Page:Works of the Late Doctor Benjamin Franklin (1793).djvu/82

72. He had the goodneſs, however, not to aſk me for the money.

Our preſs was frequently in want of the neceſſary quantity of letter; and there was no ſuch trade as that of letter-founder in America. I had ſeen the practice of this art at the houſe of James, in London; but had at the time paid it very little attention. I however contrived to fabricate a mould. I made uſe of ſuch letters as we had for punches, founded new letters of lead in matrices of clay, and thus ſupplied, in a tolerable manner, the wants that were moſt preſſing. I alſo, upon occaſion, engraved various ornaments, made ink, gave an eye to the ſhop; in ſhort I was in every reſpect the factotum. But uſeful as I made myſelf, I perceived that my ſervices became, every day of leſs importance, in proportion as the other men improved; and when Keimer paid me my ſecond quarter's wages, he gave me to underſtand that they were too heavy, and that he thought I ought to make an abatement. He became by degrees leſs civil, and aſſumed more the tone of maſter. He frequently found fault, was difficult to pleaſe, and ſeemed always on the point of coming to an open quarrel with me. I continued, however, to bear it patiently, conceiving that his ill-humour was partly occaſioned by the derangement and embarraſſment of his affairs. At laſt a ſlight incident broke our connection. Hearing a noiſe in the neighbourhood, I put my head out at the window to ſee what was the matter. Keimer being in the ſtreet, obſerved me, and in a loud and angry tone told me to mind my work; adding ſome reproachful words, which piqued me the more as they were uttered in the ſtreet; and the neighbours, whom the ſame noiſe had attracted to the windows, were witneſſes of the manner in which I was