He quickly rose to the head of his class, and before long, he was sent to a different grammar school to develop his writing and math skills. Although he failed at math, he was very good at writing. Ben showed signs of a keen intellect from an early age as evidenced by the diligence with which he copied sections from the Spectator and other works with the intent of learning how to write himself. He also showed an interest in constantly checking himself to make sure that he was improving, and he did this by seeking the help of his kind father, Josiah. .
As a young man, Franklin became the leader amongst his friends. Learning the personal skills of swimming and boating made him captain of the kids' canoe and ultimately "a Leader among the Boys." Then, as leader of a project to build a little fishing wharf using stolen stones, Franklin learned his first lesson in balancing private interest with the public good. Remarkably, in organizing the transport of the stones, the young Franklin had put the public interest ahead of private property. This action reflected the Puritan belief, which is illustrated in John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity." "When dealing with the work in the community, the care of the public must out weigh all private respects for the conscious and civil policy." Franklin's father learned about the escapade and taught his son "that nothing was useful which was not honest." Franklin carried this lesson throughout life. The moral lesson he learned from it was a clear indication that Franklin aimed to impress upon society the importance of virtuous conduct. He also revealed the importance of respect in a family.
However, Ben disliked his father's trade making candles, so Josiah set out to find him a new line of work. After passing up cutlery, Josiah noticed that Ben was particularly bookish, and had a "thirst for knowledge," and so he put Ben to work for his brother James, a printer.
