Voices of the Past

We All Know Benjamin Franklin
by Susan Page Davis

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

“Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.”

We all know these sayings from Benjamin Franklin. He was one of our iconic Founding Fathers, and he had a lot to say. His proverbs and witty sayings are quoted profusely, even now, more than 230 years after his death.

Here’s one of my favorites: “He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.”

I chose Ben Franklin as a major character in my 1880s novella The Gunslinger Next Door for several reasons:

• No, Franklin was not alive at the time of my story. But everyone knew who he was, so he plays a central role in my story (see the book description).
• Franklin wrote a hefty autobiography that gained a lot of attention and is still fun to read today.
• And now, in 2023, we still know who he was and respect him and many of his accomplishments.

Franklin was born in Boston in 1706 and lived a long and full life, dying in 1790 in Philadelphia. He started out with humble beginnings, with only two years of school. Then he served as an apprentice in his father’s candle-making shop and later at his brother’s printshop.

At age 17, he ran away to Philadelphia. He gained wealth and fame as a printer, a writer, and a publisher. Later in life, he became known as a statesman, a diplomat, an inventor, and a scientist.

Franklin played an important role in the American Revolution and the forming of our country. Every schoolchild in America learns about Franklin and his accomplishments, and for good reason. He did much to ensure that the United States of America got off to a good start.

Featured Book: The Gunslinger Next Door (Leave a comment to win a copy.)

An elderly man reputed to be a retired gunslinger has moved into the house next door. Enlisting the postmaster’s help, Alice Singer seeks to understand her odd neighbor, his many packages, and his mysterious visitors, whom he claims are French ambassadors. Is he really just a harmless old fellow who thinks he’s Benjamin Franklin?

This novella was originally published in the Christmas Next Door collection, from Barbour Publishing. It’s available as a standalone e-book on Kindle. Others in the series, by Vickie McDonough and Susan Page Davis, include: The Marshall Next Door, The Spinsters Next Door, and The Outlaw Next Door.

Visit Susan’s website at: https://susanpagedavis.com

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment below (by 10/21/23) and be entered into a drawing to receive a free ebook of The Gunslinger Next Door.