Then,  O  my  son,  lay  hold  of  religion,  and  secure  an  in-
terest in  those  blessed  hopes  that  contribute  so  much  to  the
virtues  and  the  iovs  of  life."

61  Father,"  said  Ben  with  a  sigh,  "  I  know  that  many  peo-
ple here  in  Boston  think  I  never  had  any  religion;  or,  that
if  I  had  I  have  apostatized  from  it."

"God  forbid!  But  whence,  my  son,  could  these  preju-
dices have  arisen?"

"  Why,  father,  I  have  for  some  time  past  discovered  that
there  is  no  effect  without  a  cause. These  prejudices  have
been  the  effect  of  my  youthful  errors. You  remember  fa-
ther, the  old  story  of  the  pork,  don't  your"

"No,  child;  what  is  it,  for  I  have  forgotten  it?"

"  I  thought  so,  father,  I  thought  you  had  been  so  good  as
to  forget  it. But  I  have  not,  nor  ever  shall  forget  it."

"What  is  it,  Ben?"

4i  Why,  father,  when  our  pork,  one  fall,  lay  salted  and
ready  for  the  barrel,  I  begged  you  to  say  grace  over  it  all  at
once;  adding  that  it  would  do  as  well  and  save  a  great  deal
of  time."

"  Pshaw, Ben,  such  a  trifle  as  that,  and  in  a  child  too,  can-
not be  remembered  against  you  now."

"  Yes,  father,  I  am  afraid  it  is. All  are  not  so  loving,
and  so  forgetful  of  my  errors  as  you. It  was  at  the  time  in-
serted in  the  Boston  News  Letter,  and  is  now  recollected
to  the  discredit  of  my  religion. And  they  have  a  prejudice
against  me  on  another  account. While  I  lived  with  you,
father,  you  always  took  me  to  meeting  with  you;  but  when
I  left  vou  and  went  to  live  with  mv  brother  James,  I  often
neglected  going  to  meeting;  preferring  to  stay  at  home  and
read  my  books. "

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that,  Ben;  very  sorrv  that  you  could
neglect  the  preachings  of  Christ.*5


DR. FRANKLIN. 65

"  Father,  I  never  neglected  them. I  look  on  the  preach-
ing of  Christ  as  the  finest  system  of  morality  in  the  world;
and  his  parables,  such  as  "The  Prodigal  Son — "the  Good
Samaritan" — "  the  Lost  Sheep,"  &c. as  models  of  divine
goodness. 