And from Sir Thomas Fairfax he learned a great deal about the history, the laws, and the military affairs of Old England. And in whatever he undertook to do or to learn he was careful and systematic and thorough. He did nothing by guess. He never left anything half done. And therein, let me say to you, lie the secret of success in any calling. CHAPTER VI. THE OHIO COUNTRY. You have already learned how the English people had control of all that part of our country which borders upon the Atlantic Ocean. You have learned also that they had made thirteen great settlements along the coast, while all the vast region west of the mountains remained a wild and unknown land. Now, because Englishmen had been the first white men to see the line of shore that stretches for Maine to Georgia, they set up a claim to all the land west of that line. They had no idea how far the land extended. They knew almost nothing about its great rivers, its vast forests, its lofty mountains, its rich prairies. They cared nothing for the claims of the Indians whose homes were there. All the land, from ocean to ocean, they said, belongs to the King of England. But there were other people who also had something to say about this matter. The French had explored the Mississippi River. They had sailed on the Great Lakes. Their hunters and trappers were roaming through the Western forests. They had made treaties with the Indians, and they had built trading posts here and there along the water-courses. They said, the English people may keep their strip of land between the mountains and the sea. But these great river valleys and this country around the lakes are ours, because we have been the first to explore and make use of them. Now, about the time that George Washington was thinking of becoming a sailor, some of the rich planters in Virginia began to hear wonderful stories about a fertile region west of the Alleghenies, watered by a noble river and rich in game and fur-bearing animals. This region was called the Ohio Country, from the name of the river, and those who took pains to learn the most about it were satisfied that it would, at some time, be a very great importance to the people who should control it. And so these Virginia planters and certain Englishmen formed a company called the Ohio Company, the object of which was to explore the country and make money by establishing trading posts and settlements there. And of this company, Lawrence Washington was one of the chief managers. Lawrence Washington and his brother George had often talked about this enterprise. We shall have trouble with the French, said Lawrence. They have already sent men into the Ohio Country, and they are trying in every way to prove that the land belongs to them. It looks as if we should have to drive them out by force, said George. Yes, and there will probably be some hard fighting, said Lawrence, and you as a young man must get yourself ready to have a hand in it. And Lawrence followed this up by persuading the governor of the colony to appoint George as one of the adjudance general of Virginia. George was only nineteen years old, but he was now major Washington and one of the most promising soldiers in America. End of Section 6. Read by Cibela Denton. For more information, please visit LibriVox.org. Section 7, Washington, Chapter 7 of Four Great Americans by James Baldwin. Read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. A Change of Circumstances. Although George Washington spent so much of his time at the Greenway Court, he still called Mount Vernon his home. Going down home in the autumn, just before he was twenty years old, he found matters in a sad state and greatly changed. His brother Lawrence was very ill. Indeed he had been ill a long time. He had tried a trip to England. He had spent a summer at the warm springs, but all to no purpose. He was losing strength every day. The sick man dreaded the coming of cold winter. If he could only go to the warm West Indies before winter set in, perhaps that would prolong his life. Would George go with him? No loving brother could refuse a request like that. The captain of a ship in the West India trade agreed to take them, and so, while it was still pleasant September, the two Washington's embarked for Barbados, which then as now belonged to the English. It was the first time that George had ever been outside of his native land, and it proved to be also the last. He took careful notice of everything that he saw, and in the little notebook which he seems to have always had with him, he wrote a brief account of the trip. He had not been three weeks at Barbados before he was taken down with the smallpox, and for a month he was very sick, and so his winter in the West Indies could not have been very pleasant. In February the two brothers returned home to Mount Vernon. Lawrence's health had not been bettered by the journey. He was now very feeble, but he lingered on until July, when he died. By his will Lawrence Washington left his finest state of Mount Vernon and all the rest of his wealth to his little daughter. But George was to be the daughter's guardian, and in case of her death all her vast property was to be his own. And so, before he was quite twenty-one years old, George Washington was settled at Mount Vernon as the manager of one of the richest states in Virginia. The death of his little niece, not long afterward, made him the owner of this estate, and of course a very wealthy man. Within a brief time events occurred which called him away from his peaceful employments. End of Section 7, read by Cibella Denton. For more information please visit LibriVox.org. Section 8, Washington, Chapter 8 of Four Great Americans by James Baldwin, read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. A perilous journey. Early the very next year news was brought to Virginia that the French were building forts along the Ohio, and making friends with the Indians there. This of course meant that they intended to keep the English out of that country. The Governor of Virginia thought that the time had come to speak out about this matter. He would send a messenger with a letter to these Frenchmen, telling them that all the land belonged to the English and that no trespassing would be allowed. The first messenger that he sent came back alarmed before he was within a hundred miles of a Frenchman, and went back to say that everything was as good as lost. It was very plain that a man with some courage must be chosen for such an undertaking. I will send Major George Washington, said the Governor. He is very young, but he is the bravest man in the colony. Now promptness was one of those traits of character which made George Washington the great man which he afterward became. And so on the very day that he received his appointment he set out for the Ohio country. He took with him three white hunters, two Indians, and a famous woodsman, whose name was Christopher Gist. A small tent or two, and such few things as they would need on the journey, were strapped on the backs of horses. They pushed through the woods in a northwesterly direction, and at last reached a place called Venango, not very far from where Pittsburgh now stands. This was the first outpost of the French, and here Washington met some of the French officers, and heard them talk about what they proposed to do. Then after a long ride to the north they came to another fort. The French commandant was here, and he welcomed Washington with a great show of kindness. Washington gave him the letter which he had brought from the governor of Virginia. The commandant read it, and two days afterward gave him an answer. He said that he would forward the letter to the French governor, but as for the Ohio country, he had been ordered to hold it, and he meant to do so. Of course Washington could do nothing further, but it was plain to him that the news ought to be carried back to Virginia without delay. It was now midwinter, as no horse could travel through the trackless woods at this time of year, he must make his way on foot. So with only the woodsman, Gist, he shouldered his rifle and knapsack and bravely started home. It was a terrible journey. The ground was covered with snow, the rivers were frozen, there was not even a path through the forest. If Gist had not been so fine a woodsman they would hardly have seen Virginia again. Once an Indian shot at Washington from behind a tree. Once the brave young man fell into a river among floating ice and would have been drowned but for Gist. At last they reached the house of a trader on the Monongahila River. There they were kindly welcomed and urged to stay until the weather should grow milder, but Washington would not delay. Sixteen days after that he was back in Virginia telling the governor all about his adventures and giving his opinion about the best way to deal with the French. CHAPTER IX. It was now very plain that if the English were going to hold the Ohio country and the vast western region which they claimed as their own, they must fight for it. The people of Virginia were not very anxious to go to war, but their governor was not willing to be beaten by the French. He made George Washington a Lieutenant Colonel of Virginia troops and set about raising an army to send into the Ohio country. Early in the spring Colonel Washington, with a hundred and fifty men, was marching across the country toward the headwaters of the Ohio. It was a small army to advance against the thousands of French and Indians who now held that region. But other officers with stronger forces were expected to follow close behind. In May the little army reached the valley of the Monongahela and began to build a fort at a place called Great Meadows. By this time the French and Indians were aroused, and hundreds of them were hurrying forward to defend the Ohio country from the English. One of their scouting parties, coming up the river, was met by Washington with forty men. The French were not expecting any foe at this place. There were, but thirty-two of them, and of these only one escaped. Ten were killed and the rest were taken prisoners. This was Washington's first battle, and he was more proud of it than you might suppose. He sent his prisoners to Virginia and was ready now, with his handful of men, to meet all the French and Indians that might come against him. And they did come, and in greater numbers than he had expected. He made haste to finish, if possible, the fort that had been begun. But they were upon him before he was ready. They had four men to his one. They surrounded the fort and shut his little Virginia army in. What could Colonel Washington do? His soldiers were already half-starved. There was but little food in the fort, and no way to get any more. The French leader asked if he did not think it would be a wise thing to surrender. Washington hated the very thought of it, but nothing else could be done. If you will march your men straight home and give me a pledge that they and all Virginians will stay out of the Ohio country for the next twelve months, you may go, said the Frenchman. It was done. Washington, full of disappointment, went back to Mount Vernon, that he felt more like fighting than ever before. He was now twenty-two years old. CHAPTER X of four great Americans by James Baldwin read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. In the meanwhile the King of England had heard how the French were building forts along the Ohio, and how they were sending their traitors to the Great Lakes and to the valley of the Mississippi. If we allow them to go on in