sued in better style than
"The Pennsylvania Gazette" of 1729.

For seven years Franklin had been embarrassed by the thought of the
fifty dollars which he had received from Mr. Vernon, and which had not
yet been repaid. Mr. Vernon wrote him a very gentle intimation,
stating that it would be very convenient for him to receive the money.
Franklin returned a contrite and magnanimous letter. He made no
attempt to extenuate his fault, promised immediately to strain every
nerve to meet the debt, and in a few months paid the whole, principal
and interest.

Still the infant firm was struggling with adversity. The partners had
commenced operations with scarcely any capital excepting promises.
Their outfit cost about a thousand dollars. Mr. Meredith had been
unfortunate in business, and found himself unable to pay the second
instalment promised of five hundred dollars. The stationers who
furnished paper began to be uneasy, for they could not but see that
Meredith was fast going to ruin.

Franklin was seldom in the habit of dwelling upon his misfortunes. In
these dark hours he wrote,

"In this distress two true friends whose kindness I have
never forgotten, nor ever shall forget while I can remember
anything, came to me separately, unknown to each other, and
without any application from me, offered each of them to
advance me all the money that should be necessary to take
the whole business upon myself; but they did not like my
continuing in partnership with Meredith, who, as they said,
was often seen drunk in the street, playing at low games in
ale-houses, much to our discredit."

Franklin generously was very reluctant to throw aside Meredith.
Dissolute as the young man had become, he could not forget that he
was the son of a man who had been his friend; but after carefully
pondering the question and seeing ruin stare him in the face, he said
one day to Meredith,

"Perhaps your father is dissatisfied at the part you have undertaken
in this affair of ours; and is unwilling to advance for you and me,
what he would for you. If that is the case tell me, and I will resign
the whole to you and go about my business."

Meredith replied,

"My father has really been disappointed, and is really unable. I am
unwilling to distress him further. I see this is a business I am unfit
for. I was bred a farmer and it was folly in me to come to town, and
put myself at thirty years of age an appre