at build it.' I firmly believe this; and I also believe that
without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building
no better than the building of Babel; we shall be divided by our
partial local interests, our projects will be confounded, and we
ourselves shall become a reproach and a byword down to future ages. And,
what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance
despair of establishing government by human wisdom, and leave it to
chance, war, and conquest."

To consummate the American Government now only one thing was lacking--a
power to interpret the meaning of the Constitution, and so to decide any
disputes that should arise among the States.

In Mr. Vernon's garden, after the controversy between the fishermen of
Maryland and Virginia, a plan to settle such disputes was produced. It
was a high court of final appeal.

So rose the Supreme Court. And this court to decide questions of
controversy arising among the States, we may hope, was the beginning of
a like body, a Supreme Court of the nations of the world that shall
settle the questions in dispute among nations, without an appeal to war
or the shedding of human blood.

These were glorious times, and although Dr. Franklin was not actively
engaged in this last grand movement for the government of the people, he
lived to give his influence to make George Washington President, and see
the new order of a popular government inaugurated. He entered the doors
of that golden age of liberty, equality, and progress, when the
destinies might say to their spindles, "Thus go on forever!"

CHAPTER XLI.

JANE'S LAST VISIT.

IT was midsummer. Benjamin Franklin, of fourscore years, President of
Pennsylvania, had finished a long, three-story ell to his house on
Market Street, and in this ell he had caused to be made a library which
filled his heart with pride. He had invented a long arm with which to
take down books from the high shelves of this library--an invention
which came into use in other libraries in such a way as to make many
librarians grateful to him.

He was overburdened with care, and suffered from chronic disease.

In his days of pain he had been comforted by letters from Jenny, now
long past seventy years of age. She had written to him in regard to his
sufferings such messages as these:

"Oh, that after you have spent your whole life in the service of the
public, and have attained so glorious a conclusion, as I th