this way they will soon take all that vast western country away from us, he said. And so the very next winter he sent over an army under General Edward Braddock to drive the French out of that part of America and at the same time teach their Indian friends a lesson. It was in February, 1755, when General Braddock and his troops went into camp at Alexandria in Virginia. As Alexandria was only a few miles from Mount Vernon, Washington rode over to see the fine array and become acquainted with the officers. When General Braddock heard that this was the young man who had ventured so boldly into the Ohio country, he offered him a place on his staff. This was very pleasing to Washington, for there was nothing more attractive to him than soldiering. It was several weeks before the army was ready to start, and then it moved so slowly that it did not reach the Manongahila until July. The soldiers in their fine uniforms made a splendid appearance as they marched in regular order across the country. Benjamin Franklin, one of the wisest men in America, had told General Braddock that his greatest danger would be from unseen foes hidden among the underbrush and trees. They may be dangerous to your back woodsmen, said Braddock, but to the trained soldiers of the king they can give no trouble at all. But scarcely had the army cross the Manongahila when it was fired upon by unseen enemies. The woods rang with the cries of savage men. The soldiers knew not how to return the fire. They were shot down in their tracks like animals in a pen. Let the men take to the shelter of the trees, was Washington's advice. But Braddock would not listen to it. They must keep in order and fight as they had been trained to fight. Washington rode hither and thither trying his best to save the day. Two horses were shot under him, four bullets passed through his coat, and still he was unhurt. The Indians thought that he bore a charmed life, for none of them could hit him. It was a dreadful affair, more like a slaughter than a battle. Seven hundred of Braddock's fine soldiers and more than half of his officers were killed or wounded. And all this havoc was made by two hundred Frenchmen and about six hundred Indians hidden among the trees. At last Braddock gave the order to retreat. It soon became a wild flight rather than retreat. And yet, had it not been for Washington, it would have been much worse. The general himself had been fatally wounded. There was no one but Washington who could restore courage to the frightened men and lead them safely from the place of defeat. Four days after the battle, General Braddock died, and the remnant of the army, being now led by a Colonel Dunbar, hurried back to the eastern settlements. Of all the men who took part in that unfortunate expedition against the French, there was only one who gained any renown therefrom, and that one was Colonel George Washington. He went back to Mount Vernon, wishing never to be sent to the Ohio country again. The people of Virginia were so fearful lest the French and Indians should follow up their victory and attack the settlements that they quickly raised a regiment of a thousand men to defend their colony. And so highly did they esteem Colonel Washington that they made him, Commander, of all the forces of the colony to do with them as he might deem best. The war with the French for the possession of the Ohio country and the Valley of the Mississippi had now fairly begun. It would be more than seven years before it came to an end. But most of the fighting was done at the North, in New York, and Canada, and so Washington and his Virginia soldiers did not distinguish themselves in any very great enterprise. It was for them to keep watch of the western frontier of the colony lest the Indians should cross the mountains and attack the settlements. Once near the middle of the war, Washington led a company into the very country where he had once traveled on foot with Christopher Gist. The French had built a fort at the place where the Ohio River has its beginning, and they had named it Fort Duquesne. When they heard that Washington was coming, they set fire to the fort and fled down the river in boats. The English built a new fort at the same place and called it Fort Pitt, and there the city of Pittsburgh has since grown up. And now Washington resigned his commission as commander of the little Virginia army. Perhaps he was tired of the war. Perhaps his great plantation of Mount Vernon needed his care. We cannot tell. But we know that a few days later he was married to Mrs. Martha Custis, a handsome young widow who owned a fine estate not a great way from Williamsburg, the capital of the colony. This was in January 1759. At about the same time he was elected a member of the House of Burgesses of Virginia, and three months later he went down to Williamsburg to have a hand in making some of the laws for the colony. He was now twenty-seven years old. Young as he was, he was one of the richest men in the colony, and he was known throughout the country as the bravest of American soldiers. The war was still going on at the north. To most of the Virginians it seemed to be a thing far away. At last in 1763 a treaty of peace was made. The French had been beaten, and they were obliged to give up everything to the English. They lost not only the Ohio country and all the Great West, but Canada also. And now for several years Washington lived the life of a country gentleman. He had enough to do, taking care of his plantations, hunting foxes with his sport-loving neighbors, and sitting for a part of each year in the House of Burgesses at Williamsburg. He was a tall man, more than six feet in height. He had a commanding presence and a noble air which plainly said, This is no common man. He was shrewd in business. He was the best horseman and the best walker in Virginia, and no man knew more about farming than he. And so the years passed pleasantly enough at Mount Vernon, and there were few who dreamed of the great events and changes that were soon to take place. King George III of England, who was the ruler of the Thirteen Colonies, had done many unwise things. He had made laws forbidding the colonists from trading with other countries than his own. He would not let them build factories to weave their wool and flax into cloth. He wanted to force them to buy all their goods in England, and to send their corn and tobacco and cotton there to pay for them. And now, after the long war with France, he wanted to make the colonists pay heavy taxes in order to meet the expenses of that war. They must not drink a cup of tea without first paying a tax on it. They must not sign a deed or note without first buying stamped paper on which to write it. In every colony there was a great excitement on account of the teatax and the stamp act, as it was called. In the house of Burgesses at Williamsburg, a young man, whose name was Patrick Henry, made a famous speech in which he declared that the king had no right to tax them without their consent. George Washington heard that speech and gave it his approval. Not long afterward news came that in Boston a shipload of tea had been thrown into the sea by the colonists. Rather than pay the tax on it, they would drink no tea. Then a little later, still other news came. The king had closed the port of Boston and would not allow any ships to come in or go out. More than this he had sent over a body of soldiers and had quartered them in Boston in order to keep the people in subjection. The whole country was aroused now. What did this mean? Did the king intend to take away from the colonists all the liberties that are so dear to men? The colonies must unite and agree upon doing something to protect themselves and preserve their freedom. In order to do this each colony was asked to send delegates to Philadelphia to talk over the matter and see what would be the best thing to do. George Washington was one of the delegates from Virginia. Before starting he made a great speech in the house of Burgesses. If necessary I will raise a thousand men, he said, subsist them at my own expense and march them to the relief of Boston. But the time for marching to Boston had not quite come. The delegates from the different colonies met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia on the 5th of September, 1774. Their meeting has since been known as the First Continental Congress of America. For fifty-one days those wise, thoughtful men discussed the great question that had brought them together. What could the colonists do to escape the oppressive laws that the King of England was trying to force upon them? Many powerful speeches were made, but George Washington sat silent. He was a doer rather than a talker. At last the Congress decided to send an address to the King to remind him of the rights of the colonists and humbly beg that he would not enforce his unjust laws. And then, when all that had been done that could be done, Washington went back to his home at Mount Vernon to his family and his friends, his big plantations, his fox hunting, and his pleasant life as a country gentleman. But he knew, as well as any man, that more serious work was near at hand. CHAPTER XII All that winter the people of the colonies were anxious and fearful. Would the King pay any heed to their petition? Or would he force them to obey his unjust laws? Then in the spring news came from Boston that matters were growing worse and worse. The soldiers who were quartered in that city were daily becoming more insolent and overbearing. These people ought to have their town knocked about their ears and destroyed, said one of the King's officers. On the 19th of April a company of the King's soldiers started to concord a few miles from Boston to seize some powder which had been stored there. Some of the colonists met them at Lexington and there was a battle. This was the first battle in that long war commonly called the Revolution. No man was now on his way to the North again. The Second Continental Congress was to meet in Philadelphia in May, and he was again a delegate from Virginia. In the first days of the Congress no man was busier than he. No man seemed to understand the situation of things better than he. No man was listened to with greater respect, and yet he said but little. Every day he came into the hall wearing the blue and buff uniform which belonged to him as a Virginia colonel. It was as much to say, the time for fighting is come and I am ready. The Congress thought it best to send another humble petition to the King asking him not to deprive the people of their just rights. In the meantime brave men were flocking towards Boston to help the people defend themselves from the violence of the King's soldiers. The war had begun and no mistake. The men of the Congress saw now the necessity providing for this war. They asked, who shall be the Commander-in-Chief of our colonial army? It was hardly worthwhile to ask such a question for there could be but one answer. Who but George Washington? No other person in America knew so much about war as he. No other person was so well-fitted to command. On the fifteenth of June, on motion of John Adams of Massachusetts, he was appointed to that responsible place. On the next day he made a modest but noble little speech before Congress. He told the members of that body that he would serve his country willingly and as well as he could, but not for money. They might provide for his necessary expenses, but he would never take any pay for his services. And so, leaving all his own interests out of sight, he