A bad penny

"A bad penny" by John T. Wheelwright is a novel written in the late 19th century. Set in an early 19th-century New England seaport, it follows Captain John Woodbury, his restless son James who longs for the sea, and the family upheaval sparked by the return of the disgraced, presumed-dead uncle, Thomas Cheever. The story blends maritime life, small-town politics, and moral tension as reputation, inheritance, and a boy’s future collide. The opening of the novel paints Oldbury’s genteel world and Woodbury’s sturdy new house, then plunges into conflict: James balks at being groomed for the ministry while his father insists on college. At a tense family tea, a stuttering stranger from a Havana schooner proves to be Cheever, who recounts years of misery, demands his share of the estate, and slips away, leaving James to secretly deliver a ring and plea for forgiveness to Widow Pickering. Meanwhile, the canny Deacon Fairbanks deduces Cheever’s return, summons the constable, and delays a bank loan that Woodbury seeks to hasten the man’s departure. Warned by Alice Fairbanks of the impending arrest, James rushes to the harbor and boards the schooner to caution his uncle as night falls.