the-way-to-wealth

1TheWaytoWealthByBenjaminFranklinCourteousReader,Ihaveheardthatnothinggivesanauthorsogreatpleasure,astofindhisworksrespectfullyquotedbyotherlearnedauthors.ThispleasureIhaveseldomenjoyed;fortho'Ihavebeen,ifImaysayitwithoutvanity,aneminentauthorofalmanacsannuallynowafullquarterofacentury,mybrotherauthorsinthesameway,forwhatreasonIknownot,haveeverbeenverysparingintheirapplauses;andnootherauthorhastakentheleastnoticeofme,sothatdidnotmywritingsproducemesomesolidpudding,thegreatdeficiencyofpraisewouldhavequitediscouragedme.Iconcludedatlength,thatthepeoplewerethebestjudgesofmymerit;fortheybuymyworks;andbesides,inmyrambles,whereIamnotpersonallyknown,Ihavefrequentlyheardoneorotherofmyadagesrepeated,with,asPoorRichardsays,attheendon't;thisgavemesomesatisfaction,asitshowednotonlythatmyinstructionswereregarded,butdiscoveredlikewisesomerespectformyauthority;andIown,thattoencouragethepracticeofrememberingandrepeatingthosewisesentences,Ihavesometimesquotedmyselfwithgreatgravity.JudgethenhowmuchImusthavebeengratifiedbyanincidentIamgoingtorelatetoyou.Istoppedmyhorselatelywhereagreatnumberofpeoplewerecollectedatavendueofmerchantgoods.Thehourofsalenotbeingcome,theywereconversingonthebadnessofthetimes,andoneofthecompanycalledtoaplaincleanoldman,withwhitelocks,Pray,FatherAbraham,whatthinkyouofthetimes?Won'ttheseheavytaxesquiteruinthecountry?Howshallwebeeverabletopaythem?Whatwouldyouadviseusto?FatherAbrahamstoodup,andreplied,Ifyou'dhavemyadvice,I'llgiveityouinshort,forawordtothewiseisenough,andmanywordswon'tfillabushel,asPoorRichardsays.Theyjoinedindesiringhimtospeakhismind,andgatheringroundhim,heproceededasfollows:Friends,sayshe,andneighbors,thetaxesareindeedveryheavy,andifthoselaidonbythegovernmentweretheonlyoneswehadtopay,wemightmoreeasilydischargethem;butwehavemanyothers,andmuchmoregrievoustosomeofus.Wearetaxedtwiceasmuchbyouridleness,threetimesasmuchbyourpride,andfourtimesasmuchbyourfolly,andfromthesetaxesthecommissionerscannoteaseordeliverusbyallowinganabatement.Howeverletushearkentogoodadvice,andsomethingmaybedoneforus;Godhelpsthemthathelpthemselves,asPoorRichardsays,inhisalmanacof1733.Itwouldbethoughtahardgovernmentthatshouldtaxitspeopleonetenthpartoftheirtime,tobeemployedinitsservice.Butidlenesstaxesmanyofusmuchmore,ifwereckonallthatisspentinabsolutesloth,ordoingofnothing,withthatwhichisspentinidleemploymentsoramusements,thatamounttonothing.Sloth,bybringingondiseases,absolutelyshortenslife.Sloth,likerust,consumesfasterthanlaborwears,whiletheusedkeyisalwaysbright,asPoorRichardsays.Butdostthoulovelife,thendonotsquandertime,forthat'sthestufflifeismadeof,asPoorRichardsays.Howmuchmorethanisnecessarydowespendinsleep!forgettingthatthesleepingfoxcatchesnopoultry,andthattherewillbesleepingenoughinthegrave,asPoor2Richardsays.Iftimebeofallthingsthemostprecious,wastingtimemustbe,asPoorRichardsays,thegreatestprodigality,since,asheelsewheretellsus,losttimeisneverfoundagain,andwhatwecalltime-enough,alwaysproveslittleenough:letusthenbeupandbedoing,anddoingtothepurpose;sobydiligenceshallwedomorewithlessperplexity.Slothmakesallthingsdifficult,butindustryalleasy,asPoorRichardsays;andhethatrisethlate,musttrotallday,andshallscarceovertakehisbusinessatnight.Whilelazinesstravelssoslowly,thatpovertysoonovertakeshim,aswereadinPoorRichard,whoadds,drivethybusiness,letnotthatdrivethee;andearlytobed,andearlytorise,makesamanhealthy,wealthyandwise.Sowhatsignifieswishingandhopingforbettertimes.Wemaymakethesetimesbetterifwebestirourselves.Industryneednotwish,asPoorRichardsays,andhethatlivesuponhopewilldiefasting.Therearenogains,withoutpains,thenhelphands,forIhavenolands,orifIhave,theyaresmartlytaxed.And,asPoorRichardlikewiseobserves,hethathathatradehathanestate,andhethathathacallinghathanofficeofprofitandhonor;butthenthetrademustbeworkedat,andthecallingwellfollowed,orneithertheestate,northeoffice,willenableustopayourtaxes.Ifweareindustriousweshallneverstarve;for,asPoorRichardsays,attheworkingman'shousehungerlooksin,butdaresnotenter.Norwillthebailiffnortheconstableenter,forindustrypaysdebts,whiledespairencreaseththem,saysPoorRichard.Whatthoughyouhavefoundnotreasure,norhasanyrichrelationleftyoualegacy,diligenceisthemotherofgoodluck,asPoorRichardsays,andGodgivesallthingstoindustry.Thenploughdeep,whilesluggardssleep,andyoushallhavecorntosellandtokeep,saysPoorDick.Workwhileitiscalledtoday,foryouknownothowmuchyoumaybehinderedtomorrow,whichmakesPoorRichardsay,onetodayisworthtwotomorrows;andfarther,haveyousomewhattodotomorrow,doittoday.Ifyouwereaservant,wouldyounotbeashamedthatagoodmastershouldcatchyouidle?Areyouthenyourownmaster,beashamedtocatchyourselfidle,asPoorDicksays.Whenthereissomuchtobedoneforyourself,yourfamily,yourcountry,andyourgraciousking,beupbypeepofday;letnotthesunlookdownandsay,ingloriousherehelies.Handleyourtoolswithoutmittens;rememberthatthecatinglovescatchesnomice,asPoorRichardsays.'Tistruethereismuchtobedone,andperhapsyouareweakhanded,butsticktoitsteadily,andyouwillseegreateffects,forconstantdroppingwearsawaystones,andbydiligenceandpatience