undertook at once the great work that had been entrusted to him. He undertook it not for profit nor for honor, but because of a feeling of duty to his fellow men. For eight weary years he forgot himself in the service of his country. Two weeks after his appointment, General Washington rode into Cambridge, near Boston, and took formal command of his army. It was but a small force, poorly clothed, poorly armed, but every man had the love of country in his heart. It was the first American army. But so well did Washington manage matters that soon his raw troops were in good shape for service. And so hard did he press the King's soldiers in Boston that, before another summer, they were glad to take ship and sail away from the town which they had so long infested and annoyed. CHAPTER XIII. On the fourth day of the following July there was a great stir in the town of Philadelphia. Congress was sitting in the hall of the State House. The streets were full of people. Everybody seemed anxious. Everybody was insuspense. Men were crowding around the State House and listening. Who is speaking now? asked one. John Adams was the answer. And who is speaking now? Dr. Franklin. Good! Let them follow his advice, for he knows what is best. Then there was a lull outside, for everybody wanted to hear what the great Dr. Franklin had to say. After a while the same question was asked again. Who is speaking now? And the answer was Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. It was he and Franklin who wrote it. But what? Why, the Declaration of Independence, of course. A little later someone said they will be ready to sign it soon. But will they dare to sign it? Dare! They dare not do otherwise. Inside the hall gravemen were discussing the acts of the King of England. He has cut off our trade with all parts of the world, said one. He has forced us to pay taxes without our consent, said another. He has sent his soldiers among us to burn our towns and kill our people, said a third. He has tried to make the Indians our enemies, said a fourth. He is a tyrant and unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Agreed they all. And then everybody was silent while one read, We therefore the representatives of the United States of America solemnly publish and declare that the United Colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states. Soon afterward the bell in the high tower above the hall began to ring. It is done, cried the people, they have signed the Declaration of Independence. Yes, every colony has voted for it, said those nearest the door. The King of England shall no longer rule over us. And that was the way in which the United States came into being. The Thirteen Colonies were now Thirteen States. Up to this time Washington and his army had been fighting for the rights of the people as colonists. They had been fighting in order to oblige the King to do away with the unjust laws which he had made. But now they were to fight for freedom and for the independence of the United States. By and by you will read in your histories how wisely and bravely Washington conducted the war. You will learn how he held out against the King's soldiers on Long Island and at White Plains, how he crossed the Delaware amid floating ice and drove the English from Trenton, how he wintered at Morristown, how he suffered at Valley Forge, how he fought at Germantown and Monmouth and Yorktown. There were six years of fighting, of marching here and there, of directing and planning, of struggling in the face of every discouragement. Eight years passed, and then peace came, for independence had been won, and this our country was made forever free. On the 2nd of November, 1783, Washington bade farewell to his army. On the 23rd of December he resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief. There were some who suggested that Washington should make himself King of this country, and indeed this he might have done so great was the people's love and gratitude. But the great man spurned such suggestions. He said, If you have any regard for your country or respect for me, banish those thoughts, and never again speak of them. CHAPTER XIV Washington was now fifty-two years old. The country was still in an unsettled condition. True, it was free from English control, but there was no strong government to hold the states together. Each state was a little country of itself, making its own laws and having its own selfish aims without much regard for its sister states. People did not think of the United States as one great, undivided nation. And so matters were in bad enough shape, and they grew worse and worse as the months went by. Wise men saw that unless something should be done to bring about a closer union of the states, they would soon be in no better condition than when ruled by the English King. And so a great convention was held in Philadelphia to determine what could be done to save the country from ruin. George Washington was chosen to preside over this convention, and no man's words had greater weight than his. He said, Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair. The event is in the hand of God. That convention did a great and wonderful work, for it framed the constitution by which our country has ever since been governed. And soon afterwards, in accordance with that constitution, the people of the country were called upon to elect a president. Who should it be? Who could it be but Washington? When the electoral votes were counted, every vote was for George Washington of Virginia. And so, on the 16th of April, 1789, the great man again batted a Jew to Mount Vernon and to private life, and set out for New York. For the city of Washington had not yet been built, and New York was the first capital of our country. There were no railroads at that time, and so the journey was made in a coach. All along the road, people gathered to see their hero president and show him their love. On the 30th of April, he was inaugurated in the old Federal Hall in New York. Long lived George Washington, president of the United States, shouted the people. Then the cannon roared, the bells rang, and the new government of the United States, the government which we have today, began its existence. Washington was fifty-seven years old at the time of his inauguration. Perhaps no man was ever called to the doing of more difficult things. The entire government must be built up from the beginning, and all its machinery put in order. But so well did he meet the expectations of the people, that when his first term was near its close he was again elected president, receiving every electoral vote. In your histories you will learn of the many difficult tasks which he performed during those years of the nation's infancy. There were new troubles with England, troubles with the Indians, jealousies, and disagreements among the lawmakers of the country. But amidst all these trials Washington stood steadfast, wise, cool, conscious that he was right and strong enough to prevail. Before the end of his second term people began to talk of electing him for the third time. They could not think of any other man holding the highest office in the country. They feared that no man could be safely entrusted with the great responsibilities which he had borne so nobly. But Washington declared that he would not accept office again. The government was now on a firm footing. There were others who could manage its affairs wisely and well. And so in September 1796 he published his farewell address. It was full of wise and wholesome advice. Beware of attacks upon the Constitution. Beware of those who think more of their party than of their country. Promote education. Observe justice. Treat with good faith all nations. Adhere to the right. Be united. Love your country. These were some of the things that he said. John Adams, who had been Vice President eight years, was chosen to be the new President, and Washington again retired to Mount Vernon. End of Section 14, read by Cibela Denton. For more information please visit LibriVox.org. Section 15, Washington, Chapter 15 of Four Great Americans by James Baldwin. Read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. First in the hearts of his countrymen. In the enjoyment of his home life Washington did not forget his country. It would indeed have been hard for him not to keep informed about public affairs, for men were all the time coming to ask him for help and advice regarding this measure or that. The greatest men of the nation felt that he must know what was wisest and best for the country's welfare. Soon after his retirement an unexpected trouble arose. There was another war between England and France. The French were very anxious that the United States should join the quarrel. When they could not bring this about by persuasion they tried abuse. They insulted the officers of our government. They threatened war. The whole country was aroused. Congress began to take steps for the raising of an army in the building of a navy. But who should lead the army? All eyes were again turned toward Washington. He had saved the country once. He could save it again. The President asked him if he would again be the Commander-in-Chief. He answered that he would do so on condition that he might choose his assistance. But unless the French should actually invade the country he must not be expected to go into the field. And so at last General Washington is again the Commander-in-Chief of the American Army. But there is to be no fighting this time. The French see that the people of the United States cannot be frightened. They see that the government cannot be driven. They leave off their abuse and are ready to make friends. Washington's work is now done. On the 12th of December, 1799, he mounts his horse and rides out over his farm. The weather is cold, but he stays out for two or three hours. The next morning he has a sore throat. He has taken cold. The snow is still falling, but he will go out again. At night he is very hoarse. He is advised to take medicine. Oh, no, he answers, you know I never take anything for a cold. But in the night he grows much worse. Early the next morning the doctor is brought. It is too late. He grows rapidly worse. He knows that the end is near. It is well, he says, and these are his last words. Washington died on the 14th of September, 1799. He had lived nearly sixty-eight years. His sudden death was a shock to the entire country. Everyone felt as though he had lost a personal friend. The mourning for him was a general and sincere. In the Congress of the United States his funeral oration was pronounced by his friend, Henry Lee, who said, First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate, uniform, dignified, and commanding, his example was edifying to all around him, as were the effects of that example lasting. Such was the man America has lost, such was the man for whom our country mourns. CHAPTER ONE OF FOUR GREAT AMERICANS by James Baldwin Read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. THE STORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN To the young reader I am about to tell you the story of a very great and noble man. It is the story of one whom all the world honors, of one whose name will forever be remembered with admiration. Ben Franklin was not born to greatness. He had none of the advantages which even the poorest boys may now enjoy. But he achieved greatness by always making the best use of such opportunities as came in his way. He was not afraid of work. He did not give up to discouragements. He did not