ars ago, and that he knew Josiah
Franklin well, and was acquainted with Ben."

"Tell him to come in," said the bent old woman with white hair.

The stranger entered, and avoided questions by asking them.

"What are you reading to-night, my good friend?" he asked.

"The Old Auctioneer," answered the aged man. "Have you read it?"

"Yes; it is on the taxes."

"So it is--I've read it twice over. I'm now reading it to Abiah. Let me
tell you a secret--her son wrote it. My opinion is that it is the
smartest piece of work that ever saw the light on this side of the
water. What's yourn?"

"There's sense in it."

"What did he say his name was?" asked Abiah.

"Have you ever read any of Poor Richard's maxims?" asked the stranger
quickly.

"Yes, yes; we have taken the Almanac for years. Ben publishes it."

"What did he say?" asked Abiah. "I can not hear as well as I once
could.--Stranger, I heard you when you spoke loud at the door."

"Repeat some of 'Poor Richard's' sayings," said the stranger.

"You may well say 'repeat,'" said the old man. "I used to hear Ben
Franklin say things like that when he was a 'prentice lad."

"Like what, my friend?"

"Like 'The noblest question in the world is what good may I do in it?'
There! Like 'None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing.'
There!"

"I see, I see, my good friend, you seem to have confidence in Poor
Richard?"

"Sir, I taught him much of his wisdom--he and I used to be great
friends. I always knew that he had a star in his soul that would
shine--I foresaw it all. I have the gift of second sight. I am a
Scotchman."

"And you prophesied good things to him when he was a boy?"

"Yes, yes, or, if I did not, I only spoke in a discouraging way to
encourage him. He and I were chums; we used to sit on Long Wharf
together and _prognosticate_ together. That was a kind of Harvard
College to us. Uncle Ben was living then."

"Maybe the stranger would like you to read The Old Auctioneer," said
Abiah to the Scotchman. "My boy wrote that--he told you. My boy has good
sense--Jamie here will tell you so. I'm older now than I was."

"Yes, yes, read, and let me rest. When the bell rings for nine I will go
to the inn."

"Maybe we can keep you here. We'll talk it over later. I want to hear
Ben's piece. I'm his mother, and they tell me it is interesting to
people who are no relation to him.--Jamie, you read the piece, and then
we will talk over the past. It seems like