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Rh beautiful plans went for naught and he was stranded in England without funds or prospects. It took him several years to work his way back to America.

When he returned, the first news to greet Franklin was the marriage of Deborah Read to another man.

At 22 years of age, Franklin had not made much progress toward the goal of his ambition. But nothing daunted, he applied himself with greater industry, greater self-sacrifice and greater perseverance. He kept plugging away at his trade of printer, and entered into business ventures with other men, all of which proved rapid failures. Finally, he struck out for himself. Coincidently, Deborah Read's husband died and Franklin took her to wife.

The young couple had to live on close margin for a few years. When Franklin was 27 years of age, he evolved the idea which opened the road to fame and fortune. This was Poor Richard's Almanack. The first number had a tremendous sale. His homely, trite, common-sense sayings achieved wide popularity and each succeeding issue found more subscribers than its predecessor. The general recognition and respect gained for Franklin through the Almanack gave him the