overestimate his own abilities. He was earnest and faithful in little things, and that, after all, is the surest way of attaining to great things. There is no man to whom we Americans owe a greater debt of gratitude. Without his aid the American colonies would hardly have won independence. It was said of him that he knew how to subdue both thunder and tyranny, and a famous orator who knew him well, described him as the genius that gave freedom to America and shed torrents of light upon Europe. But at the close of a very long life the thing which gave him the greatest satisfaction was the fact that he had made no man his enemy. There was no human being who could justly say, Ben Franklin has wronged me. THE STORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CHAPTER I THE WHISTLE Nearly two hundred years ago there lived in Boston a little boy whose name was Benjamin Franklin. On the day that he was seven years old his mother gave him a few pennies. He looked at the bright yellow pieces and said, What shall I do with these coppers, mother? It was the first money that he had ever had. You may buy something with them, if you would like, said his mother. And will you give me more when they are gone, he asked. His mother shook her head and said, No, Benjamin, I cannot give you any more, so you must be careful not to spend them foolishly. The little fellow ran out into the street. He heard the pennies jingle in his pocket as he ran. He felt as though he was very rich. Boston was, at that time, only a small town, and there were not many stores. As Benjamin ran down toward the busy part of the street he wondered what he should buy. Should he buy candy or toys? It had been a long time since he had tasted candy. As for toys he hardly knew what they were. If he had been the only child in the family things might have been different, but there were fourteen boys and girls older than he and two little sisters that were younger. It was as much as his father could do to earn food and clothing for so many. There was no money to spend for toys. Before Benjamin had gone very far he met a boy blowing a whistle. That is just the thing that I want, he said, then he hurried on to the store where all kinds of things were kept for sale. Have you any good whistles? he asked. He was out of breath from running, but he tried hard to speak like a man. Yes, plenty of them, said the man. Well, I want one and I'll give you all the money I have for it, said the little fellow. He forgot to ask the price. How much money have you? asked the man. Benjamin took the coppers from his pocket. The man counted them and said, All right, my boy, it's a bargain. Then he put the pennies into his money drawer and gave one of the whistles to the boy. Benjamin Franklin was a proud and happy boy. He ran home as fast as he could, blowing his whistle as he ran. His mother met him at the door and said, Well, my child, what did you do with your pennies? I bought a whistle. He cried, Just hear me blow it. How much did you pay for it? All the money I had. One of his brothers was standing by and asked to see the whistle. Well, well, he said, Did you spend all of your money for this thing? Every penny, said Benjamin. Did you ask the price? No, but I offered them to the man and he said it was all right. His brother laughed and said, You are a very foolish fellow. You paid four times as much as it is worth. Yes, said his mother, I think it is rather a dear whistle. You had enough money to buy a whistle and some candy, too. The little boy saw what a mistake he had made. The whistle did not please him any more. He threw it upon the floor and began to cry. But his mother took him upon her lap and said, Never mind, my child, we must all live and learn. I think that my little boy will be careful after this, not to pay too dear for his whistles. CHAPTER II When Benjamin Franklin was a boy there were no great public schools in Boston as there are now, but he learned to read almost as soon as he could talk, and he was always fond of books. His nine brothers were older than he and every one had learned to trade. They did not care so much for books. Benjamin shall be the scholar of our family, said his mother. Yes, we will educate him for a minister, said his father, for at that time all the most learned men were ministers. And so when he was eight years old Benjamin Franklin was sent to a grammar school where boys were prepared for college. He was a very apt scholar and in a few months was promoted to a higher class. But the lad was not allowed to stay long in the grammar school. His father was a poor man. It would cost a great deal of money to give Benjamin a college education. The times were very hard. The idea of educating the boy for the ministry had to be given up. In less than a year he was taken from the grammar school and sent to another school where arithmetic and writing were taught. He learned to write very well indeed, but he did not care so much for arithmetic, and so failed to do what was expected of him. When he was ten years old he had to leave school all together. His father needed his help, and though Benjamin was but a small boy there were many things that he could do. He never attended school again, but he kept on studying and reading and we shall find that afterwards became the most learned man in America. Benjamin's father was a soap-boiler and candle-maker, and so when the boy was taken from school what kind of work do you think he had to do? He was kept busy cutting wicks for the candles, pouring the melted tallow into the candle-molds, and selling soap to his father's customers. Do you suppose that he liked this business? He did not like it at all, and when he saw the ship sailing in and out of Boston Harbour he longed to be a sailor and go to strange, faraway lands where candles and soap were unknown. But his father would not listen to any of his talk about going to see. CHAPTER III BUSY AS Benjamin was and his father's shop he still had time to play a good deal. He was liked by all the boys of the neighborhood, and they looked up to him as their leader. In all their games he was their captain, and nothing was undertaken without asking his advice. Not far from the home of the Franklins there was a mill-pond where the boys often went to swim. When the tide was high they liked to stand at a certain spot on the shore of the pond and fish for minnows. But the ground was marshy and wet, and the boys' feet sank deep in the mud. Let us build a wharf along the water's edge, said Benjamin, then we can stand and fish with some comfort. Agreed, said the boys, but what is the wharf to be made of? Benjamin pointed to a heap of stones that lay not far away. They had been hauled there only a few days before, and were to be used in building a new house near the mill-pond. The boys needed only a hint. Soon they were as busy as ants dragging the stones to the water's edge. Before it was fully dark that evening they had built a nice stone wharf on which they could stand and fish without danger of sinking in the mud. The next morning the workmen came to begin the building of the house. They were surprised to find all the stones gone from the place where they had been thrown. But the tracks of the boys in the mud told the story. It was easy enough to find out who had done the mischief. When the boys' fathers were told of the trouble which they had caused, you may imagine what they did. Young Benjamin Franklin tried hard to explain that a wharf on the edge of the mill-pond was a public necessity. His father would not listen to him. He said, My son, nothing can ever be truly useful, which is not, at the same time, truly honest. And Benjamin never forgot this lesson. End of Section 18. Read by Cibella Denton. For more information please visit LibriVox.org. Section 19. Franklin, Chapter 4 of Four Great Americans by James Baldwin. Read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. Choosing a trade. As I have already said, young Benjamin did not like the work which he had to do in his father's shop. His father was not very fond of the trade himself, and so he could not blame the boy. One day he said, Benjamin, since you have made up your mind not to be a candle-maker, what trade do you think you would like to learn? You know I would like to be a sailor, said the boy. But you shall not be a sailor, said his father. I intend that you shall learn some useful business on land. And of course you will succeed best in that kind of business which is most pleasant to you. The next day he took the boy to walk with him among the shops of Boston. They saw all kinds of workmen busy at their various trades. Benjamin was delighted. Long afterwards, when he had become a very great man, he said, It has ever since been a pleasure to me to see good workmen handle their tools. He gave up the thought of going to sea, and said that he would learn any trade that his father would choose for him. His father thought that the Cutler's trade was a good one. His cousin, Samuel Franklin, had just set up a Cutler's shop in Boston, and he agreed to take Benjamin a few days on trial. Benjamin was pleased with the idea of learning how to make knives and scissors and razors and all kinds of cutting tools. But his cousin wanted so much money for teaching him the trade that his father could not afford it, and so the lad was taken back to the candle-maker's shop. Soon after this, Benjamin's brother, James Franklin, set up a printing press in Boston. He intended to print and publish books and a newspaper. Benjamin loves books, said his father. He shall learn to be a printer. And so, when he was twelve years old, he was bound to his brother to learn the printer's trade. He was to stay with him until he was twenty-one. He was to have his board and clothing and no other wages, except during the last year. I suppose that during the last year he was to be paid the same as any other workman. CHAPTER V. OF FOUR GREAT AMERICANS by James Baldwin. HOW FRANKLIN EDUCATED HIMSELF. When Benjamin Franklin was a boy there were no books for children, yet he spent most of his spare time reading. His father's books were not easy to understand. Well nowadays would think them very dull and heavy. But before he was twelve years old Benjamin had read most of them. He read everything that he could get. After he went to work for his brother he found it easier to obtain good books. Often he would borrow a book in the evening, then set up nearly all night reading it so as to return it in the morning. When the owners of the books found that he always returned them soon and clean, they were very willing to lend him whatever he wished. He was about fourteen years of age when he began to study how to write clearly and correctly. He afterwards told how he did this. He said, About this time I met with an odd volume of the spectator. I had never before seen any of them. I bought it, read it over and over, and was much delighted with it. I thought the writing excellent and wished if possible to imitate it. With that in view I took some of the papers and making short hints of the sentiments in each sentence, laid them by a few days, and then without looking at the books tried to complete the papers again by expressing each hinted sentiment at length as fully as it had been expressed before in any suitable words that should occur to me. Then I compared my spectator with the original, discovered some of my faults, and corrected them. But I found that I wanted a stock of words or a readiness in recollecting and using them. Therefore I took some of the tales in the spectator