The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-08
DIBYCLbRk 5 MOTHER
Tells the Story ofEIeVen Days
of Mortal Agony.
HOW THE CHILD LEFT HER
And How She Came Again as
One From the Dead.

the shock Of her awful experience lHaL
she consented 10 write the whole story Of
her sad bereavement, the hiring Of the
girl Bella Anderson, the disappearance Of
the little one, tn weary days of watching,
and, faally, the wave Of JOY with which
she was overwhelmed on learning that her
baby vas safe and would soon be in her
arms:
Now that my baby has been returned
to me; now that I can stretch forth my
hand at night and feel her little body IN
the crib next to me. I dare speak Of my
terrible separation from her. Now for the
first time can refer to that last day
Imagine the horror of speaking of a
'Iast day." when it means that out Of
your sight your baby went smiling, cooinS'
waving its dimpled hand not to return!
Imagine the agony Of the thought Of that
last day" when it means that you do
not know if your child is alive, being tor
tured dead through suffering, living
among Williams, crying for you, or com
forted without you.
Through the long hours Of eleven long
nights I have listened to the clock in my
room ticking ceaselessly, hopelessly. she
will never come back" it said thousand
Of times Baby Marion is dead-dead TO
you-dead TO you"
Sometimes it went quicker and quicker,
repeating the words with emphasis, sharp
~. Sometimes it said them slowly, softly.
Then 1 would jump from my bed with a
mad desire TO do something, to wander
through the streets anywhere till 1 found
her
Suddenly, in very pity, with the first
CLEAN Of daylight, the clock would seem
to tick out consolingIy: She will come
back to you" I would lie down then,
cover my head and try to pray.
you must sleep" those who cared for
me would say, Ito keep your strength
g ITO keep my strength for what?' I
asked myself a thousand times. Then
some one would bring me my other baby
in the hope that he would dispel thoughts
Of the absent one. Friends would try to
distract me with news Of him, with some
tale of his food or his health. Alas the
baby left behind-''Bwo-vah," as Marion
called him Calls him now, God be prais-
edD-only reminded me every moment Of
her.
Every feeble stroke Of his baby hand
recalled her caresses. When I felt the
pressure of his downy head against my
breast I remembered the touch of hers.
Everything, from the pictures on the walls
to certain nick in the door, where one
day for sport I had measured her, recalled
the memory Of my lost child. At one mo-
ment I wanted to shut my eyes upon
these relics forever; the next I chung 10
+p
Now that look back upon those elev-
en- days which were alternately passed in
an agony OF tears, in sickening disappoint-
ment that followed, in moments of hope
falsely nurtured, in an avalanche Of doubt
in the conjuring up Of terrors I dare not
name occasionly in the kind oblivion Of a
narcotic, 1 wonder what gave me strength
to endure to the blessed end.
During those hours that seemed inter-
minable I reproached myself ceaselessly.
I recalled every moment that the nurse,
Carrie Jones, had passed with my baby
with c0ntrition. over and over until the
words seemed burned into my tired brain
1 repeated the small advertisement in
morning paper, the insignificant two lines
that had caught my eye and ensnared me
THE incidents Of that morning went
over and over. Suddenly, like the pictures
in my little Marion's kaleidoscope, they
kept repeating and repeating themselves
with every new turn Of the wheel of mem
( DRY.
i had answered four advertisements ap-
plying for the situation of nurse. With
the first ring Of the bell on a never-to-be-
forgotten morning into my life entered
Carrie Jones.
Tall slim, young, neatly dressed. not
more than twenty years Of age, I should
say, with a frank manner and a gentle
voice she won her way into my service.
" I'm so fond OF children" she said,
when her eyes fell upon my babies.
80" Are kind to-them?" I asked her.
d" How could anybody be unkind TO
ohild?" she cried in return.
The tone had a ring il Il that was gen.
uine, and 1 made up my mind there and
then that Carrie Jones should go with me
TO the country 10 take care Of my children
4 through the summer.
The only thirs that made me hesitate
for an instant was her lack of all refer
/ ences. She was absolutely frank about
that
Il don't know any one" she said, and
/ pjred her. Il have lived in the country
/ a'ways-nover have been IN New York
. before. ! have 10 friends here. I don'c
care for young men. and don'- want any
f night out nor ans day either. Ia rather
4 stay with tie baby"
she recomms oded herself ably by her
.