He started to walk across New Jersey to Burlington, on the Delaware
River, a distance of about fifty miles; there he hoped to get a
sail-boat going down the river to Philadelphia. Shortly after he set
out, it began to rain hard, and the lad was soon wet to the skin and
splashed all over with red mud; but he kept on until noon, then took
a rest, and on the third day he reached Burlington and got passage
down the river.

[Illustration: FRANKLIN WALKING IN THE RAIN.]


113. Franklin's Sunday walk in Philadelphia; the rolls; Miss Read;
the Quaker meeting-house.--Franklin landed in Philadelphia on
Sunday morning (1723). He was tired and hungry; he had but a single
dollar in the world. As he walked along, he saw a bake-shop open.
He went in and bought three great, puffy rolls for a penny[11] each.
Then he started up Market Street, where he was one day to have his
newspaper office. He had a roll like a small loaf of bread tucked
under each arm, and he was eating the other as though it tasted good
to him. As he passed a house, he noticed a nice-looking young woman
at the door. She seemed to want to laugh; and well she might, for
Franklin appeared like a youthful tramp who had been robbing a
baker's shop. The young woman was Miss Deborah[12] Read. A number
of years later Franklin married her. He always said that he could
not have got a better wife.

[Illustration: Map of Franklin's route from Boston to Philadelphia.]

Franklin kept on in his walk until he came to the Delaware. He took