d no other books would buy and read _Poor Richard's Almanac_. The
library of many a farmer consisted of only the family Bible with one or
more numbers of this famous almanac. Here are a few of Poor Richard's
sayings:

"A word to the wise is enough."
"God helps them that help themselves."
"Early to bed and early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
"There are no gains without pains."
"Plow deep while sluggards sleep,
And you shall have corn to sell and to keep."
"One to-day is worth two to-morrows."
"Little strokes fell great oaks."
"Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee."
"The sleeping fox catches no poultry."
"Diligence is the mother of good luck."
"Constant dropping wears away stones."
"A small leak will sink a great ship."
"Who dainties love shall beggars prove."
"Creditors have better memories than debtors."
"Many a little makes a mickle."
"Fools make feasts and wise men eat them."
"Many have been ruined by buying good pennyworths."
"Rather go to bed supperless than rise in debt."
"For age and want save while you may;
No morning sun lasts the whole day."

It is pleasant to know that Franklin observed the rules of life which he
made. And his wife, Deborah, was as busy and as frugal as himself.

They kept no idle servants. Their furniture was of the cheapest sort.
Their food was plain and simple.

Franklin's breakfast, for many years, was only bread and milk; and he
ate it out of a twopenny earthen bowl with a pewter spoon.

But at last, when he was called one morning to breakfast, he found his
milk in a china bowl; and by the side of the bowl there was a silver
spoon.

His wife had bought them for him as a surprise. She said that she
thought her husband deserved a silver spoon and china bowl as well as
any of his neighbors.

* * * * *

XIII.--FRANKLIN'S SERVICES TO THE COLONIES.

And so, as you have seen, Benjamin Franklin became in time one of the
foremost men in our country.

In 1753, when he was forty-five years old, he was made deputy
postmaster-general for America.

He was to have a salary of about $3,000 a year, and was to pay his own
assistants.

People were astonished when he proposed to have the mail carried
regularly once every week between New York and Boston.

Letters starting from Philadelphia on Monday morning would reach Boston
the next Saturday night. This was thought to be a wonde