Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-01-09
BOUGHT AN ELEPHAN /.
The Strange Purchase of the Thanks
giving Club.


giving Club.
1t was Faith Harper who thought OF
1.-THE Thanksgiving club, l mean
Faith always thought of such beautl-
full things. But, Of course, in this case
she was influenced by her experience
with the elephant. 1t was when she
was a wee bit lassie" that she strayed
away from her home one fair spring
day and wandered in through the open
flap of the great circus tent pitched on
the village square. The afternoon per-
Torrance was over, and the tent was
deserted save for the keeper and at
PENDANTS.
AS the little one looked about her in
utter bewilderment a sick tigress, dou-
bly, ferOcious with pain, suddenly shiV-
cred the combining bars of her cage
and sprang across the open space, in
tent upon her prey.
Keepers and attendants were panic
stricken, but Princess, the monster ele-
plant, with maternal genteneSs wound
her huge trunk about the child ana,
lifting her high in the air, held her out
Of the reach of danger until the en-
ragged tigreSS was again in cOnhne-
ment.
When she was old enough to realize
fully the awful danger from which she
had escaped and to understand the al
most incredible means by which her
escape was effected, Faith pledged her
self to use all her influence to promote
the welfare and happiness of animals,
both great and small, and the Thanks
giving club was the outgrowth of the
pledge.
So YOU see it was not an experiment,
as so many clubs are. 1t had a reason
for existing, it was carefully organic
ed, and it had come to stay. Its name
was suggested by Faith in token of
her gratitude for her deliVeranCe.
The twelve girls who comprised its
members were enthusiastic students
of natural history SO far as their en-
virOnment permitted, their knowledge
was not only theoretical, but expert
mental. They knew the haunts and
habits Of every woodland creature for
many miles around, and never an I'M
familiar bird call fell upon their ears.
But it was, after all, in the elephant
that their interest was chiefly cen
tered, and out of this intense interest
grew their strange purchase. OF course
the visit of Faiths missionary uncle
had something to do with it. 1t was
wonderfully exciting to the little group,
whose acquaintance with the great
creatures was limited to the circus and
the zoo, to listen to the fascinating stO-
ries Of his everyday home life in the
jungles of India, where he is appreci-
ated for his patience and obedience, as
well as for his marvellous strength, and
where he is noted for his high degree
Of intelligence.
AS Faith sat in the midst of the little
group, while one delightful tale fol-
lowed another, the queer plan deyel-
Oped in her busy little brain - the
Thanksgiving club would buy an ele-
plant. OF course they could not bring
it to CircleviIIe. That was no part Of
her plan. But in the mission COM
pound in faraway India, where long
and dangerous Journeys were SO often
undertaken and heavy burdens were
constantly to be borne, the sagaciOus
creature would be Of untold value.
The club received Faiths proposal
with enthusiastic approval. 1t was the
custom of her father at each Thanks
giving season to set aside a gOodly sum
of money to be expended in the name
of the club In recognition of her escape
from the tigress. Her unique plan with
its possibilities SO delighted him that
the amount already placed to their
credit was doubled. But this was not
all. The story of how those twelve
girls planned and worked and sacri-
feed would fill book. DOubly inSpir-
ed by missionary interest and club en-
thusiasm, they bent all their fresh
young energies toward accommodating
the amount necessary to accomplish
their object. And so it came about that
when the missionary uncle sailed away
to the scene of his labOrs he carried
with him the price of a missiOnars ele-
plant whose name was to be Princess.
Aunt Virginia.