very fond of books, his father put him in a printing-office. This
office was carried on by James Franklin, one of Benjamin's brothers.
James Franklin paid a small sum of money each week for Benjamin's
board; but the boy told him that if he would let him have half the
money to use as he liked, he would board himself. James was glad to do
this. Benjamin then gave up eating meat, and, while the others went out
to dinner, he would stay in the printing-office and eat a boiled
potato, or perhaps a handful of raisins. In this way, he saved up a
number of coppers every week; and when he got enough laid by, he would
buy a book.

But James Franklin was not only a mean man, but a hot-tempered one;
and when he got angry with his young apprentice,[10] he would beat
and knock him about. At length the lad, who was now seventeen, made
up his mind that he would run away, and go to New York.

[Footnote 9: Apprenticed: bound by a written agreement to learn a
trade of a master, who is bound by the same agreement to teach the
trade.]

[Footnote 10: Apprentice: one who is apprenticed to a master to learn
a trade. See footnote 9.]


112. Young Franklin runs away; he goes to New York, and then to
Philadelphia.--Young Franklin sold some of his books, and with the
money paid his passage to New York by a sailing-vessel--for in those
days there were no steamboats or railroads in America. When he got
to New York, he could not find work, so he decided to go on to
Philadelphia.