xpression to his gratitude in this generous way. It was noble, too,
in the boatman to refuse to take the shilling. It was only on his
insisting upon their receiving it, that they consented to take it. A
kind-hearted, generous set of fellows were in that boat, and Benjamin
was not inferior to one of them in that respect. Bidding them good
morning, he walked up Market Street, where he met a boy eating some
bread.

"Where did you get your bread, boy?" he inquired.

"Over to the baker's, there," he replied, pointing to a shop that was
near by.

Benjamin was very tired and hungry, having eaten nothing since he
dined with the old shopwoman in Burlington, on the day before; and,
for this reason, the boy's bread was very tempting. Besides, he had
made many a meal of dry bread when he boarded himself in Boston; and
now it was not hard at all for him to breakfast on unbuttered bread,
minus both tea and coffee. He hastened to the bakery, and found it
open.

"Have you biscuit?" he inquired, meaning such as he was accustomed to
eat in Boston.

"We make nothing of the kind," answered the proprietor.

"You may give me a three-penny loaf, then."

"We have none."

Benjamin began to think that he should have to go hungry still, since
he did not know the names or prices of the kinds of bread made in
Philadelphia. But in a moment he recovered himself, and said: "Then
give me three-pennyworth of any sort."

[Illustration: Miss Read's first Glimpse of her future Husband.--See
page 162.]

To his surprise the baker gave him three great puffy rolls, enough to
satisfy half a dozen hungry persons. He looked at it, scarcely knowing
at first what he could do with so much, but, as "necessity is the
mother of invention," he soon discovered a way of disposing of it. He
put a roll under each arm, and taking a third in his hand he proceeded
to eat it, as he continued his way up Market Street.

Let the reader stop here, and take a view of Benjamin Franklin, the
runaway youth, as he made his first appearance in the city of
Philadelphia. See him trudging up Market Street with his worn, dirty
clothes (his best suit having been sent round by sea), his pockets
stuffed out with shirts and stockings, and a "puffy roll" under each
arm, and a third in his hand of which he is eating! A comical
appearance certainly! It is not very probable that this runaway
Benjamin will ever become "Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of
France," or surprise the