and turned them into verse, and after a time when I had pretty well forgotten the prose turned them back again. About this time his brother began to publish a newspaper. It was the fourth newspaper published in America and was called the New England Current. People said that it was a foolish undertaking. They said that one newspaper was enough for this country, and that there would be but little demand for more. In those days editors did not dare to write freely about public affairs. It was dangerous to criticise men who were in power. James Franklin published something in the New England Current about the lawmakers of Massachusetts. It made the lawmakers very angry. They caused James Franklin to be shut up in prison for a month, and they ordered that he should no longer print the newspaper called the New England Current. But in spite of this order the newspaper was printed every week as before. It was printed, however, in the name of Benjamin Franklin. For several years it bore his name as editor and publisher. End of Section 20. Read by Isabella Denton. For more information please visit LibriVox.org. Section 21. Franklin Chapter 6. A Four Great Americans by James Baldwin. Read for LibriVox.org. Into the Public Domain. Farewell to Boston. Benjamin Franklin did not have a very happy life with his brother James. His brother was a hard master and was always finding fault with his workmen. Sometimes he would beat young Benjamin and abuse him without cause. When Benjamin was nearly seventeen years old he made up his mind that he would not endure this treatment any longer. He told his brother that he would leave him and find work with someone else. When his brother learned that he really meant to do this, he went round to all the other printers in Boston and persuaded them not to give Benjamin any work. The father took James's part and scolded Benjamin for being so saucy and so hard to plead. But Benjamin would not go back to James's printing-house. He made up his mind that since he could not find work in Boston he would run away from his home. He would go to New York and look for work there. He sold his books to raise a little money. Then without saying good-bye to his father or mother or any of his brothers and sisters he went on board a ship that was just ready to sail from the harbor. It is not likely that he was very happy while doing this. Long afterwards he said, I reckon this as one of the first erotica of my life. What did he mean by erota? Erota are mistakes, mistakes that cannot easily be corrected. Three days after leaving Boston, young Franklin found himself in New York. It was then October in the year 1723. The lad had but very little money in his pocket. There was no one in New York that he knew. He was three hundred miles from home and friends. As soon as he landed he went about the streets looking for work. New York was only a little town then and there was not a newspaper in it. There were but few printing houses there and these had not much work to do. The boy from Boston called at every place but found that nobody wanted to employ any more help. At one of the little printing houses Franklin was told that perhaps he could find work in Philadelphia which was at that time a much more important place than New York. Philadelphia was one hundred miles farther from home. Most miles was a long distance in those days. But Franklin made up his mind to go there without delay. It would be easier to do this than to give up and try to return to Boston. End of Section XXI. For more information please visit LibriVox.org. Section XXII. Franklin Chapter VII. A Four Great Americans by James Baldwin. Read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. The first day in Philadelphia. There are two ways of going from New York to Philadelphia. One way is by the sea. The other is by land across the state of New Jersey. As Franklin had but little money he took the shorter route by land but he sent his little chest containing his Sunday clothes round by sea in a boat. He walked all the way from Perth Amboy on the eastern shore of New Jersey to Burlington on the Delaware River. Nowadays you may travel that distance in an hour for it is only about fifty miles. But there were no railroads at that time and Franklin was nearly three days trudging along lonely wagon tracks in the midst of a pouring rain. At Burlington he was lucky enough to be taken on board a small boat that was going down the river. Burlington is only twenty miles above Philadelphia. But the boat moved very slowly and as there was no wind the men took turns at rowing. Night came on and they were afraid that they might pass by Philadelphia in the darkness. So they landed and camped on shore till morning. Early the next day they reached Philadelphia and Benjamin Franklin stepped on shore at the foot of Market Street where the Camden ferry boats now land. No one who saw him could have guessed that he would one day be the greatest man in the city. He was a sorry looking fellow. He was dressed in his working clothes and was very dirty from being so long on the road and in the little boat. His pockets were stuffed out with shirts and stockings and all the money that he had was not more than a dollar. He was hungry and tired. He had not a single friend. He did not know of any place where he could look for lodging. It was Sunday morning. He went a little way up the street and looked around him. A boy was coming down carrying a basket of bread. My young friend said, Franklin, where did you get that bread? At the bakers, said the boy. And where is the bakers? The boy showed him the little baker's shop just around the corner. Young Franklin was so hungry that he could hardly wait. He hurried into the shop and asked for three penny worth of bread. The baker gave him three great puffy rolls. Franklin had not expected to get so much, but he took the rolls and walked out. His pockets were already full, and so while he ate one roll, he held the others under his arms. As he went up Market Street, eating his roll, a young girl stood in a doorway laughing at him. He was indeed a very funny looking fellow. The girl's name was Deborah Reed. A few years after that, she became the wife of Benjamin Franklin. Hungry as he was, Franklin found that he could eat but one of the rolls, and so he gave the other two to a poor woman who had come down the river in the same boat with him. As he was strolling along the street, he came to a Quaker meeting-house. The door was open, and many people were sitting quietly inside. The seats looked inviting, and so Franklin walked in and sat down. The day was warm. The people in the house were very still. Franklin was tired. In a few minutes he was sound asleep. And so it was in a Quaker meeting-house that Benjamin Franklin found the first shelter and rest in Philadelphia. Later in the day, as Franklin was strolling toward the river, he met a young man whose honest face was very pleasing to him. My friend, he said, can you tell me of any house where they lodge strangers? Yes, said the young man. There is a house on this very street, but it is not a place I can recommend. If thee will come with me, I will show thee a better one. Franklin walked with him to a house on Water Street, and there he found lodging for the night. And so ended his first day in Philadelphia. CHAPTER VIII Franklin soon obtained work in a printing-house owned by a man named Chimer. He found a boarding-place in the house of Mr. Reed, the father of the girl who had laughed at him with his three roles. He was only seventeen years old, and he soon became acquainted with several young people in the town who loved books. In a little while he began to lay up money, and he tried to forget his old home in Boston as much as he could. One day a letter came to Philadelphia for Benjamin Franklin. It was from Captain Robert Holmes, a brother-in-law of Franklins. Captain Holmes was the master of a trading sloop that sailed between Boston and Delaware Bay. While he was loading his vessel at Newcastle, forty miles below Philadelphia, he had happened to hear about the young man Franklin who had lately come from Boston. He sat down at once and wrote a letter to the young man. He told him how his parents and friends were grieving for him in Boston. He begged him to go back home and said that everything would be made right if he would do so. When Franklin read this letter he felt very sad to think of the pain and distress which he had caused. But he did not want to return to Boston. He felt that he had been badly treated by his brother, and therefore that he was not the only one to be blamed. He believed that he could do much better in Philadelphia than anywhere else. So he sat down and wrote an answer to Captain Holmes. He wrote it with great care and sent it off to Newcastle by the first boat that was going that way. Now it so happened that Sir William Keith, the Governor of the province, was at Newcastle at that very time. He was with Captain Holmes when the letter came to hand. When Captain Holmes had read the letter he was so pleased with it that he showed it to the Governor. Sir Keith read it and was surprised when he learned that its writer was a lad only seventeen years old. He is a young man of great promise, he said, and he must be encouraged. The printers in Philadelphia know nothing about their business. If young Franklin will stay there and set up a press, I will do a great deal for him. One day, not long after that, when Franklin was at work in Chimer's printing office, the Governor came to see him. Franklin was very much surprised. The Governor offered to set him up in a business of his own. He promised that he should have all the public printing in the province. But you will have to go to England to buy your types and whatever else you may need. Franklin agreed to do this, but he must first return to Boston and get his father's consent and assistance. The Governor gave him a letter to carry to his father. In a few weeks he was on his way home. You may believe that Benjamin's father and mother were glad to see him. He had been gone seven months, and in all that time they had not heard a word from him. His brothers and sisters were glad to see him, too, all but the printer, James, who treated him very unkindly. His father read the Governor's letter and then shook his head. What kind of a man is this Governor Keith? He must have but little judgment to think of setting up a mere boy in a business of this kind. After that he wrote a letter of thanks to the Governor. He said that he was grateful for the kindness that he had shown to his son and for his offer to help him. But he thought that Benjamin was still too young to be trusted with so great a business, and therefore he would not consent to his undertaking it. As for helping him, that he could not do, for he had but little more money than was needed to carry on his own affairs. CHAPTER IX of four great Americans by James Baldwin. Read through LibriVox.org into the public domain. THE RETURN TO PHILLIDELPHIA. Benjamin Franklin felt much disappointed when his father refused to help send him to England, but he was not discouraged. In a few weeks he was ready to return to Philadelphia. This time he did not have to run away from home. His father blessed him and his mother gave him many small gifts as tokens of her love. Be diligent, said his father, attend well to your business and save your money carefully, and perhaps by the time you're twenty-one years old you will be able to set up for yourself without the Governor's help. All the family, except James the