The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-12-23

his uncle's house, when he was received
first with nnazement at his burnt and rag.
ged state, till surprise was changed topity,
on tIle'cause Of his strange appearances be-
ing known. s g
1t soon became clear TO the bog that his
uncle, Mr. Brown, and his wife, were not
10 easy circumstances, and they were likely
to feel his maintenancc very unTelcome
burden. The thin, sharp featured lady, in
her gown turned and dyed, looked gravely
at the tattered clothes which must at once
be replaced by new ones.
did ycu save nothing from the FIRE ?"---
inquired Mrs. Brown, as, on The following
morning she poured out at the breakfast
some very pale tea.
Nothing but parcel which | had il
charge for Mrs. Bates, of Ecciest6u Square
Here it is." And Reginald laid on the
| table the fiat parcel wrapped in oil CLOTH
Gould you kindly tell me how TO send ditsp
There was no difficulty ia sending the.
parcel az Mrs Bates happened TO live near;
but Reginald could see that his aunt was
provoked at this beingthe only thing which
| he rescued cut OF the flames. Her impa-
stience broke out into open expressions,
when, Us the old couple and the.boy sat to-
! gether, in the evening by the light of q
simple dip candle, a note was brought from
Mrs. Bates, thanking Mr. Clare colily for
bringing the parcel of dried fern leaves,
but informed him that they had been sadly
broken and spoiled on the journey.
Fern leaves trashP exclaimed Mrs
Brown, dropping the stitches Of her knit
ting in yexation. "lfyou had enly bad the
sense to carry ont your desk instead; there
was sure to be, some money IN it. If you
only saved good suit of clothes aud not
come here like a>beggar p
Mr.. Brown leaned back in his arm chair
and laughed Dried fern-leaves r. be
chuckled; ''snd spoiled ones to boot -
They've only been pulled out Of one Ere
into another!1
Poor Reginald was mortified and yeyed.
The burns on his face and hands seemed to
pain him more than ever ".And yet"
thought he, II need not mind only did
my duty, had been trusted-I had prom
/ ised. / could not have broken my word.
How could have known what was in that
parcel?"
Rat-tat! 1t was the knock of the eve-
ming postman. Another letter for Kegi.
nald Glare. ~ hope" said his sharp fea-
tured aunt, that it may contain something
better than the last Dried fern.leaves,
| forsooth! What rubbish y
Reginald broke the seal and opened the
| letter His hand almost trembled with
1excitement asheread. With a sparkling
eye he gave it to his aunt, who looked st it
| through her old steel 'spectacles.
"Well here is something odd,' she re
marked; "why who writes this 7 Joh>
Gray never heard of the name"
i'He was my fellow passengers ner-
chant--and so kind ~ re
"Kind, should think sol exclaimed
into smile.
"What does he say, wife Z" asked Mr.
Brown. with impatience
sssNNlhB he offers to take this boy here
Ia nt61 Bis house Of business without any pre-
miumsylt CLAIMED the wife, handing over
the3eitnnto her husband, because, as he
writes he knows the lad is to be trusted.
It's the oldest fancy that I ever heard of.
What is maid to him that he should
take him - the hand-frst pay for his
journey to London. then otfer-you see his
own word-to treat him as son.
Wife, wife," cried Nr. Brown, laying
his finger on the letter, and looking with
hearty kindness at the orphan as he spoke,
"you aud made precious mistake when
We fancied that Reginald had carried
nothing away from the ship:but trumpe-
sry packetof fern-leaves. He carried away
something worth moro than all the gold aud
| Jewels of the Indies-a character for doing
his duty to God and man. "And depend
ont continued the old man, raising his
voice, "a boy who has that, will never
long be in want of a friend"