Page:Way to wealth, or, Poor Richard's maxims improved.pdf/3

 as it showed not only that my instructions were regarded. but discovered likewise some respect for my authority ; and I own, that, to encourage the practice of remembering and repeating those wise sentences, I have sometimes quoted myself with great gravity.

Judge, then, how much I must have been gratified by an accident I am going to relate to you. I stopped my horse lately, where a great number of people were collected at an Auction of Merchant's Goods. The hour of sale not being come, they were conversing on the badness of the times, and one of the company called to a plain clean old man, with white locks, "Pray, father Abraham, what think you of the times? Won't these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? What would you advise us to do?" Father Abraham stood up and replied, — 'If you'd have my advice, I'll give it to you in short: "for a word to the wise is enough; and many words won't fill a bushel," as Poor Richard says. They joined in desiring him to speak his mind; and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows:

(says he) and neighbours, the taxes are indeed very heavy; and if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them : but we have many others, and much more grevious to some of us. We are taxed twice