engaged in an argument on "the propriety of educating
the female sex in learning, and their abilities for study,"
with a friend, who "was naturally more eloquent" and
"had a ready plenty of words," Franklin was worsted,
so he thought, "more by his fluency than by the
strength of his reasons." Accordingly, "I sat down to
put my arguments in writing, which I copied fair and
sent to him. He answered, and I replied. Three or
four letters of a side had passed, when my father hap-
pened to find my papers and read them. Without
entering into the discussion, he took occasion to talk to
me about the manner of my writing; observed that,
though I had the advantage of my antagonist in correct
spelling and pointing (which I ow'd to the printing-
house), I fell far short in elegance of expression, in
method and in perspicuity, of which he convinced me
by several instances. I saw the justice of his remarks,
and thence grew more attentive to the manner in writing,
and determined to endeavor at improvement."

About this time I met with an odd volume of the Spectator.
. . . I bought it, read it over and over, and was much de-
lighted with it. I thought the writing excellent, and wished,
if possible, to imitate it. With this view I took some of the
papers, and, making short hints of the sentiment in each
sentence, laid them by a few days, and then, without looking
at the book, try'd to compleat the papers again, by expressing
each hinted sentiment at length, and as fully as it had been
expressed before, in any suitable words that should come to
hand. Then I compared my Spactator with the original, dis-
covered some of my faults, and corrected them. But I found
that I wanted a stock of words, or a readiness in recollecting
and using them, which I thought I should have acquired be-
fore that time if I had gone on making verses; since the con-
tinued occasion for words of the same import, but of different

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