He closed by an appeal to boys and young men to direct their ambition into worthy channels, so that even if they could not leave behind a great name, they might at least lead useful lives, and in dying have the satisfaction of thinking that they done some service to the race.
This will give a very fair idea of Harry's essay.

There was nothing remarkable about it, and no striking originality in the ideas, but it was very creditably expressed for a boy of his years, and did even more credit to his good judgment, since it was an unfolding of the principles by which he meant to guide his own life.
It must not be supposed that our hero was a genius, and that he wrote his essay without difficulty.

It occupied him two evenings to write it, and he employed the third in revising and copying it.

It covered about five pages of manuscript, and, according to his estimate, would fill about two-thirds of a long column in the "Standard." After preparing it, the next thing was to find a _nom de plume_, for he shrank from signing his own name.

After long consideration, he at last decided upon Franklin, and this was the name he signed to his maiden contribution to the press.
He carried it to the post-office one afternoon, after his work in the printing office was over, and dropped it unobserved into the letter-box.