A PLEASANT SURPRISE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2550, 9 March 1877, Page 2

A PLEASANT SURPRISE.

There lived in Oakland. Cal., the past few years, a modest gentleman by the name of Peter Miller. He has resided in Ca'iforma* for the last twenty, years, worked in the mines, and part of the time at his trade,.carpentering..; Years ago he commenced to send home to his widowed mother, living in Michigan, what he could afford to spare from his earnings, Being a bachelor, he could not brook the idea of having the'idol of his heart toil in declining years consequently tie .s.ent her money from time to time, 1 making ho dnrry of it, but presumed that his worthy relative would use it as she deemed proper. After years of absence his mother kept writing for hi in to return, but like other old Californiana he was proud and did not desire to go' back until he had sufficient; to " show" that hjß was from the Golden State. ' Time 'w^'rks-changes and so it did with Peter, he'found himself about a month ago without labor — " strapped," to use the common 1 term — and the surroundings neither pleasant or satisfactory. He was unwell and thought of home and his' friends' in the Wolverine districts. ' ■ '

He wrote to his mother that he could, not conceal his pride any longer and stated his situation; if he had money he would "return","'But"he"h¥d' tV make it. Subsequently he received a.,cheque for 500 dollars, and in the N letter was stated that the money,he,bad^.been sendingJiome i for years had been"'invested' j n • reates-J tate, arid he had better come back Bndr take charge*, of-his property .whieli'was worth fifty thousand dollars.-r^mferiqan Paper. - ■■':