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He accordingly changed his first purpose, and sent Benjamin to a school for writing and arithmetic, kept by Mr. George Brownwell.
He was the youngest son in a family of seventeen children.
After some time, an ingenious and sensible merchant, Mr. Matthew Adams, who had a pretty collection of books, took notice of Franklin at the printing office, and invited him to see his library.
This prevented him from giving any further attention to poetry, and led him to devote more time and care to prose compositions.
He now took a strong inclination for poetry, and wrote some little pieces.
Benjamin learned to write a good hand in a short time, but he could not manage arithmetic so easily.
His readiness in learning, and his attention to study, confirmed the first intention of his parents.
This master was quite skilful in his profession, being mild and kind to his scholars, but very successful in teaching them.
Without entering into the subject in dispute, he took occasion to talk to him about his manner of writing.
He marked the defects in his expressions, and in the arrangement of his sentences, but gave him the credit of spelling and pointing with great correctness.
Three or four letters passed between them on the subject, when the father of Franklin happened to find the papers, and read them.
The first books that he was able to buy were the works of a famous old English writer, named John Bunyan.
His brother supposed that he might use this talent to advantage, and encouraged him to cultivate it.
An acquaintance with the apprentices of the booksellers sometimes enabled him to borrow a small one, which he was careful to return clean and in good season.
A question was once started between them, on the propriety of educating the female sex in learned studies, and their abilities for these studies.
His father at length determined on the cutler's trade, and placed him for some days on trial with his cousin Samuel, who was bred to that trade in London, and had just established himself in Boston.
Franklin proposed to his friends to build a wharf there, for them to stand upon; and showed them a large heap of stones, which were intended for a new house near the marsh, and would answer their purpose exactly.
This success flattered his vanity very much, but his father discouraged him by criticising his ballads, and telling him that verse-makers were generally beggars.
There was a salt marsh which bounded part of the mill-pond, on the edge of which the boys used to stand to fish for minnows.
God willed that Cosette's love should encounter one of the loves which save.
No one understands so well as a woman, how to say things that are, at once, both sweet and deep.
Marius was conscious of a barrier, Cosette's innocence; and Cosette of a support, Marius' loyalty.
The heart draws back before voluptuousness only to love the more.
Of all the things that God has made, the human heart is the one which sheds the most light, alas! and the most darkness.
Love, at the height where it is absolute, is complicated with some indescribably celestial blindness of modesty.
Every time that the wind blows it bears with it more of the dreams of men than of the clouds of heaven.
They lived in this ecstatic state which can be described as the dazzling of one soul by another soul.
The most sovereign symptom of love is a tenderness that is, at times, almost unbearable.
The same sentiment says "yes" and "no" in the human heart.
She never made a mistake about anything, and she saw things justly.
The only things which are worth the trouble of saying and hearing!
Not that they respected it; they did not know of its existence.
Your heart remains with you, you gaze upon it in the gloom with a shudder.
The wanton and vigorous vegetation quivered, full of strength and intoxication, around these two innocents, and they uttered words of love which set the trees to trembling.
They touched each other, they gazed at each other, they clasped each other's hands, they pressed close to each other; but there was a distance which they did not pass.
The hem of your gown, when the tip of your shoe peeps from beneath, upsets me.
Beginning with that blessed and holy hour when a kiss betrothed these two souls, Marius was there every evening.
Love has no middle course; it either ruins or it saves.
There were mingled with them, nevertheless, life, humanity, all the positiveness of which Marius was capable.
Once, in the moonlight, Cosette stooped to pick up something on the ground, her bodice fell apart and permitted a glimpse of the beginning of her throat.
It was the ineffable first embrace of two maiden souls in the ideal.
It was quite simple that Marius should admire her, since he adored her. But the truth is, that this little school-girl, fresh from the convent, talked with exquisite penetration and uttered, at times, all sorts of true and delicate sayings.
Marius' blandishments, all saturated with fancy, were, so to speak, of azure hue.
The birds when they fly up yonder, in the direction of the angels, must hear such words.
Voluptuousness mingles there with its sweet tiny point, while it hides itself.
If, at that period of her existence, Cosette had fallen in love with a man in the least unscrupulous or debauched, she would have been lost; for there are generous natures which yield themselves, and Cosette was one of them. One of woman's magnanimities is to yield.
This dilemma, ruin, or safety, is set forth no more inexorably by any fatality than by love.
[In all this and athwart this celestial maidenliness, and without either of them being able to say how it had come about, they had begun to call each other thou.]
