Picking Up Crumbs

Dr. Franklin tells us most charmingly in bis autobiography bow be pickeed up hia early education. His fatbcr had been able to give him two year's schooling- from hi eighth to bis tenth year - and then be weot into the soap boiler factory, and from that to the printiug office. Iu the latter place he laid I be foundation of his subsequent charac:er. He used to borrow s book at a time of the bookseller's apprentices, whom be was on friendly term with, and sit up late to read it, so as to return it before the storekeeper si wild niius it in the mornin'g. Sueh a lad could nor be kept down by all the combiued powera.of the world. He ate his diuners at the printiug office whilo the rest of the hands bad goue home, and Haved tiuie euougi on sttch occasions to study aritbmetie, some of geometry, history, rhetoric and logie. i He taught bimself to wiüe pure Engliah ! by read ing the essays of the Spectator, noting down their leading thougbts and ; eentiments; and then, after a few days, taking his ritten notes and putting thera ia the best Euglish he could eorn" macd of his own. Ou comparing his productions witb thoso uf tbe Sp ctutor ', autliors, he could at once deteet hi.-, own faults, and become alive to their beauties Thus he beoaine a elear and engnging writer; aud thus he mude himst!lf the niüD hf was iu nis day and gi-ueralï Ml. f' ..-_. I A Clii.-ago "rm has t en ut a ' - (■eis. u thiisaleoi 6 000 0i,0 w h 'f rt0v.6 tbe coming ear.