Picking Up Crumbs

Dr. Franklin tells us must eharrning ly in his autobingraphy how he piokei up his eaiiy education. His hu been üblo to give bnn two year's schooliug - f'rorn his eighth to his tenth year - iind theu he wtsnt into the soapbuiler faotory, and from that to the printing office. In ihe latter place be laid the foundation of his subsecjuent charaoter. Ho used to borrow a btiiak at u time of the bookseücr's apprentice, with whom hu was on triendly tonns, and ait up lateto read it, so as to return it belore the storekeeper should miss it in the morning. 8uch alad oould Dot be kept down by a!i the uoiubiuod po w era ei iho world. He ate tiia dinners at the printing office white tho rest of the hands liad gone home, and saved time enough on such occasions to study arithmetic. some of geometry, history, rhetoric and louiu. He taught himself to writupure Euglish by reading the essays oí the Spectator, noting down iheir leading thoughts and sentiments; and then, after t few days, taking h8 written notes and putting them in the bet English he oould command of his own. On comparing bis procliuHions with thoso of tbft Spectatar nuthors, he could at once dotect his own fuults, and becarne a clear and engaging writer; and bbaa he made hirhsetl the man Le was in bis da}7 aud generation.