these last remarks, although he was more
favourably impressed, after hearing them, with the tallow-chandler's
calling. On the following day he entered upon his new vocation, and,
if "variety is the spice of life," then his first day in the shop had
a plenty of spice. The shop was situated at the corner of Hanover and
Union Streets, having the sign of a large blue ball, bearing the
inscription:

1698 JOSIAS
FRANKLIN 1698.

He cut wicks, filled moulds, performed errands, and played the part of
general waiter, in which there was much variety. And this was his work
for successive weeks, very little of his time running to waste. Do you
ask how he likes it? The following conversation with his mother will
answer.

"I don't like it at all, mother,--no better than I thought I should,"
he said. "I wish I could do something else."

"What else is there for you to do, Benjamin?" replied his mother.
"What would you like to do?"

"I would like to go to sea."

"Go to see what?" she inquired, as if she did not understand him at
first.

"Go on a voyage to Europe, or the East Indies."

"What!" exclaimed his mother, exhibiting surprise, for she had not
dreamed that her son had any inclination to go to sea. "Want to be a
sailor? What put that into your head?"

"I have always thought I should like to go to sea," he answered; "and
I am so tired of making candles that I want to go now more than ever."

"I am astonished, Benjamin. You might know that I should never give my
consent to that. I should almost as lief bury you. And how can you
want to leave your good home, and all your friends, to live in a ship,
exposed to storms and death all the time?"

"It is not because I do not love my home and friends, but I have a
desire to sail on a voyage to some other country. I like the water,
and nothing would suit me so well as to be a cabin-boy."

"There, Benjamin, you must never say another word about it," continued
his mother; "and you must not think any more about going; for I shall
never give my consent, and I know _your father never will_. It was
almost too much for me when your brother broke away from us, and went
to sea. I could not pass through another such trial. So you must not
persist in your wish, if you would not send me down to the grave." And
here his mother alluded to one of the most bitter experiences of her
life, when a son older than Benjamin became restless at home, and
would not be persuad