printer, bade him a kind goodbye, as he went on board the little ship that was to take him as far as New York. There was another surprise for him when he reached New York. The Governor of New York had heard that there was a young man from Boston on board the ship, and that he had a great many books. There were no large libraries in New York at that time. There were no bookstores, and but few people who cared for books. So the Governor sent for Franklin to come and see him. He showed him his own library, and they had a long talk about books and authors. This was the second Governor that had taken notice of Benjamin. For a poor boy like him it was a great honor and very pleasing. When he arrived in Philadelphia he gave to Governor Keith the letter which his father had written. The Governor was not very well pleased. He said, Your father is too careful. There is a great difference in persons. Young men can sometimes be trusted with great undertakings as well as if they were older. He then said that he would set up Franklin in business without his father's help. Give me a list of everything needed in a first class printing office. I will see that you are properly fitted out. Franklin was delighted. He thought that Governor Keith was one of the best men in the world. In a few days he laid before the Governor a list of the things needed in a little printing office. The cost of the outfit would be about five hundred dollars. The Governor was pleased with the list. There were no tight foundries in America at that time. There was no place where printing presses were made. Everything had to be bought in England. The Governor said, Don't you think it would be better if you could go to England and choose the types for yourself and see that everything is just as you would like to have it? Yes, sir, said Franklin. I think that would be a great advantage. Well, then, said the Governor, get yourself ready to go on the next regular ship to London. It shall be at my expense. At that time there was only one ship that made regular trips from Philadelphia to England, and it sailed but once each year. The name of this ship was the Anis. It would not be ready to sail again for several months. And so young Franklin, while he was getting ready for the voyage, kept on working in Mr. Chimer's little printing office. He laid out money enough to pay for his passage. He did not want to be dependent upon Governor Keith for everything, and it was well that he did not. End of Section 24. Read by Cibella Denton. For more information please visit LibriVox.org. Section 25 Franklin, Chapter 10 of Four Great Americans by James Baldwin. Read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. The First Visit to England. At last the Anis was ready to sail. Governor Keith had promised to give young Franklin letters of introduction to some of his friends in England. He had also promised to give him money to buy his presses and types. But when Franklin called at the Governor's house to bid him good-bye, and to get the letters, the Governor was too busy to see him. He said that he would send the letters and the money to him on shipboard. The ship sailed. But no letters nor any word from Governor Keith had been sent to Franklin. When he at last arrived in London he found himself without money and without friends. Governor Keith had given him nothing but promises. He would never give him anything more. He was a man whose word was not to be depended upon. Franklin was then just eighteen years old. He must now depend wholly upon himself. He must make his own way in the world without aid from anyone. He went out at once to look for work. He found employment in a printing office, and there he stayed for nearly a year. Franklin made many acquaintances with literary people while he was in London. He proved himself to be a young man of talent and ingenuity. He was never idle. His companions in the printing office were beer-drinkers and sawts. He often told them how foolish they were to spend their money and ruin themselves for drink. He drank nothing but water. He was strong and active. He could carry more and do more work than any of them. He persuaded many of them to leave off drinking and to lead better lives. Franklin was also a fine swimmer. There was no one in London who could swim as well. He wrote two essays on swimming and made some plans for opening a swimming school. When he had been in London about a year he met a Mr. Denim, a merchant of Philadelphia, and a strong friendship sprang up between them. Mr. Denim at last persuaded Franklin to return to Philadelphia and be a clerk in his dry-good store. And so on the twenty-third of the next July he set sail for home. The ship was nearly three months in making the voyage, and it was not until October that he again set foot in Philadelphia. CHAPTER XI. When Franklin was twenty-four years old he was married to Miss Deborah Reed, the young lady who had laughed at him when he was walking the street with his three roles. They lived together very happily for a great many years. Some time before this marriage Franklin's friend and employer, Mr. Denim, had died. The dry-good store, of which he was the owner, had been sold, and Franklin's occupation as a salesman or clerk was gone. But the young man had shown himself to be a person of great industry and ability. He had the confidence of everybody that knew him. A friend of his who had money offered to take him as a partner in the newspaper business, and so he again became a printer and the editor of a paper called the Pennsylvania Gazette. It was not long until Franklin was recognized as one of the leading men in Philadelphia. His name was known not only in Pennsylvania but in all the colonies. He was all the time thinking of plans for making the people about him wiser and better and happier. He established a subscription and circulating library, the first in America. This library was the beginning of the present Philadelphia Public Library. He wrote papers on education. He founded the University of Pennsylvania. He organized the American Philosophical Society. He established the first fire company in Philadelphia, which was also the first in America. He invented a copper plate press and printed the first paper money of New Jersey. He also invented the iron fireplace, which is called the Franklin Stove, and is still used where wood is plentiful and cheap. After an absence of ten years he paid a visit to his old home in Boston. Everybody was glad to see him now, even his brother James, the printer. When he returned to Philadelphia he was elected clerk of the Colonial Assembly. Not long after that he was chosen to be postmaster of the city, but his duties in this capacity did not require very much labor in those times. He did not handle as much mail in a whole year as passes now through the Philadelphia Post Office in a single hour. CHAPTER XII. Here are some of the rules of life which Franklin made for himself when he was a very young man. 1. To live very frugally till he had paid all that he owed. 2. To speak the truth at all times, to be sincere in word and action. 3. To apply himself earnestly to whatever business he took in hand, and to shun all foolish projects for becoming suddenly rich. For industry and patience, he said, are the surest means of plenty. 4. To speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth, but to speak all the good that he knew of everybody. When he was twenty-six years old he published the first number of an almanac called Poor Richard's Almanac. This almanac was full of wise and witty sayings and everybody soon began to talk about it. Every year, for twenty-five years, a new number of Poor Richard's Almanac was printed. It was sold in all parts of the country. People who had no other books would buy and read Poor Richard's Almanac. The library of many a farmer consisted of only the Family Bible with one or more numbers of this famous almanac. Here are a few of Poor Richard's sayings. A word to the wise is enough. God helps them that help themselves. Early to bed and early to rise makes man healthy, wealthy, and wise. There are no gains without pains. Plow deep while sluggard sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to keep. One today is worth two tomorrows. Little strokes fell great oaks. Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee. The sleeping fox catches no poultry. Diligence is the mother of good luck. Constant dropping wears away stones. A small leak will sink a great ship. Who dainties love shall beggars prove? Creditors have better memories than debtors. Many a little makes a nickel. Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them. Many have been ruined by buying good penny-worths. Rather go to bed supperless than rise and debt, for age and want save while you may. No morning sun lasts the whole day. It is pleasant to know that Franklin observed the rules of life which he made, and his wife Deborah was as busy and frugal as himself. They kept no idle servants. Their furniture was of the cheapest sort. Their food was plain and simple. Franklin's breakfast for many years was only bread and milk, and he ate it out of a two-penny earthen bowl with a pewter spoon. But at last, when he was called one morning to breakfast, he found his milk in a china bowl, and by the side of the bowl there was a silver spoon. His wife had bought them for him as a surprise. She said that she thought her husband deserved a silver spoon and a china bowl as well as any of his neighbors. End of Section 27, read by Stabella Denton. For more information, please visit LibriVox.org. Section 28, Franklin, Chapter 13 of Four Great Americans by James Baldwin, read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. Franklin services to the colonies. And so, as you have seen, Benjamin Franklin became in time one of the foremost men in our country. In 1753, when he was forty-five years old, he was made deputy postmaster general for America. He was to have a salary of about three thousand dollars a year and was to pay his own assistance. People were astonished when he proposed to have the mail carried regularly once every week between New York and Boston. Letters starting from Philadelphia on Monday morning would reach Boston the next Saturday night. This was thought to be a wonderful and almost impossible feat. But nowadays, letters leaving Philadelphia at midnight are read at the breakfast table in Boston the next morning. At that time there were not seventy post offices in the whole country. There are now more than seventy thousand. Benjamin Franklin held the office of deputy postmaster general for the American colonies for twenty-one years. In 1754 there was a meeting of the leading men of all the colonies at Albany. There were fears of a war with the French and Indians of Canada, and the colonies had sent these men to plan some means of defense. Benjamin Franklin was one of the men from Philadelphia at this meeting. He presented a plan for the union of the colonies and it was adopted. But our English rulers said it was too democratic and refused to let it go into operation. This scheme of Franklin set the people of the colonies to thinking. Why should the colonies not unite? Why should they not help one another and thus form one great country? And so we may truthfully say that it was Benjamin Franklin who first put into men's minds the idea of the great union which we now call the United States of America. The people of the colonies were not happy under the rule of the English. One by one laws were made which they looked upon as oppressive and