Miscellany: Dr. Franklin's Visit To His Mother

3enjnmin f auer um u-, . cense of his father, relamed to Boston, doe in order ta pay his respeds to his mother, inc Xto resided in thnr He had been lea' absent seme and at tFmt pefiod wil tfhen the greate&f and most fapid I tion is mode in the herman nppearancej the t a time when the cfuerulous voice of the tur stripïtog assumes the commanding tone the of the and the sirïiling features of pol the youth are sucweted by tne strong prE Unes of mnnhood. TheDoclor ,iel blo that such was the aheration of his son, that lïis mother could not know him, pr( eept by that instinct which it is 'L ed Can cause a molher's heart to beat th( violently in tbè p'resence of a child, and w point the maternal eye, with quick and fa, sudden glance, ta a beloved son. nort To discover the existence of this er stinct, by acttjnl experience, Franklin pi resolved to introduce himself as a 1 be ger, to his molherj and to watcl narrowly for the moment in which shc shoiild dis te cover her son, and then to determine with cj the cool precisión of the philosopber, d whetherthat discovery was the effect of th that instinct of aftec'tion- that Irituitive e: Jove-.that innato attnehment - which is a) conjectured to cement relatives of the w same blood; and by aCcording p the passions of parent and child, like a 0 Well-tuned viol, would, at the first touch, i( cause them to víbrate in ünison, and at „ once evince that they were but different s chords of tlie same instrument. 1 O a sullen, chilly day in the month 1 of Janury,inthe afternoon, Dr. lin knotíke'd at his mother's door, and í ed to spcak with Mrs. Franklin, He i found tneold lady knitting beforë the 1 lor fire, introdüced himself by observing j that he had been införmed she ed travelers, and requested a night's I ing. She eyed him with that cool look ! of oisapprobation which most people assume when they imagine tbemselvës insulted by being supposed to exerciso an employment but one degree below their real oceupation in life; assured him tha ho had been misinformed- that she did not keep tavern; but that it was trae, to oblige ome members of the Legislature, she took a number of them into her family, during the sessionj that she then had four members of the council and six of the house of representativos, ho boarded with her; that all her beds were füll: and then botook herself to her knitting with that intensity of applicatiorj which exiis forcibly as actions could do, if long. e concluded yotfr business, the like yoi ou leave the house the better. - I fear y the Doctores wrnpping his cloak troducir m, afiecting to shiver with cold, The ' rving it was chilly weather, she the part o a chair, nndgave him leave to interferí lïself. tolodge . t ■ . Ia ,A sx 1 t i l-v- rt H1O rii V tA% I 1% ? f t il Mlher conversnlion - coflee wnssoon easy c and tho Doctor partook witli the thougli To the coffee, nccording to the perfeci i custom of the times, succeeded was no af pippins, and a paper of McEnpicious est, whén the whole family formver sp jerful smoking serrncircle befare from h . Perhaps no nrtan possessed the parlor al powers to a more fascinaling latch- than Dr. Frnnklin; - and never -chai re an Occason when he displnyed h's c jwers to greater advantage than at to bed é. He drew the nttention of thö the va ompany, by solidity of modest retempt) instructed them by the new and thus tn ; lights, in which he placed his to bed and delighted tliem with apt and ed to s ganecdotes. Thus emplöyed, the Mrs Litr4 m AMwiltr fi 1 1 f rr it M f i 1 m rlit i'l tl 1 MA 1íc,wben, punctiia] toa momenf, Mrs. lordoc linannouncedsupper. Busied with ably s usehold nfíairs, she fancied the sleepii g stranger had quitied the house (rom liately after coíTee, and it was wilh dence lty she could restrain her with i svhen she saw him, without how r , seat himself at the lable with the partal m of a member of the family. ways nedlately after su pper, she called an board y gentleman, a me mber of thn laJy whom she was accustomed to aPPCÍ 0 anolher room - complained tant ( the rudcness of the stranger - told lanner of his introduction to the At th -observed that he nppeared like au lhe idish mánf and, she thought had ceiv hing very suspicious in hta Phia( concíuding by soliciting ner Triend's fuse(j e with respecí to the way in which Phm ;ould most easily rid herself of his modc ncó. The Cid gentíeman assured Ben lint the1 yoüng mnn was certaifíly a er bI g man of education, and to all 4S B mee1, a gentletnari; thdf, perhaps bein ngreeable he had paia e a [tention ío the fafeness of the hour,' rOh. dvised hertö cali him aside, and la".v to hím her inabiíify to íodge him.