intainer, and the shield of pride;
Fair cities, rich to-day in plenty flow,
War fills with want to-morrow, and with woe;
Ruined estates, victims of vice, broken limbs, and scars
Are the effects of desolating wars."

One evening, as the tallow chandler was hurrying hither and thither in
his apron and paper cap, the door opened with a sharp ring of the bell
fastened by a string upon it. The paper cap bobbed up.

"Hoi, what now?" said the tallow chandler.

"A letter from England, sirrah. The Lively Nancy has come in. There it
is."

The tallow chandler held the letter up to the fire, for it had been a
_melting_ day, as certain days on which the melting of tallow for the
molds were called. He read "Benjamin Franklin," and said: "That's
curious--that's Brother Ben's writing. I would know that the world
over." He put the letter in his pocket. He saw Dame Franklin looking
through the transom over the door, and shook his head.

He sat down with his large family to a meal of bread and milk, and then
took the letter from his pocket and read it over to himself.

"Ben," said he, "this is for you. I am going to read it. As I do so, you
repeat after me the first letter of the first and of every line. Are you
ready? Now.

"'_Be to thy parents an obedient son._'"

"B," said little Ben.

"'_Each day let duty constantly be done._'"

"E," the boy continued.

"'_Never give way to sloth, or lust, or pride._'"

"N, father."

"'_Just free to be from thousand ills beside._'"

"J, father."

"'_Above all ills be sure avoid the shelf._'"

"A, father."

"'_Man's danger lies in Satan, sin, and self._'"

"M, father."

"'_In virtue, learning, wisdom, progress make._'"

"I, father."

"'_Ne'er shrink at suffering for thy Saviour's sake._'"

"N, father. I know what that spells."

"What?"

"Benjamin."

"'_Fraud and all falsehood in thy dealings flee._'"

"F," said the boy.

"'_Religious always in thy station be._'"

"R, father."

"'_Adore the Maker of thy inward heart._'"

"A, father."

"'_Now's the accepted time, give him thy heart._'"

"N, father; and now I can guess the rest."

"'_Keep a good conscience, 'tis a constant friend._'"

"K, father."

"'_Like judge and witness this thy acts attend._'"

"L."

"'_In heart with bended knee alone adore._'"

"I."

"'_None but the Three in One forever more._'"

"N."

"And to whom are all these things written?"

"'