American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-01-01
PACKAGE NO. 1O7.

l.
smiled very pleasantly when the pack
age was brought to him with directed
express tag properly tied on it. But it
was not SO strange for him to smile,
since he knew all about that package,
and had foretold the exact time re-
quired for q package to reach New
York. But the clerk who pasted a
green label on the tag, and marked on
one end in blue ink No. 10Y, Paid'' SO
and so much, why should he be amusedP
And why should the two exprcss-wagon
drivers who were in the Office at the
time declare that that package would
be something like surprisep
Then an errand-boy came into the
Office to express valise, having left
seven other boys standing on the near
est street corner before a hand-organ
that was playing the newest airs, which
those seven boys were learning to
whistle. But why should that Grand
boy, who was usually a very quiet boy,
Immediately run to the office street
door, and call, and beckon,' and wave
his hat furiously for those seven boys to
come and look at package NO. I'VE
linen tnose seven Doys' IN splte OF Inc
attraction OF the hand-organ, came on
rum ana stooo eagerly arounu the e1-
PlOSo oAAAOO shooA' &AAN Wy "O~N y
those boys go away until that package
was taken with other packages to the
railroad station IN one OF the express
wagons: ana what, also' grea1iy IN
terested five other passing boys. CHI
nese Iaundry-man, two appie-women
and a policeman
wen, II was tne same cause, Wnica
Will SOON appear .hat Inssue CURIOUS U inu
smiiinS the express Peopie oi Olnana'
Chicago and other places where the
package was seen ON It's way East 70
New 1orK. ~
ABOUT montn previous 10 tnis' MI.
Benson had written to his wlfe from
California that, owing to the slow set
Element OF the business that mad taken
him there, he was beginning 10 rear ne
and Guy would not be able to reach
home even by the holidays. But Guy
says" wrote MIR. Benson, "that II we
only had mother here we would get
along splendldly."
A week later the unwclcome news
came to Mrs. Benson in New York ex-
planning that Mr., Benson's business
would further detain him in California
until the middle of March-three months
to come. You NAV be certain that Mrs.
Benson was very sorry to think of pass
L
three thousand miles separating her
from her husband and boy. But she
was forced to smile as she read GUYS
Ietter-mailed with his father's-ex-
planning how they might dine together
on Christmas day, notwithstanding the
three thousand miles.
81 have found out" wrote Guv. in
his hest handwriting. "that the differ
ence in time between New York and
San francisco is about three hours and
n quarter So if Won sit down to your
dinner at a quarter mast fonr o'ciock
vonr time and we sit down to our din.
ner at one o. clock. our time. we can In
that way be dining together. We are
ooing to have for dinner exactly what
we had at home ON last Christmas. But
Won will have the best time, for grand
father and Grandmother will be with
Won and Uncle Tom and Aunt Mary.
and Ben, Tom, Bertha, Sadie, Uncle
Seth and all the rest of Them
A few days after this letter wits sent
Mr. Benson mailed another one, in
which he told his wife that Guy had
made a discovery on the previous day,
and they were going to send her
pleasant surprise in fact. Christmas
present. 1.-THE package will be sent by
express, directed to your address in
New York. wrote Mr.. Benson, .sand
we have SO timed its journey East that
it will reach YOU some time on the day
before Christmas"
This was package No. 10Y.
But didn't Mrs. Benson wonder and
wonder what was coming to her for a
surprise present? And didn't she inn
agine that it might be a nest of Chi
nese tables, or a package of fine Russian