The woman feels and speaks with the tender instinct of the heart, which is infallible.
He would have been obliged to speak to Cosette of her garter, and that was impossible. This bordered on a strange theme, the flesh, before which that immense and innocent love recoiled with a sort of sacred fright.
Magic power which we should find it difficult to understand were we to read in a book these conversations which are made to be borne away and dispersed like smoke wreaths by the breeze beneath the leaves.
At that hour of love, an hour when voluptuousness is absolutely mute, beneath the omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, the pure and seraphic Marius, would rather have gone to a woman of the town than have raised Cosette's robe to the height of her ankle.
This chaste, almost shy love was not devoid of gallantry, by any means. To pay compliments to the woman whom a man loves is the first method of bestowing caresses, and he is half audacious who tries it.
"I have been loving a little more all the time that has passed since this morning."
I want you to be well, because, in the first place, if you were not well, I should be very unhappy.
Still, though unknown to hearts intoxicated with purity, nature is always present and will not be forgotten.
And Marius, in the very heavens, thought he heard a strain sung by a star.
She produced on those who saw her the sensation of April and dawn.
yes, childish prattle, repetitions, laughter at nothing, nonsense, everything that is deepest and most sublime in the world!
It might have been said of Cosette that she was clear.
Sweetness and depth, they are the whole of woman; in them lies the whole of heaven.
As there was never any one in the street, and as Marius never entered the garden except at night, he ran no risk of being seen.
All flowers unfolded around them and sent them incense; and they opened their souls and scattered them over the flowers.
These breaths sufficed to trouble and to touch all nature round about.
Early next day the Blackfeet women began to take down the lodge and to get ready to move their camp.
All day long people were shouting out for feasts, and everywhere was heard the sound of drumming and singing and dancing.
Of all the fliers, of all the birds, what one is so smart as the raven?
"We are invited," said the chief Wolf to his new friend, and together they went to the lodge from which the call came.
Now during this day there had been blowing a warm wind which had melted the snow, so that the prairie was covered with water, yet this young man's moccasins and leggings were dry.
We are going to those mysterious ones who walk through water with dry moccasins.
Next morning they caught their dogs and harnessed them to the travois and took their loads on their backs and set out.
Then the Wolf chief and his friend went home and slept.
The newly come people went to the piskun for meat, and there one of the children saw an arrow lying on the ground.
No one was looking. He picked up the arrow and put it under his robe.
Many women came and made them presents of food, dried meat, pemican, and berries.
All the animals howled and growled and rushed toward him, but the chief Wolf got to him first, and holding up his hand said, "Wait.
"It shall be as you say," replied the Wolf; "our new friend will be glad."
Now from the fire again arose the smell of roasting meat.
If you should find an arrow lying about anywhere, in the piskun or outside, do not touch it, neither you nor your wives nor your children." When he had said this he went out.
They were given so much that they could not take it all with them.
To the end of the stick was tied the skin of a raven--head, wings, feet, and tail.
Do not fear anything. No matter what strange things you may see, do not fear.
Every one was hungry, for the hunters could find no food for the people.
His hair is like the dead grass of the prairie; his eyes are keen; his feet make no noise when he walks; his brain is cunning.
When you reach home teach them to the people." He sang and danced.
Bows are good weapons, lances are better; but our weapon is the knife."
Many buffalo have been run in, and our parfleches are filled with dried meat.
They do not look carefully at the things they have, but give to the stranger and pity the poor.
After they had eaten of the food set before them, the chief said, "Those among whom you have just come are generous.
It was a beautiful arrow, the stone point long, slender, and sharp, the shaft round and straight.
Do not forget it, and the dance, too, you must remember.
At the end was a kit-fox skin. Again the chief spoke and said, "Listen to our song.
From a long parfleche sack the Raven chief took a slender stick, beautifully ornamented with many-colored feathers.
Then spoke the Bear, saying, "There are many animals and some of them are powerful; but the bear is the strongest and greatest of all.
The father took his pipe and filled it, and smoked and prayed to all the powers, saying, "Hear now, Sun; listen, Above People; listen, Underwater People; now you have taken pity; now you have given us food.
Even if our enemies are as many as the grass we do not turn away, but fight and conquer.
Then the Raven chief spoke and said, "Now, Wolf, I am going to give our new friend a present.
In this way we shall have food to eat and shall live."
It was long, crooked at one end, wound with fur, and tied here and there with eagle feathers.
Then the chief sang and danced, and afterward he gave the Wolf chief's friend the medicine.