burdensome. These laws were not intended to benefit the American people but were designed to enrich the merchants and politicians of England. In 1757 the people of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland and Georgia decided to send someone to England to petition against these oppressions. In all the colonies there was no man better fitted for this business than Benjamin Franklin and so he was the man sent. The fame of the great American had gone before him. Everybody seemed anxious to do him honor. He met many of the leading men of the day and he at last succeeded in gaining the object of his mission. But such business moved slowly in those times, five years past before he was ready to return to America. He reached Philadelphia in November 1762 and the Colonial Assembly of Pennsylvania thanked him publicly for his great services. But new troubles soon came up between the colonies and the government in England. Other laws were passed, more oppressive than before. It was proposed to tax the colonies and force the colonists to buy stamped paper. This last act was called the Stamp Act and the American people opposed it with all their might. Scarcely had Franklin been at home two years when he was again sent to England to plead the cause of his countrymen. This time he remained abroad for more than ten years but he was not so successful as before. In 1754 he appeared before the King's Council to present a petition from the people of Massachusetts. He was now a venerable man nearly seventy years of age. He was the most famous man of America. His petition was rejected. He himself was shamefully insulted and abused by one of the members of the Council. The next day he was dismissed from the Office of Deputy Postmaster General of America. In May 1775 he was again at home in Philadelphia. Two weeks before his arrival the Battle of Lexington had been fought and the War of the Revolution had begun. Franklin had done all that he could to persuade the English King to deal justly with the American colonies. But the King and his counselors had refused to listen to him. During his ten years abroad he had not stayed all the time in England. He had traveled to many countries of Europe and had visited Paris several times. Many changes had taken place while he was absent. His wife, Mrs. Deborah Franklin, had died. His parents and fifteen of his brothers and sisters had also been laid in the grave. The rest of his days were to be spent in the service of his country to which he had already given nearly twenty years of his life. CHAPTER XIV BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was not only a printer, politician, and statesman. He was the first scientist of America. In the midst of perplexing cares it was his delight to study the laws of nature and try to understand some of the mysteries of creation. In his time no very great discoveries had yet been made. The steam engine was unknown. The telegraph had not so much as been dreamed about. Thousands of comforts which we now enjoy through the discoveries of science were then unthought of, or, if thought of, they were deemed to be impossible. Franklin began to make experiments in electricity when he was about forty years old. He was the first person to discover that lightning is caused by electricity. He had long thought that this was true, but he had no means of proving it. He thought that if he could stand on some high tower during a thunderstorm he might be able to draw some of the electricity from the clouds through a pointed iron rod. But there was no high tower in Philadelphia. There was not even a tall church spire. At last he thought of making a kite and sending it up to the clouds. A paper kite, however, would be ruined by the rain and would not fly to any great height. So instead of paper he used a light silk handkerchief which he fastened to two slender but strong cross-pieces. At the top of the kite he placed a pointed iron rod. The string was of hemp, except a short piece at the lower end, which was of silk. At the end of the hemp string an iron key was tied. I think that is a queer kind of kite, said Franklin's little boy. What are you going to do with it? Wait until the next thunderstorm and you will see, said Franklin. You may go with me and we will send it up to the clouds. He told no one else about it, for if the experiment should fail he did not care to have everybody laugh at him. At last one day a thunderstorm came up and Franklin with his son went out into a field to fly his kite. There was a steady breeze and it was easy to send the kite far up towards the clouds. Then holding the silken end of the string Franklin stood under a little shed in the field and watched to see what would happen. The lightnings flashed, the thunder rolled, but there was no sign of electricity in the kite. At last when he was about to give up the experiment Franklin saw the loose fibers of his hemp and string begin to move. He put his knuckles close to the key and sparks of fire came flying to his hand. He was wild with delight. The sparks of fire were electricity. He had drawn them from the clouds. The experiment, if Franklin had only known it, was a very dangerous one. It was fortunate for him and for the world that he suffered no harm. More than one person who has since tried to draw electricity from the clouds has been killed by the lightning that has flashed down the hemp and kite string. When Franklin's discovery was made known it caused great excitement among the learned men of Europe. They could not believe it was true until some of them had proved it by similar experiments. They could hardly believe that a man in the far away city of Philadelphia could make a discovery which they had never thought of as possible. Indeed, how could an American do anything that was worth doing? Franklin soon became famous in foreign countries as a philosopher and man of science. The universities of Oxford and Edinburgh honored him by conferring upon him their highest degrees. He was now Doctor Benjamin Franklin, but people in America still thought of him only as the man of affairs, as a great printer, and as the editor of Poor Richard's Almanac. All this happened before the beginning of his career as ambassador from the colonies to the king and government of England. I cannot tell you of all of his discoveries in science. He invented the lightning rod, and by trying many experiments he learned more about electricity than the world had ever known before. He made many curious experiments to discover the laws of heat, light, and sound. By laying strips of colored cloth on snow he learned which colors are the best conductors of heat. He invented the harmonica, an ingenious musical instrument in which the sounds were produced by musical glasses. During his long stay abroad he did not neglect his scientific studies. He visited many of the greatest scholars of the time and was everywhere received with much honor. The great scientific societies of Europe, the royal academies in Paris and in Madrid, had already elected him as one of their members. The King of France wrote him a letter thanking him for his useful discoveries in electricity and for his invention of the lightning rod. All this would have made some men very proud, but it was not so with Dr. Franklin. In a letter which he wrote to a friend at the time when these honors were beginning to be showered upon himself, he said, The pride of man is very differently gratified, and had his majesty sent me a marshal's staff I think I should scarce have been so proud of it as I am of your esteem. End of Section 29. Read by Stabella Denton. For more information please visit LibriVox.org. Section 30. Franklin. Chapter 15. Of Four Great Americans by James Baldwin. Read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. The Last Years. In 1776 delegates from all the colonies met in Philadelphia. They formed what is called the Second Continental Congress of America. It was now more than a year since the war had begun and the colonists had made up their minds not to submit to the King of England and his counsel. Many of them were strongly in favor of setting up a new government of their own. A committee was appointed to draft a Declaration of Independence and Benjamin Franklin was one of that committee. On the 4th of July Congress declared the colonies to be free and independent states. Among the signers of the Declaration of Independence was Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania. Soon after this Dr. Franklin was sent to Paris as Minister from the United States. Early in the following year, 1777, he induced the King of France to acknowledge the independence of this country. He thus secured aid for the Americans at a time when they were in the greatest need of it. Had it not been for his services at this time, the War of the Revolution might have ended very differently indeed. It was not until 1785 that he was again able to return to his home. He was then nearly eighty years old. He had served his country faithfully for fifty-three years. He would have been glad if he might retire to private life. When he reached Philadelphia he was received with joy by thousands of his countrymen. General Washington was among the first to welcome him and to thank him for his great services. That same year the grateful people of his state elected him President of Pennsylvania. Two years afterwards he wrote, I am here in my niche, in my own house, in the bosom of my family, my daughter and grandchildren all about me, among my old friends or the sons of my friends who equally respect me. In short I enjoy here every opportunity of doing good and everything else I could wish for except repose, and that I may soon expect, either by the cessation of my office, which cannot last more than three years, or by ceasing to live. The next year he was a delegate to the convention which formed the present Constitution of the United States. In a letter written to his friend Washington not long afterwards he said, For my personal ease I should have died two years ago, but though those years have been spent in pain I am glad to have lived them since I can look upon our present situation. In April 1790 he died and was buried by the side of his wife, Deborah, in Arch Street graveyard in Philadelphia. His age was eighty-four years and three months. Many years before his death he had written the following epitaph for himself. The body of Benjamin Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding, lies here food for worms, yet the work itself shall not be lost, for it will, as he believed, appear once more in a new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by the author. CHAPTER ONE OF FOUR GREAT AMERICANS by James Baldwin Read for LibriVox.org into the Public Domain. THE STORY OF DANIEL WEBSTER Captain Webster. Many years ago there lived in New Hampshire a poor farmer whose name was Ebenezer Webster. His little farm was among the hills, not far from the Merrimack River. It was a beautiful place to live in, but the ground was poor, and there were so many rocks that you would wonder how anything could grow among them. Ebenezer Webster was known far and wide as a brave, wise man. When any of his neighbors were in trouble or in doubt about anything they always said, We will ask Captain Webster about it. They called him Captain because he had fought the French and Indians and had been a brave soldier in the Revolutionary War. Indeed he was one of the first men in New Hampshire to take up arms for his country. When he heard that the British were sending soldiers to America