t Mary hadn't
thought much beforehand as to what would happen afterward, and it was too
aggravating to have him turn out so well just when she had lost all
patience with him and so cast him off forever, and for him to develop such
a beautiful character, all of a sudden too--just as if education and good
advice had been his undoing and seclusion and illness were the guardian
angels arrived just in time to save him from the evil effects thereof.

It hadn't occurred to Aunt Mary that people keep on living just the same
even after they have been cut out of a will. And she never had counted on
Jack's taking his bitter medicine in the spirit he was manifesting. She
had not calculated any of the possible effects of her hasty action very
maturely, but she certainly had not anticipated a lamblike submission to
even the harshest of her edicts, nor had she expected Jack to be one who
would strictly observe the Bible regulations and so return good for
evil--in other words, write her now when he had never written her in the
bygone years (unless under sharpest financial stress of circumstances).

Yet such was the case. Jack had become a "ready letter-writer" ever since
his removal to the city, whither some kind friends had invited him
directly he could leave his sick-room. Aunt Mary did not know who the
friends were and had hesitated somewhat as to opening the first letter.
But it had borne no sting--being instead most sweetly pathetic, and since
then, others had followed with touching frequency. Their polished periods
fell upon the old lady's stony hardness of heart with the persistent
frequency of the proverbial drop of water. After the second she had ceased
to regard the instructions given Lucinda as to mentioning her nephew's
name, and after the third he became again her favorite topic of
conversation.

It seemed that the poor boy had had the misfortune to contract measles,
and in his weakened state the disease had nearly proved fatal. You can
perhaps divine the effect of this statement on the grand-aunt, and the
further effect of the words: "But never mind, Aunt Mary," with which he
concluded the brief narration.

Aunt Mary had tried to snort and had sniffed instead; she had turned back
to the first page, read, "All my head has been shaved, but I don't care
about having any more fun, anyhow," and had let the letter fall in her
lap. Every time that she had thought since of "our boy," her anger had
fallen hotter upon whoever wa