hereafter, for he had the honour of standing before _five_
kings, and even dined with the King of Denmark.

His economy was equal to his industry. He arrayed himself in the
plainest manner, although he aimed to look neat and tidy. His board
was simple and cheap, and everything about his business was graduated
on the most economical principles. In order to save expense, and at
the same time show the public that he was not proud, and above his
business, he wheeled home the paper which he bought. This single act
had its influence in gaining the public confidence. For when a young
man gets above his business, he is quite sure to have a fall. Since
Franklin's day, in the city of Richmond, a young man went to the
market to purchase a turkey. He looked around for some one to carry it
home for him, being too proud to do it himself, and finding no one, he
began to fret and swear, much to the annoyance of bystanders. A
gentleman stepped up to him and said, "That is in my way, and I will
take your turkey home for you." When they came to the house, the
young fop asked, "What shall I pay you?" "O, nothing at all," replied
the gentleman, "it was all in the way, and it was no trouble to me."
As he passed on, the young man turned to a person near by, and
inquired, "Who is that polite old gentleman who brought home my turkey
for me?" "O," replied he, "that was Judge Marshall, Chief Justice of
the United States." "Why did _he_ bring home my turkey?" "He did it to
give you a rebuke, and teach you to attend to your own business," was
the answer.

How contemptible does such a character appear in contrast with
Franklin! It is not strange that the public withhold their confidence
from the fop, and bestow it upon the industrious. Judge Marshall was a
great man, and great men never get above their business. Franklin
became a great man, and one reason of it was, that he never became too
proud to wait upon himself.

After he married Miss Read, and commenced housekeeping, he still
adhered to the same principle of economy. Instead of doing as many
young men do at this era of life, living beyond their income, he
continued frugal. He said of himself and wife, "We kept no idle
servants, our table was plain and simple, our furniture of the
cheapest. For instance, my breakfast was for a long time bread and
milk (no tea), and I ate it out of a twopenny earthen porringer, with
a pewter spoon." Thus he reduced to practice the couplet which he
wrote:--