to force the people to obey the unjust laws of the King of England, he said, We must never submit to this. So he went among his neighbors and persuaded them to sign a pledge to do all they could to defend the country against the British. Then he raised a company of two hundred men and led them to Boston to join the American Army. The Revolutionary War lasted several years, and during all that time Captain Webster was known as one of the bravest of the American Patriots. One day at West Point he met General Washington. The Patriots were in great trouble at that time, for one of their leaders had turned traitor and had gone to help the British. The officers and soldiers were much distressed, for they did not know who might be the next to desert them. As I have said Captain Webster met General Washington. The General took the Captain's hand and said, I believe that I can trust you, Captain Webster. You may believe that this made Captain Webster feel very happy. When he went back to his humble home among the New Hampshire Hills he was never so proud as when telling his neighbors about this meeting with General Washington. If you could have seen Captain Ebenezer Webster in those days you would have looked at him more than once. He was a remarkable man. He was very tall and straight, with dark glowing eyes and hair as black as night. His face was kind but it showed much firmness and decision. He had never attended school but he had tried as well as he could to educate himself. It was on account of his honesty and good judgment that he was looked up to as the leading man in the neighborhood. In some way I do not know how he had gotten a little knowledge of the law. And at last, because of this, as well as because of his sound common sense, he was appointed judge of the court in his county. This was several years after the war was over. He was now no longer called Captain Webster but Judge Webster. It had been very hard for him to make a living for his large family on the Stony Farm among the hills. But now his office as judge would bring him three hundred or four hundred dollars a year. He had never had so much money in his life. Judge Webster, said one of his neighbors, what are you going to do with the money that you get from your office? Going to build a new house? Well, no, said the judge. The old house is small but we have lived in it a long time and it still does very well. Then I suppose you are planning to buy more land, said the neighbor. Indeed, I have as much land now as I can cultivate. But I will tell you what I am going to do with my money. I am going to try to educate my boys. I would rather do this than have lands and houses. The Youngest Son Ebenezer Webster had several sons, but at the time he was appointed judge there were only two at home. The older ones were grown up and were doing for themselves. It was of the two at home that he was thinking when he said, I am going to try to educate my boys. Of the ten children in the family, the favorite was a black-haired dark-skinned little fellow called Daniel. He was the youngest of all the boys, but there was one girl who was younger than he. Daniel Webster was born on the 8th of January, 1782. He was a puny child, very slender and weak, and the neighbors were fond of telling his mother that he could not live long. Perhaps this was one of the things that caused him to be favored and petted by his parents. But there were other reasons why everyone was attracted by him. There were other reasons why his brothers and sisters were always ready to do him a service. He was an affectionate, loving child, and he was wonderfully bright and quick. He was not strong enough to work on the farm like other boys. He spent much of his time playing in the woods or roaming among the hills. And when he was not at play he was quite sure to be found in some quiet corner with a book in his hand. He afterwards said of himself, In those boyish days there were two things that I loved dearly, reading and playing. He could never tell how or when he had learned to read. Perhaps his mother had taught him when he was but a mere babe. He was very young when he was first sent to school. The schoolhouse was two or three miles away, but he did not mind the long walk through the woods and over the hills. It was not a great while until he had learned all that his teacher was able to teach him, for he had a quick understanding and he remembered everything that he read. The people of the neighborhood never tired of talking about Webster's boy, as they called him. All agreed that he was a wonderful child. Some said that so wonderful a child was sure to die young. Others said that if he lived he would certainly become a very great man. When the farmers on their way to market drove past Judge Webster's house they were always glad if they could see the delicate boy with his great dark eyes. If it was near the hour of noon they would stop their teams under the shady elms and ask him to come out and read to them. Then while their horses rested and ate they would sit round the boy and listen to his wonderful tones as he read page after page from the Bible. There were no children's books in those times. Indeed there were very few books to be had of any kind. But young Daniel Webster found nothing too hard to read. I read what I could get to read, he afterwards said. I went to school when I could, and when not at school I was a farmer's youngest boy, not good for much—for want of health and strength, but expected to do something. One day the man who kept the little store in the village showed him something that made his heart leap. It was a cotton handkerchief with the Constitution of the United States printed on one side of it. In those days people were talking a great deal about the Constitution, for it had just then come into force. Daniel had never read it. When he saw the handkerchief he could not rest till he had made it his own. He counted all his pennies, he borrowed a few from his brother Ezekiel, then he hurried back to the store and bought the wished-for treasure. In a short time he knew everything in the Constitution and could repeat whole sections of it from memory. We shall learn that, when he afterwards became one of the great men of this nation, he proved to be the Constitution's wisest friend and ablest defender. End of Section XXXIII of four great Americans by James Baldwin. Read for LibriVox.org into the public domain. Ezekiel and Daniel. Daniel Webster was two years older than his brother Daniel. He was a strong manly fellow and was ready at all times to do a kindness to the lad who had not been gifted with so much health and strength. But he had not Daniel's quickness of mind, and he always looked to his younger brother for advice and instruction. And so there was much love between the two brothers, each helping the other according to his talents and his ability. One day they went together to the county fair. Each had a few cents in his pocket for spending money and both expected to have a fine time. When they came home in the evening Daniel seemed very happy, but Ezekiel was silent. Well, Daniel, said their mother, what did you do with your money? I spent it at the fair, said Daniel. And what did you do with yours, Ezekiel? I lent it to Daniel, was the answer. It was this way at all times and with everybody. Not only Ezekiel, but others were ever ready to give up their own means of enjoyment if only it would make Daniel happy. At another time the brothers were standing together by their father who had just come home after several days' absence. Ezekiel, said Mr. Webster, what have you been doing since I went away? Nothing, sir, said Ezekiel. You are very frank, said the judge. Then turning to Daniel he said, what have you been doing, Dan? Helping Zeke, said Daniel. When Judge Webster said to his neighbor, I am going to try to educate my boys, he had no thought of ever being able to send both of them to college. Still he said to himself, was strong and hearty. He could make his own way in the world without having a finished education. But Daniel had little strength of body, although he was gifted with great mental powers. It was he that must be the scholar of the family. The judge argued with himself that since he would be able to educate only one of the boys, he must educate that one who gave the greatest promise of success. And yet, had it not been for his poverty, he would gladly have given the same opportunities to both. CHAPTER IV. One hot day in summer the judge and his youngest son were at work together in the hayfield. Daniel, said the judge, I am thinking that this kind of work is hardly the right thing for you. You must prepare yourself for greater things than pitching hay. What do you mean, father? asked Daniel. I mean that you must have that which I have always felt the need of. You must have a good education, for without an education a man is always at a disadvantage. If I had been able to go to school when I was a boy I might have done more for my country than I have. But as it is I can do nothing but struggle here for the means of living. Zeke and I will help you, father, said Daniel, and now that you are growing old you need not work so hard. I am not complaining about the work, so the judge. I live only for my children. When your older brothers were growing up I was too poor to give them an education, but I am now able to do something for you and I mean to send you to a good school. Oh, father, how kind you are, cried Daniel. If you will study hard, said his father, if you will do your best and learn all that you can you will not have to endure such hardships as I have endured, and then you will be able to do so much more good in the world. The boy's heart was touched by the manner in which his father spoke these words. He dropped his rake, he threw his arms around his father's neck, and cried for thankfulness and joy. It was not until the next spring that Judge Webster felt himself able to carry out his plans and send Daniel to school. One evening he said, Daniel, you must be up early in the morning. I am going with you to Exeter. To Exeter, said the boy, yes to Exeter I am going to put you in the academy there. The academy at Exeter was, then, as it still is, a famous place for preparing boys for college. But Daniel's father did not say anything about making him ready for college. The judge knew that the expenses would be heavy, and he was not sure that he would ever be able to give him a finished education. It was nearly fifty miles to Exeter, and Daniel and his father were to ride there on horseback. That was almost the only way of traveling in those days. The next morning two horses were brought to the door. One was Judge Webster's horse, the other was a gentle nag, with a lady's sidesaddle on his back. Who is going to ride on that nag? asked Daniel. Young Dan Webster answered the judge. But I don't want a sidesaddle. I am not a lady. Neighbor Johnson is sending the nag to Exeter for the use of a lady who is to ride back with me. I accommodate him by taking charge of the animal, and he accommodates me by allowing you to ride on it. But won't it look rather funny for me to ride to Exeter on a lady's saddle? If a lady can ride on it, perhaps Dan Webster can do as much. And so they set out on their journey to Exeter. The judge rode in advance, and Daniel, sitting astride of the lady's saddle, followed behind. It was no doubt a funny sight to see them riding, thus, along the muddy roads. None of the country people who stopped to gaze at them could have guessed that the dark-faced lad who rode