The Baltimore County union., 1883-06-30
JOHN sILvER's RETURN.
A Story Which Shows That "Ali's Well
That Ends Well"

The Rantier.
"Drat the brat % said Mrs. Mary
Higgins, al wonder what he's up to
nowi"
"John !"
"John You'd better answer, young
man, or you'll rue it when git my
hands ON you!"
Coming, Aunt Mary!" said 4 child.
ish voice up stairs, and in moment
boy about twelve years of age came
down the rickety stairway Of the old
farm house and stood before Mrs. Hig-
gins.
"What have you been up to now?
Readin' some more OF them trashy
novels, I'll Gc bound Jest like you to
go moonin' about doing nothing all
day and me 4 working and delving to
support you Have you swept the yard
yit ?"
"No nam, | was just coming down
to do it when you called"
"You'rc the very plague ofmy life !"
screamed Mrs. Higgins. YOU'RE just
like your mother was, slipShoddcn about
all day and letting things go to rack
and ruin ! But | won't put up with you
any longer Now mind what | say--if
you don't earn your bread hereafter
you can't stay here, do you hear me ?"
"Yes, man. I'll try very hard to
please you, Aunt Mary. I'm not a lazy
boy, but | can't help reading a book
sometimes. Father told me before he
went away, just after mother died, TO
keep up my reading, and don't see
any harm in it,"
"Ha! impudent are you I'll teach
you to answer me back !" and the
strong woman seized the slender boy
and administered an unmcrciful beat
ing.
"rhere, now. you pauper Go and
do your work"
The boy went out into the bright
sunshine, bruised ard sore, his heart
burning with grief and resentment
He was conscious that he did not de-
serve the harsh treatment which was
his daily lot. He knew he had tried to
do what he was told to do, but his aunt
was never pleased with him. As the,
morning wore away the boy kept BROOD
ing over his wrongs. He thought OF
his pleasant life before his mother died
and his father went to California-the
life in which he found love and CON-
mcnda,ion instead of hate and blows as
his daily portion. Revolving all this in
his mind and heart as he did his daily
tasks, a resolution slowly formed within
him to run away and escape from the
tyranny OF his aunt. This resolution
was firmly fixed that day about sunset
after his aunt had whipped him severely
and sent him to bed supperless.
"Drat that boy!'' said Mrs. Higgins
the next morning, "hcre it is day all
abroad and he's not up yit."
"John !"
"John !"
"Young man you'd better come down
or I'll nigh about canoddle your
"Do you hear me ?"
Not receiving an answer, Mrs. Hig-
gins went up the stairway breathing
dire vengeance against her young
nephew. When she came down min.
ute later she was quiet and her face
wore puzzled expression. The boy
was not in his room. His bed had not
been slept in overnight. His aunt
found a note pinned to his FELLOWSHIP
signed "John" which informed her
that he had left the farm because of
her bad treatment and never intended
to come back again.
"Good riddancc !" snapped Mrs.
Higgins TO herself, as she folded the
note and put il in the clock, but her
maid noticed during the day that she
was quiet and preoccupied.
Ten years have passed away since
John Silvers ran away from the old
farmhouse. Many changes have taken
place since then. Mrs. Higgins is not
so energetic Of voice and action as she
was when she had her nephew with her.
She has never heard from the boy since
he went away and does not know
whether ho is living or doad. Five
years after he went away she received
letter from strange man in California
informing her that her brother, VIM.
Silvcrs, had died and left So, 900 for
his boy, which sum was placed in her
hands rs guardian. But this money
had taken unto itself wings and flown.
Mrs. Higgins worthless son had come
home from New York about the time
she had received the s7 900 and walked
off with il. Since then she had mort
gagged her farm TO make good a note
her graceless son had forged foT 81 900
in order TO keep him out Of prison.
But her sacrifice was useless, for the
hardened wretch had committed an
other forgery and was serving out a
long sentence in the penitentiary. To
make her woes complete the farm was
TO be sold to satisfy the mortgage. 1t
was hard to give up the old place where
she had lived all her life-hard to 60
out from the house where she was born,
and to see the land pass into strange
hands. Her troubles and the hand Of
time had changed Mrs. Higgins won
derfully. She was no longer the storm
ing, cruel woman she was when her
nephew was with her. Trouble had
toned her down and were John Silvers
to walk into the old house now he
would not recognize the gentle woman
he would find there as the virago who
treated him so badly years ago.
Mrs. Higgins often thought about
John, and had long recognized her
treatment Of him rs cruel and unjust
She had bitterly repented Of il, too,
and daily prayed that she might yet be
permitted to see him again and tell him