Thus for a long time the glass remained undimmed.

Wherever Franklin went, he carried with him this spirit of
improvement. When in London, he found the streets wretchedly dirty.
One morning he found a poor woman at his door in Craven street,
sweeping the sidewalk with a wretched broom. Her pallid and exhausted
appearance touched the sympathies of Franklin. He asked who employed
her. She replied:

"Nobody. I am poor and in distress. I sweeps before gentlefolks's
doors, and hopes they will give me something."

Franklin immediately engaged her to sweep the whole street. It was
nine o'clock in the morning. She was so languid and debilitated that
he thought it would take her nearly all day. But in three hours she
came for her shilling. Franklin thought she could not have done her
work faithfully. He sent his servant to examine. He reported that the
work was thoroughly done. A new problem rose before Franklin: If this
feeble woman could in so short a time sweep such a street, a strong
man, with a suitable broom, could certainly do it in half of the
time. He therefore drew up a plan for cleaning the streets of London
and Westminster, which was placed in the hands of one of the most
influential of the public-spirited men of London.

Franklin apologizes for speaking in his autobiography of such trifles.
Very truly, he says,

"Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of
good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages
that occur every day. Thus if you teach a poor young man to
shave himself and keep his razor in order, you may
contribute more to the happiness of his life than in giving
him a thousand guineas. This sum may be soon spent, the
regret only remaining of having foolishly consumed it. But
in the other case, he escapes the frequent vexation of
waiting for barbers, and of their sometimes dirty fingers,
offensive breath, and dull razors. He shaves when most
convenient to him, and enjoys daily the pleasure of its
being done with a good instrument."

Nearly all the important offices in the colonies were filled by
appointments from the British Crown. For some time, Franklin had been
employed as an assistant to the Postmaster General, in simplifying and
bringing regularity into his accounts. Upon the death of the American
Postmaster, Franklin, in 1753, was appointed jointly with Sir William
Hunter to succeed him. The appointment was made