miles to Blackfriars Bridge. Such a thing had never been known
among the apprentice lads. The swim brought young Franklin immediate
fame among these apprentices, and it spread and filled London.

Sir William Wyndham, once Chancellor of the Exchequer, heard of this
exploit, and desired to see him. He had two sons who were about to
travel, to whom he wished Franklin to teach swimming. But the two boys
were detained in another place, and Franklin never met them. It was
proposed to Franklin that he open a swimming school.

But while he was favorable to such agreeable employment, there occurred
one of those incidents that seem providential.

He met one day at this shifting period Mr. Denham, the upright
merchant, whose integrity came to honor his profession and Philadelphia.
This man had failed in business at Bristol, and had left England under a
cloud. But he had an honest soul and purpose, and he resolved to pay
every dollar that he owed. To this end he put all the energies of his
life into his business. He went to America to make a fortune, and he
made it. He then returned to Bristol, which he had left in sorrow and
humiliation.

He gave a banquet, and invited to it all the merchants and people whom
he owed. They responded to the unexpected invitation, and wondered what
would happen. When they had seated themselves at the table, and the time
to serve the meal came, the dinner plates were lifted, and each one
found before him the full amount of the money due to him. The banquet of
honor made the name of the merchant famous.

Mr. Denham was a friend to men in need of good influences. He saw
Franklin's need of advice, and he said to him:

"My young friend, you should return to Philadelphia. It is the place of
opportunity."

"But I have not the means."

"I have the means for you. I am about to return to America with a cargo
of merchandise. You must go back with me. Your place in life is there."

Should he go?

It was early summer. He went out on London Bridge one night. It grew
dark late. But at last there gleamed in the dark water the lights of
London like stars. Many voices filled the air as the boats passed by.
The nine o'clock bells rang. It may be that he heard the Bow bells ring,
the bells that said, "Come back! come back! come back!" to young Dick
Whittington when he was running away from his place in life. If so, he
must have been reminded of all that this man accomplished by heeding the
voice of the bell