CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE
I.—The first day[1]
II.—Uncle Benjamin, the poet[10]
III.—Benjamin and Benjamin[18]
IV.—Franklin's story of a holiday in childhood[24]
V.—The boy Franklin's kite[28]
VI.—Little Ben's guinea pig[34]
VII.—Uncle Tom, who rose in the world[39]
VIII.—Little Ben shows his handwriting to the family[46]
IX.—Uncle Benjamin's secret[50]
X.—The stone wharf, and Lady Wiggleworth, who fell asleep in church[56]
XI.—Jenny[70]
XII.—A chime of bells in Nottingham[74]
XIII.—The elder Franklin's stories[78]
XIV.—The treasure-finder[83]
XV.—"Have I a chance?"[92]
XVI.—"A book that influenced the character of a man who led his age"[99]
XVII.—Benjamin looks for a place wherein to start in life[102]
XVIII.—Little Ben's adventure as a poet[111]
XIX.—Leaves Boston[132]
XX.—Laughed at again[138]
XXI.—London and a long swim[148]
XXII.—A penny roll with honor.—Jenny's spinning-wheel[160]
XXIII.—Mr. Calamity[168]
XXIV.—Franklin's struggles with Franklin[174]
XXV.—The magical bottle[179]
XXVI.—The electrified vial and the questions it raised[186]
XXVII.—The great discovery[192]
XXVIII.—Home-coming in disguise[200]
XXIX.—"Those pamphlets"[209]
XXX.—A strange discovery[213]
XXXI.—Old Humphrey's strange story[220]
XXXII.—The eagle that caught the cat.—Dr. Franklin's English fable.—The doctor's squirrels[225]
XXXIII.—Old Mr. Calamity again[230]
XXXIV.—Old Mr. Calamity and the tearing down of the King's Arms[242]
XXXV.—Jenny again[250]
XXXVI.—The Declaration of Independence.—A mystery[257]
XXXVII.—Another signature.—The story of Auvergne sans tache[267]
XXXVIII.—Franklin signs the treaty of peace.—How George III receives the news [281]
XXXIX.—The tale of an old velvet coat[287]
XL.—In service again[293]
XLI.—Jane's last visit[299]
XLII.—For the last time[307]
XLIII.—A lesson after school[311]
APPENDIX.—Franklin's famous proverb story of the old auctioneer[314]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FACING PAGE
Little Ben's adventure as a poet[Frontispiece]
Uncle Benjamin's secret[52]
"Are you going to swim back to London?"[156]
A strange discovery[215]
The destruction of the royal arms[247]
Franklin's last days[295]

TRUE TO HIS HOME.