will wear old clothes
till we can make our own new ones!"

In a week or so word was sent from England that clothing would not be
taxed, and the colonists had great rejoicings. They built bonfires, rang
bells, and had processions; and Benjamin Franklin's name was loudly
cheered.

But England still needed money and decided to make the colonists pay a
tax on tea and a few other things. Then the American colonists were as
angry as they could be. They tipped the whole cargo of tea into Boston
Harbor, and in spite of Franklin's trying to make the king and the
colonists understand each other, there was a long war (it is called the
Revolutionary War) and it ended in the colonists declaring themselves
independent of Great Britain. A paper telling the king and the world
that the colonists should not obey the English rule any longer, but
would make laws of their own was signed by men from all thirteen
colonies. Benjamin Franklin was one of the men from Pennsylvania who
signed it. As this paper--The Declaration of Independence--was first
proclaimed July 4, 1776, the people always celebrate the fourth day of
July throughout the United States.

Franklin was postmaster-general of the colonies; he was our first
minister to the Court of France, the governor (or president, as the
office was then called) of Pennsylvania, and helped, more than almost
any other man, to make America the great country she is.

Franklin was admired in France and England for his good judgment and
clever ideas. Pictures of him were shown in public places; prints of his
face were for sale in three countries; medallions of his head were set
in rings and snuff-boxes; he traveled in royal coaches, and was treated
like a prince. But although it was "the Great Doctor Franklin" here, and
"the Noble Patriot" there, he did not grow vain. Benjamin Franklin was
just a modest, good American!

LOUIS AGASSIZ

Louis Agassiz was a Swiss boy who knew how to keep his eyes open. Some
people walk right by things without seeing them, but Louis kept a sharp
lookout, and nothing escaped him.

Louis was born in a small Swiss village near a lake. His father was a
minister and school teacher. His mother was a fine scholar and was very
sure that she wanted her children to love books, but two brothers of
Louis's had died and she meant to have Louis and another son, Auguste,
get plenty of play and romping in the fields so that they would grow up
healthy and strong, first of