- to sI accordingTy sent her maid to him, m then, with as miích temper as she " J commnnd, recnpifuíértíd the hlá ' of her fkmily, observedf thai ií gréw was and mildly intimated fhat he would nntl delito seek himself a lodging. The eede or replied that he would by no' means, mmode t!;e family; bul 'hat, with her e, he tfould smoke one pipe rríore r 1 her boarders, and then retire. spo t f i.. i ! . , .. . -. . . ■. r, i tr f. iiri TVT 1 f I nnr!ie reiurneu iu niu wmnuty u i-" first wh.iff his powers of converse re or t ïed wüh doublé force. He recounted atte hardships- he eMoiled the piety and P cy of their ancestors. A genllemnn g e" sent menlioned thö subject of the day 's ate in the House of Representatives. Ho lill had been introduced to extend the rogntives of the Royal Governor. - e Doctor immediately enteied pon " subject- su pported the color.inl rights _ lts new and forcible arguments - was In( niliar with the natnes of the influential att :tï in the House when Dudley was ter - recitéd their speeches and sh mded the noble defence of the chamr rights. ti0 During a discourse so approprintely "r resting to the company, no wonder the 5ck struck eleven unpefceived, by the Üghted circle; nor was it wonderful that br e fratience of Mrs. Franklin grew quite af ihausled, She now entered ihe room, gi id before the whole company,with much y( armthj addressed the Doctor; íold him fe ainly that she ihought herself imposed ki i;observed thal it was true she was a ne womanj bilt that she had friends who oukl protect her and concluded by insfing on his leaving the house. The )octor made a slight apology, y y put oh his great coat and hat, took a h olite leave of llie companyand a d the street door lighled by the maid, v ,nd altended by the mistress. While the )octor and his companions had been r oying themselves within, a tremendous t now storm hadj without, filled the stteets cnec deep- and no sooner had tho maid ifted the latch than a roarihg north-eastr forced open the door and extingubhed j he lightj and filled Iheentry with dfitfed ?now and haih As soon as the candle was relighted, the Doctor cast a troeful look at the stfeeti and thus addressed his motheri- lMy dear madam, can you turn me out of your house in this dreadful stormí I am a strangöf in thls toii, and shall certainly perish in the streets.- You look like 'a charitable lady; I should'nt think you would turn a dog out of doors on this tempestuous night' 'Don't teil me of charity,' said tha offended matron. Charity begins at homeIt is ycur öwn fault that you (afried söPo be plain with you, sir, i don't k" "u F" t looks, nor your conduct; and batlfc' th ou have some bad design in in,g yourself into my family.' haj ivarmth of this parley hnd drawn pearei y from the parlor, and by united his gOfB] snee, the stranger was permitted penred wi in the house; and as no bed was more sur; id, he consented to repose on an stood 6to air before the parlor fire. Al'Irafrningher boarders appeared 10 confide, and lick ly, in the stranger's honesty, it "a6 t so with Mrs. Franklin; wilh suse ., ome fe i caution she collected all her aB f,h( )ons, pepper box and porringer, ly the er closet, and after securing the Hna pja door by sticking a fork over the eüCh oti -carried the plate to tlie chamber them th ged the negro man to sleep with eeif M' thes on - to take the great cleaver lW:tail, wilh hini, and to awaket and seize fI t0' rant the first noise he made in ati m llls "rSl ng io plunder the house. Having fidvanCi ken evefy precnution, she retired aUack t witii her maid, whom she on the leep in her room. mosi dt , Franklin rose before the sun, had on her domestics, unfastened thes ed at a r with timid caution, and was ou.ers, jrprised to find her guest quielly the Ia ik in the chatr-- a sudden transition our " ixtreme tnistrust to perfect was natural. She awakened him hcrtsp( , cheerful good morning- inquired ye„ow e had rested - and invited him to a rP(j t ie of her breakfast, which was The served previous to Ihat of the other nt moe ers. 'And pray, sir,' said the old !ay, ai asshesipped her chocolate, as you dogs i r to be a stranger here, to what dis Krc" :ountry da you belongT 4I madam " ongto the city of Philadelphia.'- i v e mention of the word Philadelphia, bec'QiT Ir. declared he for the first time WfJUT) d any emotion in her. three ' said she - and all the mother plore her eye. 'If you live in lowed perhapsyouknowourBen?' 'VVho, attcm m?' 'VVhy, Ben Franklin- my acro1. -oh! he is Ihe dearest child that P est a moiherí' 'What!' said the Dr. ,, coup en Franklin, the printer, your son? Ojj iVf he is my niost intimato friend; untjl nd lodge in the same room.' - arm God forgive me!' exclaimed the old preCL , and I have permitted a friend of Ben soon sep on this hard chairall night, while groui 'self rested on a bed!' a lnl ow the Doctor discovered himselfto y"n nother he has not informed us, but he 8 'S oftert afierwards heard to declare that ral affectiot) does not exisí.--Am.