ployment, during the whole day, in serving that house alone. Franklin's fellow-pressman drank several pints of beer in the course of the day; and had every Saturday night a score of four or five shillings to pay: an expense from which Franklin was wholly free. "Thus," said he, "do these poor creatures continue, all their lives, in a state of wilful wretchedness and poverty." He lived in the utmost harmony with his fellow-labourers; and soon acquired considerable influence among them. His example prevailed with several of them, to give up the practice of having bread and cheese, and beer, for breakfast: and they procured, like him, from a neighbouring house, a good basin of warm gruel, in which was a slice of butter, with toasted bread, and nutmeg. "This," said he, 66 was a much better breakfast, which did not cost more than a pint of beer; and, at the same time, preserved the head clearer." He gained the esteem of his master, by his assiduous application to business, never observing "Saint Monday." His extraordinary quickness always procured him such work as was most urgent; and which is commonly best paid. The early hours he kept, and the little trouble he occasioned in the family where he lodged, gave so much satisfaction, that the mistress of the house, rather than part with him, let him have the lodging at a much lower rate, than she usually charged. He was so careful of his money, that he bought nothing for himself that was not absolutely necessary, except a few books. When he began business for himself, at Philadelphia, his unwearied industry, the punctuality of his payments, and the justice of his dealings, gained him great reputation and credit. "The industry of this Franklin," said Dr. Bard, "is superior to any thing of the kind I ever saw. I see him still at work when I return home at night; and he is at it again in the morning before his neighbours are out of bed." "I took care," said Franklin, "not only to be really industrious and frugal, but also to avoid every appearance of the contrary. I was plainly dressed; and never seen in any place of public amusement. I never went a fishing, or a hunting. And to show that I was not above my business, I sometimes conveyed home in a wheelbarrow, the paper which I purchased at the warehouses. The merchants solicited my custom; and my little trade went on prosperously." 9. The blue coat boy. Walter Scott, the son of John Scott, a carpenter, was born at Ross, in Herefordshire; and brought up in the blue coat school, in that town. At the age of thirteen, he went to London, to an uncle, who was a plasterer; with whom he found employment. In course of time, he succeeded to his uncle's business; and, by his honest application and diligence, gained a very handsome fortune. Towards the close of life, he visited the place of his birth, which he had never seen from the time he first left it. When he was there, he inquired into the state of the school, in which he had been educated, It was not then very prosperous; and he declared there should be a better blue coat school at Ross, than there ever had been. He provided by his will for the endowment of a school, for clothing and educating thirty boys, and twenty girls. Soon after his death, a spot of ground was purchased, for the building of the schoolhouse; and on a square plate, in the middle of the foundation stone, was en graven the following inscription: "On the fifth day of June, 1792, and in the thirty-second year of the reign of his majesty king George the third, the first stone of this school was laid, in the presence of the treasurer and the trustees, by order of the executers of the late Mr. Walter Scott, a native of this town; who, by his will, bequeathed two hundred pounds per annum, for the support of the same.-And that there may remain to posterity, a monument of this parish's affection to the man, who thus evinced his liberality, and his gratitude for the education, which he had received in a school supported by voluntary contributions, to his memory we have caused the above to be inscribed.” 10. The industrious couple. Ann Hurst was born at Witley, in Surrey: there, she lived the whole of a long life; and there, she died. As soon as she was thought able to work, she went to service. After some years, she married James Strudwick; who, like her own father, was a daylabourer. With this husband, she lived, a hard-working, contented wife, upwards of fifty years. He worked more than threescore years on one farm; and his wages, summer and winter, were regularly a shilling a day. He never asked more; nor was he ever offered less. In all his life, as his wife often said, he never spent five shillings in any idleness. They had seven children; and lived to see six daughters married, and three of them the mothers of sixteen children, all brought up to be day-labourers. Strudwick continued to work till within seven weeks of the day of his death: and at the age of fourscore, in 1787, he closed, in peace, a not inglorious life. To the day of his death, he never received a farthing in the way of parish aid. His wife gave him a very decent funeral. She survived him about seven years; and, though bent with age and infirmities, and little able to work, except as a weeder in a gentleman's garden, she would not, either ask or receive, any relief from her parish. To come upon the parish, she always considered as one of the heaviest of human calamities. For six or seven of the last years of her life, she received twenty shillings a year from the person who wrote this account, which he drew up from her own mouth. 11. The Manchester alehouse. There resides in the market-place of Manchester, (in 1795) a man of the name of John Shawe; who keeps a common public house, which is much frequented. At eight o'clock in the evening, every person must quit the house; and no liquor is ever served out after that hour. Should any one be presumptuous enough to stop, Mr. Shawe brings out a whip with a long lash, and proclaiming aloud, "Past eight o'clock, gentlemen!" soon clears his house. He has kept strictly to this rule for upwards of fifty years; accompanied by an old woman servant, for nearly the same length of time. For this excellent regulation, he frequently receives the thanks of the ladies of Manchester, and is often toasted; nor is any one a greater favourite with the townsmen, than this respectable old man. He is now far advanced in life, not much short of eighty; and is still a strong, stout, hearty man. 12. The Cumberland spinner. The following is a statement of the earnings and expenses of a woman, in the year 1796, who was sixty one years old. It is an instance of Cumberland eco nomy, among many others that might be pointed out. INCOME. She spins wool for her neighbours, about 15 weeks in a year, and earns 4d. a day, and her victuals The remaining 37 weeks, she spins lint at home, for a manufacturer, and earns 134d, a week House-rent, 10s.; fuel, (peat and turf,) 7s. Butter, 5s. 4d.; milk, 5s. 6d. She gets 3 pecks of potatoes planted for her; her turf-ashes produce about 9 bushels; balance of expense about Tea not used; sugar and treacle Salt, candles, soap, &c, ...... Clogs, (one pair in 2 years,) 1s. 6d.; This woman's earnings are small; but she makes her expenses correspond. She seems perfectly happy, content, and cheerful; and always takes care to avoid debt, Her father rented a small farm of only eight pounds a |