ome journey of another day, brought them to Montreal. None of
the commissioners were accustomed to thus roughing it. All were
greatly exhausted.

A council of war was convened. Canada was clearly lost to the
Americans. It was at once decided that nothing remained but to
withdraw the troops. Early in June, Franklin reached Philadelphia,
from his toilsome journey. He had been absent about ten weeks. The
doom of the proprietary government over Pennsylvania, was now sealed.
Congress had voted that all authority derived from the king of
England, was extinct. A conference of delegates was appointed to
organize a new government for the province. Franklin was, of course,
one of these delegates. A committee had been appointed, by Congress,
to draw up a Declaration of Independence. The committee consisted of
Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Livingston, and Sherman.

The immortal document, as all the world knows, came from the pen of
Jefferson. It was offered to Congress for acceptance. Many frivolous
objections were, of course, presented. One man thought this phrase a
little too severe. Another thought that a little too lenient. Franklin
sat by the side of Jefferson, as the admirable document was subjected
to this assailment. Turning to him he said, in one of the most
characteristic and popular of all his utterances,

"When I was a journeyman printer, one of my companions, an apprenticed
hatter, was about to open a shop for himself. His first concern was to
have a handsome sign-board, with a proper inscription. He composed it
in these words,

"John Thompson, Hatter, makes and sells Hats for ready Money."

But he thought he would submit it to his friends for their amendments.
The first he showed it to, thought the word _hatter_ tautologous;
because followed by the words _makes hats_, which showed that he was a
hatter. It was struck out. The next observed that the word _makes_,
might as well be omitted, because his customers would not care who
made the hats; if good, and to their mind, they would buy, by
whomsoever made. He struck it out. A third said he thought the words,
for _ready money_, were useless; as it was not the custom of the place
to sell on credit. Every one who purchased, expected to pay. They were
parted with. The inscription now stood,

"John Thompson sells hats."

"_Sells_ hats," says his next friend. "Why nobody will expect you to
give them away. What then is the use of that word?" It was stricken
out, and _ha