me 'You are young and
have the world before you. Stoop as you go through it, and
you will miss many hard thumps.' This advice, thus beat into
my head, has frequently been of use to me. And I often think
of it when I see pride mortified and misfortunes brought
upon people by their carrying their heads too high."

There was in Boston a young man by the name of Collins, a reckless,
dissipated spendthrift, of very considerable personal attractions. He
had been quite an intimate friend of Franklin; and was so pleased with
his descriptions of Philadelphia that he decided to remove there. This
proved one of the calamities of Franklin's life.

Franklin eventually embarked, in a sloop, for his return. It touched
at Newport. His brother John lived there, pursuing the trade of a
candle-maker. Benjamin was received by him with great cordiality. At
Newport, among the other passengers, two young girls were taken on
board for New York. They were showy, voluble, gaudily dressed. All
their arts were exerted to secure intimate association with Franklin.

A venerable Quaker lady on board called the inexperienced young man
aside, and with motherly tenderness warned him against their wiles.
Though he doubted the necessity of this caution, he was put upon his
guard. When the girls left at New York, he declined their pressing
invitation for him to visit them at their home, and he learned from
the captain that they had undoubtedly stolen from him a silver spoon,
an article then not often seen in common life, and highly prized.
They were charged with the crime, convicted, and it is said that they
were publicly whipped in the market place.

Upon Franklin's arrival at New York, Collins, the playmate of his
childhood, was one of the first to meet him. In his earlier days he
had been sober, industrious, and was highly esteemed for his mental
powers and attainments. But he had become intemperate and a gambler,
and was every day intoxicated. Reduced almost to beggary, Franklin
felt compelled to furnish him with money to save him from starvation.
Penniless he had come on board the boat at New York, and Franklin paid
his passage to Philadelphia.

William Burnett was then Governor of New York. He was very fond of
books and had collected a large library. Franklin also had the same
taste and had a large number of books which he was conveying to
Philadelphia. The captain informed the Governor that he had a young
man on board