The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-09-13

VA from the West to his ma
v " tive town of Canaan, he
did not expect to find his
memory canonized. Fifteen years was
hardly enough time, he thought, for
his fellow townsmen to forget his
faults or enlarge upon his virtues.
Doubtless those people were still alive
who, If they remembered the boy at
all, would do 1t to their sorrow; still
time usually softens grievances, and
Busby, with the aid of his newly ac-
quired wealth, hoped to find some
kind of quasi welcome in the quiet
town under the elms.
He had never seriously injured any
one, he thought, and, although the viii
lage dogs might beat a hasty retreat
on the return of this prince Of practi-
cal jokers, the majority Of the inhabi-
tants had enjoyed in full measure his
many pleasantries.
Busby-now grown up to wealth and
dignity-was not a little ashamed of
his early pranks, and he determined,
as he alighted from the stage and en-
tered the city hotel. to sign some fic-
titious name and look cautiously about
the old place to see what his standing
might be among the saints at home.
He was highly gratified to find the
town unaltered in any particular. We
like to see change and progress in the
great world at large, but our native
place, where we spent the happy years
of our boyhood, is blessed with too
many memories to admit Of any i'm
provement.
Busby was thankful to find the vii
lage parson preaching the same kind
of exclusive hereafter that had fright
ened him into obedience fifteen years
before. He congratulated himself on
finding the old pump still yielding de-
licious water from the same cracked
spout; to have repaired it would have
been an impertinence he felt. He
blessed the lazy and penurious school
directors for having failed to plug VI
a single knot hole in the venerable
abode Of knowledge where q success
SlOu VI lJGuuBOS4(lA y AoAb9 AAA S@AAJ
partly subdued his spirit Of fun.
The external landmarks Of Canaan
still stood intact, but among the per
sonnet Of the inhabitants there were
many missing faces.
The old fogies were mostly on deck
Busby's inveterate foes-a little NOR
talkative, malevolent and reminiscen
perhaps. They were whiting on tn
same red fence which had Away
served as a resting place for the IN
employed. Jim listened to the record
of the young man who had gone Yves
and the girls who had married wealth
men. Some of his old associates OccJ
pied positions Of honor and trust; /
fact, all had done well-so well, tina
he felt emboldened to ask after hin
self-not without many misgivings.
There was a slight change Of expre
sion on the faces Of the old worthie
at the mention of this hayward youtl
The Oldest inhabitant coughed, tt
postmaster grtnned, and the venerab
deacon looked the other way with
knowing smile.
1t was a trying moment for Jill
Their significant glances nettled hi
not a little, and he could not refra.
from coming to his own defence.
HE was always an active boy"
said.
"Too everlastngly activev' return
the deacon with a suggestive gri
"Every dog and cat knows he new
slept. / calculate there waren't
kind O. tomfoolery he didn't pract'
before he pulled out of here Of 81
den. Everybody prophesied he'd
hung. and 1 guess the best people e
relieved when they got the sad ne
of his execution. know did"
Jim tried to whistle a tune in an
concerned way, but 1t was with q
fcultv that he concealed his feelin
It's something of a shock to find Of
self hanged, and it takes time to
used to it. He spent the day amusi
N himself with the younger element, v
fortunately knew not Jim Busby. II
MED him at once. His plaid 81
beavv gold watch and plug hat seen