ut no letters, nor any word from Governor Keith, had been sent to
Franklin.

When he at last arrived in London he found himself without money and
without friends.

Governor Keith had given him nothing but promises. He would never give
him anything more. He was a man whose word was not to be depended upon.

Franklin was then just eighteen years old. He must now depend wholly
upon himself. He must make his own way in the world, without aid from
anyone.

He went out at once to look for work. He found employment in a
printing-office, and there he stayed for nearly a year.

Franklin made many acquaintances with literary people while he was in
London.

He proved himself to be a young man of talent and ingenuity. He was
never idle.

His companions in the printing-office were beer-drinkers and sots. He
often told them how foolish they were to spend their money and ruin
themselves for drink.

He drank nothing but water. He was strong and active. He could carry
more, and do more work, than any of them.

He persuaded many of them to leave off drinking, and to lead better
lives.

Franklin was also a fine swimmer. There was no one in London who could
swim as well. He wrote two essays on swimming, and made some plans for
opening a swimming school.

When he had been in London about a year, he met a Mr. Denham, a merchant
of Philadelphia, and a strong friendship sprang up between them.

Mr. Denham at last persuaded Franklin to return to Philadelphia, and be
a clerk in his dry-goods store.

And so, on the 23rd of the next July, he set sail for home. The ship was
nearly three months in making the voyage, and it was not until October
that he again set foot in Philadelphia.

* * * * *

XI.--A LEADING MAN IN PHILADELPHIA.

When Franklin was twenty-four years old he was married to Miss Deborah
Read, the young lady who had laughed at him when he was walking the
street with his three rolls.

They lived together very happily for a great many years.

Some time before this marriage, Franklin's friend and employer, Mr.
Denham, had died.

The dry-goods store, of which he was the owner, had been sold, and
Franklin's occupation as a salesman, or clerk, was gone. But the young
man had shown himself to be a person of great industry and ability. He
had the confidence of everybody that knew him.

A friend of his, who had money, offered to take him as a partner in the
newspaper business. And so