In the western part of the State of Connecticut is a small town named Ridgefield. This title is descriptive, and indicates the general form and position of the place. It is, in fact, a collection of hills, rolled into one general and commanding elevation. On the west is a ridge of mountains, forming the boundary between the States of Connecticut and New York; to the south the land spreads out in wooded undulations to Long Island Sound; east and north, a succession of hills, some rising up against the sky and others fading away in the distance, bound the horizon. In this town, in an antiquated...

This little book was intended for the education of school children and includes tales, sketches and anecdotes of his life written for the children of the mid 1800's and written in the English languge of that period. Each chapter has numerous questions intended for the the reader or the teacher to quiz themselves to see if they gathered the pertinent information. The quiz questions will not be recorded. Also part of this book are numerous short essays written by Franklin on various topics.

Caspar Hauser -- Baratiere -- Gassendi -- Pascal -- Grotius -- Newton -- Magliabecchi -- Crichton -- Beronicius -- Master Clench -- Jedediah Buxton -- William Gibson -- Edmund Stone -- Richard Evelyn -- Quentin Matsys -- West -- Berretini -- Henry Kirk White -- Mozart -- Elihu Burritt -- George Morland -- William Penn -- John Smith -- Ethan Allen -- David Crockett -- Daniel Boone -- Charles XII. of Sweden -- The Cid -- Robin Hood -- Paul Jones -- Masaniello -- Rienzi -- Selkirk -- John Law -- Trenck -- John Dunn Hunter -- Caspar Hauser -- Psalmanazar -- Valentine Greatrakes -- Matthew Hopkins...

On discovering this treachery, Columbus quitted the kingdom in disgust and set out for Spain, to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He was now so poor that he was frequently obliged to beg as he went along. About half a league from Palos, a sea-port of Andalusia in Spain, on a solitary height, overlooking the sea-coast, and surrounded by a forest of pines, there stood, and now stands at the present day, an ancient convent of Franciscan friars. Franciscan friars A stranger, travelling on foot, accompanied by a young boy, stopped one day at the gate of the convent, and asked of the porter a...