g of which indicated composure of mind."

Franklin was still envoy plenipotentiary at beautiful Passy. He received
the thrilling news, and wondered what terms the English Government would
now seek to make in the interests of peace.

The king was shaken in mind and becoming blind. He was opposed to any
negotiations for peace, and threatened to abdicate. He sank into a
pitiable state of insanity some years after, was confined in a padded
room, and even knew not when the battle of Waterloo was fought, and when
his own son died he was not called to the funeral ceremonies.

But negotiations were begun, or attempted, with Dr. Franklin at Paris.
Passy was again the scene of great events.

Mr. Adams, as a representative of the United States, arrived in Paris.
Mr. Gay, another representative, was there; conference after conference
was held with the English ambassador, and the final conference was held
with the English ministers on November 29, 1782.

On the 18th of January, 1782, at Versailles, the representatives of
England, France, and Spain signed the preliminaries of peace, declaring
hostilities suspended, in the presence of Mr. Adams and Dr. Franklin.
These preliminaries were finally received as a definitive treaty of
peace, and on Wednesday, September 3, 1783, this Treaty of Peace was
signed in Paris.

When the preliminary treaty was signed, Franklin rushed into the arms of
the Duc de la Rochefoucault, exclaiming:

"My friend, could I have hoped at my age to enjoy such happiness?" He
was then seventy-six years old.

So again the handwriting of the old Boston school appeared in the great
events of nations. It was now set to peace.

It would not seem likely that it would ever again adorn any like
document. Franklin was old and gray. He had signed the Declaration, the
Treaty of Alliance, and now the Treaty of Peace. He had done his work in
writing well. It had ended well. Seventy-six years old; surely he would
rest now at Passy, or return to some Philadelphia seclusion and await
the change that must soon fall upon him.

But this glorious old man has not yet finished the work begun by Silence
Dogood. Those are always able to do the most who are doing many things.
It is a period of young men now; it was a time of old men then. People
sought wisdom from experience, not experiment.

The peace is signed. The bells are ringing, and oppressed peoples
everywhere rejoice. There is an iris on the cloud of humanity. The name